Food which thou desirest and whosoever shall be â—…mpious shall be punished with torments that no man yet hath suffered He shall say at the Day of Judgment O Jesus Son of Mary didst thou enjoyn the people to worship thee and thy Mother as two Gods Jesus shall answer praised be thy name I will take heed of speaking what is not thou knowest if I have said it thou art Omniscient thou knowest what is in my Soul and I have no knowledge of what is in thee I delivered nothing but what thou didst command me to speak to wit Worship God your Lord and mine I am Witness from the time that I was in the World until thou didst cause me to dye thou didst observe the Deportments of the people thou feest all if thou chastisest Men they are thy Creatures if thou dost pardon them thou art Omnipotent and Wise. Then shall God say this day shall good works be profitable to the righteous they shall enter into Paradise wherein flow many Rivers there shall they dwell eternally with my grace in exceeding great felicity the Kingdom of heaven of Earth is Gods he is Omnipotent CHAP. VI. The Chapter of Gratifications containing an hundred sixty and fifteen Verses written at Medina IN the name of God gracious and merciful Praise be to God the Creator of Heaven of Earth of darkness and of light such as believe not in their Lord are in error He it is that created you of the dust of the Earth and appointed a prefixed time for your death and resurrection nevertheless you doubt he is God in Heaven and in Earth he understandeth the secrets of your hearts and whatsoever you make manifest he knoweth the good and evil that you commit that his Commandments have been taught the Inhabitants of Mecca and that they have abjured them they opposed the revealed Truth but shall be chastised for their contempt They consider not how much People we have destroyed in past ages we gave them places to dwell in more strong and spacious than those which you inhabit sent them about of rain caused Fountains flow in the places of their habitation after this did we extirpate them by reason of their sins and established in their place a new People We have sent to thee the Scripture written in Vellum the unbelievers have handled it with their hands yet say it is evident sorcery and inchantment that they will not believe therein unless they see an Angel descend to confirm it Should we have sent an Angel they had perished by his presence unless we had sent him under the figure of a Man like unto them and cloathed as they are They derided the Prophets and Apostles thy Predecessors derision is fallen upon such as contemned them Say to them go through the World and consider the end of them that abjure the Law of God say to them to whom appertaineth whatsoever is in Heaven and Earth it is Gods. He will imploy his mercy to save you doubtless he will assemble all of you at the Day of Judgment Nevertheless Infidels believe not in his Unity they consider not that whatsoever moveth by night and by day and whatsoever is in the World belongeth to his Divine Majesty who understandeth and knoweth all things Say to them require you other protection than that of God the Omnipotent Creator of Heaven and Earth who nourisheth all things is nourished by none Say to them I have received a command to embrace the Law of Salvation Be not ye in number of unbelievers I fear to disobey my Lord and fear the torments prepared for the wicked at the day of Judgment he that shall deliver himself shall enjoy the grace of God which is supream felicity If God will punish you none shall deliver you from his punishment if his Will is to do good to you he is Omnipotent always victorious and hath all power over his Creatures he is most wise and Omniscient Say to them What better testimony is there in the World than that of God Say to them He shall testifie between you and me to whom he hath inspired the Alcoran to instruct you Will any among you that shall learn it say there is any other God but God I will not say so there is but one God and I am innocent from the sin you commit in associating him with a companion equal to him many of them that understand the written Law have knowledge of the truth of the Alcoran their Children also know it but such as forsake their own Souls will not believe in God. Who more unjust than he that blasphemeth against God and his Commandments Certainly the wicked shall be miserable I will assemble all of them and say Where are the gods which you did associate with God They shall have none other excuse but to say by God Lord we were of the number of Idolaters Consider how they will lie and disavow their blasphemies some there be among them that hearken to thee we have hardened their hearts they will not learn the Alcoran because their ears are stopped When they shall hear related all the miracles of the World and shall see them with their eyes they will not believe until they have disputed against thee The wicked say the Alcoran is but a lie and â—…able of Antiquity they forbid the People to believe it and contemn it certainly they destroy their Souls and know it not thou shalt see when they shall be detained in the fire of Hell they will say Would to God I might return into the World I would obey the Commandments of his Divine Majesty and be in the number of true believers They knew the truth but concealed it should they return into the World they would return to their impiety they are liars They affirm there is none other life than that of the World neither any resurrection when they shall be before God they shall acknowledge their errors he shall cause them to feel the chastisements due to their blasphemies Such as believe not in the Resurrection are wretched Men they shall be afflicted for their sins at the hour when ever death shall surprize them they shall bear on their back the burthen of their crimes and avouch the life of this world to be but deceit and vanity and the life of the other to be full of felicity for the righteous nevertheless the wicked are not converted I know thou wilt be incensed against such as shall say they desire to obey thee and shall renounce thy Doctrine they that contemn the Commandments of God are impious they have belied the Prophets thy Predecessors the Prophets endured their lies and were patient until we destroyed them God declineth not what he hath promised Thou knowest what the Prophets foretold if Men abandon thee canst thou coveâ—… to continue on earth to instruct them and to be in Heaven at the same time to cause prodigies appear testimonies of thy mission Had it so pleased God he had
idle They that have judgment will understand this discourse Say unto them oh ye people that believe in your Lord have his fear before your eyes such as shall do good works in this world shall enjoy abundantly the riches of the earth God will innumerably reward them that persevere in obedience to his Commandments Say unto them I am commanded to worship one God to profess his Unity and to be obedient to him Say unto them I apprehend the day of Judgment if I disobey God my Lord. Say unto them I will worship but one God worship ye others whom ye will. Such as shall despise the Law of God shall lose their souls and families at the day of Judgment These are two great losses and most certain they be involved in eternal fire Thus God preacheth to true believers O my creature speak unto them that have my fear before their eyes that they adore not Idols and that if they turn to their Lord they shall enjoy the delights of Paradise Proclaim to them that hear my Word and obey my Commandments that they are in the right way and well advised canst thou deliver from the fire of hell him that shall be condemned Certainly such as obey God shall enjoy the pleasures of Paradise wherein flow many rivers and there shall they dwell eternally This is the promise of God he swerveth not from that which he promiseth Seest thou not that God sendeth rain from heaven and maketh the rivers to run upon the earth he causeth plants to spring forth and herbs of divers colours thou seest them become yellow and then altogether drie this is a sign of his omnipotency Hath not he to whom God hath given the light of faith received a great grace from his divine Majesty Misery is upon them that have an heart hardned and forget his Law they are manifestly seduced he hath sent an excellent book for the instruction of men his precepts are alike in purity and without contradiction They that fear God tremble when they hear mention of this book and find their rest in the word of his divine Majesty This book is the guide of the righteous God by it guideth whom pleaseth him He whom God shall seduce shall find none to guide him he shall be precipitated into the fire of hell at the day of Judgment It shall be said that day to the wicked taste the torments that ye have merited their predecessors defamed the Prophets and were punished when they least thought of it God rendred them ignominious in this world and they shall feel in the other torments much more grievous and they know it not We have taught in this book what is necessary for the salvation of the people peradventure they will learn it it is in the Arabique tongue without falshood and contradiction perhaps the people will fly from impiety God teacheth you a parable Two men are associates in their traffique the one is wicked the other an honest man are they alike Praise is due to one sole God the greatest part of the Infidels understand it not Thou shalt die all men shall die and ye shall be assembled at the day of Judgment when ye shall dispute together Who is more unjust than he that blasphemeth against God and against the known truth Shall not the wicked be damned Such as shall believe the Prophet and fly impiety shall obtain from God what they desire such is the recompence of the righteous God shall pardon their sins and reward them for their good works doth not he protect his servant They will terrifie thee with the Idols which they adore but he whom God shall mislead shall find none able to guide him and none shall be able to seduce him whom he shall guide is not he the omnipotent and revenging If thou ask of the Infidels who created heaven and earth they will say it is God Say unto them have ye therefore considered the Idols which ye adore can they exempt you from the wrath of God when it shall be his pleasure to chastise you Shall they be able to hinder his grace when it shall be his will to pardon you Say unto them my refuge is God I am resigned to his Will the wise trust in his divine Majesty Say unto them oh people do as you understand him I will do as I understand him ye shall know in the end that whosoever shall be condemned shall be ashamed and be precipitated into eternall torments We have sent unto thee the most true Book to instruct the people He that shall follow the right way shall meet with nothing but good and he that shall go astray shall meet with nothing but evill thou art not the guardian of the wicked God causeth men to die when the hour of their death is arrived he deferreth the death of many during their sleep and remitteth that of others to the time appointed this is a sign of his Omnipotencie to such as consider it Will ye worship any but God Say unto them how shall your Idols be able to intercede for you since they want power know you not this Say unto them we ought to invoke one God alone King of the heaven and earth you all shall one day be assembled before him to be judged The Infidels tremble with fear when they hear mention of one sole God and rejoyce when they hear speak of their Idols Say unto them God is Creator of the heavens and the earth he knoweth the past present and future Lord thou shalt one day judge the differences of thy creatures Should the Infidels possess all the riches of the earth and yet as much more they would not be able to escape the fire of hell at the day of Judgment they shall be punished more grievously than they imagine their sins shall be set before them and they shall feel the rigors of the torments which they despise Man calleth upon us when he is in affliction and when we give him our grace he saith he meriteth it on the contrary this is to prove him but most of them are ignorant of it their predecessors spake as they the good that they have done hath profited them nothing and the misery that they have merited is faln upon them they shall not escape the punishment of their crimes Know they not that God giveth and taketh away wealth from whom pleaseth him This is a sign of his omnipotency for the righteous Say unto them oh people they who have offended God ought not to despair of his grace he is gracious and merciful be ye converted and recommend your selves to his will before ye be condemned otherwise ye shall remain without protection follow the instruction that God hath sent to you before ye be 〈◊〉 the punishment of your crimes shall surprise you ye know not the time the wicked shall be afflicted for that they have not obeyed Gods Commandments they shall know their damnation and the sin that they have committed in scorning the
true believers They shall say had God guided me into the right way I had had his fear before mine eyes When they shall see hell they shall say could I return into the world I would be in the number of the righteous on the contrary my Commandments were taught you but ye became proud and despised them Thou shalt see that day how the visages of Infidels shall be blackned is there not a place in hell prepared for the proud God loveth and putteth into a place of felicitie them that fear him they shall not be touched either with displeasure or affliction God hath created all things and disposeth all at his pleasure he hath in his power the keyes of heaven and earth such as disobey him are damned Say unto them oh ignorant men will ye enjoyn me to worship another god besides God It hath been preached to you and your predecessors that all your good works shall be unprofitable if ye adore many gods and that you shall be in the number of the damned there is but one God worship him and be mindful of his graces The Infidels have not praised God as he ought to be praised they have no knowledg of his power he shall make the earth to tremble and gather together the heavens by rhe strength of his right hand at the day of Judgment praised be God he hath no companion When the Trumpet shall sound the first time he shall cause to die whom he will have to die in the heavens and earth the second time all the world shall rise again and attend his Commandments the earth shall be full of the light of the Lord thereof he shall bring his book wherein shall be written what the Prophets and Martyrs have taught he shall judge the world with equity and shall not do injustice to any every one shall be rewarded and chastised for his works he knoweth all that they have done he shall send the Infidels into the fire of hell in troops when they shall be arrived at the gate it shall open before their eyes it shall be said unto them behold Hell which ye have merited were there not Prophets and Apostles to teach you the Commandments of God and to preach unto you on Earth the coming of this rigorous day They shall say yes but the word of God shall be accomplished against the wicked It shall be said unto them go enter into Hell ye shall abide there eternally it is the habitation of the proud Such as shall have the fear of God before their eyes shall be conducted in troops to the gate of Paradise the gate shall open before their eyes it shall be said unto them behold what ye have gained the peace of God is with you ye have not been ignorant enter into Paradise ye shall dwell therein eternally They shall say praised be God for that we believed in his Law and because we are heirs of his grace we will go into Paradise into what place shall seem good to us God giveth his blessing to the righteous Thou shalt see the Angels about the Throne of thy Lord who shall praise and exalt his glory they shall say God hath judged his creatures with equity praise is due to the Lord of the Universe CHAP. XL. The Chapter of the True believer containing Eighty five Verses written at Mecca Reader Gelaldin entituleth this Chapter Of the Pitiful IN the Name of God Gracious and Merciful God is prudent and wise This Book is sent by the Omnipotent who knoweth all things who pardoneth sins and accepteth the conversion of his creatures he is severe in his chastisements and indulgent to his People there is no God but he and all the World shall one day be assembled before his Divine Majesty to be judged No man disputeth against the Precepts of the Alcoran but the wicked be not thou discontented if they live on Earth with some felicity the People of Noah's time contemned his instructions their Posterity did like them and every Nation hath conspired the death of them whom God sent to instruct them they disputed to obscure the truth through their lyes but they were punished and after what manner So is the Word of God accomplished against the wicked they all shall be damned The Angels that are about the Throne of God and those that bear him praise and exalt his Divine Majesty they believe in his Unity and beg pardon of him for the True believers Lord thy mercy extendeth through the whole World nothing is hid from thee either in Heaven or Earth pardon their sins that convert and embrace thy holy Law deliver them from the Fire of Hell open to them the gate of the Gardens of Eden which thou hast prepared for them their Fathers Wives and Children and them of their Lineage that shall do good works thou art Omnipotent and wise Depart from sin he that shall depart from it shall resent the effect of God's mercy at the Day of Judgment and shall enjoy eternal felicity the Infidels shall be hated of God his hatred is infinitely more dangerous than yours will ye be Infidels after being called to the observation of the Law of Salvation They said Lord wilt thou cause us to die twice And shall we twice rise again But they shall say at the day of Judgment Lord we confess we have offended thee we acknowledg our sin in having renounced the belief of thine Unity shall we never go out of Hell to observe thy Law and follow the way of Salvation No ye shall suffer in the Fire of Hell because that ye have believed them that adored Idols and because ye have said that God hath companions equal to him All things obey one sole God Omnipotent he it is that made you to see his Miracles and sendeth you the riches of Heaven and Earth none consider it but such as are converted Pray to God and observe his Law although it be against the will of the wicked he elevateth his Creatures to what degree he listeth he hath created his Throne and sent his inspirations to whom he seeth good to preach the Day of Judgment that Day shall the People come out of their Monuments and none shall be able to hide himself from his Divine Majesty Who shall command that day It shall be God alone victorious that day shall he recompence every one after his works without injustice he is exact to make account If thou preach to the wicked the Day of Judgment their heart will lift them up and they shall be full of affliction their prayers shall not be heard and none shall intercede for them God knoweth them that have eyes of treachery and seeth all that is in the hearts of men he judgeth of every thing with truth the Idols which they worship are without power God alone understandeth all things and is Omnipotent Consider they not what was the end of their predecessors Who were more powerful and more wealthy than they God surprised them in
of God gracious and merciful What do the wicked enquire of each other touching the great news of which they are in different Opinion They shall learn it they shall learn it Have not I created and extended the Earth Have not I raised the Mountains to establish it Have not we created you Male and Female Have not we created Sleep and the Night for repose and the Day of Labour Have we not built over you Seven heavens and the Sun full of light Have we not caused Rain to descend from the Clouds to cause the Earth to produce its Plants and Gardens of divers fashions The day of Judgment shall be a day of Joy and Sorrow When the Angel shall sound the Trumpet all the World shall come in Troops to Universal Judgment Heaven shall open its Gates the Mountains shall walk and Hell is the place prepared for the seduced there shall they remain eternally They shall find there no rest neither drink but of boyling and most stinking Water a reward conformed to their works the Infidels believe not that they must render an account of their actions and blaspheme but we keep account and write exactly what they do It will be said to them at the Day of Judgment Taste this day the punishment that ye have merited your pains shall be augmented and pains upon pains They who shall have had the fear of God before their eyes shall be in a place of felicity in the Gardens of a most fertile Land enriched with Grapes and Pomegranats they shall drink in Cups full of a delicious Liquor and shall hear no vain speeches nor lying such is the recompence of them that obey the Commandments of God He is Lord of the Heavens and Earth none shall dare to speak when the Spirits and Angels shall be assembled before him none shall be able to speak or pray for another without his permission This day shall be the day of truth they that shall be acceptable to him shall retire towards his Divine Majesty We have preached unto you that the punishment of God shall speedily come upon you every one shall see all that he shall have done and the wicked shall say at the Day of Judgment Would to God that I had been earth and dust CHAP. LXXXIX The Chapter of Them that take away containing Forty six Verses written at Mecca IN the name of God gracious and merciful I swear by the Angels that take away the Souls from the Bodies of Infidels and the wicked by the Angels that accompany the Souls of Believers by the Angels that exalt the glory of God By the Angels that guide the Souls of the Righteous when they go into Paradise and by the Angels that are appointed for the affairs of the World That all People shall rise again at the Day of Judgment that Day the Earth shall tremble and the hearts of men shall tremble at the first time that the Trumpet shall sound at the second their sight shall be troubled with fear and they shall say Behold we we are returned upon Earth to the place whence we departed our bones were rotten and our return to the World shall bring upon us only misery this second sound of the Trumpet is a sign of the wrath of God then shall they be out of their Sepulchres revived upon the Earth Hast thou learned the History of Moses and how God his Lord called him in the Holy Valley called Toi and how he said Go towards Pharaoh he is seduced from the right way and is in a great error say unto him I called thee to the way of Salvation I will purifie and guide thee into the way of the Law of God to the end thou maist have his fear before thine eyes Moses made Pharaoh to see one of his great Miracles nevertheless he contemned Moses disobeyed him and departed from the right way he caused his People to assemble and made Proclamation that he was their God but God rigorously chastised him because of his Blasphemies this is an example of his Omnipotency to them that are Righteous Oh ye wicked were ye more difficult to create than Heaven God hath raised the roof thereof and proportioned it he hath made the Night obscure and the day full of splendor he hath stretched forth the Earth hath made Fountains to spring forth to water the Plants and to give drink to Beasts he hath elevated and established the Mountains for you and for your Flocks Men shall call to mind the good and the evil that they have done at the second sound of the Trumpet and Hell shall appear open before their eyes The wicked that have followed their own appetites on Earth shall be precipitated into Hell and such as have had the fear of God before their eyes and have subdued their passions in this World shall go into Paradise The wicked will ask of thee when the Day of Judgment shall be None knoweth it but thy â—…ord Thou art not sent but to preach the pains of Hell to them that fear that day as if they saw it present before their eyes they shall imagine that they have not remained in the Tomb but from Evening until Morning when they rise again CHAP. LXXX The Chapter of the Blind containing Forty two Verses written at Mecca IN the Name of God gracious and merciful The Prophet frowned had a surly countenance and withdrew himself when the blind came towards him He will not tell thee if he will believe in God and if he will profess thy preaching depart thou from him that shall depart from the Law of God thou art obliged only to preach to him and not to make him to believe but forsake not them that shall come to see thee to be instructed and shall fear God. The Alcoran is sent for the instruction of men it was copied upon the Book that is kept in Heaven to which Honour and praise is due eternally Wherefore is man impious 〈◊〉 because he is created of a little Water retaâ—…d in tâ—… womb of his Mother until the timâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And because he found the way to come forth Is it for that God caused him to dye and to revive when it seems good to him He performeth not what God commandeth neither considereth the good things that nourish him We have sent rain we opened the treasures of the earth we have made all sorts of grain to spring forth Blites Olives Dates Gardens and fields full of Fruits and herbs to nourish you and your flocks When the Angel shall sound the Trumpet the second time Man shall fly his brother his mother wife and children every one shall take thought for himself that day shall the wicked have countenances covered with affliction the countenance of the good shall be joyful and such as have sought the way between faith and impiety shall have their countenance covered with earth and dust CHAP. LXXXI The Chapter of Roundness containing Twenty nine Verses written at Mecca IN the Name of
them and they shall not erre Safa and Meroa are Tokens of his power He that shall go on Pilgrimage to Mecca shall not do amiss to visit those two places he that obeyeth shall do well God rewardeth them that do good works and knoweth all things I will lay my Curse upon such as conceal my Commandments they shall be accursed above whatever is in this world except them that shall be converted that shall do good works and bring to light what they concealed I will give them my Grace I am gracious and merciful The wicked that died in their impiety shall be eternally accursed of God of Angels and of all the World they shall never be eased in their torments and shall be without end deprived of protection Your God is one sole God there is none other God but God gracious and merciful The Creation of the Heavens and the Earth the difference of the day and the night the Ship that saileth on the Sea for the advantage of Commerce the Rain that falleth from Heaven to give Life to the Earth after it's death the diversity of Winds and the Clouds that move between Heaven and Earth are Signs of the Unity of God to those that can understand it There be that adore Idols and love them the True believers love but one sole God. When thou shalt see the wicked know they shall one day see the punishment of other Crimes All strength and Vertue proceedeth from God most severe in his Chastisements When that a part of them that had embraced the true Law separated themselves from the Company of True believers and that any mischief befel them they could not re-unite themselves Then they said in their affliction If we another time meet our Companions we will separate our selves from them as they have separated themselves from us Thus shall God give them to understand their Errour with exceeding sorrow and they shall be eternally confined in the fire of Hell. O ye people eat what is good and savoury in the Earth and follow not the steps of the Devil he is your open enemy he will command you that which is evil and filthy and to speak of God what you know not When it was said to the Infidels obey the Commandments of God they said We will follow the steps of our Fathers we will observe what they observed surely their Fathers were unwise and mis led they are like to him that cryeth and understandeth nothing of what is spoken but the voice they are deaf dumb blind and without judgment O ye that believe in God eat the good things that he hath given you and give him thanks if it be him that you worship He forbiddeth you to eat Carrion Blood Swines flesh and whatever is not killed in pronouncing the name of his Divine Majesty except it be in extreme necessity and in this case it shall not be reputed disobedience nor sin God is benigne and merciful what they eat that conceal the Word of God for any profit or advantage shall be nothing but matter of fire in their bowels God shall not speak to them at the day of judgment but with fury he will not purifie them and they shall suffer rigorous torments They that have purchased Errour for the right way and punishment for pardon shall burn in the fire of Hell for that God hath sent the most true Book that containeth his Commandments they that impugne what is contained in that Book are in an exceeding great Errour far from the truth It is not justification to turn the Face making your Prayers towards the East or West he shall be justified that shall believe in God the day of judgment the Angels the Scriptures and the Prophets and that in Charity shall impart some part of his Goods to his Parents to Orphans to the Poor to Pilgrims and to Slaves Such as believe in God and have his fear before their Eyes persevere in their Prayers pay Tithes they satisfie their Promises and are patient in their adversities O ye that believe the Talio is commanded you in murther the free for the free the Slave for the Slave the Woman for the Woman But if any one pardon the blood of his Brother he shall prosecute the Malefactor according to what he shall see most advantagious through damages and interests It is a facility which God hath given you through his mercy He that shall do injury to the Malefactor having received satisfaction of him shall suffer grievous torments at the day of Judgment you shall find life in the Talio O you that are wise it may be you will fear God He commandeth you to make your Testament when you approach unto death give Legacies of your substance to your Father and Mother your near Kindred and bestow Alms on the poor If any man alter your Testament the sin shall be upon him and upon all them that shall alter it God understandeth and knoweth all things If any one feareth that there is an Errour in the Testament that opposeth Reason he shall do well to reconcile the parties with affection God is gracious and bountiful O ye that believe Fasting is commanded you as it was them that were before you you shall fear God and Fast particularly a certain number of days but if any one among you is sick or in travel at the time of Fasting he shall count the days that he fasted not and shall fulfil them at another time Such as are not of strength to Fast shall satisfie for Fasting through Alms he that shall obey shall do well If you Fast you shall do well Fast the month of Ramazan in which the Alcoran descended from Heaven to guide men into the right way it containeth Precepts of Divine Right and distinguisheth good from evil all those that live to this Month ought to Fast. He that is sick or in a Voyage shall accomplish the days that he Fasted not another time at his Conveniency God willeth that his Law should be light unto you and not a Burthen his Will is that you observe the days of Fasting and that you return him thanks for that he hath guided you in the right way perhaps you will give him thanks I will be near unto my Servants when they shall enquire of thee concerning the Mysteries of my Law I will hear their Supplications when they invoke me that they may persevere in obedience to my Commandments peradventure they will follow the right way It is lawful for you to know your Wives the night of Fasting they are necessary to you as your Cloaths and you are to them as necessary as their Garments God knoweth that otherwise you should have betrayed your Souls he is bountiful to you and hath pardoned you know them and perform what God hath appointed you Eat and drink until you may distinguish a white thread from a black by the light of the morning then begin to fast until night Know not your wives
hand the tie of marriage doth not leave to them the whole of courtesie it is requisite to gratifie them and to forget nothing of the benefits between you God beholdeth all your actions stand upon your guard when you make your prayers especially that at noon and be obedient unto God. If you fear your enemies and cannot place your selves on your knees neither perform the Ceremonies that are appointed you omit not to say your prayers on foot or on horseback and being freed from fear remember God and how he hath taught you what you know not Such as die shall be good to their Wives by their Testament they shall bestow on them wherewith to live during the time they must tarry before they marry again drive them not from your houses If they willingly depart the sin of what they shall do in their own persons shall not be upon you God is Omnipotent and just you shall likewise do good to your Wives that you have divorced according to your power it is a thing reasonable among such as fear God Thus God teacheth you his Commandments perhaps you will learn them See you not them that departed their houses for the fear they had of death they are thousands in number God hath said to them die after this he raised them again God is the Benefactor of the People but the greatest part return him no thanks for his favours Fight for his Law and know that he understandeth and knoweth all things Who is he that will afford him a good turn He will augment him with multiplicity of increase he giveth good and taketh it away from whom it pleaseth him you shall all return before him to be judged Knowest thou not that a company of the Children of Israel after the death of Moses said to their Prophet send us a King we with him will fight for the Law of God He answereth them have you disobeyed the Commandments of God If they enjoyn you to fight you will not do it They said we have no greater desire than to fight for the glory of his Divine Majesty we for this Cause have abandoned our houses and those of our Parents nevertheless when they were commanded to fight they all except some few of them retired but God knoweth them that sin against him Their Prophet said to them God hath sent Saul to be your King they answered why shall he be our King we rather deserve the Royalty than he he is not rich enough he replied God hath chosen him to command you he hath encreased his knowledge and Stature he giveth Royalty to whom he listeth he is liberal and prudent in all his Actions Their Prophet said to them the sign of his Reign shall be that the Ark shall appear to you from God to confirm your hearts wherein shall be contained the remainder of what the people of Moses and Aaron left and it shall be born by Angels this shall be to you the sign of his Reign if you believe in God. When Saul went forth with his Troops to fight his Enemies he said God shall try you by a River he that shall drink of that River shall not be mine unless he drink with his hand they all except some few of them drank at their Pleasure and having past that River with the true Believers they said we have not this day strength sufficient to resist Goliah and his Troops but such as believed in God and feared his Divine Majesty said how often through the permission of God hath a small Troop defeated a great Army He is with them that are patient when they saw Goliah with his Troops appear they said Lord give us patience confirm our steps and give us Victory over the Infidels They through the permission of God vanquished their Enemies David slew Goliah and God gave him the Royalty and knowledge of future things Had not God raised the people one against the other the whole Earth had been full of disorders such are the Miracles of God as I declare to thee with truth thou art indeed one of the Prophets of his Divine Majesty We have conferred our graces on the Prophets on some more than on others many have spoken to their Lord and some have been more elevated than others We gave knowledge to Jesus the Son of Mary and fortified him through the Holy Spirit Had it pleased God the Prophets that came heretofore had not been slain after they had taught his Commandments Men were of different Opinions some believed in God others were impious had it pleased God they had not been slain but he doth what pleaseth him O ye that are true Believers dispense in Alms some part of your wealth that we have given you before the day arrive wherein you shall find no Ransom Alms Protection nor Prayers that can succour you Certainly Infidels are greatly to blame God! There is but one only God living and eternal think not that he slumbereth or sleepeth whatever is in Heaven or in Earth is his who shall intercede for thee with his Divine Majesty unless by his permission He knoweth all the Actions of men and whatever they have done they know nothing but what it hath pleased him â—…o teach them The largeness of his Throne containeth Heaven and Earth and the Conservation of both is not troublesome to him he is Omnipotent and glorious The Law ought not to be abjured it manifesteth the difference of Faith and Impiety He that believeth not in Tagot or the Devil and hath Faith in God layeth hold on the strongest knot that cannot be dissolved broken or cut asunder God understandeth and knoweth all things he aideth and assisteth them that believe in his Unity he will cause them to come out of darkness and will guide them into light the wicked shall have Tagot and the Devil for their Protector he shall cause them to forsake the light and shall lead them into darkness such men shall remain eternally in the fire of Hell. Consider you not his Action to whom God had given the Royalty When he disputed concerning God with Abraham Abraham said to him My Lord is he that giveth life and death He said I even I give life and death to my Subject when I see good Abraham answered God causeth the Sun to rise in the East make thou it to arise in the West then the Infidel was confuted God is not a guide to unjust Persons Hast thou considered the action of him that came into a Village desolate and ruined and said How is it that God can be able to give life unto this Village after it's death and re-establish it after so great a ruine Then God caused him to die after the space of an hundred years raised him again and said to him How long hast thou continued here he answered I have sojourned here a day and a half On the contrary thou hast been here an hundred years consider thy Meat and Drink that they are not altered through
Hell fire which you have deserved God doth not lead into darkness them that worship him There be that say God hath commanded us not to believe the Prophets until their Sacrifice be consumed by fire Say to them there came to you Prophets heretofore with Miracles that you demanded you had not slain them had you been righteous if they belye thee know they belyed the Prophets that were before thee that came with Miracles the Psalter and the Book of Light. Every man shall taste of death and your reward shall be payed at the Day of Judgment he that shall depart from the fire of Hell and enter into Paradise shall be happy The wealth of this World is but matter of Pride that you may be tryed in your Riches and Persons Hearken not to the Iews and Christians that have known the written Law before you neither to them that believe in many Gods they offend God through their blasphemies if you have patience and fear God you shall make a very good resolution God hath accepted the Speech of them that know his written Law when they promised him to preach to the people his Commandments and not conceal them nevertheless they have contemned them and changed them for profit of little value and have gained nothing but misery think not that such as rejoyce of the evil they have done and affect to be commended for what they have not done have escaped the punishment of their Crimes they shall certainly suffer great torments The Kingdom of Heaven and of the Earth is Gods he is Omnipotent the Creation of Heaven and Earth the difference of day and night are evident signs of his Omnipotency to such as have judgment Such as have remember God standing sitting or lying down and considered the Creation of Heaven and Earth have said Lord thou hast not created these things in vain blessed be thy Name deliver us from the torments of Hell fire thou wilt render miserable him that thou shalt thither precipitate and the wicked shall be deprived of protection at the Day of Judgment Lord we have heard them that say Believe in your Lord we believe in thy unity pardon our faults blot out our sins and give us grace to die in the number of the just bestow on us what thou hast promised by the Prophets and suffer us not to be miserable at the Day of Judgment thou dost not contradict what thou dost promise The Lord heard them and said to them I will not suffer your works to be lost as well of Men as of Women I will blot out the sins of them that went out of Mecca to separate themselves from the wicked I will cover the offences of them that forsook their Houses that assembled to fight for the Faith and were slain I will open to them the Gate of Paradise wherein flow many Rivers to recompence their good works There is with God great reward envy not the Infidels whom thou shalt see possess a little wealth in the Earth Hell is prepared to be their habitation and such as fear God shall dwell eternally in Gardens wherein run many Rivers with all manner of content God is a great rewarder of the just Among them that know the written Law there be that believe in God in what was afore time taught you and in what was preached to them surely they obey God and forsake not his Law They shall receive a great reward from God he is exact in his account O ye that are true believers be patient in your adversities persevere to do well fight for the Faith fear God and you shall be happy CHAP. IV. The Chapter of Women containing one hundred and seventy Verses written at Medina IN the name of God gracious and merciful O ye People fear your Lord that created you of one sole person and created his Wife of his Rib of whom issued many Men and Women Fear God by whom you swear and say the Belly of your Wives God exactly observeth your actions Give unto Orphans what appertaineth to them and render not evil for good devour not their substance it is a very great sin If you fear to do injury to Orphans fear also to do wrong to Women marry those that please you two three or four if you apprehend you shall not be able to entertain them equally marry but one or the slaves that you shall have acquired this is most necessary to the end you offend not God. Give to Women their Dowry with a good will if they give to you any thing that is pleasing to you receive it with affection and civility Bestow not on fools the wealth that God hath given you for subsistence assist Orphans give to them the Garments that shall be necessary for them and entertain them honestly instruct them until they have attained to years of discretion and are capable of marriage if you believe they demean themselves wisely restore to them their faculties and devour them not unjustly before they be of age He that shall be rich shall abstain from their goods and he that is poor shall take with honesty according to the pains he shall undergo for them when you make to them restitution of their goods take witness of your action God loveth good accounts The Children shall have a good part of what their Father and Mother and Parents left after their decease of little or of much there appertaineth to them a portion prefixed and limited When they divide their goods the kindred shall have care of the poor and Orphans do good to them and honestly entertain them Such as fear to leave after them a weak progeny of little Children ought to fear to wrong Orphans they must fear God and courteously entertain them Those that unjustly devour their substance swallow fire into their Bowels and shall burn in a great fire God recommendeth to you your Children the Son shall have as much as two Daughters if there be more than two Daughters they shall have two thirds of the succession of the Dead if there be but one she shall have the moity and her kindred a sixth part of what shall be left by the dead if there be no Children and the kindred be heirs the Mother of the dead shall have a third if there be Brethren the Mother shall have a sixth after satisfaction of the Legacies contained in the Testament and of debts You understand not to whom it is most requisite to do good to your Children or to your Father and Mother give them their Portion ordained of God. The moity of what their Wives shall leave belongeth to you if they have no Children if they have you shall have the fourth part of what they shall leave after payment of the Legacies and debts they shall have the fourth of your succession if you have no Children if you have they shall have the eight portion If a Man or Woman be the heirs of each other and have neither Father nor Mother
who is more impious than they that blaspheme against God Such Men shall not see his face the Angels shall say at the Day of Judgment behold them that have been impious a curse is upon them and upon the unjust that have mis-led the people from the right way they were indeed Infidels Such Men shall not escape the punishment of their crimes on Earth they shall find none that is able to protect them but God he shall augment their pains because they would not abandon their wickedness neither receive the light of faith Such are miserable Men their Idols shall not afford them succors they doubtless shall be eternally damned and such as shall believe in God do good works and be converted shall dwell for ever in Paradise The wicked are as deaf and blind and the True Believers are like those who have good sight and perfect hearing shall they be in parallel to each other will ye never consider it We sent Noah to reprove Men for their sins he said to them worship but one God alone otherwise I fear ye shall be chastised at the Day of Judgment The Doctors of the Infidels answered him we see thee to be a Man like us and that such as follow thee are Poor People blind and without counsel we perceive not that thou hast any grace that ought to prefer thee to us contrariwise we believe thee to be a lyar he said O people know ye not that God hath taught me what I preach to you that he hath given me the grace of Prophecy and deprived you of it Shall I exhort you to acknowledge his grace seeing you abhor him O People I require no recompence of you for my pains God will reward me largely I desire not to banish True Believers from my company they shall one day appear before their Lord but I perceive that ye are ignorant O People who shall hinder God to punish me if I abuse True Believers Will ye not consider it I say not that I possess the treasures of God I know not what shall be I say not that I am an Angel I say not to them whom you contemn that God shall enrich them God knoweth what is in their Souls should I maintain such discourse I should have great blame They said O Noah we have a long time disputed together if thou art sincere let us see the pains which thou preachest to us God said he when it shall please him shall cause you to see them you shall not escape them my instructions shall be to you unprofitable if God will prove you he is your Lord and you shall one day be assembled before him to be judged Will the unbelievers say that thou hast forged the Alcoran and that it is of thine invention Say unto them if I have invented it sin will be upon me and I am innocent of your blasphemies God inspired into Noah that none should believe in his words but such as had already believed in him He said unto him Build an Ark conformable to the inspiration that we have sent thee but speak no more to me of the unjust they shall be drowned the passengers derided him and his Ark he said to them ye scoff at me I will laugh at you and we shall see them that shall best understand he whom God shall chastise shall be covered with shame and perpetually tormented When our will was to destroy that People and the light of the morning appeared and the Water boyled in Noah's Pot we commanded him to charge his Ark with two Beasts of every kind and Species all creatures were destroyed except those of which we before made mention as well such as believed as them that did not believe and that but a few Noah said unto them ascend the Ark in the name of God who shall cause it to swim and to Anchor the Lord is gracious and merciful towards us When the Ark began to float like to a Mountain Noah called to one of his Sons who stayed on the Earth and said my Son come up into the Ark with us and remain not with the Infidels he answered I will ascend an high Mountain that shall save me from the Waters Noah said to him none is able this day to deliver thee from the punishment of God if it be not through his mercy The Waters being risen he was in the number of them that were drowned God commanded the Earth to drink its Water and the Heavens to pour down no more Rain the Water diminished upon the Earth after the People were drowned and the Ark rested upon the Mountain called Gioudy thus were the unjust extirpated Noah prayed to his Lord and said Lord my Son that remained in the Waters was of my Lineage thou didst promise me to save my Family thou dost exactly perform thy promise thou art true in thy words and most just in thine actions O Noah answered God that Son is not of thy Linage he hath offended me and disobeyed my Commandments do not enquire of me concerning that which thou oughtest not to know otherwise thou shalt be in the number of the ignorant Lord said Noah I will take heed through thine assistance to enquire of thee what I ought not to know if thou hast not pity on me I shall be in the number of the miserable God said O Noah descend from the Ark with Salvation and blessing upon thee and upon a part of them that are with thee I will enrich the other part with the wealth of this World to punish them most severely at the day of Judgment I teach what shall be what neither thou nor thy people have not yet known be patient in thine afflictions Paradise is for them that have my fear before their eyes We sent Hod to the People of Aad his Brother ye said unto them O People adore but one God alone otherwise ye shall be in the number of Infidels I require of you no recompence for the pains I take in preaching to you he that created me shall reward me will ye never be wise implore pardon of God be converted and obey his Divine will he shall send you Rain from Heaven and shall encrease your strength and riches be not in the number of the wicked they answered O Hod thou shewest us no reasons to prove thy sayings thy words shall not make us to quit our Gods we give no credit to thy discourse and tell thee that some one of our Gods shall severely chastise thee He said take God and your selves to witness that I am innocent of the sin that you commit in adoring Idols if you conspire against me none shall be able to protect you at the Day of Judgment I recommend my self to the will of God mine and your Lord he conserveth all the creatures of the Earth and loveth them that follow the right way I have discharged my duty and commission I have taught you what God commanded me if you go astray he shall establish
Arguments and Reasons most clear and intelligible but those Doctors followed his Will and obeyed his Commandments notwithstanding they were contrary to Reason they shall follow him at the Day of Judgment as they followed him upon Earth that day shall they be accursed and shall find none that shall be able to protect them the punishment of Mecca shall be like to that I relate to thee there be of its Inhabitants who subsist and that do not subsist and are no more we have done them no injustice they have drawn mischief on themselves and their Idols have been of no use to them but to augment their misery when God hath commanded to destroy them Thus hath God surprized the Inhabitants of Mecca he hath chastised them because they were unjust this shall serve for example to them that fear the Day of Judgment all Men shall there be gathered together all the World shall see it I will retard it until the time appointed that day shall no Man speak without my permission there be that shall be miserable and others who shall be happy the miserable shall dwell in the fire of Hell they shall cry and complain so long as the Earth and the Heavens shall endure and so long as it shall please God who doth as seemeth good to himself The happy shall enjoy Paradise where they shall abide eternally so long as Earth and Heaven shall endure and so long as it shall please God. Dount not what the Unbelievers worship they adore but the Idols which their Faâ—… worshipped assuredly I will chastise them as their Fathers were chastised Moses preached the Old Testament yet did the wicked contradict his Precepts had not God said that he will not punish them untill the Day of Judgment he had already destroyed them because they are in an exceeding great Errour thy Lord shall reward every one according to his works he knoweth all their Actions Observe exactly what hath been commanded you with them that are converted transgress not the Law of God he beholdeth whatsoever you do Incline not to the affections of the unjust lest the fire of Hell surprize you and you be deprived of protection Pray to God Evening and Morning and a part of the Night prayers blot out sins it is the Doctrin of Preachers be patient and persevere God will not deprive the righteous of their reward He prohibited your Predecessours and their Posterity to defile the Earth nevertheless there were few among them that abstained the unjust acted whatsoever pleased them and were guilty before God He shall not destroy Mecca if the Inhabitants thereof obey his Commandments and if it pleased him the whole World should be of one Religion they to whom he giveth his Grace transgress not his Will his Word shall be accomplished and Hell shall be filled with Devils and the wicked of all Nations They have recounted to thee and thou understandest whatsoever things are necessary for them and what the Prophets have heretofore taught thiâ—…e heart hath been strengthened they contain the truth and they shall be for a Lesson to true Believers Say unto Infidels do on your part as ye shall understand we will do on our part as we understand and attend the issue we will attend it with you whatsoever is in Heaven and in Earth appertains to God all Men shall be assembled before him worship him resign your selves to his Will he knoweth whatsoever the people doth CHAP. XII The Chapter of Joseph containing an hundred and thirteen Verses written at Mecca IN the Name of God gracious and merciful I am the merciful God. These signs are the signs of the Book which distinguisheth good from evil We have caused to descend from Heaven the Alcoran written in the Arabick Tongue peradventure ye will learn it I deliver unto thee in the Alcoran one of the best things that I have inspired into thee Thou wert before the coming thereof in the number of the ignorant Remember thou that Ioseph said to his Father My Father I saw in a Dream eleven Stars the Sun and the Moon I saw them adoring me My Son said his Father discover not thy Dream to thy Brothers they will conspire against thee the Devil is an open Enemy to Men thou shalt be elected of the Lord in this World he shall teach thee the explication of Dreams he shall accomplish his Grace upon thee and upon the Lineage of Iacob as he did accomplish it upon thy Fathers Abraham and Isaac the Lord knoweth all things and is most wise The History of Ioseph shall serve for example to Posterity remember thou how his Brothers said our Father loveth our Brother Ioseph more than all us together he is in an exceeding great errour let us kill Ioseph and cast him into some secret place remote from us his absence will render the Face of our Father more gentle toward us after his death we will be converted One of them said you shall not do well to kill him but cast him into the Well some Passengers will take him and carry him into an unknown Countrey They said to their Father Father wherefore dost thou not send Ioseph into the Fields with us we will be very careful he shall sport and recreate himself I fear said he that ye will neglect to preserve him dost thou fear said they that a Wolf should devour him in our Presence and that we want strength to defend him In the Morning they led him with them and cast him into a Well We inspired him to Prophesie to them what should befal them for the mischief they acted but they wanted knowledge to comprehend it they in the Evening returned to their Fathers house with eyes full of dissembled tears and said unto him Father we sported and ran who should run the best Ioseph remained with our Baggage a Wolf came that devoured him thou wilt not believe us although we speak the truth then they shewed him his Shirt which they had sprinkled with Blood it is you that hath done it said he you shall answer before God he is my Protector and was patient without lamenting There past that day a Caravan near to that Well who desiring to draw water to drink let down a Bucket on which Ioseph took hold to get out they gave him Cloathes led him away secretly and sold him at a good rate for ready Money they would not kill him in which they were honest Men. He that bought him in Egypt commanded his Wife to have care of him that he might one day be useful for their Service and be to them instead of a Son. Thus did we establish Ioseph in the Countrey of Egypt and taught him the exposition of Dreams thy Lord is Omnipotent but few Men know him when Ioseph came to the Age of Manhood we gave him knowledge and prudence thus do we reward the righteous His Masters Wife became amorous of his Beauty she one day shut him into her Chamber and solicited him with love
Money at the bottoms of their Sacks and said our Father what shall we desire more our money is restored to us and we have Bread for our Family permit that our Brother go with us we shall have better measure that is a small thing to the King of Egypt I will not send him with you unless ye all swear before God to bring him back again if there be no great impediment They swore to fulfil his Will then said he I take God to be witness of your Oath O my Sons enter not all together into the City but go in at several Gates to the end the people may not be jealous of you God commandeth what to him seemeth good I relye on him all true Believers ought to resign themselves to his Divine Will they entred the City as their Father enjoyned them to content him being arrived before Ioseph he took his little Brother by the hand and said to him trouble not thy self for what shall become of thy Brethren having filled their Sacks he caused a Cup adorned with precious stones to be put into the Sack of his little Brother caused it to be given out that they of the Caravan had stoln the Kings Cup and sent Men after them to search those strangers protested they saw it not and that they came not into Egypt to steal that they were Sureties for each other and that he who had stoln it deserved punishment The Cup was found in the Sack of his young Brother he caused him to be apprehended and accused them all of Theft Lord said they his Father is old he will be extreamly afflicted for his absence take one of us in his place thou shalt in the end find us to be honest Men God forbid said he that I should detain other than him who was found guilty of Theft that would be injustice finding themselves out of hope to free their Brother they saved themselves in a secret place remote from the City where the eldest said to his Brethren you know the Oath we took at our departure and how heretofore we intreated Ioseph I will not go out of Egypt without my Fathers permission God is most just he shall dispose of me and my Brother as shall please him return to your Father and say unto him thy Son was taken in Theft we saw him and endeavoured to our power to deliver him they of the Caravan shall be Witnesses Iacob said at their return they were the cause of that accident that did not displease you and he took patience saying God perhaps will favour my Sons to return in health he knoweth in what condition I am he is most prudent in what he ordaineth He retired from among his Sons extreamly afflicted and bewailed the loss of his Son Ioseph had his eyes continually covered with tears and he bore in his heart great sorrow His Sons said unto him Dost thou yet remember Ioseph to add to thy grief and hasten thine end I am said he extreamly desolate I leave all to the Will of God he hath taught me what ye know not My Sons return into Egypt and enquire tidings of your two Brethren despair not of the Spirit of God none despair of Gods Spirit but the wicked When they came unto Ioseph they said unto him The Famine that is in our Countrey hath extreamly afflicted us it hath often constrained us to come to buy Corn thou of thy favour hast made us good measure thou hast caused our Money to be restored for Alms God will reward thee he recompenceth such as are Alms-givers He said unto them Ye remember what ye did unto your Brother Ioseph They replyed Certainly thou art not Ioseph I am Ioseph said he and behold my Brother Benjamin God hath given us his Grace he rewardeth him that hath his fear before his eyes and is patient in his afflictions he depriveth not the righteous of recompence God said they hath poured his favours upon us in saving thee whom we have exceedingly offended Be not said he ashamed God this day pardoneth you that sin he is gracious and merciful return to your Father and bear to him this Shirt cast it upon his face he shall recover sight and return hither with him and with your whole Family The Caravan was then half way upon return when Iacob said to them that attended him I smell the odour of my Son Ioseph you deride me but what I speak is most true They told him that he was still in his old Errour some days following one of his Sons arrived with tidings of Ioseph and cast the Shirt that he had given him upon him and incontinently he recovered his sight and said Did I not always tell you that I knew what ye knew not they said Our Father pardon us and ask the forgiveness of God for us who have exceedingly offended him He answered I will beg pardon of God for you he is gracious and merciful When they arrived before Ioseph he took his Father by the hand saying Enter without fear into Egypt caused him to sit down and his Brethren fell prostrate before him My Father said he behold there the interpretation of mine old Dream God hath rendred it true he hath favoured me in delivering me from Prison and conducting you hither he hath put an end to the jealousie wich the Devil had procured between me and my Brethren The Lord is liberal to whom seemeth good to him he knoweth what is necessary for his people and is most prudent in what he ordaineth Lord thou hast given me wealth and knowledge to interpret Dreams Creator of Heaven and Earth thou art my Protector give me the Grace to die in thy Law and place me in the number of the righteous This History of Ioseph is an ancient History which I relate to thee Thou wert not with his Brethren when they conspired against him nevertheless the greatest part of the people are incredulous Demand no reward of them for having preached the Alcoran it instructeth only the wise How many signs be there in Heaven and Earth of the Unity of God yet the people believe not therein and most of them adore Idols assuredly God shall punish them at an unexpected hour and in a time which they know not Say unto them Behold the right way I call to the way of Salvation and Light such as follow me I return thanks to God for that I am not in the number of Unbelievers We sent aforetime none but Men to instruct the people will not Men consider what hath been the end of the wicked that were before them Paradise is for them that are righteous will ye not be converted They caused the Prophets to lose all hopes of their Conversion and believed them to be Lyars but we protected them and delivered from their Malice such as seemed good to us Nothing shall exempt the wicked from the punishment of their pains they shall serve for example to Men of Spirit The Alcoran containeth no blasphemies
it confirmeth the ancient Scriptures and teacheth True believers the way of Salvation CHAP. XIII The Chapter of Thunder containing forty three Verses written at Mecca IN the Name of God gracious and merciful I am the most wise and merciful God. These Precepts are the Precepts of the Book sent to thee from thy Lord it is a thing most true but few Men incline to believe it It is sent from God who raised Heaven without a Prop and with a Column that appeareth and sitteth on his Throne disposing all things He causeth the Sun and Moon to move until the day appointed he disposeth all things at his will and manifesteth to Men the signs of his Omnipotency Peradventure you will believe in the Resurrection of the flesh He it is that hath extended the Earth raised the Mountains caused the Rivers to flow who created of all sorts of Fruits the Male and Female and covereth the Day with the obscurity of the Night These things are signs of his unity to such as consider them He hath created many Fields of divers sorts and Gardens filled with Grapes and many different Fruits he created Date Trees thick as Groves and Forests and others that are scattered through the Fields some are moistened with Waters and others have a more pleasing taste These things are signs of his unity to such as consider them Thou art amazed at the lies of Infidels be astonished at their discourses when they deny the Resurrection and say What shall God yet once again create us of the dust of the Earth When we shall be Earth shall we be a new people They are impious they shall have Oaks upon their Necks and shall remain eternally in the fire of Hell they precipitate themselves into eternal pains and contemn the mercy of God so did their predecessors but God is gracious to such as convert Chastise severely the obstinate Infidels They have said We will not believe in the Prophet unless we see some miracle to appear Say unto them I am not sent but to preach the word of God. He hath sent persons to every Nation to teach them the right way nothing is hid from him in the World he knoweth what Women bear in their Womb he knoweth the time and period of every thing the present past and future he is great and Omnipotent He understandeth what you keep secret and what ye make manifest he knoweth where they be who cover themselves with the obscurity of Night and them that travel in the clearness of Day every one hath his guardian by his commandment who observeth what he doth and depriveth none of grace that hath not offended his Divine Majesty and none can hinder him to punish whom it seemeth good to him He it is who giveth you to see the lightning which terrifieth Men and nourisheth his Creatures by the Rain which he causeth to fall he created the Clouds charged with moysture causeth Thunder to make a noise darteth the Thunderbolt and striketh whom it pleaseth him the Angels tremble in his Presence yet do the wicked dispute his Omnipotency He it is who ought to be implored the prayers of them who implore another God are ineffectual they are like to such as are very thirsty and stretch forth the hand towards a Fountain to which they cannot reach the prayers of the wicked are impiety Whatsoever is in Heaven and in the Earth the shadow of the Morning the obscurity of the Evening humble themselves before God through force or affection Say unto them Who is the Lord of Heaven and Earth but God Who except God shall protect you your Idols can neither benefit nor hurt you Is the blind like unto him that seeth clearly Is darkness like unto light Shall they adore the Creatures instead of the Creator God hath created all things and is Omnipotent he causeth Rain to descend from Heaven and Rivers covered with Foam to flow in the Valleys The Gold the Silver and Metals which ye melt to adorn and enrich your selves are like unto Froth Thus doth God teach what is profitable and what unprofitable Froth suddenly vanisheth and is of no utility to Men So falshood vanisheth before Truth Thus doth God speak through a Parable to them that obey him and giveth them Paradise All the riches of the Earth and as much again cannot ransom the Infidels they shall be eternally tormented in the fire of Hell. Who knoweth that the truth contained in this Book was not sent to thee from God He that doubteth is blind Men of Spirit do not doubt They who satisfie what they promise to God who transgress not his Commandments who have his fear before their eyes who apprehend the Day of Judgment who are patient in their afflictions for love of his Divine Majesty who make their prayers at the time appointed who give alms privately and publickly and blot out their offences with good works shall be blessed They shall enter into the Garden of Eden with their Father their Wives and Families the Angels shall visit them shall salute them and say Behold the recompence of your perseverance behold eternal grace Such as shall swerve from their promise and disobey the Commandments of God and pollute the Earth shall be accursed of God and severely chastised he giveth and depriveth of wealth as seemeth good to him The unbelievers rejoyce in the riches of the Earth but those riches are of little value if they consider them of the other World. They say If Mahomet doth not make some miracle to appear from God we will not believe him Say unto them God guideth and mis-leadeth whom it pleaseth him he confirmeth the hearts of them that have faith in his Law the remembrance of God confirmeth the hearts of True Believers Such as shall do good works shall be happy We have sent thee as we did send other Prophets to them that preceded thee Teach the people what we have inspired into thee When they shall disobey thee say unto them God is my Lord there is but one God alone I am wholly resigned to his Divine Will my refuge is in his goodness If the Alcoran should make Mountains to go should it cause the Earth to open and the Dead to arise all would proceed from God. True Believers ought not to despair of any thing God shall guide all the World into the right way when it shall please him and unbelievers shall not escape the punishment of their crimes Thou shalt dwell with them until the word of God be fulfilled He swerveth not from what he promiseth they derided the Prophets that came before thee I prolonged the time of their punishment and in the end rigorously chastised them and with what afflictions Doth not God behold the actions of every Man They have said God hath Companions to whom they have given names after their fancy will you instruct God in any thing The wicked take delight in their wickedness and are gone astray from the right way He whom
his Parables perhaps they will be mindful An evil word is like to a bad Tree that hath been torn from the Earth there is nothing to sustain it and it is without Root or Fruit God fortifieth the true believers through his word in this World and in the other and causeth the unjust to err he doth what to him seemeth good Seest thou not them that have changed his grace into impiety and have made such as have followed them to dwell in the House of perdition They shall abide eternally in the fire of Hell. They say that God hath a Companion equal to him and err from the way of his Law Say unto them ye shall have wealth in this World but Hell is your Rendezvous Say to the true believers who make their prayers at the time appointed and give alms in private or publick that the day shall come wherein they shall neither buy nor sell and where every one shall be recompensed for his works Say unto them God hath created the Earth and the Heavens he maketh the Rain to descend from Heaven which causeth to spring sorth all sorts of Fruits to enrich you he created the Ship that through his permission saileth on the Sea he created the Rivers the Sun and the Moon which move continually he created the Day and the Night and bestoweth on you whatsoever ye desire his favours towards you can neither be numbred nor recounted nevertheless the inhabitants of Mecca are always impious and wicked Abraham said Lord protect this City and make it to be the refuge of the World Keep me and my Children from the worship of Idols they have seduced a part of the People he that shall follow me and profess thy unity shall be mine if any one disobey me thou art gracious and merciful Lord one part of my Lineage inhabiteth Mecca in a place unfruitful give them the grace to persevere in thy service incline the hearts of Men to affect them enrich them with the Fruits of the Earth peradventure they will thank thee thou knowest whatsoever is in the World I know it not nothing that is in Heaven or in Earth is hid from thee praised be God who hath given me Ismael and Isaac in mine old age he heareth prayers when it pleaseth him Lord give me and my Posterity the grace to persevere in well doing hear my prayers pardon me and pardon my Father and all true believers at the Day of Judgment Think not that God is ignorant of the actions of Infidels he deferreth the punishment of their crimes until the day that all Men shall have their eyes opened that day shall they behold their sins before their eyes and their hearts shall be full of desolation If thou preachest to the people the Day of Judgment hath God will the wicked say preserved us to this present time to do what thou dost appoint us Say unto them have ye not sworn heretofore that there is no Resurrection Ye have dwelt with the unjust ye have seen how they have been chastised and how we have spoken to you in Parables Certainly they conspire but God knoweth their conspiracy their policy is to tempt the prophet to see if he will make the Mountains to move Think not that God will violate what he hath promised to the Prophets he is Omnipotent and avengeful Consider the day wherein the Earth and Heavens shall change their face and all people shall rise again that Day shall one sole God Omnipotent command Men to come out of their Monuments Thou shalt that day see the wicked bound in their Chains their Garments shall be full of Pitch and Guitran their Faces shall be covered with Fire that Day shall he recompence and chastise every one according to his works he is exact to keep account This Book was sent to instruct the People and teach them that there is but one God the wise will remember CHAP. XV. The Chapter of Hegir containing seventy and seven Verses written at Mecca IN the name of God gracious and merciful I am the merciful God. The signs are the signs of the Alcoran which distinguish eth good from evil How may the Infidels hope what the True Believers hope for depart from them let them eat the substance of the poor let them become rich and content themselves in their hopes they shall see one day what their end shall be We have destroyed no City until the time destined to its ruine was expired there is no Nation that can advance or retard its destiny The wicked have said O Man who believest that the Alcoran was sent to thee we will affirm that thou art a Sorcerer until the Angels do assure us that thou art true The Angels shall not descend to the Earth unless to chastise them and they shall not be able to retard the time of their punishment we certainly have sent the Alcoran upon Earth and will preserve it without alteration we heretofore sent Prophets one after another the wicked scorned and contemned them thus I imprint impiety in the hearts of the wicked they shall not believe in the Prophet and shall incur the punishment of their predecessors should we open the entrance of Heaven and should they behold the Angels go in and go out at the shadow of the gate they would yet say their eyes were inchanted and that they were bewitched we created signs in Heaven and adorned them with Stars to content the minds of them that consider them we sheltered them from the assaults of the Devil but the Butterfly followeth every thing that shineth and believeth it to be a Star we extended the Earth and raised the Mountains with proportion we have made it to produce all sorts of Fruits to sustain and enrich you we have reserved in our power the Keys of the treasures thereof to distribute to them by measure what shall be necessary we caused a fresh wind to arise and sent Rain to water them it is not you that caused the fruits thereof to spring forth it is we who give life and death and dispose of all things in the World. We know who they were that did precede you and who they shall be that shall succeed you I will assemble all at the end of the World to be judged we created Man of the slime of the Earth and before him the Devil of fire without smoak Remember thou that God said to his Angels I will create Man of the slime of the Earth I will breath upon him to give him life prostrate your selves before him the Angels adored him except the Devil God said unto him Wherefore dost thou not adore Man He replied I will not adore him thou hast created me of fire and him of the mire of the Earth He said get thee out of Paradise thou shalt be banished and accursed until the Day of Judgment Lord said the Devil lay not thy curse upon me until the Day of Judgment he said thou shalt be accursed until the Day
a better way than their Neighbour how many have we destroyed before them in past Ages more Rich than they and Hypocrites like unto them Say unto them God prolongeth the life of the erroneous that they may know their errors and learn the knowledge of the pains prepared for them they shall understand who shall be the most miserable And who shall have been most weak in their Faith and least affectionate to the Service of his Divine Majesty God shall encrease their Faith who shall follow the right way and such as be obedient to him shall enjoy his grace Hast thou considered the action of the wicked They demand if they shall have Riches and Children after their Resurrection Would you know what shall be would you capitulate with the merciful I will not do it I will write all that they say and will add to their miseries I will give to them in this World what they require and they shall rise again naked without Treasure and Children They adored Idols to have their protection Certainly they erred in that adoration they shall renounce them and be their enemies at the Day of Judgment Seest thou not how we have sent the Devils against unbelievers to seduce them Be not impatient to see them punished they shall be judged at the day appointed â—…e thou mindful of the day when I shall assemble all the Righteous in the presence of God and precipitate all the wicked into Hell their prayer shall not be heard except such as have accomplished their promises made to the merciful They have said Do ye believe that God hath a Son You utter a strange thing it wanteth not much but that Heaven and Earth open themselves and that the Mountains fall with their utter destruction They call God God the Son God hath not to do with a Son whatsoever is in Heaven and Earth adore him he knoweth the account and number of all things of the World Men shall appear before him at the Day of Judgment and the True believers that shall do good works shall be beloved of his Divine Majesty We have sent thee the Alcoran written in thine own Language that thou maist proclaim the delights of Paradise to them that fear me and preach the Torments of Hell to such as dispute with obstinacy against the Faith. How many of the wicked have we destroyed in past Ages Hast thou heard speak of them Hast thou heard mention of their Memory CHAP. XX. The Chapter of Beatitude and of Hell containing an hundred and thirty Verses written at Mecca Reader the Mahometans have entituled this Chapter Tthe which is two letters of the Arabique Alphabet to wit Tt and He where in this place Tt signifieth Thouba that is to say Beatitude and He Haoihe that is to say Hell. See the gloss and interpretation of Gelaldin and Bedaoi they have intituled this The Chapter of Beatitude and of Hell. IN the name of God gracious and merciful We have not given thee the Alcoran to torment thee but to instruct therein the righteous It was sent thee by him that created the Heavens and the Earth the merciful sitteth on his Throne whatsoever is in Heaven and Earth whatsoever is between them and beneath the Earth appertaineth to him He knoweth thy thoughts he understandeth what thou keepest secret and what thou makest manifest God! there is but one God all the glorious names of the world are due unto him Knowest thou the History of Moses When he beheld the fire he said to his family Stay ye here I see a great fire I will bring to you a spark and you shall find in it the right way When he approached it was said unto him O Moses I am thy Lord put off thy shooes thou art in the holy Valley of Toi I have elected thee among my people hear my word and receive mine inspirations I am God there is none other God but I worship me alone and make thy prayers as it is ordained The hour unknown to the world approacheth wherein I will recompence and chastise every one after his works Take heed lest the wicked seduce thee from the right way if thou follow their appetite thou shalt be destroyed Is it not what thou hast sworn to me he answered Lord I will apply my self unto thee and will lean upon my staff I will beat the fruits of the Trees to make them fall upon my flocks I have yet another manner to nourish my sheep with this staff I will make use of it to defend and preserve them from mischief God said unto him O Moses cast that staff to the ground behold a Serpent it creepeth take it and be not afraid I will cause it to return to its former condition draw back thine hand and put it under thy arm it shall become white and shining without harm and pain it shall be a most certain sign of my Unity I will give thee to see the miracles of my Omnipotency Go to Pharoab he is in an exceeding great error and seduced from the right way Moses said Lord rejoyce my heart and facilitate my commission unloose the knot of my tongue that they may understand my speech give me Aaron to assist me in this business that I may praise thee and highly exalt thy glory thou only art our protector God said Thy prayer is heard we were favourable to thee another time when we inspired thy mother to put thee into a coffer and expose thee to the river of Nile the water drove thee to the shore whence Pharoah took thee I caused thee to be beloved of him to have care of my people when thy sister sought tidings of what was become of thee she said Who will guide us where he is who will conduct us to him that keepeth him we sent thee back to thy mother to stop her tears and put an end to her affliction Thou slewest a man we have deliver'd thee from the hands of thine enemies and have approved thy perseverance thou hast continued some time with the inhabitants of Madian after this we sent thee to preach our Commandments I have made choice of thee go with thy brother to Pharoah and lie not in speaking of me he is gone astray from the right way speak to him both of you with mildness peradventure he will hearken to you and will fear the fire of hell they answered Lord We fear that he may torment and rise up against us he said Fear nothing I will be with you hear what he will say consider his actions address your selves to him and say We are the Messengers of the Omnipotent God dismiss with us the children of Israel and no more torment them we are come hither by the Commandment of God thy Lord. Salvation is for such as follow the right way damnation for them that blaspheme against his Law and depart from his Commandments Pharoah said unto them Who is your God Moses said My God is he that created the world and
shall tear them up and level them with the Earth thou shalt see them levelled and beaten down Then shall men without retardment follow him that shall summon them to universal Judgment they shall humble themselves before God thou shalt that Day hear low and humble voices that day shall prayers be ineffectual except of them that shall be pleasing to God whom he will permit to speak He knoweth whatsoever men do in this World and what must befull them in the other and they know it not they shall humble themselves and hang down the Head before the Living and Eternal Lord all Infidels shall be damned and the Righteous of True-believers that have done good works shall not fear injustice We have sent the Alcoran in the Arabique Tongue it teacheth men our Commandments peradventure they will fear impiety it teacheth them what they ought to know Exalt the glory of God King of the World he is truth it self press not thy self to read the Alcoran until thou hast well understood it Say Lord encrease my knowledge We heretofore prohibited Adam to eat of the forbidden fruit he was unmindful of our Commandment I found in him no perseverance Remember thou that we commanded the Angels to humble themselves before him they humbled themselves except the Devil who refused to do it Remember that we said Adam the Devil is thine enemy and the enemy of thy Wife he will endeavour to make you miserable to cause you both to go out of Paradise where thou sufferest neither hunger nor thirst nor cold nor heat the Devil tempted them and said oh Adam I will conduct thee to the Tree of Eternity a treasure that shall never perish they did both eat of the fruit of that Tree then knew they their filthiness and took the leaves of Trees to cover their nakedness Adam disobeyed his Lord and became miserable nevertheless he heard and pardoned him and shewed him the right he said descend from Paradice ye Enemies of each other I will hereafter send you a guide he that shall follow him shall not err and shall be blessed he that shall go astray and will not believe in me shall be miserable in the World and blind at the Day of Judgment that Day shall he say Lord wherefore hast thou made me blind I had good sight when I was in the World I did this day forget thee as thou didst forget my Commandments thus do I intreat Infidels The torments of the other World are more grievous than those of the Earth and of longer continuance do not unbelievers tremble when they consider how many men upon Earth we have destroyed in past Ages Their misery shall serve for example to them that are wise had not thy Lord said that he will defer the punishment of the wicked until the time appointed he had already destroyed them Be patient and endure their Discourse praise thy Lord before the Sun arise before it setteth an hour before Night and at the end of Day thou shalt do a thing acceptable to him The life of the World is sweet to tempt you but the Riches of thy Lord are better and Eternal Command the People to make their prayers at the time appointed and be not impatient towards them I require no Riches of thee I will enrich thee and in the end Paradise shall be for the Righteous The unbelievers have said if Mahomet sheweth not some Miracle from God and knoweth not the exposition of the Books of our Predecessors we will not believe in him we before his coming destroyed many wicked persons who said Lord hadst thou sent us a Prophet we had observed thy Commandments before we became infamous and laden with ignominy Say unto them every one expecteth his end expect ye and ye shall one day know them that follow the right way and have not erred CHAP. XXI The Chapter of the Prophets containing an Hundred and Twelve Verses written at Mecca IN the Name of God Gracious and merciful The Day approacheth wherein the People shall render an account of their actions but they consider it not and depart from the Commandments of God if they hear them they laugh they understand them not and keep secret their evil intentions Is not Mahomet a man like to you Will ye say that he is a Magician You see the contrary God heareth whatsoever is spoken both in Heaven and Earth and knoweth all things They say certainly Mahomet hath dreamed what he speaketh he hath invented it and is a Poet we will not believe him unless he shew some Miracle as did the Prophets that were before him We have layed waste many Cities because their inhabitants were incredulous we sent before thee but men who were inspired of us Enquire of them to whom heretofore was given the knowledge of the written Law if ye know it not they were men that did eat and drink and were mortal we effected what we promised to them we preserved them with such as believed and destroyed the incredulous we have sent you a Book to instruct you will ye understand it How many Infidel Cities have we made desolate How many new People have we established in their place When they felt our punishment they fled fly not and return to what hath delighted you return into your houses peradventure ye will yet covet the Riches of the Earth they said Misery is upon us we are too blame thus did they talk until they were destroyed We have not created Heaven and Earth and whatsoever is between them to sport with had it been our will that they should have scoffed on Earth they should scoff likewise in Heaven On the contrary I oppose the truth to falsehood to confound it and in effect it doth confound it Misery shall be upon you because of your blasphemies whatsoever is in Heaven and Earth is Gods the Angels are not ashamed to worship him they praise him Day and Night and exalt his glory without blasphemy The Infidels worship Gods made of Earth have they power to create any thing Were there in Heaven and on Earth another God they would not accord praised be God Lord of the Universe what the Infidels relate is untrue He asketh no counsel when he will do any thing as do men will they worship any other God but him Say unto them produce your arguments behold what we have to speak unto you behold our reasons and those of our predecessors Certainly the greatest part of them are ignorant of the Truth and go astray We inspired into all the Prophets which we sent that there was but one God that ought to be worshipped They said believe ye that the Angels are the Sons of God Praised be God on the contrary they are his Creatures he loveth them they speak not but after him and obey what he commandeth them he knoweth all their actions past and future they pray for no man but through his permission and fear to displease him Who among them will say I am God
instead of God He shall be cast headlong into the Fire of Hell thus do I intreat unbelievers Know they not that the Heavens and the Earth was shut up VVe opened them and gave life to every thing through the Rain which we made to descend will they not believe in my unity VVe created the Mountains to hinder the Earth to move we made therein ways large and spacious for our Creatures we covered it with the Heaven and have exempted it from falling nevertheless they depise our Commandments It is the Lord who created Day and Night the Moon and the Sun all things praise and exalt him in Heaven we created no Person to dwell for ever on Earth all men shall taste of Death I will prove you with good and evil and ye shall appear before me to give account of your actions The Infidels scoff at you when they see you and say behold them that deride our gods They obey not the Commandments of God he created man of dust and shall shew you the effects of his Omnipotency be not impatient to see the punishment of the wicked who say when shall be the Day of Judgment Did they know it they would remove the Fire from their backs and visages that Day shall surprize them it shall astonish them when they think least of it they cannot retard it and shall be deprived of protection Certainly they scorned the Prophets that were sent before thee but they were punished after their demerits Say unto them who but the merciful God preserveth you Day and Night Nevertheless ye reject his Commandments Have they any other God but me that is able to save them Their gods cannot defend themselves I will not protect them yet will I enrich them as I enriched their fathers and will prolong their life to punish them on Earth Know they not that their estates diminish on all sides through thy Conquests Is it so that they are victorious Say unto them I preach to you what God hath inspired into me but the deaf hear not when they are exhorted VVhen they are a little touched with the chastisements of God they say oh misery We are too blame and are unjust I will weigh their works at the Day of Judgment that I may do injustice to no person of the weight of a grain of Mustard-seed and will most exactly account We gave to Moses and Aaron the Book that distinguisheth good from evil and commanded them to preach our Commandments to them that had our fear before their eyes That Book is blessed and was sent from us nevertheless unbelievers reject and condemn it We heretofore instructed Abraham in the right way and knew that he was a Righteous man. Remember thou that he said to his Father and his People What Idols do ye adore They said We find that our Fathers adored them he said unto them your Fathers and you were exceedingly erroneous They said Dost thou speak the truth or dost thou jest He said Certainly your Lord is the Lord of Heaven and Earth I swear to you that he created them Having convinced those Idolaters he said By God I will make war upon your Idols he broke them with an Hatchet in their absence except the greatest Idol on which he hung his Hatchet and said Peraventure they will accuse him to have broken the other Seeing at their return their Idols broken they said who hath in this manner handled our gods He is impious we heard it is a young man named Abraham who derideth them bring him before the eyes of the People perhaps they shall find witnesses of his action They said unto him Oh Abraham It is thou that hast so abused our gods he said on the contrary it is that great Idol they enquired of each other if those Idols spake and if they had motion afterwards they returned to themselves and said to the People Ye are too blame to adore those Idols he threw them headlong against the ground and they said Oh Abraham Thou well knewest that they spake not at all he answered Why therefore do ye worship what can neither benefit nor hurt you You defile your selves in adoring them instead of God Do ye not know him Then they said Burn Abraham and let us defend our Gods if ye are Righteous men but we commanded the Fire to lose its heat to preserve Abraham they would have tormented him and we destroyed them we saved him as we preserved Lot we conducted him into the Land of Blessing gave him Isaac and Iacob and the Children of their Children Righteous men and True believers to instruct the People in the way of Salvation we inspired them to do good works to pray at the time appointed to pay Tithes and to worship us we gave to Lot prudence and knowledge and delivered him from the Inhabitants of the City who were the most vicious upon Earth we were gracious to him because he was Righteous Remember Noah and that he heretofore invoked us we heard his Prayer and delivered him from great danger and all that were with him in the Ark we delivered him from the hand of the wicked whom we drowned Remember David and Solomon who rendred Justice in the Field whereinto the Flocks of the Village entred by Night without Shepherds we are witness of their Judgments we instructed Solomon in Justice we gave him Prudence and Knowledg the Mountains adored us with David and with him the Birds praised us we were with them when they praised us We taught you the manner of sowing Seed to preserve you from necessity peradventure ye will be thankful to me We commanded the Winds to obey Solomon and know all that he did The Devils obeyd him they dived into the Sea to fish for Gems for him and travelled also in other matters and we hindred them to act mischief against men Remember Iob who prayed to his Lord and said I am in exceeding great affliction thou art the merciful of the merciful We heard him and delivered him from his affliction gave to him our grace and to his family and to them that were with him who had patience and trusted in me Remember Ismael Enoch Delcafel and Zachary they persevered in well doing we gave them our grace because they were Righteous Remember Ionas who forsook his People in displeasure he believed I could do nothing against him but he cryed in the dark and said There is no God besides thee praised be thy Name I am to blame for having offended thee We heard him and delivered him from his disaster Thus do I protect True believers when they invoke me Remember Zachary who made his Prayer and said Lord I know there is no better Heir in the World than thy self yet let me not dye without issue We heard his request gave him a Son named Iohn and rendred his Wife fruitful All these Prophets went on with alacrity to do well and invoked us with humility with desire to obtain our grace and with fear of
that should there make processions Men shall come thither to visit thee from all parts on foot and on Horse-back they shall receive profit they shall there make their prayers at the times appointed and the days nominated they shall thank the Lord for his benefits towards them and the Riches which he hath given them and shall make likewise processions at the old Temple He that shall reverence it shall do exceeding well and shall be recompenced of his Lord. It is lawful for you to eat of all clean Beasts except of such as have been heretofore prohibited Depart from the pollution of Idols beware of bearing false witness and be obedient to God. He that saith God hath a Companion is like to him that fell headlong from Heaven whom the Birds devoured and the wind cast into a remote place full of miseries He that shall reverence the signs of the power of God will not doubt of his Law and shall be rewarded for his good works at the time appointed if he visit the old Temple of Mecca We have given to all Nations of the World a Law to offer their Sacrifices and to return thanks to their Lord for having given them advantage above all sorts of Beasts Your God is one God obey his Commandments proclaim a great reward to them that are obedient to him to them that tremble with fear when they hear mention of his name that are patient in their adversity that pray at the time appointed and dispence in alms some part of the wealth that we have given them We have created the female Camel for a sign of our unity she shall be profitable to you in this World. Remember to pronounce the Name of God when ye shall sacrifice her standing on her feet when she shall fall dead on the ground eat of her flesh if it like you and give to eat to such as shall require it We have made her subject to you peradventure ye will be thankful to me for this grace God promoteth before him neither the flesh of this Beast nor the blood but onely the good works that ye perform He hath thus subjected it That ye may exalt it and give him thanks for having guided you into the right way Proclaim to the righteous That God will remove far from them the malice of the wicked he abhorreth Traytors and the ingrateful Declare to such as fight against Infidels to repair the injury they have done them that God is sufficiently powerful to protect them When they were driven from their houses without reason they said God is our Lord Had not God stirred up the people against each other the Covents of the Religious the Churches of the Christians the Synagogues of the Jews and the Temples of the Believers had been ruined through the multitude of the wicked and their malice The name of God is exalted in the Temples of believers and therein is his Law defended and protected God is most strong he hath all power over his people Those whom God hath established on Earth with victory over their enemies make their prayers in the manner ordained pay Tithes and enjoin to do what is honest and civil forbid to do what is prohibited of God who knoweth the end of all things If the Infidels traduce thee their predecessors traduced Noah Aad Chaib Abraham and Lot they also slandered Moses God for a time deferred their punishment but in the end most severely chastised them How many Cities have we destroyed because of their impiety We have overthrown and made them desart through the death of their inhabitants Shall those of Mecca walk for ever upon Earth with an hard heart without reflecting upon what hath heretofore befaln the Infidels Their eyes are not blind but their hearts are blind and hardned They will require thee to cause the wicked to be speedily chastised God will not go against what he hath promised One day before thy Lord is as a thousand years before men How often hath the punishments of impâ—…ous Cities been deferred that in the end were destroyed The whole world shall one day be assembled before me to be recompenced after their merits Say unto them O people I preach unto you publickly the torments of Hell such as shall believe and do good works shall receive pardon of their sins and a precious treasure they that shall endeavour to make void the faith shall be damned We sent our Prophet to read only our Commandments to the people the unbelievers read many things that are not in the Alcoran but God hath made vain what the Devil had there inserted and confirmed the precepts of his Law What the Devil there inserted serveth for sâ—…dition to them that are weak in their faith and have an hard heart The Infidels are in an exceeding great error and are far from the Truth Such as have the knowledge of Scripture know that the Alcoran is truth it self which proceedeth from thy Lord They believe in it and humble their heart in reading it God guideth into the right way such as believe in the truth The Infidels shall be in doubt until they be surprized of the day of Judgment That day shall they be rigorously chastised that day shall God command and judg the good and the bad the righteous that shall have believed and done good works shall enter into delicious Gardens and the Infidels that shall have disobeyed his Commandments shall suffer exceeding great torments They that departed from Mecca and went to Medina to abandon the society of unbelievers and were slain or died of sickness shall be rewarded of his divine Majesty God is the greatest benefactor in the world he shall give them to enter where they shall desire he is omniscient and most merciful The believers that shall take revenge of the injury that the unbelievers have done them shall be protected of God He is gracious and merciful towards his people he maketh day to enter into night and night into day he heareth the prayers of True believers and seeth whatsoever they do and will protect them because he is truth it self Idols are but vanity and God is most high and omnipotent Dost thou not consider that God sendeth the rain from Heaven and that the Earth becometh green He is benign to his people and knoweth all things whatsoever is in Heaven and Earth is his he hath no need of his people and ought to be exalted Seest thou not that God hath subjected to you all the beasts that are upon the earth Seest thou not that the ship runneth upon the sea through his command to transport you and your substance Seest thou not that he hindreth Heaven to fall upon the Earth certainly he is benign and merciful He it is that hath given you life and death he shall make you to die and shall raise you again nevertheless man is ingrateful for his favours We have given a law to all the Nations of the World to guide them into the right
shall the fifth time call for the curse of God to be upon them if they be lyars The wife shall be exempt from punishment if she swear four times that her husband is a lyar and if the fifth time she pray that the wrath and indignation of God may be upon her if what her husband hath said be true in this manner doth God gratifie you that ye may understand the truth he is most gracious and most wise That Troup that made defection from the True believers with a lye and false testimony did you no harm on the contrary they did advantage you every one shall bear the burden of his sins the most malicious among them shall be thrown headlong into the torments of Hell It was an happiness that ye heard the sense of the Believers from their own mouth when they said that those men lyed impudently if they had not presented those four witnesses they had found none other they are lyars without the grace and mercy of God they should have already felt great torments in this world and in the other because of that imposture When they spake of what they were ignorant ye deemed it to be nothing but it is an exceeding great sin before God if when ye heard it ye said that to speak of those things did not concern you ye knew it to be an imposture God forbiddeth you to relapse if ye believe in his Law he thus declareth to you his pleasure he is Omniscient and most Prudent such as desire to cast obloquy among the True-believers shall be rigorously chastised in this World and in the other God knoweth that of which ye are ignorant Had not God been favourable to you he had chastised you in burning fury he is gracious and merciful Oh ye that are True-believers follow not the foot-steps of the Devil he will enjoyn you vice and sin had not God gratified you with his Mercy not any among you should have been purged from that imposture but God purifieth whom he seeth good he heareth all and knoweth all your intentions The most rich and powerful among you have not sworn to do no good to their Parents the Poor or to them that fight for the Law of God nevertheless they do it not to them and flie them desire they not that God should pardon them He is neither gentle nor pitiful but towards True-believers They that accuse of immodesty Women chaste innocent and faithful shall be accursed in this World and shall suffer great torments at the day when their Tongues their Hands and their Feet shall testifie against them at the same time shall God pay to them what shall be due unto them without injustice and they shall know that God is truth it self The wicked Women shall speak as the wicked men and the wicked men as the wicked Women The good Women shall speak as the good men and the good men as the good Women the good are innocent of the imposture of the wicked they shall enjoy the Grace of God and the Treasures of Paradise Oh ye that are True-believers enter not into anothers House without permission if ye salute them that dwell there ye shall do well peradventure ye will be mindful it ye find none of the House enter not without permission if they speak to you to return ye shall return it is better than to stay at the door God beholdeth all that ye do ye shall not offend God to enter into houses inhabited if ye have affairs there God knoweth all your intentions Speak unto the True-believers that they contain their sight that they be chaste that they do good and that God knoweth all their actions Speak unto the True-believing Women that they contain their sight and that they be chaste that they suffer nothing of their beauty to be seen but what ought to be seen that they cover their bosom and their visage that they permit them not to be be seen but by their Husbands their Children the Children of their Husbands their Brothers their Nephews their Sisters their Women and their Daughters Maid-servants and Slaves by their Domestiques that are not capable of Marriage by Children that regard not the beauty of Women and that they move not their feet to shew they are well shod Implore pardon of God peradventure ye shall be happy many Maidens of your own Religion the Daughters of the Righteous or your Slaves if they be poor God shall enrich them with his Grace he is most liberal and Omniscient Such as have not Means to Marry shall live chastly until God hath given them means Such as have desire to marry their Slaves shall have power to pass a Contract of Marriage if they know them to be wise and shall give them part of the wealth that God hath bestowed on them Despise not your Wives that are chaste to commit Whoredom if ye desire good in this World if ye contemn them God shall be to them propitious and merciful we have sent to you these Precepts clear and intelligible like to them that were taught your Predecessors to be preached to the Righteous God illuminateth the Heaven and the Earth as the Lamp that is in the Lanthorn of Chrystal fed with Oyl of the blessed Olive it seemeth to be a Star full of Light which goeth neither to the West nor to the East and yeildeth brightness upon brightness God guideth by his light whom it pleaseth him he teacheth his People Parables and is Omniscient he permitteth you to praise him in your Houses there to be mindful of his name and to exalt him evening and morning Oh ye men your affairs ought not to hinder your remembrance of his divine Majesty to make your prayers at the time appointed neither to pay Tithes Fear the day when the hearts of men shall be perplexed and their sight troubled when God shall reward and chastise every one after his works and shall augment his grace upon the good he enricheth with his innumerable benefits whom to him seemeth good The good works of the wicked are like to mists in a spacious plain they seem to be water when afar off and being approached nothing is to be there found They shall find before God the Book wherein is written whatsoever they have done he shall punish them according to their demerits he is exact to keep account Their actions are moreover like to the darkness that is in the bottom of the sea that is covered with wave upon wave obscurity and darkness upon one another he that is in this darkness cannot see his hand he that shall not be illuminated by God shall not see a jot Seest thou not that whatsoever is in Heaven and Earth exalteth the glory of God the Birds extend their wings before him to praise him he heareth the prayers of all his creatures and understandeth the praises that they give him he knoweth all that they do he is King of Heaven and earth the refuge of all the world
his Divine Majesty for them that have his fear before their eyes I will one day assemble Idolaters with their Idols God shall say unto them you are they who have seduced my creatures from the right way they shall say praised be thy Name we ought to have worshipped none but thy Divine Majesty but the wealth that thou gavest to our Magistrates and their life which thou didst prolong caused them to forget thy Commandments they were pernicious men in that they abjured thy Law they cannot this day be exempt from the punishment of our crimes neither protect us against thy wrath The Idolaters shall be rigorously punished the Prophets that we sent before thee did eat Bread and Meat and walked through the streets we prove them one after another Persevere God beholdeth them that are patient Those that believe not in the Resurrection have said The Angels are not descended from Heaven we have not seen God they are become proud and are fallen into an exceeding great error but the wicked shall one day be without comfort when they see the Angels they shall cry help help We will set before their eyes all the sins that they have committed the good works which they shall think to have done shall be like to dust which the wind carryeth away and the blessed shall enjoy a most certain good they shall hear of nothing but what contenteth them When the Heaven and the Air shall divide themselves and the Angels shall descend then shall the truth appear and the merciful shall Reign that day shall be tedious to Infidels they shall bite their fingers and say would to God I had followed the Prophet and his Apostle Oh misery would to God I had not contracted amity with such an Infidel he seduced me from the right way he hindred me to believe in the Alcoran which God sent certainly the Devil hath tempted men Then shall the Prophet say Lord such as have followed me have obeyed what is written in the Alcoran and the Infidels have rejected it We have appointed an enemy among the wicked to every Prophet of them that were before thee but it sufficeth thee that God guideth and protecteth thee The Infidels have demanded if the Alcoran was sent all at once I have so done to confirm the truth in thy heart I have sent it piece by piece they shall not shew thee any thing like unto it I have instructed thee in the Truth clear and intelligible the incredulous shall be confined in the Fire of Hell and be most miserable Certainly We gave to Moses the Book of the Law we sent with him his Brother Aaron to assist him and said unto them Go both of you preach unto Infidels we will destroy them unless they be converted When the People of Noah despised our Commandment we drowned them and made them serve for example to Posterity and prepared great torments for the impious Remember Aad Temod and those that dwelt nigh unto the Well a long time after them we spake to them in Parables and destroyed them Oh ye wicked consider the misery of the City upon which fell that mischievous Rain that destroyed them because the Inhabitants believed not in the Resurrection When the Infidels saw thee appear they derided thee and said This Prophet would seduce us and make us to abandon our God we had patience and deferred our punishment They shall know at the Day of Judgment them that have been seduced Hast thou considered the action of him that spake of his God after his fantasie Wert thou his Tutor to hinder him to speak Dost thou believe that the greatest part of the wicked hear and understand what thou speakest to them They are like Beasts and worse Seest thou how thy Lord sheddeth the Rose Were it his will it should be permanent the Sun hath caused it to melt and attracteth it gently to himself He it is that created the Night for repose and the Day for labour He it is that sendeth the Winds by his special grace he maketh Rain to descend from Heaven to refresh the Earth to give it life to water the beasts and for the contentment of men we have divided it among them that they may be mindful of our grace nevertheless the greatest part of them are ungrateful Had we so pleased we had sent to every City a preacher to preach unto the Inhabitants the Torments of Hell obey not Infidels preach to them frequently what is written in the Alcoran It is God that hath sweetned the water of Euphrates that joyned the two Seas that made them Salt and put between them a separation to hinder them to mix He created Man and Woman of a little water to increase and multiply together thy Lord can do whatsoever him pleaseth yet do the Infidels adore what can neither benefit nor hurt them and assist the devil their master to tempt the world We sent thee only to preach the torments of hell and to proclaim the joys of Paradise Say unto them I require not of you reward for my preaching he that shall be acceptable to God will follow the way of his Law Praise and exalt thy Lord trust in him he knoweth all the sins of men he created the heavens and the â—…arth in six days and sitteth on his Throne learn this of him that knoweth it When it was said to the Infidels worship the merciful God they said what merciful shall we worship what ye appoint us and they added to their impiety Blessed be he that created the signs of heaven that created the Sun and the Moon full of Brightness and light and hath made the dayes to succeed each other to return him thanks for his graces The servants of the merciful that walk with humility that salute the ignorant when they speak to them Such as pray to and worship God day and night such as say Lord deliver us from the torments of hell those that fear God that are not prodigal nor covetous that follow the middle way betwixt prodigality and avarice those that worship one God that kill no man but with reason and following the Commandments of God and that are not luxurious shall enjoy eternally the grace of God such as do the contrary shall be chastised their punishment shall be augmented at the day of Judgment and they shall be damned for ever except him that shall be converted and shall have done good works God shall give him pardon of his sins he is gracious and merciful They who do good works and repent who make no false oath who are humble and are not wilfully deaf and dumb when they hear the Alcoran read and say Lord give us and our posterity children that may be the light of our eyes and be obedient to thee work in us a fear to disobey thy Commandments such persons shall enjoy eternally the delights of Paradise for reward of their perseverance they shall there find salutations and benedictions with immense graces Say unto the
into publick with all his 〈◊〉 they that affected the wealth of this World said Would to God we had as much wealth as 〈◊〉 he is happy but the more knowing among them said Ye are unhappy the grace of God is more advantageous to them that believe in his Law and do good works than all the Treasures of â—…ron none shall receive his grace but such as shall obey him and persevere in 〈◊〉 to his Commandments We deprived Caron of all his Treasures and none was able to 〈◊〉 him against us then they that had 〈◊〉 his 〈◊〉 said oh Miracle God giveth to and 〈◊〉 of wealth whom to him seemeth good 〈◊〉 not God given us his Grace we had been 〈◊〉 cerâ—… the wicked shall be miserable I will bestow Paradise on them that hate Vanity and disorder upon the Earth and shall have my fear before their eyes whosoever shall do good shall find good who doth evil shall be chastised after his demerits He that hath taught thee the Alcoran shall cause thee to return to the place that thou desirest Tell the inhabitants of that place that God knoweth them that teach the right way and such as go astray Thou didst not expect the Alcoran it is a special grace of thy Lord assist not the Infidels and take heed lest they seduce thee after having learnt what hath been taught thee preach to the People the Unity of God be not in the number of them that believe many Deities adore God alone there is no God but he all things shall have an end except his Face he commandeth over every thing and all men shall one day appear before him to be judged CHAP. XXIX The Chapter of the Spider containing Sixty nine Verses written at Mecca IN the Name of God gracious and merciful I am God most Wise. Men have believed that it is sufficient to say We believe in God and that they be not proved Certainly God proved their Predecessors and knew such as were zealous in his Law and them that were Infidels Do they who have done evil think to escape the punishment of their Crimes and not to be judged Such as hope to see God shall behold him at the time appointed by his divine Majesty he understandeth and knoweth all things He that fighteth for the faith fighteth for his soul certainly God hath no need of men their sins shall be pardoned who shall believe in his divine Majesty and shall do good works We enjoyned the children of Israel to honour their father and mother and to do good to them if they press thee to worship many Gods thou shalt be damned if thou give ear to them obey them not in this matter ye shall be assembled before me I will set before you all that ye have done I will reward you according to your works and place such as shall have observed my Law in the number of the blessed There be men who affirm that they believe in God and are impatient when evil befalleth them from God to prove them If God give victory to the True believers they say that they are on their side but doth not God know what is in their heart He knoweth them that believe in his Law and those that are impious The Infidels said to the True believers do like us follow our way we will bear your sins They will not bear them they are lyars they shall bear their own burdens shall not an account of their sins be required of them at the day of Judgment We sent Noah to instruct men he lived upon the Earth nine hundred and fifty years The Flood surprized and destroyed the people of his time because they were unjust and we saved Noah and those that were with him in the Ark this ought to serve for example to all the world Remember Abraham who said to his people Adore one God and fear him ye shall do well if ye have knowledge to comprehend it ye worship but Idols and are but lyars those whom ye worship cannot benefit you implore succor of God worship him and give him thanks for his graces ye shall one day appear before him if ye traduce me those that were before you traduced the Prophets Gods Messengers Messengers are obliged only to discharge their message are ye ignorant that God causeth men to dye and shall raise them again it is a thing easie to God Walk through the Earth and consider how God hath extirpated your predecessors and created after them another people certainly he is omnipotent He punisheth and pardoneth as he seeth good you all shall one day be assembled before him to be judged you shall not render him impotent either in Earth or in the Heavens ye shall find none of power to protect or defend you against his divine Majesty such as obey not his Commandments who believe not the resurrection and despair of his mercy shall suffer great torments The people answered kill Abraham and burn him but God delivered him from the fire that they had kindled which shall serve for example to True believers He said unto them ye adore only Idols because of your love to the wealth of the world ye shall despise and curse each other at the day of Judgment Hell shall be your habitation and ye shall be deprived of protection Lot believed in his words and said I will retire to the place which my Lord shall appoint me he alone is omnipotent and most wise We gave to Abraham two sons Isaac and Iacob we caused Prophets to be be born of his race and taught his progeny the Scripture we rewarded him in this world and he shall be at the day of judgment in the number of the blessed Remember Lot who said to his people Ye defile your selves with filthiness unknown to any before you ye incline to the love of men ye rob upon the high ways and defile one another This people answered Let us see the judgments of God if what thou speakest be true Then he said Lord protect me against unbelievers When our Messengers came towards Abraham to declare to him that he should have children they said unto him We will ruine Lots City and destroy all the inhabitants thereof because they are impious Abraham answered Lot dwelleth in that City they said We know all that is within it and we will preserve him with all his family except his wife she shall be in the number of them that shall be punished When our Messengers arived at Lots house he was troubled in that he had not strength sufficient to defend them from the malice of the people they said unto him Fear nothing neither afflict thy self We will preserve thee and all thy family except thy wife she shall abide among them that shall be destroyed we will cause the indignation of God to fall upon this City because of their impiety it shall serve for example to posterity We sent Chaib ro his brethren the inhabitants of Madian he said unto them Worship
causeth the barren earth to revive and grow green after its death in like manner will he cause you to arise again and come out of your sepulchres it is a sign of his Omnipotency to have created you of earth to have given you flesh and bones and to have created the woman of the rib of the man to dwell with him he hath commanded you to love mutually and to exercise charity among you these things are signs of his Omnipotency to them that consider his graces The creation of heaven and earth the diversity of tongues the differences of your visages and of your colour the night created for repose and the day for travel the lightning that terrifieth the people and which through raâ—…n causeth the earth again to flourish are signs of his Omnipotency It is a token of his Omnipotency to sustain the heaven and the earth ye shall come out of your sepulchers when he shall call you whatsoever is in heaven and earth obey him he causeth men to die and to rise again he alone is God in heaven and earth he is Omnipotent and knoweth all things He speaketh to you in a parable drawn from your selves your slaves are they your companions do they equally partake with you in the goods which God hath given you How then will ye say that God hath a companion equal to him Thus do I unfold his mysteries to persons that have knowledg to 〈◊〉 them certainly the wicked have followed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with ignorance who shall guide him whom God 〈◊〉 cause to err he shall find no protector embrace the law of Salvation God hath established it that men may observe it It admitteth no alteration but the greatest part of the world are ignorant of it Fear God make your prayers at the time appointed be not like to them that say God hath a companion neither like to them that are at present in the number of Heretiques and were before as ye are every Sect is pleased in its opinions when any evil befalleth them that call upon God and are converted nevertheless some of them return to their Idolatry after the reception of his grace they are ingrateful They shall awhile be tolertaed and in the end they shall too late understand their error Have we taught them reasons and arguments that prove that I have a companion The People rejoyced when we enlarged to them our Graces and became desperate when evil befel them see they not that I give and take away Wealth as to me seemeth good This is a token of my Unity to such as obey my Commandments Give to your Neighbour what appertaineth to him and particularly to the poor and true believers if ye desire to see the Face of God such as shall do it shall be blessed The Money which ye put to Usury encreaseth in the hands of men God shall not suffer it to prosper the Alms which ye give shall make you to see the Face of his Divine Majesty and shall be doubly restored to you God hath created you he enricheth you and causeth you to die and rise again can your Idols do as much Praised be God he hath no companion disorder appeared in the Earth and in the Sea because of the iniquities of men peradventure they will be converted when they shall feel the punishment of their Crimes say unto them Go throughout the Earth and consider the end of your Predecessors the greatest part of them were Idolaters embrace the true Law before the Day cometh when none shall be heard that Day shall the wicked be separated from the good the impious shall give an account of their impiety and such as shall have lived well shall enjoy the joys of Paradise the Grace of God shall be their recompence God abhorreth Infidels It is a sign of his Omnipotency to send the Winds to bring you Rain and make you to taste the Fruits of his Grace the Ship runneth upon the Water through his permission for the advantage of your commerce will ye not be thankful to him for his benefits We sent to every Nation Prophets and Apostles before thee they came with most intelligible Precepts and with many Miracles we chastised those that slandred them and protected the faithful God sendeth the winds that elevate the Clouds and extendeth them in the Air in many pieces at his pleasure he causeth the Rain to fall where he listeth and rejoyceth whom to him seemeth good of them that expect it with impatience consider the effects of his bounty he causeth the dry and barren Earth to flourish again and restoreth the Dead to Life he is Omnipotent We sent the Winds to assemble the Clouds that covered Men with their shadow nevertheless they are returned to their impiety the dead shall not understand thee neither likewise the dumb thou art not obliged to lead the Blind none shall hearken to thee but such as shall believe in my Law and be obedient Say unto them God created you impotent he hath given you strength and after having reduced you to the weakness of Old age doth what to him seemeth good he knoweth mens secrets and doth what pleaseth him the wicked shall swear at the Day of Judgment that they have remained but an hour in their sepulchres they lye in like manner when they deny the Resurrection the True Believers that know the Truth shall say unto them Ye have remained there the time appointed in the Book of God to wit until the Day of Resurrection behold the Day of Resurrection ye knew not at what time it should arrive this day excuses shall be unprofitable to Infidels they shall be deprived of protection We have taught in the Alcoran all that is profitable for the Salvation of Men if thou teachest them my Commandments unbelievers will say Thou bringest nothing but disorder thus God hardneth the hearts of the ignorant Be patient and persevere what God promiseth is infallible beware lest unbelievers shake thy perseverance CHAP. XXXI The Chapter of Locman containing Thirty Four Verses written at Mecca IN the Name of God Gracious and Merciful I am the most Wise God. These Precepts are the Precepts of the Book filled with Doctrine it guideth into the way of Salvation the Righteous who make their prayers at the time appointed that pay Tithes and believe in the Day of Judgment they are guided by their Lord and shall be blessed There be who deride this Book they ignorantly depart from the Law of God and have despised it but shall one day be severely punished When they are taught the Commandments of God they turn the back with disdain they will not hear and have Ears stopped say unto them You shall in the end suffer infinite pains Such as believe in the Law of God and do good works shall eternally enjoy the Delights of Paradise what God promiseth is infallible he is Omnipotent and altogether wise he created the Heaven and sustaineth it without a Pillar appearing to your Eyes he lifted
up the Mountains upon the Earth to fasten and hinder it to move he hath thereon dispersed many Beasts and sent Rain from Heaven which causeth Plants to spring forth and Herbs of divers sorts Behold here what God hath created shew me what your Idols have created assuredly Idolaters are manifestly seduced from the right way We inspired knowledg into Locman and spake unto him to give God thanks he that returneth thanks to God for his Graces doth good for his Soul. God rejecteth the ingrateful and praise is due to him in all places Remember thou that Locman said unto his Son O my Son believe not thou that God hath a companion it is an exceeding great Sin We have commanded man to honour his Father and Mother his Mother beareth him with grief upon grief and weaneth him at the age of Two years be thou not ingrateful for God's benefits honour Father and Mother thou shalt be one day before God to be judged If thy Parents press thee to believe that God hath companions obey them not follow the way of them that obey him all men shall be one day assembled before him to be rewarded according to their works O my Son if thou dost evil of the weight of a Grâ—…n of Mustardseed or of the weight of a Rock or of the greatness of Heaven and Earth God will know it and put it in account he is exact and Omniscient O my Son make thy prayers at the time appointed do what is honest and civil fly what is not approved and be patient in thy adversities regard not the World disordered through pride converse not with the proud God detesteth the haughty observe thy steps walk with modesty speak gently they be persons that bray like Asses when they speak seest thou not that God hath created for men all that is in Heaven and Earth and conferreth on them his Graces in general and particular There be ignorant persons that dispute of the Deity without reason when it is said unto them Do what God hath appointed they answer We will do what we saw done by our Fathers They consider not that the Devil calleth them and their Fathers to the pains of Hell. He that obeyeth God and doth good works fastneth him to the strongest Knot and will have a care of him at the Hour of his end The impiety of the wicked ought not to afflict thee they shall be one day assembled in our presence to be chastised I will shew them all that they have done I know what is in the hearts of men I will prolong awhile their punishment upon Earth and precipitate them in the other World into the Fire of Hell. Hast thou not demanded of them who created Heaven and Earth They said It is God say unto them therefore praised be God nevertheless the greatest part of them are ignorant Whatsoever is in Heaven and Earth is Gods he hath no want of the World praise is due unto him in all that he doth if all the Trees of the World were Pens and the Sea Ink they could not comprehend the effect of his Omnipotency he is Omnipotent and knoweth all things He created and shall make you to rise again with one word he understandeth and seeth all things Consider they not that God causeth the Night to enter into the Day and the Day into the Night that he created the Sun and the Moon that move in the Heaven until the day appointed he knoweth whatsoever ye do because he is truly God they that invoke other than him invoke things vain and unprofitable God alone is most high and most mighty Seest thou not how the Ship runneth upon the Water for a token of his Omnipotency to such as acknowledg his Graces When the Wars arose against the Infidels many called upon God with resolution to follow his Law when he saved them on the Land some persevered to do well and others returned to their impiety none but deceivers and ingrateful persons despise his Commandments O People fear God and the day when the Father shall not be able to succour his Child neither the Child serve his Father God's promises are infallible be not proud of your Riches neither that God tolerateth and suffereth you he knoweth the time when ye shall be chastised the hour that the Rain shall fall upon the Earth he knoweth what is in the wombs of women whether it be Male or Female none but God knoweth what thou wilt do to morrow none but he knoweth the place where thou shalt die he knoweth all he knoweth all CHAP. XXXII The Chapter of Worship containing an Hundred and Thirty Verses written at Mecca IN the name of God gracious and merciful I am the most Wise God. Doubtless this Book was sent by the Lord of the Universe will the wicked say that thou hast invented it On the contrary it is the truth it self which proceedeth from thy Lord to preach to them that heretofore had none to instruct them peradventure they will follow the right way God created Heaven and Earth and all that is between them in Six days and sitteth on his Throne Who shall protect you Who shall hear your prayers but he Will you never consider it He disposeth all things in Heaven and Earth all men shall one day be assembled before him to be judged a Thousand years are but one day before his Divine Majesty he knoweth what is past present and future he is Omnipotent and Merciful he hath created every thing for his People he formed man of the Dirt and Dust of the Earth he inspired the Soul into his Body he giveth you hearing sight and sense but few men return him thanks for his Graces They say What shall we die and return to be a new People Certainly they believe not in the Resurrection Say unto them The Angel of Death shall cause you to die and ye shall return before God to be judged Thou shalt then see how the Infidel will hang down the Head before their Lord and say Lord we now see the certainty of the Resurrection we this day know the truth of thy words permit us to return into the World we will be Righteous we now understand what is profitable and necessary for us we could have given a guide to every Person my word is most true I will fill Hell with the wicked and Paradise with the Righteous thus shall men be rewarded and chastised according to their works Taste O ye wicked the pains that ye have deserved in refusing to believe in this day which ye have found we leave you in the miseries due to your incredulity taste the eternal torments that ye have merited through your impiety Such as believe in the mysteries of my Law are humble they worship me alone and praise me when they hear mention of me they are not proud rebel not against my Commandments They arise from their Bed to make their prayers with fear and hope and imploy in pious works some part of
taketh heed of offending him laboureth for himself all the World shall be one day assembled before him to be judged the blind are not like to such as see clear darkness is not like to light the shade and coolness are not like to the heat of the Sun the Living are not like the Dead God causeth himself to be understood of whom he pleaseth thou canst not make the Commandments of God to be understood by them that are in their Sepulchers we have sent only to preach the pains of Hell and the joys of Paradise there is no place in the World where they have not been preached if the Infidels traduce thee their predecessors likewise traduced them whom we sent heretofore to preach to them the Mysteries of Faith and the Scriptures they were surprised in their sins were rigorusly chastised Seest thou not how thy Lord caused Rain to fall from Heaven to make the Earth produce many fruits of sundry sorts and to nourish in the Mountains the Goats the Stags and Hinds To nourish the Crows and Ravens the men and beasts of divers kinds and form God gratifieth his Creatures that acknowledg his benefits he is Omnipotent and merciful They who devoutly read the Book of God who make their prayers at the time appointed and bestow in pious works secretly or publickly part of the wealth that we have given them have hope of a recompence that shall never perish God shall recompence and augment his graces upon them he is merciful towards the good and accepteth the acknowledgment of his graces The Book that we have sent thee containeth the Truth it confirmeth the ancient Scriptures God knoweth and seeth all things We have given the understanding of the Alcoran to such as we have chosen among our creatures there be some who have ill discharged what we have taught them some have perfromed what was enjoyned them and others have taught it with affection and diligence through Gods permission This is a great grace they shall enter into the Garden of Eden where they shall remain eternally they shall be adorned with Collars of Gold enriched with precious stones they shall be cloathed with fine silk and shall say praised be God who hath delivered us from affliction he is most merciful and accepteth the thanks of his creatures such as through his special grace shall enjoy the house of eternity shall be free from all pain and the Infidels shall be cast headlong into the fire of Hell. They shall not die in those torments and their torture shall never be asswaged thus shall the wicked be chastised they shall in vain implore succour of God and say Lord deliver us from these pains we will do better than we have done heretofore I will no more prolong your life on Earth I have sent you my Prophets and Apostles They preached unto you my Commandments you would not hear them taste now the pains of Hell which ye have merited the wicked shall this day be deprived of protection Certainly God knoweth whatsoever is in Heaven and Earth he knoweth all that is in the hearts of men He it is that hath made you to multiply on Earth impiety shall rise against the impious it shall render them abominable before God and put them into the number of the damned Say unto them have ye well considered the Idols that ye have worshipped Tell me What have they created on Earth Were they Gods companions in the Creation of the Heavens Hath God sent to them a Book and reasons to authorize their impiety Certainly the wicked instruct one another only in pride and arrogancy God sustaineth the Heavens and the Earth he alone is able to sustain them he is gracious and merciful The wicked swore to fight for the encrease of the faith if there should come to them a Preacher to instruct them and when he came they augmented their wickedness became proud in the Earth and conspired against the true believers their conspiracy fell upon themselves and they can expect none other things than what was ordained against their predecessors the Law of God admitteth none alteration Consider they not what was the end of their Predecessors who were more wealthy and powerful than they Nothing is impossible to God he knoweth all things and is omnipotent Should God punish the people when they offend him he should leave no living creature on the Earth he deferreth the chastisement of the wicked until the time appointed when their time shall be come he will punish them according to their demerits he seeth all CHAP. XXXVI The Chapter intituled O Man containing fourscore and eight Verses written at Mecca Reader the Mahometans have entituled this Chapter with two Letters of the Arabique Alphabet i. s. The Bedaoi saith that i signifieth ia that is to say O particula voâ—…ativa and s is an abreviation that signifieth insan i. e. Man and that the Angel speaking to Mahomet began this Chapter in this manner O man I swear by the Alcoran c. See Tefsir Kitab el tenoir IN the name of God gracious and merciful Oh man I swear by the Alcoran full of Doctrine that thou art a Prophet sent to teach the people the right way This Book was sent by the Omnipotent and merciful that thou maist instruct men in that which was not taught their Predecessors Certainly what was said is true viz. That the greatest part of them is incredulous We will put a chain upon their neck and bind their hands to the very chin they shall lift up the head to complain but we will place before and behind them a great obstacle we will cover their sight with darkness and they shall not see a jot Misery is upon them whether thou dost reprove or not reprove them they shall not be converted If thou preachest to them that believe in the Alcoran and to such as believe in what they have seen proclaim to them a general pardon of their sins and a very great reward I make the dead to arise again and write exactly in a Book the good and the evil that men commit Relate to them the â—…ble of those of the City whither thy Lord sent his Prophets we sent unto them two Prophets â—… they slandered both of them we succored them by 〈◊〉 third they all three said to the Inhabitants of this City we are sent from God to preach to you his Commandments They answered ye are but men like us God hath not sent us a sign to make you known ye are lyars They said certainly God knoweth that he sent us to you we are obliged only to preach to you his Commandments They answered would ye make us Infidels like your selves If ye end not this discourse we will â—…one you and make you to suffer heavy torments They said be your evil with you Who hath heretofore so ill instructed you Certainly you are wicked Then a man came running from the utmost part of the City who said unto them Oh people obey the
traduced him and were condemned to the fire of hell except such among them as obeyed my Commandments We left his memory happy to posterity thus I reward the righteous he was in the number of them that obeyed my Commandments Lot was in the number of my Prophets and Apostles Remember thou how we delivered him and his family from evident peril except his wife who remained among them that were chastised having saved him we destroyed the wicked they saw in the morning the footsteps of the ruin that befell them the night before will ye not understand this miracle Ionas was in the number of the Prophets Remember thou that he fled in a Ship and was the cause of evil to the Sailors he was swallowed of a Whale had he not repented of his fault he should have continued in the belly of that Fish until the day of Judgment we cast him on the shore extremely feeble we covered him with leaves of Filbert and sent him to preach to more than an hundred thousand persons that we reconverted whose decease we deferred until the time appointed The Infidels have demanded if thy Lord hath daughters as they have sons did we create the Angels male and female in their presence They lye when they say that God hath a son hath he desired to have daughters rather than sons how can you thus blaspheme Consider ye not that he is God alone without children have ye any reason or authority to speak in this manner bring your arguments produce your reason if ye are true The Infidels have said that the Angels were of the lineage of God but the Angels well know that the Infidels shall be damned because of their blasphemies Praised be God he hath neither son nor daughter other than the righteous that worship him and obey his Commandments You with your Idols cannot escape the punishment of your sins ye shall be condemned to the fire of hell There is none among the Angels that knoweth not his place and his order in Paradise to praise and worship his Divine Majesty If the Infidels say we observe the Religion of our Predecessors we are in the right way Say unto them that if they believe not in the Alcoran they shall in fine know their incredulity We have promised protection to believers and Prophets they shall be protected and victorious depart for a time from the wicked consider how God punisheth them they shall feel the punishment of their impiety will they cast themselves headlong into the torments of hell assuredly they will be astonished when they shall feel them depart from their company and consider that they shall not be able to escape the punishment of their crimes Praise thy Lord the Lord of power and greatness above the wicked salvation be to the Prophets and eternal praise to the God of the Universe CHAP. XXXVIII The Chapter of Truth containing fourscore and eight Verses written at Mecca Reader Mahomet intituled this Chapter with the Letter named in the Arabique Alphabet Ssad which signifieth in this place Ssidk that is to say Truth See the Gloss of Gelaldin Kitab el tenoir They have intituled it the Chapter of Truth IN the name of God gracious and merciful I swear by the Alcoran that this Book teacheth the way of Salvation nevertheless the Infidels resist the Faith and are among themselves of a different opinion How many have we destroyed in times past that were like unto them They cried and required succors but they were no longer to be succored The Infidels wonder that a man like themselves should be sent to instruct them they say That he is a Magician and a lyar to preach one sole God. It is a strange thing Their Doctors forsook their Assemblies they went to preach through the City and said Persist to adore your Gods we abjure the belief of the unity of God the last Sect did not preach it it is an evident lye Was Mahomet chosen among us to receive alone the Alcoran descended from Heaven Certainly they doubt the Alcoran they shall know the truth when they shall be in the fire of Hell. Have they in their power the Treasures of the mercy of thy Lord omnipotent and bountiful Possess they the Kingdom of the Heavens and Earth and whatsoever is betwixt them If it be so let them ascend into Heaven with their forces assuredly they shall be shamefully beaten in all places The wicked heretofore defamed Noah Aad Pharoah the maker of Charmes and Temod the Inhabitants of the City of Lot those that dwelt in the Forest and their companions traduced the Prophets and were punished after their demerits nevertheless the Infidels consider not that they shall be chastised when the trumpet shall sound at the day of Judgment and that they shall no more return on earth to be converted They say in scorn Lord give us to see the Book of the Accompt of our sins before the day of Judgment Persevere and be patient be not troubled at their discourse and call to mind our servant David stout and zealous in my Law the Mountains and the Birds praised me with him they assembled in his presence and obeyed him we gave force to his reign and endued him with knowledg and eloquence Hast thou learnt Davids quarrel when they hindred him to enter into the Temple and how he feared his enemies When they entred towards him they said unto him Be not afraid we have a dispute among us judg our difference with equity and teach us the right way This man is my brother he hath fourscore and nineteen sheep I had but one which he hath ravished from me because he was stronger than I. David said He hath done thee wrong art thou troubled for one Ew The greatest part of men arose against their neighbour except such as believe in the Law of God and observe his Commandments which are few in number Then David knew that we had tried him he implored pardon of his sin he humbled himself worshipped us and was converted We gave him pardon of his fault we drew him near unto us and lodged him in a place of content I said unto him O David we have established thee on Earth to determine the differences that shall arise among the people follow not thine own appetite it will seduce thee from the way of Salvation such as shall err from my Law shall suffer grievous pains at the day of Judgment We have not in vain created the Heaven and the Earth as the wicked affirm misery shall befal them they shall be cast headlong and burnt in the fire of Hell. Shall I alike entreat the believers and unbelievers the righteous and the wicked This Book we have sent it to thee and blessed it to the end the people may meditate the mysteries thereof and the wise reap advantage for their salvation We gave Solomon to our servant David he was extreamly zealous in our service Remember that horses ready and vigorous were presented to him about
evening that he forgot to make his prayer at the hour of Vespers and said What Have I preferred the love of the wealth of the Earth to the remembrance of God even until the Sunset He caused them to be led back again and sacrificed some of them for expiation of his fault He caused their legs and necks to be cut off We tried Solomon we caused a supposititious person to sit on his Throne and afterwards restored him to his dominions He said Lord give me thy mercy give me so happy a reign that the like hath not been seen thou art liberal towards thy creatures We made subject to him the winds which blowed at his command where it pleased him We made the Devils subject to him some built his Palaces others dived into the Seas to bring him Pearls and others were bound and chained to attend his commands he retained and dismissed whom he listed with rendring an accompt We drew him near unto us and lodged him in a place of content Remember our servant Iob that he prayed to his Lord and said That the Devil had heaped misery and affliction upon him It was said unto him Strike the Earth with thy foot thou shalt see water spring forth to wash thee and to drink We restored to him his children and his riches through our special grace to be an example to posterity It was said unto him when his wife would have made him to murmur Take rods in thine hand strike thy wife and swerve not from what thou hast promised We found him patient and zealous in obedience to our Commandments Remember our servant Abraham Isaac Iacob affectionate and zealous in our Law we saved and chose them among the righteous Such as have my fear before their eyes shall enjoy the delights of the Garden of Eden where they shall repose upon most glorious beds they shall there have all sorts of fruits and delicious drink and their wives shall not look on any but on them Behold what is promised to them at the day of Judgment and these pleasures shall never end The wicked and Infidels shall be precipitated into the fire of Hell they shall drink boiling water in abundance and water extreamly cold full of all manner of noysom smells they shall be precipitated into the flames and shall say to them that have obeyed them upon Earth May ye be perpetually tormented you have seduced and mis-led us On the contrary may yout selves be tormented you have been the cause of our misery and shall be damned with us Then shall they say Lord encrease the punishment of him that is the cause of our misery Shall we not be able to see them whom we believed on Earth to be Infidels and whom we derided cannot our eyes see Thus shall the damned quarrel Say to the people I am sent only to preach unto you the Unity of God the Omnipotent Creator of Heaven and Earth and of all that is between them Behold the best Sermon that I can make unto you nevertheless you despise it I know not what happened in Heaven when the Angels quarrelled God hath inspired it into me and I am sent but to instruct you and to preach publikely the pains of Hell. Remember thou that God said to his Angels I will create man of the mire of the Earth when I have formed him I will breathe against him and inspire my Spirit into his body prostrate your selves before him with humility The Angels there prostrated themselves except the Devil he was proud and already in the number of the wicked Thy Lord said unto him Wherefore dost thou not humble thy self before the work of my hands Thou art in the number of the proud he replied I am better than man thou hast made me of fire and hast created him of the dust of the Earth Then thy Lord said unto him Get thee hence thou shalt be chastised on all sides and my curse be upon thee until the day of Judgment He answered Lord defer my punishment until the day of the Resurrection he said I will defer it until the day appointed He replied through thy permission I will tempt all the world except such as shall be zealous in thy Law and shall obey thy Commandments He said I telâ—… thee true I tell thee true I will fill Hell with thee and those that shall follow thee Say unto the people I require of you no recompence for my instructions I am not importunate Certainly this Book iâ—… sent only to instruct men you shall one day know the truth of what it containeth CHAP. XXXIX The Chapter of Troops containing seventy five Verses written at Mecca IN the name of God gracious and merciful This book was sent by God the Omnipotent and wise We sent it to thee the contents thereof are most true worship one God alone and obey hiâ—… Commandments faith proceedeth from him alone Such as worship any other but him worship Idols They have said we would not invoke our Idols had they not power to draw uâ—… near to God Certainly God shall judg one day thâ—… difference that is between the believers and unbelievers he guideth not him that is a lyar anâ—… impious If he would have a son he would make choice of one of his creatures that should be pleasing to him praised be God there is buâ—… one God always victorious he created the heavens and the earth with proportion he maketâ—… the night to enter into the day and the day intâ—… the night he created the Sun and the Moon which perform their course in heaven until the daâ—… appointed he is omnipotent and merciful He hatâ—… created all of you of one sole man of whom he created his wife he hath given you clean beasts male and female he formed you in the wombs of your mothers form upon form he brought you out of three obscurities he alone is your God and your Lord the kingdom of the world appertaineth to him there is no God but he How can the Infidel depart from his service If ye will not worship him he hath nothing to do with you he desireth not that his creatures should be impious his Will is that they praise him this is his pleasure and none shall bear the burthen of his neighbour â—…e all shall be assembled before him he will shew ye what you have done he knoweth what is in the hearts of men When man is touched with any affliction he invoketh God and turneth and when he is in prosperity he forgetteth his vows he hath said that God hath a companion equal to him and erreth from the way of his Law. Say unto him thou shalt be awhile tolerated in the end thou shalt be cast headlong into the fire of hell and he that shall pray to God day and night erect prostrate or on the knee with fear of the torments of hell shall enjoy the mercy of his divine Majesty Are such as labour to be compared to them that are
their sins there was none of power to save them for that they despised the Prophets of his Divine Majesty they contemned his Law and were impious but he severely chastised them he is Omnipotent and most severe We sent Moses with Miracles with Reasons clear and intelligible to Pharaoh to Haman and Caron they said that Moses was a Sorcerer and a lyar and when he preached to them the truth on our behalf they said kill him with all those that believe him and make their wives infamous but their conspiracy was but impiety Pharaoh said hinder me not to kill Moses let him invoke his God to save him I fear that he may alter your Law and introduce some disorder in the Land Moses said God mine and your Lord shall defend me from the malice of the proud that believe not the Day of Judgment Then a man of the domestiques of Pharaoh that secretly professed the true Law said will ye slay a man that declareth that God is his Lord And that hath made you to see Miracles If he be a Lyar his lye shall be against him but if he speak the truth something of what he hath preached shall befal you God guideth neither the wicked nor lyars Oh People you this day command on Earth with splendor who shall defend us from the wrath of God if it fall upon us Pharaoh said I speak nothing to you but what I have told you heretofore and I will guide you all into the right way he of his Domestiques that secretly professed the true Law said Oh people I fear lest ye be chastised as have been your predecessors as were the people of Noah Aad Temod and those that were after them God will not do injustice to men I fear for you the Day of Judgment a day when ye shall rise again with terror to render account of your actions he whom God shall seduce shall find none to guide him Certainly Ioseph came heretofore with instructions clear and intelligible Nevertheless ye doubted even until his death and said that after him God shall not send a Prophet like unto him thus doth God seduce the wicked that doubt of his Law he hateth such as dispute without reason they are abhorred of them that believe in his Divine Majesty thus God hardneth the heart of the proud and Tyrants Pharaoh said to * Haman build me an high Palace peradventure I shall arrive at the Heavens and as high as the God of Moses I believe him to be a Lyar. Thus Pharaoh delighted in his wicked actions he erred from the right way and his conspiracy was but his destruction He of his Family that was a True believer said Oh people follow me I will guide you into the right way the riches of the Earth pass away lightly and the riches of Heaven are Eternal he that doth evil shall find evil who doth good man or woman believing in God shall enter into Paradise where he shall be enriched innumerably with all manner of riches Wherefore invite you me to precipitate my self into the Fire of Hell since I exhort you to your Salvation Ye invite me to be wicked and to believe that God hath companions and I know it is not so I call you to the Omnipotent and merciful God doubtless I will not worship your Idols they cannot hear you either in this World or in the other we all shall be one day assembled before God who will condemn Infidels to the Fire of Hell consider hereafter what to you I have preached I am resigned to the will of God he beholdeth all the actions of his creatures he shall chastise them for the evil that they shall commit and for their wicked designs He sent his punishment upon the Lineage of Pharaoh they deserved to be precipitated into the Fire of Hell they shall burn Evening and Morning It shall be said to them at the Day of Judgment oh People of Pharaoh go enter into the Fire of Hell. The Infidels shall quarrel in Hell the poor shall say unto the rich We followed you are ye able this day to deliver us from Eternal flames They shall answer we all are damned with you God is a most just Judg. The damned shall say to the Ministers of Hell Pray to your Lord that he may asswage these torments for one day they shall answer had ye not on Earth the Prophets and Apostles of God to instruct you They shall say Yes pray therefore to God your selves the wicked love nothing but impiety I will protect on Earth my Prophets and them that observe my Law and particularly at the Day of Judgment that day the wicked shall have no excuse that shall advantage them my curse shall fall upon them and they all shall be damned We taught Moses the way of Salvation and made the Children of Israel heirs of his instructions to instruct them that shall understand them Persevere and be patient the promise of God is infallible implore pardon of thy sins and exalt the praise of thy Lord Evening and Morning They that dispute against the Commandments of God are without reason and have nought in their Souls but pride and ignorance Implore succor of God he understandeth and seeth all things the Creation of the Heavens and of the Earth is greater than the Creation of men but the greatest part of men know it not the Blind is not like to him that seeth clearly he that doth good is not like to him that doth evil neither is obscurity such as the light but few men consider it Doubtless the Day of Judgment shall come nevertheless the greatest part of men will not believe it Your Lord hath said Call upon me I will hear you such as shall resist my Law shall go into Hell and be Eternally seduced God hath created the Night for repose and the day for travel he is bountiful towards his creatures but the greatest part of the people are ingrateful God is your Lord Creator of all things there is no God but he How can the wicked Blaspheme So do they blaspheme that are ingrateful for the graces of God he hath established you on Earth he hath covered you with the Heavens he hath formed you enriched you he is your God your Lord blessed be God Lord of the Universe he it is that giveth and depriveth you of life there is no God but he be obedient to him and observe his Law praised be God Lord of the Universe who hath created you of mire Say unto the Infidels I am forbidden to worship the Idols that ye adore God hath taught me his unity I have received command to worship none but the Lord of the Universe he created you of dust and mire and congealed Blood he causeth you to be born little Infants he maketh you to arrive to the age of discretion to virility and old age many die before that age and all attain to the time of their destiny peradventure ye shall understand his Unity he it
is that maketh you to live and to die and when he willeth any thing he saith Be thou and it is See ye not that they that dispute against his Commandments depart from his Law Such as reject our Commandments and what we enjoyned our Prophets to preach to men shall find their errors when they shall see Chains on their Necks and Fetters on their feet they shall be dragged and burned in Hell then shall it be said unto them where are those Idols that ye adored upon Earth They shall answer they are departed from us certainly they are without power thus God seduceth Infidels to their confusion It shall be said unto them These pains befal you for that ye were proud and insolent without reason enter within the gates of Hell which is the habitation of the proud ye shall dwell there Eternally Be patient and and persevere the word of God is infallible I will make thee to see a part of what I have promised to men I will cause thee to die and thou shalt behold them all assembled to be judged Certainly we sent Prophets before thee we have spoken to thee of one part of our Apostles and the rest are concealed from thee neither Prophet nor Apostles can preach any thing without God's permission he chastiseth the wicked when he pleaseth he shall judg the differences that are between them and the Prophets and shall destroy the unbelievers God hath created the beasts for your use some ye eat and others serve you to ride on from them ye reap profit they bear the burden as likewise do the Ships for the advantage of your commerce God manifesteth to you his graces And what graces Will ye despise them Do not unbelivers consider the end of them that were before them who were more powerful and rich than they Their Treasures did not save them they derided the Prophets and Apostles that preached to them and in the end felt the pains that they had despised When they shall fear the torments of Hell they shall say We believe in One God alone and renounce Idols This profession of Faith shall be unprofitable to them in Hell they shall incur the rigor of the Law of God that was observed against their predecessors and all unbelievers shall be damned CHAP. XLI The Chapter of Exposition containing Fifty and Four Verses written at Mecca Reader Gelaldin entituled this Chapter Of Adoration IN the Name of God gracious and merciful The Alcoran was sent by the gracious and merciful God It explaineth Divine Mysteries in the Arabique Tongue to them that have knowledg to understand them it proclaimeth to the good the delights of Paradise and preacheth to the wicked the torments of Hell nevertheless the greatest part of the world depart from the Faith and hear not thy words They say We have obdurate hearts we cannot comprehend what thou preachest our ears are stopped we are too remote to hear what thou sayest Observe thy Law we will live after our own Say unto them I am a man like you your God is one sole God be obedient to him and beg pardon of him for your sins Misery is upon unbelievers that pay not Tythes and believe not in the day of Judgment The believers that shall do good works shall enjoy an infinite reward Say unto them How will ye be wicked towards him that created the Earth in two days how can you say that he hath a Companion equal to him He is sole Lord of the Universe he raised the Mountains blessed the Earth and gave to every Region the particulars thereof in four days for them that shall have need After this he ascended into Heaven that was like unto smoke and said unto Heaven and Earth Ye shall obey me either through force or affection They answered Lord we will be obedient to thy Commandments He created seven Heavens in two days and disposed every Heaven after his own will he adorned them with Stars and preserveth them from the malice of the Devil This is an effect of his Omnipotency he is omnipotent and knoweth all things If the unbelievers depart from the Faith say unto them I have threatened you as heretofore thunder did the people of Aad and Temod when the Prophets taught them the Law of the ancient True-believers to wit To worship but one God They said Were it Gods pleasure to alter our Law he would have sent us Angels to reach unto us we will not beiieve in thy Mission The people of Aad waxed proud on the Earth without reason and said Who is more powerful than we will they not consider that he that created them is more powerful and wealthy than they Nevertheless they despised our Commandments We sent against them a cold and impetuous wind in an unhappy time that made them to suffer on Earth shame and ignominy because of their crimes He shall cause them to feel the pains of Hell that are much greater than those of the Earth and they shall be eternally deprived of protection We instructed the men of Temod in the right way they preferred blindness to light and impiety to Salvation they were surprized by thunder and suffered great afflictions because of their sins We saved none of them but the believers who had our fear before their eyes Be thou mindful of the day that the enemies of God shall be assembled in Hell they shall defend their cause before the Judg until testimony be brought against them their ears their eyes and their skin shall be witnesses of their iniquities They shall say Wherefore do ye witness against us They shall answer He that made us to speak giveth speech to every thing he it is that created you and ye are this day assembled before him to be judged Ye did not well conceal your selves when ye offended him your ears your eyes your skin are witnesses against you ye believed that God should not see your sins this was your opinion Certainly he shall chastise you and you all shall be in the number of the damned Persevere and be thou patient the fire of Hell shall be their habitation they shall not be able to please God in the flames We have given them the Devils for their Companions who caused them to delight in sin The word of God shall be accomplished against them as it was accompllshed against their Predecessors as well men as Devils that are condemned The unbelievers have said Hear not that Alcoran it is full of error peradventure ye shall be seduced I will cause them to suffer grievous pains and will chastise them after their demerits such is the reward of Gods enemies They shall remain eternally in the fire of Hell because they despise his Commandments The wicked shall say at the day of Judgment Lord let us see the Devils and the men that seduced us we will trample them under our feet and precipitate them to the bottom of Hell. Such as shall have professed the Law of God as shall have
conspired against them think they that I know not their secrets and whatsoever they utter The Angels our Messengers keep account say unto them If God have a Son who shall we first adore Praised be God King of the Heavens and of the Earth the matter is not as the Infidels deliever it Leave them implunged in their impiety let them laugh and rejoyce until the day of their punishment arrive One God alone ought to be worshipped in Heaven and Earth he is most wise and Omniscient Praised be he to whom appertaineth the Kingdom of the Heavens and Earth and whatsoever is between them He knoweth the hour and the day that all the World shall be assembled before him to be judged The Idols that the Infidels adore shall not be able to intercede for them the good intercede for them that have knowledge of the truth if thou ask of men Who created them They will say It is God How can they then depart from his Commandments Lord this People is incredulous Depart thou far from their company they shall in the end too late acknowledg their errors CHAP. XLIV The Chapter of Smoke containing Fifty nine Verses written at Mecca IN the Name of God gracious and merciful God is Prudent and Wise. I swear by the Book that distinguisheth good from evil that we sent it the Night of blessing to teach the People the torments of Hell this Book explaineth our Commandments and all that we heretofore commanded the Prophets this is a special grace of thy Lord he heareth and knoweth all things he is Lord of Heaven and Earth and of all that is between them believe in his Omnipotency There is no God but he he giveth life and death to whom he listeth he is your Lord the Lord of your fathers and predecessors the wicked deride this discourse but the Day of Judgment attends them that day the Heaven shall resemble Smoak that shall cover the World that day shall the People say Behold here grievous torments Lord deliver us from this misery we will believe in thy Law Their conversion shall be in vain because when the Prophet preached to them they scorned his words and said That he was a foolish Teacher and when they were comforted on Earth they returned to their impiety Remember thou the day when they were vanquished and taken by force and that we were revenged on their impiety We heretofore tryed the People of Pharoah my beloved Prophet preached to them my Commandments and said Come follow me Oh ye servants of God! I am a faithful â—…essenger of his divine Majesty resist not his law will teach you his Commandments he shall defend me from your malice he shall preserve me from being stoned but if he will not believe me depart far from me He prayed to his Lord when he knew that that people was unbelieving â—…nd impious God said unto him Go forth by night out of the City with my servants if the men of Pharoah pursue thee enter into the Sea through a path large and spacious thine enemies that shall follow thee shall be drowned How many Gardens Fountains and places of Pleasure wherein they took delight did â—…hey forsake They fell into the power of anoâ—…her with all their treasures and none lamented â—…hem either in Heaven or Earth they expected â—…ot that punishment We delivered the Children of Israel from Pharoahs tyranny he was â—…owerful and a great sinner We elected them through our certain knowledg among all the world â—…nd tryed them through our Miracles and Commandments The wicked say we shall dye and not rise again if the Resurrection be true cause our fathers to revive to evidence the truth of thy words Are they more powerful than their predecessors whom we destroyed because of their â—…mpiety We have not created in vain the Heaven and the Earth and whatsoever is between them we created them for certain signs of our â—…nity the greatest part of the world understand â—…t not the day of Judgment is the time appointed for their punishment that day none shall be able to save his neighbour or parent or friend nor shall any be saved but those to whom God shall give his mercy he is omnipotent and merciful The fruit of the Tree of Hell called Zacon shall serve for food to the wicked it shall boyl in their bellies like pitch or water They shall cry Take the wicked drag them into the fire of Hell pour upon their heads all manner of torments It shall be said unto them taste the pains oâ—… Hell ye believed your selves to be thâ—… omnipotent and precious on Earth behold thâ—… punishment of which ye doubted The righteouâ—… shall be in delicious places in Gardens adorneâ—… with Fountains they shall be clothed with purple they shall behold each other face to face wâ—… will assemble them with women pure and cleaâ—… who shall have most beautiful eyes they shall havâ—… fruits savoury and delicious of all seasons the shall never dye and shall be delivered from thâ—… torments of Hell through the special grace 〈◊〉 thy Lord behold supreme felicity Certainly we have sent the Alcoran in thy tongue peradveâ—… ture the Arabians will learn it they covet thy 〈◊〉 ine but persevere thou and expect the time of 〈◊〉 punishment of their crimes CHAP. XLV The Chapter of Genuflexion or Knee-bowinâ—… containing fifty nine Verses 〈◊〉 at Mecca IN the Name of God gracious and mercifâ—… God is most prudent and Wise. This Book sent by the Omnipotent and Wise. The Heaveâ—… and the Earth are most certain signs of his Uniâ—… to such as believe in his Law your Creation aâ—… â—…he Creation of all Creatures are markâ—… of his greatness to them that have his fear before their eyes the difference of the night and the day the rain that he sendeth from Heaven to cause fruits to spring out of the Earth and to revive it after its death and the diversity of winds are signs of his Omnipotency to them that have knowledg to comprehend it I relate to thee the wonders of God with truth in what will 〈◊〉 believe if they believe not in the word of his divine Majesty Misery is upon them that hear the Commandments of God and become proud as if they had not heard them Preach unto such men that they shall suffer the rigors of infinite pains They deride the Faith when they are spoken to Certainly they shall be punished in the fire of Hell their riches shall not be able to save them neither the Idols which they adore they shall be eternally damned This Book guideth men into the way of salvation they that shall not believe in the Law of God shall feel the effects of his fury He created the Seas that bear the Ships for the advantage of your commerce peradventure ye will acknowlged this grace He hath created for you all that is in Heaven and on Earth it is a sign of his goodness to such as consider it Speak unto them that believe
in the Law of Salvation that they pardon those that have not the fear of God before their eyes God shall chastise them after their demerits Whosoever shall do good shall find good and ye shall be assembled before his dâ—…vine Majesty to be judged Certainly we instructed the children of Israel in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our Commandments we taught 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…nd gave them the grace of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 them with all sorts of riches anâ—… 〈◊〉 them to all the world We taught 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 none disputed against our Commandments but sucâ—… as had knowledg and that through the envy thaâ—… arose among them but thy Lord shall judge 〈◊〉 differences at the day of Judgment We havâ—… sent thee our Law observe it and follow not thâ—… appetites of the ignorant they shall not be able 〈◊〉 deliver thee from eternal pains The Infidels 〈◊〉 each other and the true believers obey Goâ—… This book is the light of the world it guideth iâ—… to the way of salvation and the mercy of Goâ—… them that believe in his divine Majesty Do 〈◊〉 wicked imagine they shall be entreated like the 〈◊〉 ly in their life and death and that they shall not 〈◊〉 judged God hath created heaven and earth 〈◊〉 a mark of his power he shall judge every oâ—… according to their works and shall do injustice 〈◊〉 none Consider how they worship what comeâ—… into their fancy God hath seduced them from hâ—… certain knowledg he hath rendred them 〈◊〉 hath hardned their heart and blinded them whâ—… shall guide if God seduce them Do they 〈◊〉 consider it They say our Resurrection shall 〈◊〉 like the life of this world some die others 〈◊〉 born length of years cause us to die they knoâ—… not what they say and speak but by opinioâ—… When they are preached unto they have no 〈◊〉 discourse to utter But make our fathers to revive what ye say be true Say unto them God causeâ—… you to live and die and shall assemble you at thâ—… day of Judgment there is no doubt in this bâ—… the greatest part of the people know it not Goâ—… is the King 〈◊〉 the heavens and earth and of thâ—… day of 〈◊〉 that day shall he assemble 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 see all Sects and all Religioâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon their knees eveâ—… Sect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their sins written in a particular booâ—… and 〈◊〉 all â—…hastifed after their demeriâ—… â—…t shall be said unto them Behold the Book that speaketh against you we have exactly written what you have done God shall give his mercy to the Righteous that is Supream felicity It shall be said to the wicked have not the Commandments of God been preached to you Ye became proud and were incredulous when it was â—…old you that the promises of God and the Day of Judgment were indubitable ye said that it was but an opinion and that ye believe it not in the end ye shall acknowledg your offence and shall suffer the pains that ye despised God shall say unto them at the Day of Judgment I have this day forgotten you as ye forgot the coming of this day the â—…ire of Hell shall be your Habitation none shall deâ—…iver you because ye derided my Law and waxed â—…roud with the Riches of the Earth They shall neâ—…er get out of this Fire neither be able to repent â—…raise be to God Lord of the Heavens and Earth â—…lory is due to him in all places he is Omnipoâ—…ent and wise CHAP. XLVI The Chapter of Hecaf containing Thirty five Verses written at Mecca Hecaf is a Valley in the Countrey of Licmen â—…pon the frontiers of Arabia See Gelaldin and â—…he Book entituled Kitab el Tenoir IN the Name of God gracious and merciful God is most Prudent and Wise. This Book was sent by the Omnipotent and Wise. We created the Heavens and the Earth and all that is between them for a sign of our Omnipotency and Unity and appointed to every thing a prefixed and limited time If the Infidels depart from that which hath been preached to them say unto them Have ye considered the Idols that ye adore Shew me what they have created on earth are they God's companions in â—…he Creation of the Heavens Bring me a Book sent from Heaven before the Alcoran that containeth like it what remained of the Doctrine of our Predecessors we shall see if ye be true Who is more seduced than he that worshippeth things that can neither hear his prayers nor protect him at the Day of Judgment That day shall the Infidels be enemies to each other and the Idols shall not acknowledg them that have worshipped them When they heard the Alcoran read they affirmed it to contain the truth and when they were commanded to observe it they said That it is but Magick Will they say That thou hast invented it Say unto them If I have invented it ye cannot deliver me from the punishment of God he knoweth all that is in this Book it is sufficient that he is witness between you and me he is gracious and merciful Say unto them I am not the first Prophet nor the first Apostle that God hath sent I know not what God shall determine of you and me I do but what he hath inspired into me and am sent to preach the torments of Hell have ye considered in what condition ye shall be if the Alcoran be sent from God Ye have renounced it but one of the Children of Israel is witness that it is sent from God and hath believed in his Divine Majesty 〈◊〉 ye are become proud God guideth nor 〈◊〉 â—…roud The Infidels say to the Belieâ—…ers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were any good thing you should not exceed us in observing it it guideth not into the way of Salvation it is but an old Fable the Book of Moses that came before it teacheth the right way and the Will of God Say unto them the Alcoran confirmeth the Scriptures sent heretofore to them that preceded us it is in the Arabique Tongue he preacheth the pains of Hell to unbelievers and declareth the joys of Paradise to the Righteous Such as shall believe that God is their Lord and shall obey him ought to fear nothing they shall suffer none affliction at the Day of Judgment they shall enjoy Paradise for the reward of their good works We have recommended to man to honour Father and Mother and to do good to them his Mother beareth him with pain she bringeth forth with dolour she giveth him suck and weaneth him at the end of Thirty months she hath care of him until he be in a condition to govern himself and hath attained to Age of discretion Then he saith Lord inspire me to be grateful for the grace that thou hast given to my Father and Mother if I do well thou wilt accept it take care of my Posterity I trust in thee and desire to obey thy Commandments Their prayer shall be heard their sins shall be pardoned and they shall enjoy the
Earth and return into the World Behold a very strong return we know assuredly what the Earth will do with us we have a Book wherein all is written they impugn the known truth and are in a great confusion See they not Heaven above them how we have built it how we have adorned it and how there is no defect We have extended the Earth raised the Mountains and caused all sorts of fruits to spring forth for a sign of our Omnipotency We have sent the blessed Rain from Heaven made Gardens to produce Grain pleasing to the Reapers and Date-trees exceeding each other in height to enrich our creatures We have given life to the dead dry and barren Earth so shall the dead come out of their sepulchres The People of Noah's time those that inhabited near the Well Temod Pharaoh the fellow-citizens of Lot they that dwelt in the Forest and People of King Teba did heretofore traduce our Prophets and felt the punishment denounced against Infidels Was it a trouble to us to create men at first Nevertheless they are in doubt if they shall rise again We created man without difficulty we know the motions of his Soul and penetrate into his heart as the blood into the veins of his Body O man think upon the day that thou shalt see thy good and evil Angel near thee at the right hand and on thy left they have observed and written all that thou hast done represent to thy self death before thine eyes it is inevitable Think on the Angel that shall sound the Trumpet at the Day of the Resurrection that day shall the wicked behold what was promised them and all men shall come before God to be judged Their guardian Angels shall conduct them and be the witnesses of their deportments It shall be said to the Infidels Behold the day of which ye would have no thoughts we have now opened your eyes ye shall see this day more hard than Iron their guardian Angels shall say unto them Behold here before your eyes all that ye have done cast into Hell those obstinate Infidels that have hindred their Neighbour to do good that have offended in doubting of God's Law and have affirmed there was another God with God cast them into the most grievous torments Then shall the Devil say to them Lord I did not seduce them they seduced themselves God shall say Dispute not before me what was heretofore promised you is infallible my Word admitteth no alteration and I will do injustice to none God shall ask at the Day of Judgment If Hell be full It shall answer Is there any more Paradise is prepared for the Righteous who shall have the fear of God before their eyes it is promised to them that shall be converted that shall obey the Commandments of his Divine Majesty and persevere in their obedience It shall be said to them Enter ye into Paradise exempt from all evil behold the eternal day ye shall have all that ye shall desire and more How rich and powerful Cities have we in times past destroyed Their inhabitants sought in their Countries places of retreat and escaped not the puishment of their crimes this ought to serve for example to them that comprehend it to them that hear it and to such that saw it Certainly we created in Six days without difficulty the Heaven and Earth and all that is betweem them Persevere be not impatient for the words of unbelievers exalt the glory of thy Lord before the Sun go down and before it rise pray to thy Lord at the entrance of the Night the last of all shall be worship Hearken when the Angel shall call thee to general Judgment that day shall all the World hear the Trumpet the people shall come out of their sepulchres and Earth shall open before the eyes of men I give life and death and all the World shall be assembled before me to be judged This assembly is easie for me to accomplish I know what the wicked say thou shalt not cause them by force to embrace my Law Teach it those that fear the torments prepared for Infidels CHAP. LI. The Chapter of Things dispersed containing Sixty Verses written at Mecca IN the Name of God gracious and merciful I swear by the Winds that disperse the dust by the Clouds charged with Rain by the Ship that runneth upon the Waters and by them that divide the Wealth of the Earth that what hath been promised to you is true and that the Day of Judgment is infallible I swear by Heaven and the Stars thereof that ye are in an exceeding great error God expelleth lyars far from him he curseth them that blaspheme and such as believe not in the Resurrection They ask When shall be the Day of Judgment That day shall they be punished in the Fire of Hell. It shall be said unto them Taste the torments that ye have with impatience demanded They who had the fear of God before their eyes shall be in Gardens adorned with Fountains they shall enjoy the pleasures prepared for them by God because they are Righteous they sleep very little by Night implore pardon of God at the dawning of the Day and give alms to the poor that beg and the poor that are bashful God manifesteth on the Earth and in your persons the signs of his Omnipotency consider ye not that what is promised to you is written in Heaven God is Lord of Heaven and Earth he is truth it self will ye not confess him Did the Angels convey to thee the books of Abraham When they entred into his House they saluted him he likewise saluted them made signs to his servants to bring a fat Calf roasted which he presented to them he said unto them Wherefore do ye not eat And was afraid in his mind of their coming They said Fear not we are the Messengers of God they declared to him that he should have a Son that should be a great personage Then his wife drew near crying with a loud voice and smiting her Face said One that is barren beareth no Child they said The thing shall come to pass as we have spoken thy Lord ordaineth what pleaseth him and knoweth all Abraham said unto them O ye Messengers of God! what is your design They replied We are sent from God to destroy the Cities inhabited by the wicked and cast upon them stones of Fire whereon are inscribed the names of them that they shall strike We will cause all the Righteous to depart from among them if we find there but one Family of Righteous we will there leave an example to Posterity for them that fear the torments of Hell. Moses is a sign of our omnipotency we sent him to Pharaoh with reasons clear and intelligible he despised my Commandments and said That Moses was a Magician and possessed of the Devil but we surprised him and drowned his People to his great displeasure Aad is an example of our Omnipotency We sent an
God in the beginning and the end How many Angels be there in Heaven whose prayers are unprofitable if God doth not accept them They that believe not in the day of Judgment say that Angels are Maidens they understand not what they say they speak through opinion and that opinion is not conformed to truth Depart thou far from them that reject our Law and desire only the goods of the Earth and are ignorant of all other things Thy Lord knoweth them that go astray from the right way and such as follow the path of Salvation all that is in the Heavens and Earth is Gods he shall chastise the wicked and reward the just He pardoneth their venial sins who flie sins mortal he is exceeding merciful He knoweth that he hath created you of Earth and that he formed you in your Mothers womb Extol not your selves he knoweth such as have his fear before their eyes Hast thou seen him that abandoneth the faith A little wealth was given him and nothing more doth he know what must befal him Hath he knowledg of what is to come Will he not learn what is written in the books of Moses and Abraham To wit that none shall bear the burden of another man shall have but what he shall have gained he shall in the end see his labour be rewarded after his works and all shall appear in the presence of thy Lord. He it is that causeth to laugh and mourn to live and to die he created the Male and Female of every thing he giveth and taketh away mans soul when he listeth he is most Rich and hath no want of any person He is the Lord of the Planet which men adored He destroyed Aad and Temod drowned the People of Noab who were most erroneous and unjust overthrew the City of Lot and covered it with burning stone In whom will they believe if they believe not in thy Lord This Prophet is sent to preach to you the pains of Hell as did the other Prophets that were before you the Day of Judgment approacheth and none but God knoweth when it will come wonder ye at this discourse Ye scoff and lament not when ye are spoken to but ye shall be surprized in your sin if ye humble not your selves before God neither worship him CHAP. LIV. The Chapter of the Moon containing Fifty five Verses written at Mecca IN the Name of God gracious and merciful The Day of Judgment approacheth the Moon was divided into two parts nevertheless Infidels believe not Miracles when they see them they say that this is Magick they lye and follow but their passion but all is written The History of past Ages full of salutary Counsels was preached to them nevertheless Preachers were to them unprofitable depart thou far from them when they shall be called to the Universal Judgment which they will not believe that Day shall their eyes be troubled with fear they shall come out of the Earth dispersed like frighted Grass-hoppers they shall flock to him that shall summon them to Judgment and shall say Behold here a Day unhappy for the wicked The People heretofore belyed Noah and said That he was possessed of the Devil Noah exhorted them and invoked his Lord in the end he said That his strength was gone and that he was overcome through the malice of men then was he powerfully succoured we opened the gates of the Heavens and caused an extraordinary Rain to fall we caused Fountains to issue forth from under the Earth the water of Heaven and Earth were gathered together and overwhelmed the Infidels because of their sins We saved Noah in the Ark well pinned and chaulked it floated upon the waters through our permission to serve for a token of our Omnipotency will any of the unbelievers of this time consider this Will they consider the punishment of their crimes and the pains of Hell We have made the Alcoran easie to be understood will there be any that study it The wicked that traduced Aad were chastised but with what chastisement We sent against them an impetuous wind in a day to them unfortunate that caused men to fall like Palms rooted up consider what was their punishment we have rendred the Alcoran intelligible will there be any one that will study it Temod and his People traduced the Prophets and contemned their exhortations they said There is a man among us who would seduce us from the right way if ye follow him he will lead you into Hell was he alone elected among us to receive the inspirations of God No he is an Impostor but in the end they knew them that were wicked and lyars We sent the Camel to prove the Infidels their Prophet observed what they did and was patient the water was divided for them and for the Camel and each at his day found to drink nevertheless they called their companions and slew the Camel of Salhe but in what manner were they chastised I darted Thunder against them which made them dry as Chaff we have made the Alcoran easie to be understood Will there be any to study it Lot's Citizens traduced him and despised his instructions we sent against them an hot wind with burning stones that destroyed them and we in the Morning saved Lot with his Family through our special grace thus do I recompence them that acknowledge my benefits Lot had preached to them the pains of Hell we surprized them when they disputed against his exhortations they saw his guests enter into the City in the figure of men we blinded their sight and said Taste oh ye wicked the punishment of your crimes in the Morning they were chastised with a perpetual chastisement because they despised the words of Lot. We have made the Alcoran intelligible will there be any that will study it Certainly the men of Pharaoh were preached unto they would not obey my Law and despised my Miracles but we surprized them in their sins Are the Infidels that are among you of more value than those that preceded them Find ye any Salvation for them in the Scripture Will they say they shall obtain victory over the believers On the contrary they are vanquished and turn the back Certainly the hour of their punishment shall speedily come their time approacheth and their pain in Hell shall be greater than that of the Earth they are wholly seduced from the way of Salvation and shall be dragged and cast headlong into Eternal flames We have created all things by our sole power we spake but one word and in the twinkling of an eye the thing was we heretofore destroyed a great number of Infidels like unto them will there be any that considereth it All the good and the evil that they have done is exactly written The Righteous shall dwell in pleasant Gardens they shall drink in Eternal Rivers they shall not speak a Lye in their Assemblies and shall dwell eternally near to the most Majestique and Omnipotent God. CHAP LV. The Chapter
form which ye know not we caused the soul to enter into the body if ye consider not this think upon your tillage do ye make the earth to bring forth fruits or do I cause them to spring forth If I will I can render your fields drie as straw without grain nevertheless are ye proud Ye say what shall our grain that we have sown be lost No we will preserve it Consider the water that ye drink have ye made it to fall from the Clouds or did we cause it to descend if we please we can render it so salt that ye shall not be able to drink it if ye acknowledg not this grace consider the fire that ye kindle did ye create the wood that burneth We created it to put you in mind of the fire of Hell and for the profit of the people Exalt the name of God most mighty I swear by him that maketh the Stars to fall this is a great oath if ye understand it that the Alcoran is a book worthy of praise all therein is written in good order no person shall handle it that is not clean and purified it is sent from God Lord of the Universe If ye renounce what is written in this book ye shall be in the number of Infidels and shall know the truth when the soul shall forsake your body I know this better than you but ye do not consider it if ye believe not to rise again cause your soul to return into your body when it shall be upon your lips when a righteous man dyeth he shall find rest and all manner of contentment in the delights of Paradise if he be of them that hold the book of the account of their works in the right hand and shall be free from eternal pains If he be in the number of Infidels and seduced he shall be precipitated into hell this is a most certain truth Exalt the name of thy Lord Omnipotent CHAP. LVII The Chapter of Iron containing twenty nine Verses written at Medina IN the name of God gracious and merciful All that is in the heavens and earth exalteth the glory of God he is omnipotent and wise the Kingdom of the Heavens and Earth is his he giveth life and death to whom he pleaseth he is without beginning and without end he knoweth all that men make manifest and whatsoever they keep secret he knoweth all things He it is that created the earth and the heavens in six days and â—…itteth on his throne he knoweth whatsoever entreth into the earth and all that cometh out he knoweth whatsoever descendeth from heaven and whatsoever ascendeth he is with you in whatsoever place ye are and seeth all your actions the Kingdom of the heavens and earth is his and all things obey him He maketh the night to enter the day and knoweth what is in the heart of men Believe in God and his Prophet expend in pious works some part of the wealth that he hath given you he shall give you more Do good abundantly to them that believe in his Law wherefore will ye not believe in God and his Apostle who teacheth you the Commandments of your Lord Ye have promised him to embrace his Law he hath inspired his Commandments into his servant to bring you out of darkness and guide you into light he is gracious and merciful Who hindreth you to make any expence for his glory The inheritance of the heavens and earth is his Such as for his service have expended any thing before the taking of Mecca are not equal in merit to them that fought to conquer that City they are far above them that fought not and shall be protected of his divine Majesty he promiseth Paradise to the righteous and knoweth all your actions Who is he that shall lend to him any alms he shall encrease his substance and give a great reward Be thou mindful of the day when thou shalt see those men and women that have obeyed my Commandments with a light that shall go before them it shall be said to them this day it is declared to you that you shall enter into and dwell eternally in Gardens wherein flow many Rivers and where ye shall find supreme felicity Be thou mindful of the day that the wicked shall say to the True believers Behold us cast your eye to our side that we may partake a little of your light They shall say unto them Return upon your steps to demand light There is a place betwixt them that hath a secret gate full of grace and repâ—…se for the righteous and without environed with misery for the wicked they shall call upon the righteous and say Were not we of your Religion they shall reply Yes but ye betrayed your souls through disobedience ye doubted of the Law of God your blasphemies rendred you insolent until the hour of your death the Devil made you proud and moved you to rise against the Commandments of his divine Majesty this day there is neither ransome nor favour for you the fire of hell is the habitation of the wicked Oh what an habitation Such as believe in God think it no trouble to humble their hearts at the remembrance of the Alcoran and the truth that it containeth they are not like them that heretofore had the knowledg of the written Law they have been a long time without Prophets their hearts are hardned and the greatest part of them have been impious Know that God restoreth life to the earth after the death thereof we have taught you the mysteries of faith peradventure ye will comprehend them God shall multiply the benefits that the righteous shall lend to him and shall return them a great reward Such as believe in God and his Prophet are righteous Martyrs shall be recompenced of God they shall be covered with light and the wicked that disobey his Commandments shall be damned eternally the life of this world is but vanity sport and delusion it is but pride the abundance of wealth and children is like to the rain the wicked wonder at the plants that it produceth in the end they wither become yellow and then are altogether dry the impious shall suffer great torments and the good shall enjoy the mercy of God the life of this world is but matter of pride implore pardon of God Paradise large as heaven and earth is prepared for them that shall believe in his divine Majesty and his Prophet this is an immense grace which he conferreth on whom he pleaseth All the evil that ye suffer on earth in your goods and persons is written in a Book before it befal you it is an easie thing to God to the end that ye afflict not your selves extraordinarily in your displeasures and that ye rejoyce not over-much in your contentments God loveth not the proud he hath not to do with the covetous who recommend avarice to the People and who neglect their duty Praise is due to him praise is due to him in all places certainly
we sent our Messengers with our Commandments we sent with them their Scriptures and Ballance that People might weigh with good weights We gave Iron to men it causeth great evils and great good in the World God knoweth them that fight with zeal for his Law and his Prophet without seeing him he is Strong and Omnipotent We sent Noah and Abraham to instruct the People we instructed their Progeny in the Scripture some followed the right way and many disobeyed our Commandments we sent after them our Prophets and Apostles we sent Iesus the Son of Mary we taught him the Gospel we put civility clemency and chastity into the hearts of them that followed him we did not command them to keep Virginity they kept it of their own accord because of their desire they had to please God they have not observed their Law as they ought many have been disobedient but we have rewarded those among them that believed O ye that believe in Iesus fear God and believe in his Prophet ye shall have double the reward of God's mercy he shall pardon your sins he is gracious and merciful I teach you these things to the end that such as have heretofore received the written Law may know that they have no power over the grace of God he giveth it to whom he listeth certainly it is immense CHAP. LVIII The Chapter of the Dispute containing Twenty two Verses written at Medina IN the Name of God gracious and merciful God hath heard the speech of her that disputed with thee concerning the action of her Husband she exhibited to him her complaints he heareth all your discourses he heareth and seeth all No person among you shall swear never to touch his Wife no more than his Mother your wives are not your mothers your Mothers are those that conceiyed and brought you forth they that speak in that manner speak uncivilly but God is gracious and merciful He that shall have sworn to touch no more his Wife and shall desire afterwards to know her shall give liberty to a Slave for satisfaction of his Oath before he touch her this is commanded you God knoweth all your actions if he have not the power to free a Slave he shall fast two Months together before touching her if he cannot fast he shall give to Fifty poor Thus ought ye to do if ye believe in God and his Prophet God so appointed it and hath prepared great torments for them that transgress his Commandments They that shall disobey him and the Prophet shall be covered with shame and ignominy as were their Predecessors in impiety God hath sent his Commandments on Earth those who shall reject them shall be severely tormented at the day that he shall revive them he shall declare to them all that they have done he hath kept account and they have forgotten it he seeth all Seest thou not that all that is in the Heaven and Earth is Gods If ye be Three secretly met together he is the Fourth if ye be Five he is the Sixth if ye be more or less he is always with you wheresoever you are He shall relate to men at the Day of Judgment all that they have done he knoweth all things Seest thou not the actions of them to whom private meetings were prohibited They return to their sin and do what was forbidden them they assemble secretly with malice to conspire against thee and to disobey thee and when they come towards thee they say that thou hast spoken things that God hath not inspired thee to utter they know in their Souls that God will chastise them for their discourse and that they all shall go into Hell where their Rendezvous is Oh ye that believe make no private meetings to offend God to conspire against his Prophet and to disobey him assemble ye to perform acts of Virtue and to serve God have his fear before your eyes ye shall once appear before his Divine Majesty to be judged Private assemblies proceed from the Devil for the affliction of the Righteous He bringeth no evil upon them but through God's permission and all believers ought to resign themselves to his Divine Will. O ye that believe when ye shall be assembled with your Prophet and are entreated to inlarge your selves inlarge ye your selves God shall inlarge to you his grace When ye are bid to rise rise God shall raise up all the True believers that are among you and place the learned some degrees above others he knoweth your actions O ye that believe when ye shall be disposed to deliver any secret to the prophet speak to him with truth good shall befal you and he shall purifie you If ye fear to impart to him your secret God will not give you his grace Make your prayers at the time appointed distribute Tithes obey God and his Prophet God knoweth what ye do Seest thou not them that have abandoned his Law The wrath of his Divine Majesty is faln upon them they are of different opinion in their lye and know not that they lye but he hath prepared for them a great punishment because of their blasphemies they have concealed their Faith and are seduced certainly he hath prepared for them grievous pains their Wealth and their Children shall not be able to deliver them from his Indignation they shall be precipitated into the Fire of Hell where they shall abide eternally Be thou mindful of the day when he will cause them to revive they shall swear as they swear before thee that they believed in his Law they affirm they do good and are Lyars the Devil hath prepossessed them and hath made them forget the word of God such as follow him are damned They that transgress the will of God and that of his Prophet are overcome of the Devil God hath said in the Scriptures thou shalt not obtain victory over me neither over my Prophet he is Omnipotent and alway victorious thou shalt find none of them that believe in his Law and the Day of Judgment that doth not exactly observe the Commandments of his Divine Majesty and those of his Prophet although their Fathers their Children their Brethren and companions oppose them God hath imprinted Faith in their hearts he hath strengthened them through his Spirit and shall cause them to enter into gardens wherein flow many Rivers where they shall abide eternally He shall be satisfied with their obedience and they shall be content with his grace Such as shall obey his Commandments shall be happy CHAP. LIX The Chapter of Exile containing Twenty four Verses written at Medina IN the Name of God gracious and merciful Whatsoever is in the Heavens and Earth exalteth the glory of God he is Omnipotent and Wise he it is that hath exiled the wicked from among them that have knowledge of the written Law when he the first time exiled them ye believed not that they should depart from their Houses ye believed that their Cittadels would defend them from his
from his Service such as shall forsake it shall be in the number of the damned give alms of the Wealth that he hath given you before the Hour of your Death arrive then shall the wicked say Lord if thou hadst not so soon caused me to die I had embraced thy Law God retardeth not the day of any one when the Hour is come he knoweth all that ye do CHAP. LXIV The Chapter of Deceit containing Eighteen Verses written at Mecca IN the Name of God gracious and merciful Praise God whatsoever is in Heaven and Earth he is King of all things Praise is due to him he is Omnipotent he it is that hath created you some observe his Commandments and others are unbelievers he beholdeth all your actions He created the Heavens and the Earth he formed you and ye shall be one day assembled before him to be judged he knoweth all that is in Heaven and Earth he understandeth your secrets and what ye publish he is not ignorant of what is in the hearts of men Have ye not heard what did heretofore befal the wicked They were punished they died in their misery and in the end shall suffer grievous torments because God hath sent them Prophets to instruct them and they said What! shall a man like our selves teach us the right way They despised them and forsook the Law of God he hath not to do with them neither hath he need of the World praise is due to him in all places do the wicked believe that they shall not rise again Contrariwise God shall make them to revive and shall declare to them all that they have done this thing is easie to his Divine Majesty Believe in God his Prophet and the light that he hath sent you he knoweth all your actions Remember thou the day when he shall Summon all to Judgment this shall be the Day of Deceit they shall be known that have deceived themselves and those that have deluded their Neighbours That day their sins shall be pardoned that shall have believed in his unity and have done good works they shall dwell eternally in Gardens wherein flow many Rivers the Infidels that despise his Commandments shall be precipitated into Hell where they shall burn eternally No evil befalleth you but through God's permission he giveth patience to him that believeth in his Divine Majesty and knoweth all Obey God and his Prophet if ye obey him not know that the Prophet of God is obliged only to preach the truth of Faith there is but one God all True believers resign themselves to his Divine Will. O ye that believe ye have Children and Wives that are your enemies beware of their malice if ye pardon them if ye depart from them God shall be to you gracious and merciful Wealth and Children do often hinder you to obey God but know that he rewardeth abundantly the Righteous fear him with all your power hearken to his Commandments obey him give alms he that is not avaricious shall be blessed if ye lend any thing to God he shall cause it to multiply he shall pardon your sins he accepteth the acknowledgment of his benefits and is most merciful He knoweth what is present past and future he is Omnipotent and Wise. CHAP. LXV The Chapter of Divorce containing Eighteen Verses written at Mecca IN the Name of God gracious and merciful Oh Prophet when you repudiate them following the Ordinances and Laws and reckon the time that they ought to tarry before they marry again Fear God your Lord cause them not to depart their houses neither expel them before the time appointed if they be not taken in Adultery such are the Ordinances of God he that shall trangress them shall do injury to himself peradventure God will enjoyn something concerning them of which ye are ignorant When the time that they ought to tarry shall be finished retain or dismiss them with civility ye shall take persons of your Religion honest men that shall be witnesses of your Actions depose with truth what ye have seen it is so appointed to them that believe in God and the day of Judgment God shall deliver from affliction him that shall have his fear before his eyes and shall enrich him when he least thinks of it he that shall trust in him shall not be deceived he doth what he pleaseth and hath appointed a prefixed time to every thing If the Women hope no more to have their three months and doubt that they are misreckoned they shall tarry three months before they marry again if they be not Nurses if they be with Child ye shall abstain till their delivery whosoever feareth God rejoiceth in the observance of his Commandments What is above is ordained of God he shall pardon their sins that have his fear before their eyes and give them an exceeding great reward Cause them that ye repudiate to dwell in your houses or near to you abuse them not if they be with Child allow them what shall be necessary for them until they shall be delivered if they desire to nurse their Children ye shall give them an honest salary and entreat them with civility and curtesie if ye like not this ye shall cause them to be nursed by another whose pains ye shall reward If ye be not wealthy you shall allow according to your power God doth not enjoyn any one to expend more than his ability permitteth he shall give you good after evil how many have been the Cities that have heretofore disobeyed the Commandments of God and of his Prophets We have kept an exact account of their sins their Inhabitants have been chastised and shall be in the end in the number of the damned God hath prepared for them grievous torments Oh ye that are wise fear God he hath sent you the Alcoran he hath sent you a Prophet to teach you the mysteries of his Law to lead you out of darkness and to guide into light them that shall believe in him and do good works He shall open to them the Gate of Paradise wherein flow many Rivers where they shall dwell eternally with all manner of content God! He it is that created the seven Heavens and as much of Earth and ordaineth among them what pleaseth him to the end ye may know that he is Omnipotent and knoweth all things CHAP. LXVI The Chapter of Prohibition containing Twelve Verses written at Medina IN the Name of God gracious and merciful Oh Prophet prohibit not for the contentment of thy wives to do that which God hath permitted thee he is gracions and merciful he hath appointed to do what is permitted by your Law he is your Lord is Omniscient and most Wise. When the Prophet went to visit one of his wives God revealed to him what she desired to say to him he approved one part and rejected the other when he told his Wife what was in her will to speak to him she demanded of him who had revealed it to him he that
knoweth all things hath revealed it to me that ye may be converted your hearts are inclined to do what is forbidden if ye act any thing against the Prophet know that God is his protector the Angel Gabriel and all the believers will defend him the Angels shall protect him against you If it be his will to repudiate you God shall give him for the future other wives in your place that shall be obedient True believers humble faithful devout contented mild clean Virgins and not Virgins Oh ye that believe in God! strengthen your selves you and your Families in obedience to his Commandments the Idolaters shall burn in the Fire of Hell with their Idols the Angels deputed to torment them disobey not God they execute whatsoever is commanded them Oh ye that are Infidels there is no excuse for you ye shall be chastised after your demerits Oh ye that believe turn to God with affection he shall pardon your sins and make you to enter into Gardens wherein flow many Rivers the light of Faith shall go before the Prophet and them that have followed him when God shall recompence them they shall say Lord give us thy light pardon our sins thou art Omnipotent Oh Prophet fight against the Infidels and the wicked fortifie thy self against them Hell shall be their habitation God teacheth unbelievers a Parable and saith the wives of Noah and the wives of Lot were under the power of my two Servants righteous men they betrayed them but did not escape the punishment of their sin It was said unto them enter into the Fire of Hell with them that go into it God teacheth them a Parable that follow his Law take example by the Wife of Pharaoh she prayed to God and said Lord build me an House in Paradise deliver me from Pharoah from his works and unjust men Mary the daughter of Iosâ—…phat preserved her Virginity we inspired into her our Spirit she believed the words of her Lord and the Scriptures she was in the number of them that obey CHAP. LXVII The Chapter of Empire containing Thirty Verses written at Mecca IN the name of God gracious and merciful Praised be he to whom belongeth the Empire oâ—… the World who is Omnipotent and hath created Life and Death to let you know which is the better he is Omnipotent and merciful He hath created seven Heavens one upon another thou seest nothing of what he hath created that is not proportioned raise yet thy sight to Heaven thou shalt not there see any thing defective behold it twice or more often thou shalt not perceive therein any thing vain or imperfect We have adorned the Heaven and the World with Stars we expelled thence the Devils we prepared for them a great fire and the torments of Hell for unbelievers They shall hear horrible and terribble voices that proceed from despair and wrath when they shall be cast thither headlong when they shall enter into Hell by Troops the Overseer of the torments shall say unto them Had you none on Earth that preached to you the pains of Hell Yes shall they reply they were preached to us but we traduced our preachers we said that God did not command to do what they declared that they were lyars and seduced from the right way had we heard them and had we been wise we should not this day have been in the number of the damned they shall confess their sins in the bottom of Hell. Such as fear God without seeing him shall receive pardon of their offences and an exceeding great reward Speak secretly or publickly God knoweth whatsoever ye have in your hearts since the time of your creation he is blessed and omniscient He hath established ways upon the earth go on all sides and live of his good things ye all shall revive and be one day assembled before him to be judged Believe ye that he who is in heaven cannot render the earrh dry and barren and cause it to tremble Believe ye that he who is in heaven is not able to send against you an impetuous wind to destroy you Ye shall hereafter feel what are the torments of hell Your predecessors would not believe them and were chastised for their incredulity Consider ye not the birds that flie over your heads how they extend and shut their wings nothing supporteth them but that mercy that beholdeth all things Who but God shall protect you in your miseries The Infidels are proud Who shall enrich you if God restraineth his grace nevertheless ye persevere in your sins and flie the truth Is he that creepeth on his face like to him that goeth on his feet in the right way Say unto them God hath created you he hath given you sight hearing and sense but few among you return him thanks for his graces Say unto them he created you of earth and ye shall one day be assembled before him to render account of your actions The wicked demand when the day of Judgment shall be Say unto them God knows I am sent only to preach to you the pains of hell Their visages shall become black when they shall see the punishment of their sins approach It shall be said to them behold that which ye have demanded with so much impatience Say unto them did you see that God destroyed me and them that were with me No he gave us his grace Who shall deliver the Infidels from the torments of hell Say unto them God is merciful we believe in him and we are resigned to the will of his divine Majesty ye shall know hereafter them that shall be seduced If the water that watereth your flocks enter under the earth who shall give you other water or another Fountain to supply you CHAP. LXVIII The Chapter of the Pen containing fifty two Verses written at Mecca Bedaoi entituleth this the Chapter of the Letter Noun n and saith that it is as much as to say Whale or great Fish Some other Doctors say that Noun n is the name of the Ink or Table on which the Angels write the Commandments of God Others affirm it to signifie the Inkhorn but many of the Mahometan Doctors intitle this the Chapttr of the Pen. IN the name of God gracious and merciful I swear by the Pen and by all that is written that thou art not possessed of the Devil through the grace of thy Lord thou shalt have an infinite reward God hath created thee with a creation high and most illustrious Thou shalt hereafter know and the Infidels likewise shall know one day them among you that are ignorant Certainly thy Lord knoweth them that are seduced and them that follow the right way Obey not the wicked they desire thee to be more inâ—…ulgent towards them and themselves more â—…ild towards thee Obey not those infamous â—…ars those bablers sinners and seducers and wicked persons full of treasures and children When the Mysteries of faith are related to them â—…hey say that they are but fables of antiquity we
will put upon their noses a mark of shame and igâ—…ominy we have tried them as Gardeners when â—…hey have resolved in the evening to cut off the morâ—…ing followng some fruits of their garden for â—…heir refection and have not said if it please God By night while they slept God sent fire â—…nto their gardens that consumed them in the morning they called each other and said Come â—…o put order to your garden if ye desire to gaâ—…her the fruits they believed the poor would enâ—…er they ran to drive them away and found their â—…ruits black and their gardens blasted Then they â—…aid We are seduced we are sinners one of them â—…aid that it was requisite to praise God then they â—…aid Praised be God we are great sinners they â—…pproached each other and complained among â—…hemselves they said misery is upon us we were â—…n a great error peradventure God will give us â—…ereafter more than the value of what we have lost we must beg his grace thus God chastiseth on earth whom he pleaseth but the torments of the other world are much more grievous They that have â—…his fear before their eyes shall dwell in gardens full of delights Shall I entreat the good like the wicked How can ye judg it have ye a book wherein you read what pleaseth you have we promised to you any content at the day of Judgment Shall you have that day what ye have promised to your selves Ask of them who will be surety for their belief will their Idols and companions be their surety Let them cause them to come if they be true Be thou mindful of the day when sins shall be detected and the wicked shall be commanded to worship God but they shall not be able to behold him their eyes shall be troubled with fear and their sight covered with shame They are enjoyned in the world to worship his divine Majesty but they refuse to perform it I will punish them by little and little when they shall least think of it I will defer the punishments of their crimes because my wrath is strong Dosâ—… thou demand of men any reeompence for thy preaching are they charged with any expence Have they in their power the book wherein is the future to write therein what they affirm Attend the Judgment of thy Lord and be not like him that was swallowed of the Whale He invoked his Lord in his affliction if his Lord had not sent him his grace he should never have come upon earth when he repented of his sin his Lord pardoned and placed him in the number of the righteous The unbelievers labour to shake thee througâ—… their looks and that through envy they affirm that thou art possessed of the Devil when the hear thee read the Alcoran It was not sent but tâ—… instruct the world CHAP. LXIX The Chapter of Verification containing Fifty two Verses written at Mecca Exteri intituleth this The Chapter of Iudgment because that day all shall be verified IN the Name of God gracious and merciful Verification approacheth Verification approacheth God hath not told thee in what time shall be the day of Verification Temod and Aad would not believe him that preached to them the day of affliction and sorrow but Temod was destroyed by an extraordinary noise and Aad by an impetuous wind that God sent against them Seven nights and eight days together they were overthrown stretched out like Palms faln upon the Earth Did any one among them save himself Pharaoh and his predecessors with the Inhabitants of the Cities that were overthrown because of their sins disobeyed the Prophets and Apostles of God and were rudely chastised We preserved you in Noah's Ark when the waters swelled to serve for example of our Omnipotency to them that saw it and to such as shall hear it mentioned Be thou mindful of the day when the Angel shall sound the Trumpet when the Earth shall lift it self up and the Mountains tremble then what must come to pass shall come to pass Heaven with Weakness shall open and the Angel that shall bear the Throne of God shall be upon the border of the Heaven Then shall Eight Angels present the books wherein shall be written the sins of Men and nothing shall be concealed Such as shall take in the right hand the Book of the account of their actions shall say We find what we believed to be true we know with certain knowledg the coming of this day and the felicity of Life is in Paradise It shall be said to them Eat and drink of the good things of Paradise at your pleasure They that shall take the Book of account of their actions in their left Hand shall say Would to God that this Book had been lost I know not what is this account would to God that I had been eternally buried in the Earth the Riches Authority and Treasures of the World are to me unprofitable It shall be said to the Devils Take them bind them and throw them headlong in to Hell put Chains seventy Cubits long upon their arms and cast them into fire they would not believe in the Unity of God the Omnipotent they have eaten the Bread of the Poor they are this day without protection and want Bread and shall find nothing but the pains of Hell prepared for the wicked I swear Although ye see and although ye do not see the Alcoran it is the word of the Prophet the Apostle of God it is not the word of a Poet but few persons will believe it It is not the word of one that is wicked but few men remember it it is sent from God Lord of the Universe The Infidels say Oh Prophet if thou speak we will not hear thee thy speech shall not enter into our hearts Say unto them There is none among you able to deliver you from the punishment of your crimes the Alcoran instructeth in the way of Salvation them that believe in his Divine Majesty I know that there are Lyars among you whom God shall put into the number of Infidels The Alcoran is truth it self Praised be the Name of God Omnipotent and Majestick CHAP. LXX The Chapter of the Ascent containing Forty four Verses written at Mecca IN the Name of God gracious and merciful Some persons have demanded when shall be the Day of Judgment and in what time the wicked shall be chastised None but God is able to deliver men from the torments of Hell he is Lord of the way that ascendeth to Heaven the Angels and Spirits shall ascend towards him at the Day of Judgment that day shall seem to the wicked to endure Fifty thousand years expect with patience the wicked imagine they are far from that day but thou shalt see it speedily that day shall the Heaven resemble dissolved Metal the Mountains shall be like to carded Wool which bendeth downwards none shall ask his Neighbour who he is and they shall look one upon another the unbelievers shall desire to redeem
themselves from these pains through the loss of their Children their Wives their Brethren their Companions their Neighbours and the loss of all that is on Earth The flame of Fire shall rise upon them and shall burn the skin of their head they shall call upon those that are behind them that have like themselves abandoned the Law of God and the covetous that shall have heaped up Treasures Man was created timerous he is afraid when evil befalleth him and is arrogant when good hapneth to him except the believers who are stable in their Faith that persevere in their prayers that give alms to the poor that beg and those that are bashful that believe in the Day of Judgment fear the punishment of God and know none other Women but their own and their Slaves they shall be exempt from affliction at the Day of Judgment those that shall act the contrary shall be in the number of the unjust They who effect what they have promised and preserve faithfully what to them hath been entrusted who speak the truth in testimony and who make their prayers at the time appointed shall be honoured in Paradise Wherefore is it that the Infidels who are about thee cast their eyes to the right Hand and to the left with pride Do they require to enter into Paradise and be saved We have created them as other men I swear by the Lord of the East and West That we are able to change them into a People better than they and that it is a thing easie for us to perform leave them in their errors until they be come to the day when they are promised to be chastised and that they shall come out of their Sepulchres to repair to Universal Judgment they shall repair thither terrified and their sight shall be covered with shame this is the day that hath been heretofore preached to them CHAP. LXXI The Chapter of Noah containing Twenty eight Verses written at Mecca IN the name of God gracious and merciful Before men were chastised we sent Noah to preach to them the pains of hell he said unto them O ye people I preach to you the pains of hell worship one only God and fear him obey me he shall pardon your sins â—…e deferreth your punishment until the day appointed and shall not retard it when his hour shall be come did he know it ye would be converted Afterward he said Lord I have exhorted this people night and day but mine exhortations have been very much in vain they have strengthned themselves in their impiety and when I preached to them they put their fingers into their ears and covered their heads with their garments that they might not hear they continue in their impiety and become proud I have preached to them publickly I lifted up my voice I have expounded to them the mysteries of thy Law I said unto them Implore pardon of God he is most merciful he shall send you abundance of rain to water the earth he shall give you store of wealth and many children he shall give you gardens embellished with fountains and rivers who hindereth you to honour God He it is that hath created you in the condition wherein you are consider ye not that he hath created seven heavens the one upon the other that he created the Moon with her brightness and the Sun with his light he hath caused the earth to bring forth all sorts of plants he will cause you all to return to earth and to revive he hath extended it to the end ye may walk in the ways thereof large and spacious Lord said Noah this people hath disobeyed me they have followed that which can give them neither posterity nor profit but rather a most certain damage they have conspired against me and said among themselves Forsake not your gods forsake not Od Soa Igout Iaoc and Nesar they err from the right way Lord add to their confusion Then were they drowned because of their sins they shall be cast headlong into the fire whence none but God is able to deliver them Noah said Lord leave not a wicked man upon the earth they will seduce thy creatures from the right way they will leave children lyars and impious like themselves pardon my sins pardon the sins of my father my lineage and those that shall believe in thy Law and destroy the unjust CHAP. LXXII The Chapter of Devils containing twenty eight Verses written at Mecca Some Mahometans intitle this The Chapter of Spirits IN the Name of God gracious and merciful Say to the people I have received an inspiration which some devils heard of me when I read the Alcoran and that they said We have heard the miraculous Alcoran read it teacheth the right way we believe in what it contains we believe not that God hath companions we believe there is but one God we believe not that he hath wives or children our ignorant persons blaspheme against his divine Majesty nevertheless we imagine that they could not do it There are who require aid of the devils and augment their confusion because they say that God will not cause any to rise again some devils have said We have been as high as heaven and found it furnished with guards and stars we stayed in a place a little distant to hear there is one star that watcheth them that hearken and drives them away we know not if God hateth the men that are upon earth or if he will teach them the right way but we are now in the number of them that believe in the unity of his divine Majesty they said Oh ye people we were before in the way of error we heretofore believed that God did not operate on earth but no person in whatsoever place he be can avoid obeying his Will we heard the book read that teacheth the right way we believe in what it contains he that believeth in God will not fear any misery or injustice there be of us that are good and that trust in God others there are who are wicked and impious such as obey the Commandments of God follow the right way and the wicked shall be precipitated into the fire of hell Had the Infidels followed the right way we had sent them from heaven abundance of rain and given them our grace I will try them and such as shall despise the Alcoran shall be punished The Temples belong to God invoke one sole God in the Temples when his servant riseth he worshippeth his divine Majesty it wanteth not much but these devils had published the plurality of Deities Say unto the people worship God my Lord I believe in one God who hath no companion I can neither guide nor seduce you but through his permission If I disobey him none shall be able to save me and I shall want protection at the day of Judgment I can do no more for you than to preach to you his Law this is the subject of my Embassie He who shall disobey God
God gracious and merciful When the Roundness of the Sun shall appear the Stars fall the Mountains walk the Camel be without burden and without keeper when 〈◊〉 beast shall be gathered together the Sea 〈◊〉 with fire Souls return into Bodies the â—…ter demand why they put her to death 〈◊〉 the book of good and evil shall open when â—…ven shall cast off its ornaments the fire of 〈◊〉 appear and Paradise be opened then shall 〈◊〉 know the good and the evil that they have â—…mitted I swear by the Planets by the 〈◊〉 of night and by the brightness of day that the words of the Alcoran are the words of the Prophet beloved of God powerful with his divine Majesty ye ought to obey him he is a faithful observer of what is commanded him he is not possessed of the Devil as ye have imagined he hath seen the Angel clearly and without riddle and is not perplexed for what is to come the words of the Alcoran are not the words of the Devil on whatsoever side ye turn you it is only for the instruction of men and such among you as will follow the right way but ye shall have no inclination to follow it if it please God the Lord of the Universe CHAP. LXXXII The Chapter of the opening of Heaven containing seventeen Verses written at Mecca IN the Name of God gracious and merciful The souls shall know the good and the evil that they have done when the heavens shall open the stars fall the seas be gathered together and the sepulchres be opened O man what maketh thee so proud as to rise against God who hath created thee who hath formed and proportioned thee after what manner he pleased O ye wicked ye will not believe the day of Judgment there are Angels that observe your actions and are obedient to God. The just shall go into Paradise and the unjust be precipitated into the fire of hell whence they shall never return I will not tell when the day of Judgment shall be that day none shall be able to succour his neighbour and God alone shall command CHAP. LXXXIII The Chapter of Them that weigh with false weights containing Thirty six Verses written at Mecca IN the Name of God gracious and merciful They that weigh with false weights and measure with false measures believe not to rise again at the day when all the World shall appear before God to be judged Certainly the book wherein the sins of the wicked are written is kept in hell Misery shall be upon Infidels at the day of Judgment none doubteth the coming of this day but the wicked when they hear the Commandments of God preached they say that it is but an old fable impiety retaineth them in this error and induceth them to abandon the Law of his divine Majesty but they shall be cast headlong into the flames of hell It shall be said unto them Behold the punishment which ye would not believe The book wherein the good works of the righteous are written is reserved in heaven the Angels are witnesses how the just shall enjoy the delights of Paradise they shall see the immense graces of God reposed on delicious beds their countenance shall be covered with joy and content they shall drink of purified wine most savory that shall have the odour of Musk preserved in bottles that none but themselves shall open and it shall be mixt with the water of the fountain of Paradise where the Cherubins do drink The Infidels deride the true believers that would instruct them nevertheless when they return to their companions they admire their doctrine and say when they see them behold the seduced but they are not sent to be their tutors The Infidels that shall be converted and believe in the day of Judgment shall go into Paradise they shall enjoy the grace of God they shall behold the grievous torments of the damned that shall be punished after their demerits and shall find in the other world what they have done on earth CHAP. LXXXIV The Chapter of the Cleft containing Twenty five Verses written at Mecca IN the Name of God gracious and merciful The day of Judgment shall appear when the heaven shall cleave asunder and the earth cast men out of their sepulchres by the commandment of God. O man thou goest daily towards death and shalt find in the end the good and evil that thou shalt have done he to whom shall be given the book of accompt of his actions in the right hand shall be blessed he shall go with his companions into Paradise where he shall enjoy eternal felicity He to whom shall be given the account of his actions in the left hand shall be damned he shall be cast headlong into the fire of hell because of the unlawful pleasures that he hath taken in the world and for that he believed not in the Resurrection God beholdeth all that he doth and keepeth account I swear by the redness that appeareth in the Air when the Sun setteth by the obscurity of the night and the brightness of the Moon That you all shall change being and posture and shall revive after your death Wherefore is it that the wicked believe not in God why do they not humble themselves when they hear the Alcoran read They blaspheme against God but he knows all their actions declare to them that they shall be chastised and that such as believe in his Unity and do good works shall receive an infinite reward CHAP. LXXXV The Chapter of Signs Celestial containing twenty Verses written at Mecca Many Mahometan Doctors entitle this The Chapter of Castles IN the name of God gracious and merciful It swear by heaven adorned with signs and by the day of Judgment by the Angels and men that they who have made pits filled with fire to burn the true believers shall be witness of their own malice and shall avouâ—… that the fire burned themselves to make them know the unity of God and the truth of his Law. God is Omnipotent and always victorious he is the King of the heavens and earth he beholdeth all They that torment true believers and shall not repent shall be damned they shall burn eternally in the fire of hell and such as shall believe in God and do good works shall dwell in pleasant gardens wherein flow many rivers where they shall for ever enjoy supream felicity The wrath of God is strong he maketh his creatures to die and rise again when he pleaseth he is merciful towards them that repent of their sins and loveth them that serve him He hath created his throne to which praise is due eternally he raiseth up whom he listeth and nothing is to him impossible Hast thou heard the History of the people of Pharaoh and Temod God shall chastise in like manner them that shall not believe in his Law he knoweth them all Certainly the precious Alcoran is written in the book that is reserved in heaven CHAP. LXXXVI The
Theodosius his Favorite his Army was twice overthrown the General slain and the Mahometans pursuing their victories took from the Greeks the Countries of Egypt Syria and other Provinces of Africa where Mahomet encreased his Triumphs and erected his Trophies Being now grown impotent rather through his inordinate life than burthen of years he retired full of glory as a King and Prophet to Mecca where he resolved to end his days having affirmed it in the Alcoran to be the most holy City of the World as that wherein stood the Temple of Abraham built miraculously by Angels to be the Sanctuary of all that repair thither in Pilgrimage And therefore it was that when he had by his Armies taken the City of Antioch he durst not enter into it in person lest by the delightful and fertile situation of it he should have been enticed to desert Mecca and contradict his own Prophecy His life now drawing to a period a Pleuriâ—…ie surprized him On the seventh day for Crisis of his disease he became frantick Haly one of his successors astonisht at his distemper and frenzy not esteeming it one of the rare qualities of a Prophet and Redeemer as he stiled himself of so much People derided him yet willing to continue his Law that he might inherit his Power carefully concealed it and according to his commands yet living watched his Body after his decease For he told his followers that he should rise again the third day and ascend to Heaven They observed this and guarding his Corps four days entire with impatient expectation of his Resurrection were at length compelled by reason of its putrefaction to take him up and bury him at Medina where his Reliques are annually visited by the superstitious Pilgrims of his Religion Earth to crow This Angel recommended him to another he to a third and so one to another until he came to the Heaven where God kept his residence God courteously received him asked him how his People did how they entertained his Law and familiarly laid his Hand upon his Shoulder which was so cold that it pierced to the marrow of his Back-bone God had soon done with him only telling him how often his People should make their Prayers which were so many that as he was returning in the fourth Heaven Moses advised him to go back to God and entreat him that fewer Prayers might serve his turn for his People were not able to make so many which he did and after many returns brought the number to five This done he went back to his Elborach which in a moment brought him to his House in Mecca where he went to bed again to his Wife she not once dreaming her Husband would leave Heaven for her company or thinking he had been there all this he performed in the tenth part of a Night The Turks at this day fondly believe this as a Truth but the Arabians of his time requiring him to do as much in their view he unwilling to take again so long a Journy replied Praised be God I am Man and an Apostle He had other slights which in sight of the People by Art or Sorcery he performed and they stupidly believed and entertained as Miracles as a Pigeon being by him taught to come and pick a Pease out of his Ear he told them it was the Holy Ghost that came to tell him what God would have him do so an Ox brought him a Chapter of the Alcoran upon his Horns in a full Assembly He likewise perswaded them that being at dinner at the House of one that pretended to be his Friend who had an intent to poyson him or he at least was so informed a shoulder of Mutton served in to the Table forewarned him that he should not eat of it and though many were present none but he heard or understood the Language of the Mutton and yet he permitted one of his dearest Friends to eat of it and die impoysoned Such and many of the like nature were his Miracles As the bowing of Trees shaken by some sudden gust of Wind the howling of Wolves and braying of Asses which is their Language desiring Mahomet to pray for them and he Prophetically understanding as religiously performed His custom was often to inculcate into the Ears of his Auditors that God gave him commission to fulfil his own desires in all things and to that purpose introduceth God speaking to him To thee O Prophet It is permitted to lie with all Women that are given thee or thou dost purchase thy Aunts and Kindred and all good Women that freely desire thy company and this is lawful for thee alone His Issue was one onely Son called Cassim who died before him and many Daughters Fatione the eldest in high esteem at this day among the Arabians and honoured as the royal root of Aben Alabecy was Wife to Haly. Zeineb the second was married to Osmen after Son to Mahuvias and perhaps to both successively for they both succeeded in the Empire of Arabia to her is attributed the original of the other Family of Aben Humeia Imiaultim and Naphisse are diversly mentioned by the most faithful Historians some delivering them as his Daughters others as his near Kindred On the Seal which he used were engraven these words Mahomet Messenger of God. Heaven ordained him to be a scourge for the punishment of Christians who in multitudes at that time had forsaken the Truth to follow the Sects and Heresies of the Arrians Donatists Nestorians and others The day of his death was no less prodigious than the course of his life a Comet resembling a Sword appearing at high noon pointing from South to North when it was beheld the space of thirty days which that age interpreted to portend the fatal rising and splendor of the Arabian Empire A needful Caveat or Admonition for them who desire to know what use may be made of or if there be danger in reading the Alcoran By Alexander Ross. GOod Reader the great Arabian Impostor now at last after a thousand years is by the way of France arrived in England and his Alcoran or gallimaufry of Errors a Brat as deformed as the Parent and as full of Heresies as his scald head was of scurf hath learned to speak English. I suppose this piece is exposed by the Translator to the publick view no otherwise than some Monster brought out of Africa for people to gaze not to dote upon and as the sight of a Monster or mishapen creature should induce the beholder to praise God who hath not made him such so should the reading of this Alcoran excite us both to bless God's goodness towards us in this Land who enjoy the glorious light of the Gospel and behold the truth in the beauty of holiness as also to admire God's Judgments who suffers so many Countreys to be blinded and inslaved with this mishapen issue of Mahomet's brain being brought forth by the help of no other Midwifry than of a Iew and a Nestorian
an infinite pain by reason of their lying When it was said to them Pollute not the earth they said We are true observers of the Law of God notwithstanding they were they that polluted the earth but they knew it not When it was said to them Believe ye as the world believeth They said Shall we believe as fools believe they themselves are fools and know it not When they met with such as believed in God they said We believe as you do And when they returned towards the Devils their Companions they said We believe as you and mock at those men Certainly God mocketh them and continueth them in their Errours to their confusion They that have purchased Errour for the right way have gained nothing in their commerce and are not well directed they are like to such as kindled fire and when it hath enlightened what is about them God hath deprived them of light and left them in darkness deaf dumb blind and they shall never be converted or as a cloud of Heaven full of darkness thunder and lightning they stop their ears with their fingers by reason of the noise and for fear of death but God seeth the unbelievers he caused lightning to approach that ravished from them their sight they have followed what appeared to them and are detained in darkness But if God had pleased he had deprived them both of hearing and sight for he is Omnipotent O People worship your Lord who created you and all that were before you it may be that you will fear him that hath extended the Earth that raised the Heaven and caused Rain to descend that caused the production of Fruits to enrich you Say not That God hath a Companion equal to him because you know the contrary If you doubt that I have sent my servant come and bring some Chapters like to the Alcoran and call to witness the Idols that you adore if you are good men if you have not done it or cannot perform it Fear the fire of Hell prepared for Infidels and Idolaters and declare to true believers who do good works That they shall enjoy the immense pleasures of Paradise wherein flow many Rivers they shall there find all sorts of fair and savoury Fruits which God hath prepared for them they shall consider if they be like to such as they had before in the world They shall there have Wives fair and delicate and shall dwell in eternal felicity God is not ashamed to compare a little Puny to an extream Greatness Now so it is that true believers know that it proceedeth from their Lord. The wicked demand what God doth mean by that comparison He by this means mis-leadeth and directeth many men but mis-leadeth none but the disobedient Such as pervert his Testament and his Promises such as retrench his Commandments and defile the Earth are damned Why will you be impious seeing that God hath given you life after death He will cause you to die he will raise you again and you shall all return before him to be judged He it is that created whatever is upon Earth and ascending to Heaven hath ordained seven Heavens knowing all things Remember to instruct men that thy Lord said to his Angels I would create a Vicar upon Earth and when they answered Wilt thou there place him that shall defile it and shed Blood while we exalt thy Glory and sanctifie thee I know said he what you know not He taught Adam the Names of all things who discovered them to the Angels to whom God said Declare to me the Names of all things that I have created if you know them they replyed Praise is due to thy Divine Majesty we know nothing but what thou hast taught us thou alone art knowing and wise He said to Adam Declare to them the Names of all things that I have created After he had taught them God said Did I not tell you that I knew what is not neither in Earth nor Heaven and that I understand whatever you make manifest and whatever you keep most secret Remember thou that we said to the Angels Humble your selves before Adam they all humbled themselves except the Devil He was already proud and in the number of the wicked We said unto Adam Dwell thou and thy Wife in Paradise and eat there what thou likest but approach not that Tree lest thou be in the number of the unjust The Devil made them to sin and depart from the Grace in which they were then we said to them Descend you enemies one to another you shall have a dwelling upon Earth and goods wherewith to live for a time Adam begged pardon for his fault of his Lord he pardoned him because he is gracious and merciful and said Descend and go all of you out of Paradise there shall hereafter come to you a guide from me Such as shall follow him shall be delivered from fear and affliction at the day of Judgment such as shall be impious and conceal my Commandments shall burn eternally in the fire of Hell. O Children of Israel remember the Grace I have done you I will satisfie my Promises perform yours fear me and believe in what I have sent from Heaven confirming what was before taught you be not the first impious and forsake not my Law at any rate fear me and cover not the Truth with a lye neither willingly conceal it Make your Prayers at the time appointed pay Tithes and worship your Lord with them that adore him Will you command people that have no care of their Souls to do good Will you meditate upon Scripture with observing it Entreat for succour with Patience and with Prayers they abound not but in them that are obedient that believe they shall one day behold their Lord and shall return before him to be judged O Children of Israel call to mind my favours I have preferred you to all the world fear the day wherein one Soul shall not be chastised for another when Prayer shall not be heard neither ransom succours nor protection be found for the wicked Remember that we delivered you from the hands of Pharaoh who afflicted you through the violence of torments who murthered your Children abused your Wives and that your Lord encreased your Miseries because of the Enormity of your Crimes Remember that we divided the Seas to save you and that we drowned Pharaoh's men in your view nevertheless you worshipped the Calf when we detained Moses with us forty Nights in which you were extreamly to blame after this we pardoned you it may be that you will give me thanks We gave unto Moses the Book that distinguisheth good from evil perhaps you will be converted Remember that Moses said to his people You were to blame for having adored the Calf repent and be converted to your Creator Slay one another that will be a thing acceptable to God he will pardon your Crime he is gracious and merciful You said O Moses
that believe in God if you obey the wicked they will cause you to return upon your steps you shall return to the number of the damned truly God is your Lord he is the best Protector I will put fear into the hearts of Infidels because they have without reason adored many Gods and the fire of Hell shall be their habitation God hath made the truth of his Promises to appear to you when by his permission you slew the Infidels until you were weary of fighting nevertheless you contradicted what the Prophet ordained you disobeyed him after he had caused you to see what you desired with affection There be among you that covet the Goods of this World and others that love the good things of Heaven God hath withdrawn you from the Infidels to try you he hath pardoned your sins he is bountiful to them that observe his Commandments When you retreated from the Combat and yielded without reason the Prophet recalled you and gave you to know your Errour with a thousand pains afflict not your selves with the loss of the spoil that escaped you at the day of Victory neither with the mischief that befel you when you were vanquished God knoweth all your Actions After your Labour he sent you great repose part of you slept in all safety and the residue suffered themselves to be carried away at their Pleasures they had thoughts of God contrary to the truth Think on the ignorant that say Have we seen any of the succour that God hath promised Say to them all things proceed from God. They conceal in their Souls what they publish not and say had we been free of our own Wills we had not been slain say to them although you had stayed in your Houses and in your Bâ—…ds death would have taken away them that were arrived at the hour of their Destiny God approveth what is in your hearts and knoweth what you have in your Souls Certainly the Devil seduced them that fled when the two Armies were in Battel and that because of some sin they had committed nevertheless God pardoned them he is gracious and merciful to his people O ye that believe be not like the Infidels that said speaking of their Brethren that were slain in the Army that had they continued in their Houses they had not dyed God putteth this sorrow in their heart because of their impiety he giveth life and death and beholdeth all your Actions if you be slain for his Law or die in his favour it shall be more advantagious to you than all the Treasures of the World and if you dye or be slain fighting for the Faith you shall appear before his Divine Majesty to be rewarded Through the grace of God thou hast rendred them docile although thou be severe to them they will not depart from thee pardon them pray for them Take their Advice in occasions offered and being resolved to do any thing trust thou in God he loveth them that trust in him he protecteth you none shall obtain Victory over you if he abandon you who shall protect you All the faithful ought to resign themselves to the Will of his Divine Majesty It is not Lawful for the Prophet to deceive he that shall be a deceiver shall appear at the Day of Judgment with his deceit to be judged then shall men be payed with what they have gained no injustice shall be done to them that shall have loved God and Hell shall be the habitation of them that through deceit shall return in the displeasure of his Divine Majesty They shall not be all equally entreated God shall appoint them their Rank and place he beholdeth all their Actions he assuredly rewarded the true Believers when he sent them a Prophet of their own Nation to preach to them his Commandments and instruct them in the Alcoran they before his coming were in a manifest Errour When any mischief befel you it also befel the Infidels you have demanded when doth this mischief come it proceedeth from your selves certainly God is Omnipotent What befel you when the two Camps encountred hapned through the permission of God to distinguish the true Believers that dispense their Goods with affection for the glory of his Divine Majesty from them that abandoned the fight when it was said to them Come fight for the Faith and answered had we thought of fighting we had not followed you then were they nearer to impiety than to the Faith nevertheless they had not all of them that in their heart that was in their mouth God knoweth what they keep secret There be of them that said to their Brethren Stay and go not to the Combat your Companions had not been slain had they obeyed us say to them Deliver your selves from death if you can avoid it continuing in your Houses Believe not that those that were slain for the Faith are dead on the contrary they are alive with God they rejoyce for that such as ran to hinder them to fight did not meet them fear not for them they shall rejoyce eternally in the favour of God he will abundantly reward them that fight for his Law. Those that obeyed God and the Prophet after being overcome that did good works and feared his Divine Majesty shall receive great rewards When it was told them the people have conspired against you take heed to your selves this Discourse increased their Faith and they said it sufficeth that God is our Protector they were filled with the grace of God no more evil befel them and they observed the Commandments of his Divine Majesty He is gracious to them that obey him The Devil will cause in you a fear of the Infidels fear them not but if you be good men fear me Afflict not your selves to see the wicked run to impiety they hurt not God he will not give them rest in the other World where they shall be severely chastised I increase the wealth of Infidels to augment their pain they shall in the end feel grievous torments God will not leave the faithful in the state that you are in he will one day separate the good from the evil he doth not teach you what is to come he for that effect chuseth among the Prophets whom he seeth good Believe therefore in God and his Prophets if you believe in God fear to offend him you shall be rewarded Believe that such as are too sparing and avaritious of the wealth that God hath given them do well on the contrary they do very ill what they spare without reason shall strangle them at the day of Judgment The inheritance of Heaven and Earth is Gods he knoweth all things Certainly God heard the Speech of them that said God is poor and we are rich he hath said I will write what they have spoken and keep an exact account of the Murther they have unjustly committed on the Persons of the Prophets I will say to them at the day of Judgment taste of the torments of
eyes he will not chastise you for what you have spoken at random contrary to your faith without design of offending him but he shall punish you for your Oaths if you observe them not the satisfaction of an Oath not accomplished is to give food to ten poor of your Religion and to cloath them or to enfranchise a Slave that is a true believer he thâ—…t is destitute of means to perform this shall fast three days immediately succeeding such is the satisfaction of a not accomplished Oath keep exactly your faith so doth God teach you his Commandments you will peradventure give him thanks O ye that believe in God! Wine Games of hazard Idols Lots and divinations are abominations and filthy practises of the Devil depart from him perhaps you will be righteous The Devil desireth to sow among you dissention and horror through Wine and Games of hazard to choak your remembrance of God and of praying to him abandon Wine and Games of hazard be obedient to God and the Prophet his Apostle and take heed to your selves If you disobey God know that the Prophet is obliged only to preach publickly the word of his Divine Majesty the true Believers and the righteous have not provoked God in drinking Wine and playing at Games of Hazard before they were prohibited they will abstain for the future and perform good works God loveth them that do good O ye that believe God proveth you by one thing to wit by hunting whether you take the Game with your hands or coursing on Horse-back to discern them among you that fear him and believe in his Law whosoever shall offend him shall be severely punished O ye that believe kill not your Game during the time of your Pilgrimage to Mecca whosoever shall kill of deliberate purpose shall be judged as if he had slain his Neighbours beast he shall be judged by one among you and be condemned to offer a Present at the Temple of Mecca or to give Food to the Poor or to fast or to perform somewhat of like Nature for the expiation of his Errour if he have repentance in his mind God will pardon what is past if he return in his sin God will be avenged on him he is Omnipotent and avengeful It is permitted that you fish and eat of fish during your Pilgrimage but hunting by Land is absolutely forbidden in this Voyage fear God you shall all one day be assembled before him to be judged he hath appointed the month of Pilgrimage he hath established the Temple of Mecca for the Devotion of the people and hath forbidden to give impediment to such as bring thither oblations and those that assume Collers to the end you may learn to understand that he knoweth all things both in Heaven and Earth and that he is Omnipotent Know ye that he is grievous in his Chastisements and gracious and merciful The Prophet is obliged but to preach his Commandments he knoweth all that you conceal in your hearts and whatever you make manifest Evil must not be equal to good notwithstanding it be pleasing to you O ye that are wise have the fear of God before your eyes peradventure you shall be happy O ye Believers desire not the knowledge of all things you will afflict your selves be not curious to know at what time the Alcoran was sent from Heaven God pardoneth your former curiosity your Predecessours were alike curious and in the number of unbelievers God hath commanded nothing touching the she Camel whose ear is slit neither that which is at liberty in the Field neither concerning the Ewe that hath brought forth seven Lambs neither the Camel of whom have issued ten Camels but the wicked invent blasphemies against his Divine Majesty and are unwise When it was said to them come and observe what God hath taught his Prophet they replyed it sufficed them to follow what their Fathers had observed notwithstanding their Fathers were ignorant and erroneous O ye Believers be careful of your selves such as be in errour shall not hurt you if you follow the right way all of you shall one day be assembled before God who shall discover all your works and reward you according to your merits O ye Believers make your Testament when your death approacheth and take two Witnesses of your own Religion that are honest men If you are in a journey and sickness surprize you you shall take two witnesses such as you shall meet with to serve your Testament and having prayed shall deliver to them your Will. If you doubt their integrity cause them to swear to be faithful in their testimonies and not give themselves to be corrupted by your Kindred Conceal not your testimony lest you be in the numof sinners If you discover those two witnesses to have erred in their testimony substitute two other in their place although they partake in your succession and take Oath of them to be more veritable in their dispositions than the two others otherwise they will offend God and be numbred with the unjust It is better to speak Truth than to be in fear lest your fashood be detected fear God and hearken to his Commandments he guideth not them that disobey him He shall one day assemble his Prophets and Apostles and say unto them what did you answer being questioned concerning my unity they shall reply Lord we are ignorant thou alone knowest all things He shall say to Jesus O Jesus Son of Mary remember thou my grace towards thee and thy Mother I strengthned thee with the Holy Ghost Thou spakest in thy Cradle as a Man of forty or fifty years thee did I instruct in Scripture and knowledge the Old Testament and the Gospel Thou didst form of Earth the figure of a Bird didst breath upon it and it did flie thou didst cure the Born blind and the leprous didst revive the Dead I delivered thee from the Iews when thou didst preach to them my Commandments and wroughtest Miracles which the wicked affirmed to be Magick and inchantment Remember how thou didst command thy Apostles to believe in me and obey my Prophet and how they said we believe in one sole God be thou Witness that we entirely resign our selves to the Will of God. Remember thou that the Apostles said O Jesus Son of Mary can thy Lord send us from Heaven a Table covered with meats to satisfie us Jesus answered them Fear God if you believe in his Law they said we have an Appetite and desire to eat of the Food of Heaven for the repose of our hearts and to know if thou speakest the truth of which we shall be Witnesses Then said he O God my Lord cause to descend upon us from Heaven a Table covered with meat this day shall be celebrated by us and them that shall succeed this shall be a sign of thy Omnipotency enrich us with thy grace thou possessest all Treasure God said to him I will cause to descend from Heaven the
him the right way God guideth Men to the way of Salvation I will wholly resign my self to the pleasure of his Divine Majesty Make your prayers at the time appointed and pay Tythes you all shall appear before God at the Day of Judgment to give account of your actions He it is that created Heaven and Earth Remember thou the Day wherein he said Be thou and every thing was he shall reign and at that day command an Angel to sound the Trumpet to call to universal Judgment the living and the dead He knoweth the future present and past is most Wise and nothing is hidden from him Remember thou that Abraham said to his Father Azer wherefore do you worship Idols instead of God I perceive your Family to be in manifest errour God shewed to Abraham the Kingdom of Heaven and of Earth and he was in the number of the Blessed Abraham seeing by night a most clear Star asked in himself if it were his God no replyed he to himself my God doth not rise and set seeing the Moon to arise he demanded if that were his God no said he to himself certainly God will not guide me to be of them that are erroneous when he beheld the Sun rising he likewise asked if that were his God and when he saw it set he said to his people I am innocent of the sin which you commit in adoring many Gods I wholly commend my self to his Will who created Heaven and Earth and profess his Unity His people would dispute against him he said to them will you dispute against me concerning the Unity of God who hath instructed me in the right way I fear not your Idols my God doth what pleaseth him and knoweth all things will you not consider it How shall I fear your Idols since you are not afraid to affirm that God hath Companions equal to him which you have no reason to adore If you understand the truth who is more true you or I Such as believe in God and shall not cover the truth with a lie shall be delivered from the torments of Hell and conducted into the way of Salvation We instructed Abraham with reasons to dispute against his people I give knowledge to whom I see good and exalt whom I please Thy Lord O Abraham seeth and knoweth all things we gave to Abraham Isaac and Iacob his Sons we before instructed Noah and his Lineage in the right way we taught it David Solomon Iob Ioseph Moses Aaron Zachary St. Iohn Iesus the Son of Mary Eliah Ismael Ioshua Ionas and Lot we gratified them above the residue of the World we elected their Fathers Brothers and Progeny and guided them in the right way Thus God guideth whom he seeth good Men before adored Idols and believeth there were many Gods nevertheless he blotted out their past Errours when they were converted If they slander them that have knowledge of the Scriptures and of Prophecies will give power over their Persons to Men that shall mis-lead them with the Infidels Those whom God guideth believe in the Unity of his Divine Majesty Say unto them I require no reward for having preached to you the Alcoran he teacheth to all the World the Commandments of God. The Iews have not honoured him as was their Duty they understood not his Graces when they said he hath instructed the people in nothing that is profitable Say unto them who gave the Tables unto Moses who instructed him in the Scripture which they have written in Vellum to guide and illuminate the people They have published what pleased them and have concealed much they shall learn in the Alcoran what they know not and what their Fathers understood not Say to them God after that left them obstinate and amazed in their Errours We have sent from Heaven that Book full of Blessedness it confirmeth the Scriptures that were sent before it to the end thou mayst instruct the people of Mecca them that inhabit about that City and the rest of the World. Such as shall believe in the Day of Judgment believe in what is written in this Book and shall pray to God to deliver them from the torments of Hell Who is more unjust than he that blasphemeth against God that saith God hath inspired into him what he uttereth notwithstanding he hath received no inspiration from his Divine Majesty Who more unjust than he that saith he will cause to descend from Heaven things like to those which God inspired into his Prophets When thou shalt see the wicked at the point of death and the Angels stretching forth their hands to take their Souls say unto them This day the torments of Hell shall be the punishment of the blasphemies that ye have vomited against God and your disobedience to his Commandments God shall say to them you are come before us without Riches and Children naked as you were created and have cast behind your Backs the instructions which we gave you I see not with you the Idols you adored you are separated from each other and have forsaken them that you esteemed on Earth should have been your Protectors God separateth the good from the wicked as the Corn from the Ear and the stone from the Date He causeth the Living to spring from the dead and the dead from the living behold the works of God why will you depart from his Law He divideth the Morning from darkness hath established Night for the repose of Men and the Sun and Moon to compute Ages Years Months and Seasons such are the effects of Gods power he is Omnipotent and knoweth all things He it is that created the Stars to give you light and guide you in the obscurity of the Earth and Sea he gratifieth with his Grace such as learn his Commandments He it is that created you of one sole Person that gave you the Earth to inhabit and preserveth you in the World he hath conferred his Grace on such as have obeyed his Commandments hath made Rain to descend from Heaven and caused the Earth to produce divers sorts of Herbs Green things and Corn he hath caused the Date to spring forth and the Palm Tree with Gardens enriched with Grapes Olives Pomgranets and many Fruits alike and different Consider how Fruits encrease and multiply this serveth for instruction of Gods Unity to them that have his fear before their eyes the Infidels have adored the Devil with God who created them and said that God hath Sons and Daughters such is their ignorance praised be God he created Heaven and Earth how shall he have a Son who hath no Wives He createth and knoweth all things he is your God and your Lord there is none other God but he worship him he conserveth all things he is seen of no Man and beholdeth all things he is benign and nothing is concealed from him O people there is come to you a light from your Lord to conduct you he that seeth clearly shall receive advantage and he that
Quarter of you give them Quarter to the end they may learn the word of God teach them his Commandments for they are ignorant How should they have Truce with God and his Prophet If they believe neither in the one nor the other except them with whom you entred Truce in the Temple of Mecca If they observe their promise to you observe what ye promised to them God loveth such as have his fear before their eyes How shall they have Truce with you If they have advantage over you they will respect neither your alliance nor confederacy They will speak well of you and contemn you in their heart the greatest part of them are impious they have preferred the riches of this World to the Commandments of God and have hindred the People to follow his Law as if they knew not what they did they bear no respect to the True believers wherein they are exceedingly to blame If they turn and make their prayers at the time appointed if they pay Tithes they shall be your Brethren in God. I teach the mysteries of faith to such as have understanding to comprehend them if they break their promise and disturb them of your Religion kill their Captains as persons without faith they will perhaps put an end to their impiety Slay such especially that renounce their faith who have endeavoured to drive the Prophet from Mecca and have begun to slay you will you fear them Will ye be terrified by them It is reasonable that ye fear God if ye believe in his Law fight them God shall chastise them by your hands he shall render them dishonourable and protect you against them he shall fortifie the hearts of True believers and expel melancholy he pardoneth whom he seeth good knoweth all things and is most prudent in what he ordaineth Think ye to be forsaken of God and that he discerneth not them that have fought gallantly for his Law from such as have adored Idols and disobeyed his Prophet The True believers abandon not their Religion another time to profess it God knoweth all your actions Infidels must not enter into the Temple of Mecca knowing that they are Infidels the good works which they shall do in this World shall be unprofitable and they shall dwell eternally in the fire of Hell. They that believe in God and the Day of Judgment that make their prayers at the time appointed pay Tithes and worship one God alone shall visit the Temples of his Divine Majesty and such as fear the Creatures more than the Creator err from the right way We have ordained that such as shall bear fresh Water to Pilgrims and them that shall visit the Temple of Mecca shall be in the number of them that believe in God and the Day of Judgment Such as fight for the faith are not all equal in graces and merits before God he guideth not the unjust Such as have believed in God as have departed from the wicked and employed their wealth and persons to fight for his Law shall have a particular degree and a particular place near to his Divine Majesty they shall be the more happy God through his goodness declareth to them that they shall enter into delicious Gardens where they shall remain eternally there is with God a very great reward O ye that believe obey not your Fathers nor your Brothers that love rather to follow impiety than the faith Such as shall obey them shall offend exceedingly if your Father your Children your Brothers your Wives your Parents your friends the wealth that you have gained the fear of losing your riches and apprehension of poverty have more of power over you than God and his Prophet and hinder you to fight for the faith the Commandment of God shall be executed against you he guideth not the wicked and hath protected you in many occasions Remember the day of Battle of Hanin when ye rejoyced in the multitude of your Men it did not advantage you fear made you find the place too narrow for flight and ye turned the Back as vanquished Remember that God at that time put his Prophet and the true Believers in a place of safety and sent invisible Troops to chastise the Infidels he pardoneth sins as seemeth good to him he is gracious and merciful O ye that believe in God! Unbelievers are unclean permit not that they enter into the Temple of Mecca after this year if ye have apprehension of want God shall enrich you with his Grace if it please him he is Omniscient and most prudent Fight against them that believe not in God nor the Day of Judgment that forbid not to act what God hath prohibited and his Prophet hath forbidden and that judge not according to the Law of truth wherein they were instructed who heretofore received the written Law they chuse rather to pay Tribute than to be converted therefore are they contemptible The Iews have said that the Son of God is most powerful the Christians that the Messiah is the Son of God their words are like to the words of the Infidels that preceded them but God shall lay upon them his Curse Consider how they blaspheme they adore their Doctors and Priests and the Messiah also the Son of Mary who commanded them to worship one God alone there is but one 〈◊〉 God praised be God there is nothing equal to him they would extinguish the light of God with their mouth but he shall not suffer them he shall cause it to appear notwithstanding it be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the Infidels He hath sent his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Men into the right way to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Law of Truth and to make it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all other Laws of the World 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Will of Idolaters O ye that truly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 many of the Doctors and Priests eaâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the substance of the people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 them from the Law of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as â—…reasure up and expend nothing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…s works they shall suffer great torments at the day when the fire of Hell shall be kindled upon them it shall burn their Forehead sides and back it shall be said to them behold the wealth which ye have treasured up for your Souls taste the Fruits of your Treasures which ye have amassed When God created the Heaven and the Earth he ordained the year of twelve Months amongst which four are priviledged Offend not God especially in those Months fight at all times against Unbelievers as they will fight against you and know that God is with them that have his fear before their eyes Sloth and forgetfulness abound in impiety God misâ—…eadeth through negligence the Unbelievers that prefer one Month to another in imitation of what is commanded they permit to do what God hath forbidden and delight in the Malice of their Actions but God is not the guide of the wicked O ye that believe wherefore have ye inclined to the Earth Why did ye prefer the wealth of this World to that of Paradise when you
most wise They that esteemed that the Temple built by Unbelievers to seduce the righteous to distinguish the wicked from the good and to observe such as had before fought against God and against his Prophet is the Temple of his Divine Majesty swear that they desire to do well and that their intention is most honest but they are Lyars and God shall be witness of their falshood make not thy Prayers in that Temple make thy Prayers in the Temple founded on the fear of God that is reasonable there be Persons in that Temple who desire to be purified God loveth such as have a clean Soul Who is he that buildeth best he that foundeth his building upon the fear of God or he who layeth the Foundation of his building upon the brink of a Ditch of Sand which falleth and ruineth it self They who esteem the Temple built by Unbelievers to seduce the people to be the Temple of God shall be with that Temple and with the Infidels that built it burnt in the fire of Hell God guideth not the unjust their building shall serve only to torment them God knoweth their design and is most wise he purchaseth of true Believers their Souls and Goods and giveth them Paradise if they be slain or if they slay when they shall fight for the Faith they shall have what he hath promised to them in the Old Testament the Gospel and in the Alcoran Who better satisfieth what he hath promised than God Declare to them that they have made a good purchace they have gained the height of Felicity Such as are firm in their Faith who pray honour and worship God who observe his Commandments and all true Believers shall enjoy the delights of Paradise with all manner of content The Prophet and true Believers ought not to ask pardon of God for Infidels notwithstanding they be their Parents having had knowledge that they are damned because of their infidelity Abraham prayed not for his Father untill he had promised him to adore one God alone when he knew his Father to be an Enemy to God he declared himself an Enemy to his sin he ceased praying for him although he was exceeding charitable and patient in his afflictions God mis-leadeth not them that he hath put into the right way he giveth them to understand what they ought to do he knoweth them that deserve to be seduced and such as merit to be guided through the right way The Kingdom of Heaven and Earth is Gods he giveth life and death to whom he seeth good Who except God shall protect you he hath given his Grace to the Prophet and to such as followed him in his affliction although it wanted but a little that the hearts of many of them inclined not to the party of the Unbelievers but he pardoneth them he hath been gracious and merciful to three Persons who deserted the Prophet and were sorry for their Errour they knew there was no sure refuge but in God he pardoned them when they were converted he is gracious and merciful to such as repent O ye that believe Fear God be righteous the Inhabitants of Medina and the Arabians that dwell about that City ought not to contradict the Will of the Prophet of God neither dislike what he approveth because they have endured neither thirst nor pain nor anguish for the Service of his Divine Majesty they have not been trampled under foot by their Enemies they shall irritate the Infidels and shall receive no displeasure on the contrary they shall acquire merit and perform a good work God doth not deprive them of recompence that do well he shall write down their expence for his Service and the number of the Idols that they shall destroy for reward of their good works It is not necessary that all the faithful go to the War it is sufficient that of every Lineage and of every Nation there go a party while the rest shall learn the Laws and Mysteries of Faith to instruct their Companions when they shall return from their Voyage perhaps they will fear the chastisement of God. O ye that believe in God! fight against them that would cause you to be defiled in impiety be valiant and know that God is with them that have his fear before their eyes When God caused to descend from Heaven any Chapter of the Alcoran some of them said through disdain that will encrease the Faith of this people Certainly it augmenteth the Faith of true Believers it rejoyceth them and enflameth the wrath of his Divine Majesty upon Infidels who persist in their pollutions and dye in their wickedness They know not that God tryeth the good once or twice a year they will not be converted it is lost time to preach to them When God sent from Heaven any Chapter of the Alcoran they beheld each others and said doth any one see us They returned in their impiety and God turned their heart from the right way for that they would not learn the Truth God hath sent you a Prophet of your own Nation who with Passion desireth to deliver you from your obstinacy and is extreamly affected to instruct you in the way of Salvation God is mild and pitiful towards true Believers If they abandon the Faith say unto them God is my Protector there is but one sole God I recommend my self to the Will of his Divine Majesty he is the Lord of the Majestick Throne CHAP. X. The Chapter of Jonas containing an hundred and nine Verses written at Mecca IN the Name of God gracious and merciful I am God the merciful The Precepts contained in this Book proceed from the Omnipotent Doth the people wonder that we have inspired a Man to preach to the wicked the torments of Hell and to declare to true Believers that they shall find true what their Lord to them hath promised The wicked say that it is but Sorcery and enchantment Certainly God is your Lord who created Heaven and Earth in six days and sitteth on his Thone disposing all things no Man interceedeth for his Neighbour without his permission he is your God and your Lord worship him alone will ye not consider it you all shall be one day assembled before him he promised with truth that he will cause Men to dye and raise them again to recompence such as have believed in his Law and done good works The Unbelievers shall drink a boyling drink and shall endure great torments because of their impiety He it is that gave light to the Sun and brightness to the Moon that created the signs to know the number of years the account of Months and of whatsoever he hath created these things teach with truth the Miracles of his Divine Majesty to such as have knowledge to understand them the difference of Day and of Night and what God hath created in Heaven and in Earth are marks of his Unity to them that have his fear before their eyes They who believe there is no
Resurrection such as place their content in the wealth of this World they that trust in their Riches and that are ignorant of the Commandments of God shall be precipitated into the fire of Hell because of their sins and the true Believers shall be conducted by his Divine Majesty into delicious Gardens wherein flow many Rivers they shall there find whatsoever they shall desire and shall say at the beginning of their Prayers praised be God afterwards they shall say Salvation be to God and at the end of their Prayers praise be to God Lord of the Universe Although God doth sometimes suddenly chastise Men he always attendeth the time of their Destiny I will leave them that shall not believe in the Resurrection in their Errours to their confusion When Man is afflicted he invoketh us standing sitting lying and in all postures and when we have delivered him from his affliction he persisteth in his wickedness It seemeth good to the wicked to do in this manner we destroyed their Predecessours when they believed not in the Prophets neither obeyed the Precepts that we sent them and have established you on the Earth in their place after them to see your Deportments When thou teachest our Commandments to them that believe not in the Resurrection they say that the Precepts of the Alcoran are altogether contrary to what thou preachest and that thou hast altered them Say unto them I have no Will to alter them of my self I do but what is inspired into me of God I fear to be punished at the Day of Judgment should I disobey his Divine Majesty Say unto them Had it pleased God I had neither read nor taught you his Commandments I sojourned a long time with you before I taught you will you not learn them Who is more unjust than he that blasphemeth God doth not aid the Infidels that worship what can neither benefit nor hurt them and say their Idols shall intercede for them will you instruct God in any thing that he knoweth not of what is in Heaven or in Earth Praised be God he hath no Companion Men were all of one Religion before Infidelity took place and if God had not said that he would defer the punishment of the wicked until the Day of Judgment he had already destroyed them in this World because of their impiety They say we will not believe in the Prophet if God make not some Miracles to appear in him Say unto them God knoweth what shall be expect I will expect with you When we gave them to taste of content after their affliction they had subtilty upon our Commandments Say unto them God is more subtile than you his Messengers shall write your subtilties he it is that made Men to travel upon the Earth and Sea It is he that sendeth them a favourable wind to rejoyce them in their Ships when Tempest surprizeth them they believe that the Waves will overwhelm them then they invoke God with desire to embrace his Law and say if God doth deliver us from this danger we will believe in his Unity and return him thanks for this mercy and being delivered from peril persist in their wickedness O People you draw mischief on your selves you require nothing but the wealth of this World you all shall appear before us to be judged according to your works the life of the World is like to the Rain which we cause to descend from Heaven it causeth with mixture all sorts of herbage to spring forth for the nourishment of Men and Beasts When the Earth is adorned with Flowers and enriched with its Fruits the Inhabitants oftentimes believe they have the power to cause their production then send we our chastiiements Day and Night upon the Earth and render it as mown and as if the Day before it had brought no Fruit. Thus do I discover Mysteries to such as have knowledge to comprehend them They beg their Salvation of God he saveth and putteth in the way of Salvation whom it pleaseth him He shall not cover the Visage of them that have done good works they shall appear without shame and dwell in Paradise where they shall remain eternally and such as shall have done evil shall be punished after their demerits they shall be covered with shame and none shall be able to protect them they shall be as if a great part of the obscurity of the Night had covered their countenance they shall be condemned to the fire of Hell where they shall dwell eternally Think on the Day wherein we will â—…ssemble all the World and will say to the Infidels Hâ—…ll shall be your habitation where be the â—…dols you adored we have separated you from each other Their Idols shall say to them You have not worshipped us God is witness was there any thing between us and you that rendred us ignorant of your adorations That Day shall every one see what he hath done and know that God is Truth it self their Idols shall be separated far from them and they shall understand their blasphemies Say unto them who enricheth you with the wealth of Heaven and Earth Who causeth life to come out of death and death out of life Who disposeth all things in the World They shall answer it is God Say unto them why have you not therefore his fear before your eyes God is indeed your Lord what is there after the Truth but falshood How will you depart from his Law his Word shall be accomplished against Infidels Say unto them Have your Idols the power to cause Men to die and to make them rise again God causeth them to die and to rise again how shall they be able to blaspheme after these reasons Say unto them Are your Idols able to conduct you into the right way God guideth the People into the way of Salvation who ought rather to be followed he that guideth the People into the right way or he that misleadeth them What reason have ye to follow the evil way The greatest part of them follow but their own opinion but their opinion is not conformable to the Truth God knoweth all their actions there is no falshood in the Alcoran it confirmeth the ancient Scriptures and perspicuously explaineth them there is no doubt but it proceedeth from the Lord of the Universe They say Mahomet hath invented this Book say unto them Come and bring any thing that resembleth it in Doctrine and Eloquence and call the Idols which ye adore we shall see if you are sincere on the contrary they have blasphemed and have talked of what they understood not when they heard the exposition of the Alcoran Thus did their Predecessors but consider what is the end of the unjust There be among them who will believe in this Book and others that will not believe Thy Lord knoweth them that defile the Earth if they slander thee say unto them I will answer with my actions and ye shall answer with yours ye are innocent of what I act and I
am innocent of what ye do There be persons among them that have inclination to hear thee but art thou able to cause the deaf to hear Should they not be deaf they would learn nothing Others there be who look toward thee but art thou able to guide the blind should they see clearly they would not follow the right way God doth no injustice to Men they do injury to themselves through the enormity of their offences I will cause them to rise again at the Day of Judgment as if they had remained but one hour of a day in the Grave they shall know each other and the wicked who have not believed in the Resurrection shall be damned I will shew thee many of them whom I will chastise I will cause thee to die before they be chastised and they all shall appear before me to be judged God is witness of their actions he shall punish them according to their demerits every Nation of the World hath had a Prophet sent from God who hath judged with reason and without injustice the differences that were among them touching Religion They have said at what time shall the wrath of God appear Say unto them I of my self can neither procure good nor evil if God doth not permit it every one hath his destiny when the time of their destiny arriveth they can neither retard or advance it one hour Have ye considered the punishment which God heretofore sent by day and by night against the wicked When ye felt it ye believed it and fell into it headlong It shall be said to the wicked at the Day of Judgment taste eternal torments shall you not be punished according to your demerits They will ask of thee if the pains denounced against the wicked and if the Resurrection be matters of Truth Say unto them yes my Lord is most exact in his words and all the Treasures of the World shall not be able to redeem one Soul. They shall repent of their sins when they shall feel the punishment of their offences but shall be condemned without injustice whatsoever is in Heaven and in Earth appertaineth to God he is exact in his Promise yet the greatest part of the World do not know him He it is who causeth to die and giveth life and shall assemble Men at the Day of Judgment O People God hath sent you instructions and remedies for your infirmities he hath sent a guide to conduct true believers into the way of his mercy it shall be to them of more advantage than the treasures that they accumulate Have ye considered the good things which he hath created for you Ye have appointed one part to be eaten and have prohibited to eat of another Hath God permitted you to blaspheme against him The opinion of such as blaspheme against God shall be but misery at the Day of Judgment God is full of goodness for the people but most of them are ingrateful In whatsoever place thou art whether thou teach what is contained in the Alcoran or whether thou labour I am always present nothing is concealed from thy Lord of whatsoever is in Heaven and Earth be it great or little all is written in the intelligible Book that explaineth all things There needeth no fear for such as recommend themselves to God they shall be exempt from the pains of Hell. The true believers who have his fear before their eyes shall suffer no torments in the other World it is declared to them on Earth that they shall have all content the word of God admits of no alteration they shall enjoy perfection of felicity in Paradise Afflict not thy self for the words of the impious vertue proceedeth from God he understandeth and knoweth all things whatsoever is in Heaven and in Earth appertaineth to him They who worship Idols follow but their opinion and are lyars God hath created the night for repose and the day for labour such as hear his Word find therein marks of his Omnipotency They have said Do ye believe that God hath a Son Praised be God he is most rich and hath no need of any person he possesseth whatsoeever is in Heaven and Earth you have no reason in what ye alledge will you speak of God what ye know not God doth not aid in this World them that blaspheme against him he shall cause them to feel after their death great torments because of their impiety Instruct them in the History of Noah how he spâ—…ke to his People and said O People if my abode with you and the preaching of the Commandments of God be irksom to you know that all my support is in God assemble your Doctors with your Idols and conceal not what ye do go whither you will ye shall find none to protect you if ye contemn my instructions I require not of you a reward for my pains I desire to receive of none other than God the Omnipotent and recommend my self to the will of his Divine Majesty They slandered Noah then did we save him in the Ark and them that were with him we prolonged their posterity on Earth and drowned the wicked consider the end of such as heard the Word of God and contemned it We sent to them other Prophets after Noah they made them to see Miracles and gave them most salutary instructions but they did not believe in what they had no will before to believe Thus I harden the heart of the wicked We after them sent Moses to Pharaoh and his Subjects with our miracles they arose against our Commandments when the truth was preached to them and said it was but Magick and Enchantment Moses said to them Will you say that the Truth is Sorcery God doth not assist Magicians and Sorcerers they said Art thou with thy Brother come to divert us from the Religion of our Fathers and to be esteemed on Earth We will believe in thy words Then Pharaoh commanded to summon the most skilful of his Magicians they being assembled Moses said to them cast down what ye have a will to cast down on the ground having cast down their Cords and Staves Moses said to them know ye none other thing but Magick God shall render it vain and unprofitable he abhoreth such as defile the Earth he confirmeth the Truth through his Word although it be against the will of the wicked Few Men believed in Moses because of their fear to displease Pharaoh and his Ministers Pharaoh was powerful on Earth and in the number of the wicked Moses said O People if ye believe in God resign your selves to his will they answered All our confidence is in God Lord do not thou abandon us to the malice of the unjust deliver us through thy mercy from the hands of Infidels We inspired Moses and his Brother to dwell some time in Egypt with their people and to make Oratories in their Houses therein to make their prayers and preach to true believers Lord said Moses thou hast enriched Pharaoh and
not that God hath children We made mention in the Alcoran of whatsoever is necessary to be preached to the people say unto them If there be a God with God as ye affirm invoke him that hath his Throne in Heaven praised be God he hath no Companion he is most high and great The seven Heavens praise him and all that is on Earth glorifie him but ye comprehend it not he is gracious and merciful We will separate thee from the wicked we will harden their hearts and stop their ears When thou shalt read the Alcoran and say There is but one God they will turn the back â—…d deride thee I know what they desire to hear they would have the people to hearken to the words of the unjust who say That thou art a Sorcerer and a Magician consider to whom they compare thee they certainly are in error and are not able to find the right way What! we are say they bones and flesh shall we rise again and become new Creatures who shall cause us to rise again Say unto them Although ye be stone iron bones and flesh he who first created you shall raise you again They shall shake the head at thee and ask of thee In what time they shall rise again say unto them Peradventure it shall be suddenly When ye shall be called out of the graves by the Commandment of God ye will believe that ye have remained but very little time in the world then shall the Infidels confess that the Devil hath deceived them and that he is their open enemy Your Lord knoweth you all he will pardon or chastise you as seemeth good to him We have not sent thee to be their guardian thy Lord knoweth whatsoever is in Heaven and in Earth Certainly we gave graces to some Prophets which we gave not to others and we gave the Psalter to David Say unto the Infidels invoke the Idols which ye adore and see if they are of power to deliver you from affliction They that implore God desire to be nigh unto him who are they that shall nearest approach his divine Majesty they who hope in his mercy or such as fear his punishment Certainly his punishment ought most to be feared We will destroy all the Cities of the world before the day of Judgment and chastise the wicked with rigorous torments this is written upon the Tables kept in heaven nothing hath hindred us to manifest the miracles which the inhabitants of Mecca desire to see but the contempt shewed by their predecessors Temod saw the miracles of the Camel and contemned it I will no more shew miracles but to make the people to apprehend the torments of hell Remember thou that we have said to thee that thy Lord knoweth all that the world doth that which we gave thee to see in the voyage by night is to prove the people as the cursed tree which is spoken of in the Alcoran there be persons that will believe it others that will not believe but I will try them to augment their confusion Remember thou that we commanded the Angels to humble themselves before Adam and that they did humble themselves except the devil who said Shall I adore him whom thou hast created of the earth who is he whom thou hast preferred to me Certainly if thou tarry until the day of Judgment I will destroy his race except that small number that shall be under thy protection Thy Lord said unto him Get thee hence hell shall be thy punishment and the punishment of them that shall follow thee deceive by thy speeches them whom thou shalt be able to deceive seduce whom thou canst seduce with the wealth of the earth cause them to exercise Usury and commit the sin of whoredom tell them there is neither Resurrection nor Judgment whatsoever thou shalt promise them shall be but vanity and falshood thou shalt have no power over them that shall worship me I will protect them against thee It is your Lord who causeth the ship to travel upon the waters for the advantage of traffique when the tempest chargeth you your Idols forsake you he alone is able to protect you nevertheless when he hath caused you to arrive at the Port you deny his Unity and follow your impiety believe ye that he will another time make the sea calm to you and he will send you a favourable wind if ye do not acknowledg him your protector Believe you to return again to the sea He shall send you an impetuous wind that shall overwhelm you with your impiety and ye shall find none to protect you against him We have conferred on men many favours we have conducted them on the earth and sea enriched with all sorts of riches and gratified them above all creatures of the earth preach to them the day wherein I will assemble before me all the Nations of the World with the Prophet that shall have preached to them He to whom shall be given the Book of the Accompt of his works in his right hand shall read his accompt entirely no injustice shall be done to him and he shall be happy He that shall be blind in this world shall be so in the other and shall not see the right way They would divert thee from performing what we have inspired into thee to induce thee to blaspheme against me If thou do it thou shalt be of their friends were it not for the strength that we have given thee they would make thee to incline to their impiety hadst thou done it we had given thee to taste of great afflictions in this world and in the other thou hadst found none to protect thee against us it wanted not much but they had affrighted thee at Medina to cause thee to go out of it had they driven thee thence they had not continued there long after thee We heretofore sent our Prophets to instruct the people in our Law thou shalt find therein nothing to change make thy prayers when the Sun shall set at the beginning and at the end of the night and at the dawning of day the Angels shall be witnesses of thine orisons spend one part of the night in prayer this shall be an augmentation of merit thy Lord shall establish thee in the place of his glory Say Lord into whatsoever place I go make me to enter and go forth with truth give me thy protection Say that truth is come aâ—…d that vanity is vanished this Book shall heal the people of their error it shall bring them into the way of mercy and encreaâ—…e the misery of unbelievers We have exhorted men to abandon their impiety they have not done it and despaired when they were touched with affliction Say unto them Each of us doth after his will and God knoweth him that followeth the right way they shall demand of thee concerning the Soul Say unto them the soul is an effect of God he hath given you very little knowledge assuredly had it so
pleased him he could have deprived you of the knowledge he hath given you you shall find nothing that is able to protect you but his mercy Say unto them If the devils and men were all assembled against me they should not be able to compose a Book like the Alcoran We have taught in the Alcoran whatsoever is necessary for the salvation of men nevertheless the greatest part of the people depart from the Truth and say We will not believe thee unless thou cause fountains to spring out of the Earth and make in this place a garden beautified with Date Trees and Vines with rivers flowing in the midst or unless we see descend from Heaven a part of the pains which thou preachest we will not believe thee unless God and the Angels come to thy assistance unless thy house be of fine gold and that we see the Book of Truth sent from heaven we will not believe in thy Parchment unless we see descend from heaven a Book which we may be able to read Say unto them Praised be my Lord am I any thing but a man sent from him what hindereth men to believe since there hath been sent to them a Pilot to conduct them into the way of salvation They say that thou art a man and not an Angel Say unto them should the Angels have inhabited the earth God would have sent an Angel to instruct them it sufficeth that he is the witness of mine actions between you and me he knoweth and seeth all things he whom God guideth is well guided and such as God shall cause to err shall find none to put them into the right way he will assemble all of them at the day of Judgment they shall be infamous deaf mute and blind and condemned to the flames of hell because they are wicked and have said through derision that they are bones and flesh and that they shall rise again as new creatures see they not that God hath created heaven and earth that he can create yet more and hath established a destiny indubitabe and infallible The unbelievers are exceedingly too blame Say unto them should you possess all the treasures of the world yet would ye fear to make expence for the service of God man is too avaricious We gave to Moses nine marks of our Omnipotency known to the children of Israel Pharaoh told him that he was a Magician Assuredly said Moses the signs and miracles that thou seest proceed from God Lord of heaven and earth I believe O Pharaoh that thou forsakest the truth Then would Pharaoh have driven him out of Egypt but we drowned all those that were with him and commanded the children of Israel to inhabit the land we will assemble them at the end of the world to reward them after their works We have indeed sent thee the Alcoran from heaven to proclaim the joys of Paradise and to preach the torments of hell we have sent it to the end thou maist teach it to the people we have sent it clear and intelligible that it may be understood according to occurrences Say unto them Believe or believe it not when those that have knowledge in the written Law heard it read they prostrated themselves on the ground with humility and said Praised be God what be promiseth is infallible and incontinently is his command executed they wept prostrating the face towards the earth and the reading of the Alcoran augmented their devotion Say unto them Implore God call God merciful all his Attributes are most glorious Make it not appear to the world how often thou shalt pray neither how often thou shalt read the Alcoran and fear not to pray to God and to read the Alcoran follow in this the middle path and say Praised be God he hath no Son he hath no companion neither protector to preserve him from contempt his greatness is perfect and compleat CHAP. XVIII The Chapter of the Cave containing an hundred and ten Verses written at Mecca IN the Name of God gracious and merciful Praise be to God who hath sent the Alcoran to his servant There is no contradiction in this Book it teacheth the right way it preacheth to the wicked that they shall suffer great torments and proclaimeth to the righteous that they shall enjoy an eternal felicity he preacheth the torments of Hell principally to such as affirm That God hath a Son they are ignorant like to their predecessors they are ignorant in their discourse and utter nothing but blasphemies Wilt thou destroy thy self in following their footsteps If they believe not in the Alcoran they shall one day have sorrow and shall repent it We adorned the Earth with whatsoever is upon it for the advantage of men One part thereof is happy and plentiful and the other unfruitful and desart Do ye not believe that the sleepers that entred the Cave and the Paper wherein their names were written be our miracles When those men entred the Cave they said Lord give us thy mercy and guide us into the right way Then did we cause them to sleep for the space of some years and awaked them having continued some time in that Cave to make it appear which of the two Religions was the most just I will relate to thee their History with truth they were young men who had the fear of their Lord before their eyes we strengthned them and encreased their faith when they were with the Infidels they said Our God is Lord of heaven and Earth we will never worship but one God otherwise we shall separate our selves from the truth This people have adored Idols without reason who is more unjust than he who blasphemeth against God When they deserted the Infidels they worshipped one God alone Enter into the Cave God shall make his mercy towards you to appear and shall guide you through a path smooth and pleasant When the Sun arose he cast his rayes on the right side of their Cave and on the left at his going down they in the mean time were in the most spacious place of this Cave This is one of Gods miracles he whom he guideth is well guided and whom he misleadeth shall find none to give him succor or to guide him Believe ye that they should be awake Assuredly they slept and turned themselves sometimes to one side sometimes to another Consider how their Dog extended his feet before that old habitation of stone if any one had entred towards them he would have caused them to fly and had affrighted them In the end we awaked them and they mutually enquired of each other in what place they were and how long they had there continued one of them replyed That they had been there a day or two then they all said God knoweth the time that we have abode here send one of us to the City with money to buy bread and meat let him not be fearful neither make himself known to any if we be known they will murther or constrain us
to follow their Religion in which we shall be eternally miserable Thus did we stir up the people against them to the end they might know that thy Lord is true when he said He will cause the dead to arise again the Resurrection is indubitable nevertheless unbelievers dispute among them concerning the History of the Sleepers and say That they built a secret place to retire themselves God knoweth the Truth The True believers believe that they made no building the Infidels say they were five and that their dog was the sixth they speak by opinion but the True believers affirm them to be seven and their dog to be the eighth Say unto them My Lord knoweth how many they were few persons except God know their number Doubt no more the History of the Sleepers the matter is averred and known dispute no more with the Jews and say not I will do this to morrow without saying If it pleaâ—…e God. Call God to mind after thou hast forgot him and say The Lord shall guide me and teach me the History of the Sleepers who remained in Cave three hundred years there be who affirm they continued there nine hundred years Say unto them God knoweth the time of their abode there he knoweth whatsoever is in Heaven and Earth he understandeth and seeth all things he alone disposeth every thing and hath no companion Preach what thy Lord hath inspired into thee his word admitteth of no alteration there is no safer refuge than in him dwell with those that invoke him morning and evening and desire to see his face depart not from their company if thou desirest to have content of life in this world obey not those whose heart we have hardned and are unmindful of us follow not their impiety whatsoever they do is but offence and sin Say unto them the truth proceedeth from your Lord who shall desire it shall be True believers and who shall not desire it shall be an Infidel we have prepared Hell to chastise the impious and prisons wherein to detain them They shall implore succors against the melting pit into which they shall be plunged as into waters it shall rost their faces and shall be their drink I will not frustrate of reward them that shall have done well they shall enjoy the delights of the gardens of Eden wherein flow many rivers they shall have bracelets of fine Gold they shall be cloathed with green with Scarlet with shining colours and shall sit on thrones with an eternal felicity Declare to them this parable there were two men I gave to the one of them gardens wherein are store of fruits he in contempt told his companion that he was more wealthy and powerful than he and entred into his gardens being an Infidel and an Idolater and said I do not think these shall ever have an end they shall endure a long time without withering His companion said to him If thou dost not ackowledge this to proceed from God and if thou be ingrateful towards him that created thee of dust and made thee a man thou shalt soon find thy gardens ruined this cometh from God my Lord who hath no companion all strength and truth proceedeth from his divine Majesty If I have less of substance than thou God can give me fruits more fair than those of thy gardens or send thunder that shall destroy them he shall fill them with water of rain that shall encompass them and hinder thee to approach them In the morning this Infidel found his gardens destroyed to the very roots he was extreamly perplexed by reason of the expence he had made to plant them evenly and he said Would to God I had not adored Idols He shall find none that is able to protect him at the day of Judgment but God all protection and grace issueth from his divine bounty and the end of the righteous shall be happy Speak unto them this parable The life of the world is like unto rain fallen from Heaven that refreshed and revived the herbs of the Earth and in the morning were dry as chaff carried away by the wind God is omnipotent Riches and Children are the ornaments of this life but good works are eternal they are acceptable to God and give us hope of his grace Be thou mindful of the day when the mountains shall walk and thou shalt see the Earth to be plain that day we assemble the good and the wicked and will not fail of my word to any person that day shall the Infidels beseech the Lord to save them he shall say unto them You came unto us naked as when we at first created you and ye believed on Earth that there was no resurrection Then shall he give to every one the Book wherein shall be written the accompt of their sins Thou shalt see the wicked trembling with fear saying behold here our destruction What is there in this Book It containeth their venial and mortal sins and detecteth their offences they shall find the number of their crimes before their eyes Thy Lord is unjust to none Remember thou that we commanded the Angels to prostrate themselves before Adam and that they humbled themselves except the Devil who was in the number of Angels he disobeyed his Lord nevertheless Adam and his posterity have obeyed him although he is their open enemy and particularly of the Infidels Consider ye not that God created Heaven and Earth and he made you and hath no need to be aided of you Be thou mindful of the day when it shall be said to Idolaters Call upon your Idols that ye have worshipped for remission of your sins they shall implore them but none shall hear their prayers we have ruined them the wicked shall behold the fire into which they shall fall and find none to save them We taught men in the Alcoran many parables yet do the wicked abound in question and dispute too much What hindreth men to believe since there is come to them a guide to conduct them into the right way If they beg not pardon of God what hapned to their predecessors and at Beder shall befall them they shall be visibly punished I send Prophets only to anounce the joys of Paradise and to preach the torments of Hell the unbelievers dispute vainly to obscure the truth they deride my Commandments and the fire of Hell who is more unjust than he who knoweth the Commandments of his Lord and disobeyeth him and forgetteth his past sins We have hardned their hearts they shall not understand the Scripture we have stopped their ears they shall hear nothing if thou callest them to the right way they shall not follow thee thy Lord is gracious and merciful should he chastise them after their demerits he should forthwith destroy them he tarrieth until the time that he hath promised to punish them and they shall find none of power to protect them We have destroyed Cities when their inhabitants have offended and we prefixed the day
the torments of Hell. Remember Mary whose womb I blessed we inspired into her our Spirit and gave her a Son a Miracle in the VVorld Your Law is one onely Law and I am one onely God worship me and be not impious ye all shall appear before me to be judged I will protect the True believers that shall have done good works and will write what they shall do for their reward Misery is upon the Cities that we have ruined their inhabitants shall not return into the World until the passage be opened to Iagog and Magog and they come running from the eminent places of the Earth then shall the Day of Judgment approach the promised Truth shall not be far off it shall trouble the sight of the wicked who shall say O misery We are miserable we did not foresee this disaster we have been exceeding too blame for having offended God. It shall be said unto them Ye worshipped instead of God the firebrands of Hell into which ye shall be cast headlong Had your Idols been Gods as ye believed they should not have entred Hell they and those that have adored them shall be eternally damned they shall groan complain and shall not be heard Such as shall be in Paradise shall be far remote from them they shall not hear their howlings and shall enjoy eternally what they shall desire the crys of the Damned shall not afflict them the Angels shall meet them when they come out of their graves and shall say Behold now the day that was foretold you in the World a Day wherein we will open the Heavens and the Book of the account of all men as we promised to your predecessors We exactly perform what we promise we have written in the Old Testament and afterwards in the Alcoran That the Righteous shall inherit the Earth This Book shall teach the way of Paradise to them that shall worship me We had not sent thee but in favour of men say unto them God hath always inspired into me that your God is one God will ye not obey him If they go astray I have taught you how they must be intreated Say unto them I know not whether the punishment denounced to you shall be speedy or tardy God knoweth what is known and unknown in the World I know not whether he will try you or defer his punishment until the time appointed He is a most just Judg and most merciful he is not such as ye speak him CHAP. XXII The Chapter of Pilgrimage containing Seventy and Seven Verses written at Mecca IN the Name of God Gracious and Merciful O ye People fear God. The Earthquake that shall happen at the Day of Judgment shall be wonderful ye shall that day see Mothers forget their Children and every one shall bear his own burden ye shall see men drunk not with Wine but amazed and astonished at the great judgments of God. There be who dispute of the Deity with ignorance and follow the will of the Devil voluntary and obstinate It is written he shall seduce them that obey him and shall conduct them into Hell. O ye People if ye doubt of the Resurrection consider how we created you of the dust of the Earth with a little Water sprinkled upon the Dust of the Earth with congealed blood and a little flesh intirely and not intirely formed I form in the wombs of Women what seemeth good to me at the time appointed I cause you to come forth Children then I give you life and make you to arrive to the Age of Virility some die young and others live to extremiry of Age to the end they may learn to live well Consider the Earth dry dead and barren when we shall cause Rain to fall it shall change the face shall produce and nourish its fruits of all sorts fair and pleasing Because God is truth it self he raiseth again the dead and is Omnipotent There is no doubt but the Day of Judgment approacheth and that God will cause the dead to rise again There be men that dispute of God without knowledg without reason without authority and go astray from the way of his Law they shall be full of ignominy and shame in this World and shall feel in the other the pains of Hell. God doth no injustice to his People There be who who adore him with scruple if good befal them they persevere to adore him if evil they return to their impiety and lose the riches of Earth and the riches of Heaven These two losses are exceeding great they invoke Idols instead of God they invoke what can neither benefit nor hurt them Such prayers are by-ways far remote from the Commandments of God they worship that which doth rather mischief nor advantage them Certainly God shall make the True-believers that do good works to enter into Gardens wherein flow many Rivers he doth what seemeth good to him He that is angry that God giveth succor and protection to Mahomet in this World and in the other let him tye a Cord to a Beam of his House and hang himself he shall see if his choller will be allayed God hath sent the Alcoran as heretofore he sent the other Scriptures it containeth his Commandments clear and intelligible it guideth into the right way whom it pleaseth him He at the Day of Judgment shall judg the differences that are between the Faithful and Infidels between the Samaritans the Christians and Idolaters he is Omniscient Seest thou not that all that is in Heaven and on Earth the Sun the Moon the Stars the Mountains Trees and Beasts adore him Many worship him with zeal but many likewise merit to be punished None shall esteem him whom God shall despise he doth as seemeth good to him These two contrary parties the Believers and the Infidels have disputed of the Deity but the Infidels shall be encompassed with flames of Hell they shall have Shirts of Fire boyling Water shall flow in upon their Heads the Fire shall burn what is in their Bellies and shall roast their Skin they shall be beaten with Clubs of Iron when they think to go out of this Fire they shall enter further into it and be eternally tormented God shall cause the True-believers that have done good works to go into Gardens wherein flow many Rivers they shall be adorned with Bracelets of Gold and Pearls they shall be clothed with Silk and enjoy Eternal felicity because they have professed his Unity and the Infidels shall suffer great torments for that they have hindred the People to imbrace the Faith and visit the Temple of Mecca which God hath established to be therein adored of all the World He that shall be sollicited to visit it and shall enter it with design to return to his impiety shall be severely punished Remember that we shewed to Abraham the place to build the Temple of Mecca that we commanded him to adore me alone and to purge my Temple from Idols for the satisfaction of them
way if they observe it they will not dispute against thee Invoke thy Lord thou art in the right way if they dispute against thee say unto them God knoweth all your actions he shall judge your differences at the day of Judgment knowest thou not that God knoweth whatsoever is in heaven or in earth All is written and this is most easie to his divine Majesty Idolaters adore without reason Idols that understand not whether they be gods or no that shall be without protection at the day of Judgement when they preach to men my Commandments they know by their countenance those that are impious and ingrateful for my graces they would with wrath fall upon them that instruct them Say unto them I declare unto you things more grievous God hath prepared the fire of hell to chastise Infidels O people A parable is related to you hear it All the Idols that ye adore cannot create a flie when they shall be assembled to do it if the flies corrupt any thing that is offered to them they have not the power to drive them away because of their impotency and the weakness of them that adore them They praise not God in that manner as is just and reasonable he is most strong and most powerful he hath chosen messengers to bear and execute his Commandments among Angels and men he heareth whatsoever they say beholdeth whatsoever they do he knoweth whatsoever they have done and all things obey him O ye that believe honor and worship your Lord and do good perhaps you shall be blessed Fight for the establishment of his Law with affection he hath chosen you to follow it he hath not given you a Law heavy and troublesom It is the Law of Abraham your Father he hath stiled you the Resigned to God before the coming of the Alcoran the Prophet shall testifie against you at the day of Judgment and ye shall testifie against the people that the Prophet hath preached to them the right way persevere in your prayers pay tithes and trust in God he is your Lord and your Protector CHAP. XXIII The Chapter of True believers containing an Hundred and Eighteen Verses written at Mecca IN the Name of God gracious and mericiful Certainly the true believers shall be blessed that make their prayers with humility they abstain from reviling they pay tithes they commit not whoredom they touch not other women than their own and their slaves such as covet other transgress the bounds of reason they that faithfully preserve what hath been entrusted to them they that effect what they have promised and that make their prayers at the time appointed shall be heirs of Paradise where they shall dwell eternally We formed man of the dust of the Earth with mire blood congealed with a little flesh and bones which we invested with skin we another time created him when we breathed to him the Soul into the Body and blessed him as one of our fairest Ornaments O men ye all shall die and shall rise again at the Day of Judgment we created above you Seven Heavens and have care of the conservation of all People that are beneath we send Water from Heaven to satisfie your necessities we make it to fall upon the Earth and have power to cause to pass away and deprive you of it We have created and made gardens to bring forth Date-trees Grapes and many other fruits by which ye live we created trees in the Mountain of Sinai that produce Oyl and tincture ye receive great advantage by beasts they sustain you with Milk and afford you many other profits ye mount them and Ships also to carry you whither ye desire to go We sent Noah who spake to the People and said worship one God alone what other god will ye implore but him Will ye not fear to worship another The chief among the People that were Idolaters said to their adherents This man is a man like your selves he would appear and be esteemed more than you if God would be adored alone as he saith he would cause an Angel to descend that should bring his Commandments we have not heard spoken to our Predecessors what he saith he is a man possessed of the Devil tarry and ye shall see what will become of him Then Noah said Lord protect me against them and defend me from their Blasphemies we commanded him to build an Ark when our Commandment was given to destroy the wicked and when the Water of his Caldron boyled we commanded him to enter into the Ark with two beasts of every kind and species all men we destroyed except them of whom we have before spoken we said unto him speak not to me for Infidels they shall be drowned when thou shalt have taken order for every thing that must enter into the Ark with thee Say praise be to God who hath delivered us from the malice of the wicked Lord give us to descend in a blessed place thou art the best Pilot in the World. It was a sign of my Omnipotency to prove the People of Noah We created after them another People to whom we sent an Apostle to instruct them to worship one God and he said What God will ye adore other than God Will ye not fear his wrath Their Doctors that were impious who denied the Resurrection of the flesh and on whom we had conferred the Wealth of the Earth said he is a man he eateth and drinketh like you if ye obey not a man like to your selves shall ye be destroyed Doth he promise you to return into the World after having been bones and dust O abuse O abuse ye are abused in what he promiseth he is a man like others he is a lyar we will not believe him That Apostle said Lord preserve me from their Blasphemies they shall repent suddenly of their impiety then thunder surprised them and destroyed them as they deserved we made the Land dry and barren without fruit and created other persons in their place Man cannot die before his hour and none can retard it we sent our Apostles and our Prophets to instruct the People but they were slain one after another every Nation traduced the Prophet that we sent them and we made them serve for examples to Posterity and destroyed the wicked We sent Moses and his Brother Aaron to Pharoah and his Doctors with our Miracles and with most intelligible reasons they arose against the Faith they tormented the Children of Israel and said shall we believe in a man like to our selves of them that obey us They slandred both of them and were in number of the damned We gave to Moses the Book of the Law peradventure it will guide the Children of Israel into the right way we created Iesus and Mary his Mother they are signs of our Unity we established them in an eminent place where they stayed near a Fountain O Apostles and Prophets eat of the Fruits of the Earth and do good I know whatsoever
ye do your Law is one Law and I alone am your Lord take heed to your selves follow not the Law of the Infidels every one liketh what he doth depart from the wicked and leave them in their errors an account shall be required of them of the riches and of the Children that we have given them but they know it not Such as fear the punishment of their Lord that obey his Commandments profess his Unity give Alms of the substance that he hath given them and fear in their Heart that they are not acceptable to them shall appear in his presence such as shall obey him shall enjoy his grace he requireth not of any man what he is unable to perform We have a Book that declareth the truth no injustice shall be done to him that shall do what he is able certainly the Infidels are in ignorance of the Alcoran they act what is quite contrary to that which is commanded True believers but we have punished the chief among them in their prosperity Be not this Day resolute ye shall not be protected of us Our Commandments are taught you nevertheless ye are returned upon your steps and are risen against the Faith and in discoursing by Night withdrew your selves from the Righteous Consider they not the words of the Alcoran Doth it contain any thing that hath not been ordained to their Predecessors Know they not the Prophet that God hath sent to them Wherefore will they not acknowledg him Will they say that he is possessed of the Devil On the contrary he teacheth them the truth nevertheless the greatest part of them detest him if their will had place Heaven and Earth and whatsoever is betwixt them should be confounded we have instructed them in the Law which they ought to observe but they have renounced it Dost thou require of them any recompence for thy instructions Thy Lord shall reward thee there is none that is of power to recompence thee better than He. Call them to the right way such as shall not believe the Resurrection shall err If we pardon and deliver them from affliction they will still continue in their errors to their confusion we heretofore chastised them nevertheless they humble not themselves neither implored their Lord and when we opened upon them the gate of our Judgments they became desperate God hath given you sight hearing and sense but few among you return him thanks he it is that hath created you of earth ye shall one day be assembled before him to be judged he it is that giveth life and death and maketh the difference of day and night will you not honor him neither consider On the contrary they have said as did their predecessors wherefore shall we die our bones shall be dust and shall we rise again This was heretofore promised to our fathers and to us certainly it is but an old song Say unto them to whom appertaineth the earth and whatsoever is in the earth if ye know its Creator and King They will say it is God's Say unto them know ye not then that he that created you can raise you again Who is Lord of the seven heavens who possesseth the throne of heaven They will say it is God say unto them will ye not fear then to worship any other God but him Say unto them who is King of all things who sustaineth them and is sustained of none They will say that it is God Say unto them why then do ye deceive your selves we have taught them the truth but they have rejected it and said that God had a son were there another God with God the one would undo what the other hath done and they would rise the one against the other Praised be God what they affirm is not true God knoweth that is past the present and the future he hath no companion Say Lord give me to see the effect of all that thou hast promised to them and put me not among the unjust deliver us from evil and do good to us I know their impiety Lord deliver me from the temptations of the devil deliver me from their malice when any one among them dieth he saith Lord permit me to return into the world I will do better than I have done there is no return it is to speak in vain there is an obstacle behind them that detaineth them until the day of Judgment when the Trumpet shall sound nothing shall retard them they shall not glory nor discourse with each other the ballance of the blessed shall be heavy with good works and the ballance of the cursed shall be light of good works Have not my Commandments been preached unto you wherefore did ye contemn them They shall say Lord our misery prevailed over us we are mislead Lord deliver us from this misery the contrary was promised to us truly we are exceedingly too blame It shall be said unto them depart into the fire and never speak to come out Many of them that worship me say Lord we believe in thee pardon our sins thou art merciful Ye have derided them O ye wicked and have despised my Commandments but I will reward them for their perseverance and they shall be blessed It shall be said to those that rise again how many years have ye remained in the earth they shall answer we have been there a day or some days ask of the Angels appointed to keep the account ye have been there but a litte time did ye know it do ye believe that I have created and assembled you before me in vain Praise and exalt God King of Truth there is no God but he he is King of heaven he is void of reason that invoketh another god with Him he shall give account of his actions and the Infidels shall be miserable Say Lord pardon the sins of the righteous thou art the great merciful CHAP. XXIV The Chapter of Light containing Seventy and four Verses written at MEDINA IN the name of God gracious and merciful We have sent this Chapter containing our Commandments clear and intelligible peradventure ye will learn them The Catamite and the Concubine shall be whipt with an hundred stripes take heed left clemency cause you to forget the precepts of the Law of God believe in his divine Majesty and the day of Judgment Some of the True believers shall be witnesses of their punishment The Catamite lying with a Concubine or an Infidel the Concubine lying with a Catamite or Infidel these things are forbidden the True believers He that shall accuse an honest woman of adultery shall be whipt with twenty four stripes unless he prove his accusation by four witnesses and shall never be credited in testimony They that do such things are without the obedience of God except those that repent and satisfie what they owe God shall be to them gracious and merciful They that shall accuse their wives of adultery and have no witnesses shall swear four times that they speak the truth and
At her arrival they shewed it her and asked if it resembled her own she replyed It resembleth it as if it were the same She had knowledg of the right way but that which the People and the 〈◊〉 instead of God had seduced them from the obedience of his divine Majesty They spake to her to enter into a gallery when she beheld the pavement she believed it to be Water and in lifting up her Robe fearing to wet it discovered her Leg. Solomon told her that the pavement was of pollished glass and exhorted her to embrace the Law of God. Then she said Lord I am too blame in having offended thee I am obedient with Solomon to the Commandments of the God of the Universe We sent Salhe to Temod and his People to exhort them to worship one God He said unto them O People flie to the Mercy of God if ye implore pardon of him ye shall be pardoned They said Wouldst thou draw us into thine error And into the error of them that are with thee He said God shall chastise you ye are Seditious They were Nine persons in the City that defiled the Earth and did no good they said among them Let us this Night kill the Prophet and his adherents We will say to them that seek him That we saw him not neither them that slew him and will swear that we speak truth They were cunning but we were more subtil than they and they knew it not Consider what was the issue of their stratagems we destroyed them with their followers and their Houses are become desart because of their impiety This shall serve for example to them that have knowledg of our Omnipotency We served the Prophet and all the True believers that were with him Remember thou the History of Lot who said to his Citizens Will ye alway defile your selves in uncleanness in each others view Will ye love men more than women Ye are ignorant They replyed Let us drive Lot and his Family out of our City they defile not themselves like us We preserved him with all his Family except his Wife she remained among them that were chastised We caused it to Rain upon them a Rain that gave them to know the severity of our chastisements Say unto them Praised be God that destroyeth the wicked and Salvation to all those who he hath chosen are they not more happy than such as believe there are many Gods Who created the Heavens and the Earth Who caused Rain to fall from Heaven Who hath made many delicious Gardens to bring forth You have not the power to cause the plants to spring forth without the assistance of God. Certainly unbelievers do err from the right way Who hath established the Earth and made the Rivers to flow Who hath made heavy the Mountains Who but God hath put separation that is between Seas The greatest part of the World know it not Who rendreth men miserable Who delivereth them from affliction when they invoke him Who hath caused you to multiply and leave your Posterity on Earth but God Nevertheless few men give him thanks Who guideth in the darkness of the Earth and Sea Who but God sendeth the Winds the forerunners of Rain He is most high and most powerful but the wicked will not consider the effects of his Omnipotency Who formeth men Who maketh them to live die and rise again Who enricheth them with the Wealth of Heaven and of Earth but God Say unto them produce your reasons bring your arguments if what ye alledg be true say unto them None but God knoweth what is in Heaven and Earth no man knoweth the future present and past do men know the day of the Resurrection Contrariwise they doubt and are blind The wicked have said What we shall be dust as are our Fathers and shall come forth out of our Graves This was heretofore promised to our Fathers and to us this is but a Fable of old men Tell them that they consider not what was heretofore the end of the wicked afflict not thy self for that they conspire against thee and that they demand at what time they shall see the punishment that is foretold them Say unto them it is not far from you ye throw your selves headlong into it but God is pitiful towards his People nevertheless the greatest part give him no thanks for his Grace thy Lord knoweth what is in their Heart and whatsoever they speak there is nothing in Heaven or Earth that is not written in a most intelligible Book the Alcoran explaineth to the Children of Israel the greatest part of their difficulties it will guide them in the right way and deliver from Hell them that shall believe thee thy Lord shall judge them at the day of Judgment he is Omnipotent and wise trust thou in God thou art in the way of truth the Dead and Deaf shall not hear thee and unbelievers shall depart from thee pensive and astonished thou oughtest not to guide the blind neither to make the deaf to hear except such as shall believe in the Alcoran and be obedient when the time of the punishment that is denounced against them shall be come we will cause a Beast to come from under the Earth that shall speak unto them and shall say The People believe not in the Law of God they know not his wondrous works Be thou mindful of the Day when I will assemble a Multitude of all Nations that have disobeyed my Commandments to give account of their actions I will say unto them Ye have traduced my Prophets ye know â—…ot what ye said What have ye done Then shall they be punished for their sins and be inexcusable they shall not speak a word Do not Infidels see that we have created the Night for rest and the Day for travel This is a sign of my Omnipotency be thou mindful of the Day wherein the Angel shall sound the Trumpet and whatsoever is in Heaven and Earth shall tremble with fear except such as shall be in the favour of God that Day shalt thou see the Mountains suspended to move like the Clouds this shall be a work of God who created all things and knoweth their end he that shall have done good works shall be rewarded he shall be without fear and they that had done evil shall remain in the Fire of Hell it shall be said unto them Are ye not chastised according to your demerits Say unto the People I command you to worship the Lord of this priviledged City all things appertain to him I command you to believe in the Unity of his Divinâ—… Majesty and to study the Alcoran who so doth good shall find good Say unto them that shall be seduced I am sent only to preach the Torments of Hell say to True believers Praised be God that hath given you to see his Miracles and hath given you knowledg of the right way thy Lord is not ignorant of what they do CHAP. XXVIII The Chapter of
〈◊〉 his 〈◊〉 they shall say Lord we 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Superiors they seduced us 〈◊〉 the right way Lord chastise them douâ—… and give them thy curse O ye that believe be not like them that displeased Moses he was innnocent of the crimes that they laid upon him he was inspired of God fear God and speak with civility your works shall be acceptable to him and he shall pardon your sins he that shall obey God and his Apostle shall be happy fidelity and obedience are pleasing to him in Heaven and in Earth and upon the Mountains Such as depart far from him as did Adam do injury to themselves and are ignorant he shall chastise those men and women that shall be disobedient and impious he will give his grace to those men and women that shall believe in his Law he is gracious and merciful to them that obey him CHAP. XXXIV The Chapter of †Saba containing Fifty four Verses written at Mecca IN the Name of God gracious and merciful Praised be God whatsoever is in Heaven and in the Earth appertaineth to him praise is due unto him he is most Wise and Omniscient he knoweth whatsoever entreth into the Earth and cometh out of it whatsoever ascendeth to Heaven and descendeth he is gracious and merciful to his creatures The wicked demand if they shall see the Day of Judgment say unto them yes and that thy Lord knoweth the time he knoweth what is past present and future and all that is in Heaven and in the Earth even to the weight of an Atome what is yet less and what is yet greater than an Atome is written in a Book that discovereth every thing he shall reward the True believers that have done good works he shall give them his Mercy and enrich them with precious treasures Such as have endeavoured to suppress his Law shall feel the effects of his indignation They that understand the Scripture know that God hath taught thee the very truth to guide the People into the right way into the path of honour and vertue but the wicked said among them will ye believe a man who affirmeth that after your death ye shall rise again and be new creatures He lyeth impudently he is possessed of the Devil Certainly they that believe not in the Resurrection are in an exceeding great error and shall suffer most grievous pains see they not what is above and what is below them Consider they not the Heaven and the Earth If I will I can render it barren and cause a piece of the Heaven to fall upon them for a sign of my Omnipotency We gave our grace to David and spake to the Mountains Birds and Metals with him to praise me we commanded him to make Cuirasses and Iron was soft in his hand as Wax O Lineage of David be not ingrateful I see whatsoever ye do We made the Winds subject to Solomon he commanded them Evening and Morning from the East to the West we gave him a Fountain and a Brook of dissolved Brass the Devils through our permission wrought it to his mind and we punished in the Fire of Hell such as refused to obey him They built for him lofty Palaces and spacious houses they formed Basons for Water Channels and Pools We said unto him O Lineage of David be not ingrateful for my graces for that few persons do acknowledge them When he dyed through our Commandment nothing discovered his death to the Devils but the worms that had eaten the end of his staff whereon he leaned when the Devils saw him fall they perceived that had they known the future and what was hid from them they should not have laboured so long a time in his Service The Inhabitants of Saba have a mark of my Omnipotency in their Countrey viz. two Gardens the one on the North side and the other towards the South it was said unto them eat of the good things that your Lord hath given you and return him thanks their Country is delicious God hath been merciful towards them nevertheless they are ingrateful and impious we sent the River of Arem that overflowed their Gardens we changed them into two Gardens of Thorns of Cyprus and a little Tamarinde thus did we punish them because of their impiety We established a way with many Cities for facility of commerce among them and the City which we blessed and spake unto the People to follow that way Night and Day with safety and withou fear They said God destroyeth us through the length of this way they returned to their impiety and we dispersed them upon the Earth to serve for example to Posterity and instruction to such as persevere in my Law and acknowledg my graces The Devil caused them to believe his Opinion they followed him except some of the True believers that were among them he had no power over them but to know them that believed in the Resurrection and such as doubt Thy Lord observeth and regardeth all Say unto them invoke your Idols they have not power of the bigness of an Atome neither in Heaven nor Earth God hath no Companion they shall find none to protect them at the Day of Judgment none shall intercede for them without the permission of his Divine Majesty if they receive any relaxation in their â—…ear they enquire of each other what God spaâ—…e and anâ—…wer that he spake 〈◊〉 truth that he is most 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 most mighty say unto them who enricheth you with the good things of Heaven and Earth They will say that it is God. Say unto them Who of you or of us followeth the right way Or who of you or of us is seduced Enquire not after our sins we are not curious to know what ye do God shall assemble us at the Day of Judgment and shall judg our differences with equity he is an exceeding great Judg say unto them Let us see the Idols that ye have worshipped certainly there is but One God Omnipotent and Wise. We have not sent thee but to declare to men the joys of Paradise and to preach to them the pains of Hell but the greatest part knoweth it not they ask in what time they shall see the punishment that is preached to them and if thou speakest the truth say unto them when the time thereof is come ye shall not be able to retard or advance an hour They have said That they will not believe in the Alcoran but thou shalt see them one day assembled in the presence of thy Lord thou shalt see that they shall accuse one another the Poor shall say unto the Rich you have hindred us to obey the Commandments of God they shall answer have we seduced you from the way that was taught you On the contrary you were wicked and malicious They shall say on the contrary you employed Night and Day your Artifices to render us ingrateful for the graces of God and to induce us to believe that he hath
Companions equal to him they shall repent of their sins when they shall see their punishment we will lay Chains upon their Necks and they shall be chastised after their demerits The chief Inhahitants of the Cities said to the Prophets that we sent to them to preach the torments of Hell that they believe not their words We have said they more riches and more Children than those that believe in their discourse we shall not be damned as they affirm say unto them my Lord giveth and taketh away Riches as seemeth good to him but the greatest part of the People know it not your wealth and your children shall not give you access to God such as shall perform good works shall be rewarded and shall live eternally in the delights of Paradise they that shall endeavour to suppress our Law shall be cast headlong into the Fire of Hell Say unto them My Lord giveth and taketh away Wealth as to him seemeth good he maketh vain the alms which ye shall give if ye observe not his Law he is the Rich of the Rich Be thou mindful of the day when I shall assemble the Idolaters and shall say to the Angels Behold them who have adored you they shall say praised be God thou alone art our master and protector they adored not us they worshipped the Devil the greatest part of them believed in his word this day they are not able to benefit or hurt one another they will say to the unjust taste the torments of Hell Fire which ye would not believe They said when thou didst preach unto them our Commandments this man would hinder us to worship the gods of our fathers he is a Blasphemer They have said That the Alcoran is but Sorcery and Magick and read not the books that we have sent unto them Their predecessors did like them they traduced our Apostles and hindred them to preach the tenth part of what we had inspired into them they traduced them but how were they chastised Say unto them I preach to you to pray to God two by two or alone or in company ye shall know one day that your friend Mahomet is not possessed of the Devil and that he preacheth to you the pains of Hell I require no reward of you for mine exhortations God shall reward me he seeth all Say unto them God teacheth his Prophet the Truth and what is to come the truth appeared and falshood was discovered and the lyars were deprived of his mercy if I wilfully go astray or if I act what God hath enjoyned me this shall be for my Soul God heareth and is present at all things Thou shalt see the Infidels filled with fear and affrighted when they shall come out of their sepulchres they shall not escape the punishment of their incredulity they shall then say That they believe in the Alcoran but I will shew to them from far the Law which they have despised in the World they shall be precipitated with their ignorance into a place remote from mercy and pardon They shall be separated from the True believers because they have doubted the Commandments of the Law of God. CHAP. XXXV The Chapter of the Creator containing Forty and five Verses written at Mecca This Chapter is intituled the Chapter of Angels in the Book Tefsir anf Joahir which treateth of the Exposition of the Alcoran in Turkish IN the Name of God gracious and merciful Praise be to God Creator of Heaven and Earth who created the Angels the Messengers of his Commandments they have wings two three and four he maketh of his Creature what seemeth good to him he is Omnipotent none can comprehend the Grace that he hath given to his People it is incomprehensible he is Omnipotent and most Wise. Oh People remember the grace of God Is there a Creator beside him He enricheth you with the riches of Heaven and Earth there is no God beside him How can the wicked Blaspheme against his Divine Majesty If they traduce thee certainly they traduced the Prophets that were sent before thee they shall be one day assembled before God to be judged Oh ye People what God hath promised is infallible glory not in the wealth of the Earth beware lest the Devil seduce you and render you proud because that God doth a while defer the punishment of your crimes The Devil is your Enemy be ye his Enemies he leadeth them that follow him into the Fire of Hell where they shall suffer the rigors of infinite pains their sins shall be remitted that believe in God and do good works Oftentimes he that delighteth â—…o what he doth doth believeth he doth well God misleadeth and guideth whom it pleaseth him be not unwilling to depart from the wicked God knoweth all their actions He sendeth the Winds that drive the Clâ—…uds unto barren and drie places to refreâ—…h thâ—… 〈◊〉 and cause it to revive after its death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 manner will he raise again the Dead He thaâ—… 〈◊〉 greatness shall find in God all manner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good speeches ascend even to his 〈◊〉 Majesty and our good works are â—…ptable to him Such as conspire against the 〈◊〉 shall endure great torments and their 〈◊〉 become vain and unprofitable God hath created you of dust and mire he created 〈◊〉 men and women the Woman neither conceiveth nor bringeth forth but through his permission no man can either prolong or shorten his life but following what is written in the Book kept in Heaven these things are easie to God. Those two Seas are not like to Euphrates whose water is sweet and pleasant to drink the Water of the Sea is cold and salt nevertheless ye eat of the Fish of the one and the other Ye Fish out of the Sea Gems to adom you you see the Ship to run upon the Waters and cleave the waves for the advantage of your commerce peradventure you will return thanks to God for his graces He causeth the Night to enter into the Day and the Day into the Night he created the Sun and the Moon that run in the Heaven till the Day appointed That God who created these things is your Lord the Empire of the World is his the Idols that ye worship have no more power than the skin of an Almand if ye invoke them they shall not hear you they shall deny you at the Day of Judgment and are not of power to let you know either the joys of Paradise or the torments of Hell. Oh ye People ye are poor and necessitous ye have need of Gods assistance and God hath no want of you praise is due to him in every place he will destroy you if it seem good to him and create another new People in your place none shall bear the burden of another be it never so light or heavy no not when they are near of kin Preach thou the torments of Hell to such as fear their Lord without seeing him and make their prayers at the time appoâ—…d He that
Apostles of God obey them that require no reward from you for the pains which they take in teaching you and who are in the right way Wherefore shall not I worship him that created me and before whom ye all shall be assembled to be judged Will ye worship another beside him If it be his will to chastise me your Idols cannot save me I should be extremely erroneous should I believe in your Gods hear and understand what I say unto you Nevertheless they slew him and said unto him Go enter into Paradise He said in dying would to God this people knew the graces that his Divine Majesty hath conferred on me he placed me in the number of the blessed After his death we did not send Angels from Heaven to chastise the wicked I will send them but once to destroy them they shall one day be dumb for shame that they have not followed the True-believers and of being mocked by them that I sent to preach unto them my Commandments Will they not consider how much people we have destroyed in times past who are not returned and that shall be one day assembled before me to be judged The Earth dry dead and barren as a sign of my omnipotency for the wicked we made it revive and become green again and to bring forth fruits with which they were satiate we there created Gardens Date-trees and Vines we caused Fountains to flow they eat of the fruits which are not the works of their hands will they not acknowledg the works of their Lord Praise is due to him that created the male and the female of all Plants that the Earth produceth who created man and woman and many other things of which they have no knowledg It is a sign of my omnipotency to separate the day from the night and to make the Sun to run to his appointed place We have appointed to the Moon her Signs she goeth and cometh always through her old way the Sun neither hastneth nor retardeth his course at any time neither doth joyn himself by night to the Moon the night cometh not until the end of the day And all to wit the Moon the Sun and the Stars exalt my glory in the Heaven It is a mark of mine omnipotency to have born their fathers upon the waters in the Ark and to have given them vessels like the Ark to bear them had it pleased me I had caused them to be drowned without succor and salvation I saved them through my special grace until the time appointed The wicked despise the signs of Gods omnipotency and scoffed when they were required to fear the wrath of his Divine Majesty present and to come and that their iniquities shall be forgiven them When it was said unto them Give alms of the wealth that God hath given you they answered shall I give him to eat to whom God shall give bread when it shall please him They are in a very great error They will enquire of you when the day of Judgment shall be and if ye believe it tell them that they must expect but one sole voice that shall surprize them they shall quarrel they shall not be able to make their Testament neither return to see their Parents in the end they shall go out of their Sepulchres and present themselves before God when the Trumpet shall sound Then shall they say we are most miserable to have departed from our graves behold what God hath promised us The Prophets spake to us the Truth viz. That the world ought to expect but one voice This day shall all men be assembled before their Lord no injustice shall be done to any person and every one shall be rewarded and chastised after his works Such as shall go into Paradise shall be in exceeding great repose with all manner of contentment they and their wives shall be safe from all evils lying on delicious beds they shall have all sorts of fruits and whatsoever they shall desire they shall be saluted on the behalf of the Lord gracious and merciful God shall say to the wicked at the day of Judgment Depart ye this day from the company of the good did I not forbid you to worship the Devil your open enemy but to worship me alone and that it was the right way Did I not tell you that the Devil seduced a multitude of the people Ye would not believe it behold Hell that is prepared for you through your incredulity I will shut their mouth their hand shall speak and their feet shall be witnesses of their crimes If we will we can make the Infidels blind they shall find no way they shall not be able to go or come and shall be succoured of none had it been our pleasure we could have transformed them in their houses and they had not been able to go forth I will cast their head against the ground and will render them infamous whose life I shall prolong and they shall not know their errors We have not made them to understand the Mysteries of the Alcoran but that was not necessary it is but to preach to the living who comprehend what is spoken to them it is most true that the wicked shall be punished See they not that we alone have created all the Beasts of the Earth over which they command We have made them subject to them Some serve them to ride on and others for their nourishment will they be ingrateful Nevertheless they have worshipped Idols they adored what could not deliver them from the pains of Hell. Afflict not thy self at their discourse I know whatsoever they say and all that they keep secret in their souls Doth not man consider 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 him of dust And that he is too arrogant God hath taught us how he formed his Creatures nevertheless the wicked have said who is he that can give life to bones that are rotten Say unto them he it is that created you at first and that knoweth what he created he maketh fire to come out of the green woods which ye burn and created the Heaven and the Earth cannot he create other creatures like unto you Yes without doubt he createth what pleaseth him he knoweth all things when he willeth any thing he saith Be thou and it is praised be he to whom all things appertain and before whom you all shall return to be judged CHAP. XXXVII The Chapter of Orders containing Fourscore Verses written at Mecca IN the name of God gracious and merciful I swear by the Orders of Angels that worship God and attend his commands by them that hinder men to obey the Devil and by them that read and meditate on the Alcoran that your God is one sole God Lord of the Heaven and the Earth and of all that is between them he is Lord of the West and of the East We adorned the Heaven and the Earth with Planets and have kept them safe from the malice of the Devils they cannot hear what is
joys of Paradise prepared for the Righteous He that shall speak to his Father and Mother in civility and shall say unto them in derision will ye bring me yet once more into the World after my death will ye revive me from my grave Many are dead heretofore that are not return'd He shall be punish'd of God his Father and Mother shall require help of his Divine Majesty and shall say unto him My Son misery is with thee believe in God and in the Resurrection the Word of God is infallible if he reply that it is an old Fable he shall feel the punishment of God the Word of his Divine Majesty shall be accomplished against him as it hath been accomplished against them that did precede him in impiety as well Devils as men they shall be damned they shall be in sundry degrees of pains he shall chastise them after their demerits and no injustice shall be done to them It shall be said to the wicked that would depart out of Hell fire Ye expelled your felicity when ye lived in the World your punishment was deferred until this present ye shall this day be punished in this Fire because of your pride and crimes Remember thou the Brother of Aad who preached the torments of Hell in the Valley of Hecaf his words was heard in his time and are come to Posterity viz. worship but one God alone if you do otherwise I apprehend for you the Day of Judgment They answered him Art thou come to hinder us to adore our gods Let us see the torments that thou preachest to us if thou art true He said God knoweth in what time he will chastise you I preach to you what hath been appointed me to preach but I see that ye are obstinate When they beheld a black cloud appear which approached the place of their habitation they said Behold a Cloud that shall give us Rain on the contrary it is the punishment that ye have demanded it is full of an impetuous wind that shall destroy you through the Commandment of God in the Morning their houses were found empty of inhabitants Thus God chastiseth the wicked ye dwell in the places which they inhabited they had hearts eyes and ears but their hearts eyes and ears were to them unprofitable the evil which they despised befel them when they neglected to observe the Commandments of God. We have destroyed whatsoever is round about Mecca and have made the effects of our Omnipotency to appear peradventure the inhabitants thereof will be converted The Idols that they worshipped and those to whom they sacrificed did not save them on the contrary they forsook them because of their blasphemies Remember thou that we sent to thee Devils that desired to hear a Lecture of the Alcoran when they heard thee they said Hark he begins and when thou madest an end they returned with exceeding great fear and said to their companions We have heard a Lecture of a Book sent from Heaven after the Book of Moses it confirmeth the ancient Scriptures teacheth the truth and guideth the people into the way of salvation O people hear him that calleth you to the Law of God and to the observance of his Commandments believe him God shall pardon your sins and deliver you from the pains of Hell such as shall not hearken to him shall not escape the punishment of their crimes and shall be deprived of protection at the day of Judgment such men are seduced from the way of salvation Consider they not that God who created Heaven and Earth did not labour in creating them that he is able to give life and death and is omnipotent Be thou mindful of the day that the Infidels shall desire to get out of the fire of Hell it shall be said unto them Are not the pains that were preached to you true they shall say yes Lord it shall be said to them Taste then the torments which ye have merited through your impiety Persevere thou as the Prophets thy Predecessors persevered Be not impatient till thou see the punishment of Infidels they shall see it when they shall rise again and shall believe that they have been but an hour in their Sepulchres This is that which God hath commanded to preach he shall destroy those only that disobey his Commandments CHAP. XLVII The Chapter of the Combat containing fourscore and eight Verses written at Mecca IN the name of God gracious and merciful Good works are vain and unprofitable to the wicked and to them that hinder their neighbour to follow the Law of God he pardoneth their sins who believe in what Mahomet hath preached it is the very truth that proceedeth from his Divine Majesty but the Infidels have followed vanity and the believers have embraced the truth sent from their Lord Thus God speaketh to the people in Parables When ye shall meet the Infidels in time of war cut their necks pursue them until ye take them prisoners then bind them after this ye shall either give them liberty or put them to ransome until their party shall lay down arms If God pleased he could give you victory without fighting but his will is to prove you he guideth into Paradise them that are slain for the defence of his Law and giveth them his grace Oh ye that believe in God! If ye protect the Law of God God will protect you he will confirm your steps and destroy the Infidels because they have contemned his Commandments and their good works shall be to them unprofitable consider they not what hath been the end of the impious that were before them and that God hath destroyed them He shall destroy them in like manner because he protecteth the Believers and Infidels are deprived of his protection he maketh the righteous to enter into Paradise into Gardens wherein flow many Rivers The punishment of the wicked is sometimes deferred in this world they live like beasts but the fire of Hell is prepared for their punishment How many Cities stronger and more opulent than that which they caused thee to abandon have we destroyed They found no protection Are such as embrace the Law of God like to them that follow their own appetites God hath promised Paradise to them that have his fear before their eyes there be in Paradise rivers of water that receiveth no alteration there be rivers of milk that never corrupteth rivers of wine savoury and delicious to the taste rivers of honey pure and clean fruits of all sorts and the grace of God for them that shall obey his Commandments the wicked shall remain eternally in the fire of Hell where they shall drink a boiling liquor that shall burn their entrails There be persons among the Insidels that hear what thou dost preach when they are gone from thee their Doctors demand of them what thou hast said concerning the day of Judgment God hath hardned the hearts of such men and they shall never follow but their own passions God encreaseth the
impetuous Wind against those wicked people that destroyed them Temod is an example of our Omnipotency with his Nation they waxed proud and resisted the Commandments of their Lord when it was said to them that the punishment of the wicked was deferred to another time but Thunder surprised them they saw it they had not the power to stand on their feet and were deprived of protection The People of Noah's time are an example of our Omnipotency we destroyed them because they were impious We built Heaven with strength and virtue I am he that giveth power and strength we extended the Earth and created of every thing Male and Female perhaps ye will consider it Say unto them Turn ye to God I am sent from him to preach to you the pains of Hell Believe not that God hath another God with him the wicked said heretofore that the Prophets and Apostles whom he sent were Magicians and possessed of the Devil Have they recommended to their Posterity to do the like Certainly they are in a great error Separate thy self far from their company and be not troubled at what they say preach the Alcoran it is profitable to the Righteous I did not create the Devils and men but to worship me Say unto them I require nothing of unbelievers for instructing them I require not that they nourish me God enricheth whom he pleaseth he is omnipotent the wicked shall be chastised as heretofore have been their predecessors in their malice their time shall come and misery shall befal them at the day of Judgment CHAP. LII The Chapter of the Mountain containing thirty nine Verses written at Mecca IN the name of God gracious and merciful I swear by the Mountain upon which God spake to Moses by what is contained in the book written in parchment by the first Temple of Mecca by the arches of the heavens and by the sea full of water that God is one sole God and the punishment promised to unbelievers is infallible they shall not be able to escape it in the day when the heaven shall tremble and the mountains shall walk that day shall be unhappy to the incredulous they shall be precipitated in the fire of hell it shall be said to them behold the flames that ye despised is this Magick See ye it not enter have patience or ye will despair ye shall be chastised after your demerits They that shall have the fear of God before their eyes shall be in delicious gardens which God hath prepared for them and shall be delivered from the pains of hell It shall be said unto them Drink and eat at your pleasure for recompence of your good works they shall repose upon beds well ordered we will marry them to wives that shall have fair eyes they shall be attended of their family and be largely rewarded for their good works every good action shall be to them a degree of happiness We will give them such fruits and Vines as they shall desire they shall present to each other the cup to drink they shall not speak an evil word and shall not sin they shall have Pages about them for their service beautiful as polished pearls they shall discourse among them concerning what they did before on Earth and say We were in the world we and our families with a great apprehension of the pains of hell but God hath gratified us he hath delivered us from eternal flames They shall say moreover we worshipped in the world but one God most just and most merciful Remember thou to preach the Alcoran thou art not ingrateful for the grace of God thou art not possessed of the Devil will they say that thou art a Poet a Rimer that nothing must be expected from thee but fables of past Ages Say unto them ye expect the time of my destruction but I with you expect the time of your ruine Do their Superiors command them to speak in this manner Will they be obstinate in their errors Will they say that Mahomet hath invented the Alcoran Certainly they are incredulous let them bring any discourse like to this book in Doctrine and Eloquence if what they affirm be true Were they created of any thing have they created any thing have they created themselves have they created the Heavens and the Earth Certainly they are incredulous Have they in their power the treasures of thy Lord are they Giants Have they a ladder that may raise them to hear what is spoken in Heaven let them produce some reason of their opinion Believe ye that God hath daughters and that ye have sons Will ye require of him a Salary for obeying his Law Is he your debtor The wicked are lyars do they know what shall be do they write it Desire they to conspire against thee The wicked often conspire against the righteous that worship but one God Praised be God he hath no companion If the Infidels should see a piece of the heaven to fall they would say It is a cloud driven by the winds leave them in their obstinacy until they come to the day of their death that day shall their conspiracy be vain and they deprived of protection They likewise shall be punished before their death but the greatest part know it not Have patience and expect the Judgment of God thou shalt soon see it I will protect thee and thou shalt not want help Praise thy Lord exalt his glory when thou shalt rise praise him in the night and before the Stars disappear CHAP. LIII The Chapter of the Star containing sixty Verses written at Mecca IN the name of God gracious and merciful I sweat by the Star that disappeareth that your friend Mahomet erreth not he speaketh nothing of his own he speaketh but what hath been inspired into him by the omnipotent and most bountiful God. The Angel approached him in the highest place of Heaven within the length of two bowes and somewhat nearer God hath inspired into him what he hath inspired into his servant who altered nothing of what hath been inspired into him He hath spoken what he hath seen and in what form the Angel was Dispute not against him concerning what he saw he another time saw the Angel in heaven near to the Tree that is at the right side of Gods throne and although that tree was covered with that which covered him his sight was not dazled and he is not in error Certainly he hath seen the great wonders of his Lord Have ye considered Alat Az and Menat those three Idols Will ye swear that God hath daughters and that ye have sons Ye will make a false oath and shall be in a manifest error Those Idols have nothing but the names which your fathers and you have given them God hath not commanded you to worship them Ye follow only your passions remote from the truth God teacheth you the way of Salvation by the mouth of his Prophet doth man obtain from Idols what he required of them God is
and his Prophet shall be damned and shall remain eternally in the fire of hell The wicked shall know such as shall be deprived of succour and protection when they shall behold the pains prepared for them Say unto them I know not whether what is promised to you shall incontinently happen or whether God will defer it some time none knoweth what is to come but God and those whom he hath elected to be Prophets and Messengers of his Will he inspireth into them his Commandments to preach to men he upholdeth all the actions of men and keepeth an exact account of every thing CHAP. LXXIII The Chapter of the Fearful containing Twenty Verses writen at Mecca The Arabians have intituled this The Chapter of the Fearful when the Angel Gabriel brought this Chapter to Mahomet he was afraid of the splendour of his light and covered himself with his garments which gave occasion to the Angel to call him and say Oh fearful and not oh prophet as he was wont IN the name of God gracious and merciful O thou Fearful Arise by night pray to God at midnight until two third parts of the night and more Read the Alcoran and meditate thereon observe what it contains although it be tedious to thee thou wilt best comprehend it after thy first sleep because thou in the day hast affairs that divert thee Remember thou the name of God forsake the world to worship him he is Lord of the West and East there is no God but God take him for thy protector be not impatient at what the wicked say separate thy self from their society without fear leave me to punish them is there any one that is able to defend them their punishment is deferred but I have chains of iron bread full of thorns and great torments to inflict on them at the day when the earth shall tremble and the mountains shall be dissolved into dust O ye people we have sent to you a Prophet our Apostle to instruct you as we did to Pharoah he was disobedient and obstinate and we severely chastised him How will ye secure your selves from the torments of hell if ye be in the number of the wicked What will ye do at the day when Infants shall be men and heaven shall be opened What God promiseth is infallible these things are for the instruction of them that desire to follow the way of salvation Thy Lord knoweth that thou wilt arise about the third part of the night or at midnight as likewise a part of those that are with thee he reckoneth the hours and the minutes of night and day he knoweth that thou canst not reckon them exactly he pardoneth thee if thou risest a little sooner or a little later read during this time what thou shalt be able to read of the Alcoran God knoweth that there will be persons among you that will be sickly others that will be in travel for their affairs and some that will fight for the faith these persons shall be excused Read what ye shall be able of the Alcoran lift up your prayers to God pay tithes lend to God some benefit ye shall one day find the good that ye shall have done and a very good reward beg pardon of God he is gracious and merciful CHAP. LXXIV The Chapter of the Wrapped containing fifty seven Verses written at Mecca IN the name of God gracious and merciful O thou wrapped Arise and preach to the people the torments of hell thy Lord is more powerful than the Idols make clean thy garments be thou mindful of the pains prepared for unbelievers separate thy self from their company lend nothing to Usury the day that the Trumpet shall sound shall be extreamly irksome to the wicked that day let me chastise him whom I created and to whom I gave riches and children and whom I placed in plenty nevertheless he demandeth more and is obstinate to disobey my Commandments I will add to his pains because he blasphemeth against the Alcoran wherefore doth he blaspheme he maketh his countenance sorrowful covered with hypocrisie when he beholdeth the people with his eyes melancholique and estranged from the way of salvation he is proud scorneth to follow the Prophet saith that the Alcoran is but Magick and but the word of man he shall be precipitated into the bottom of hell nothing remains to him but to be burned nineteen Spirits shall be appointed to torment the wicked they that punish the damned are Spirits We have mentioned this number of nineteen to seduce the Infidels and confirm the truth and the True believers in their faith They whom God instructeth in the Scripture and who believe in his Law are not in doubt of these Spirits but such as have evil in the heart who doubt of his Law and the wicked say that he by his number meaneth God Thus God seduceth and guideth whom he pleaseth no person knoweth the number of his Angels but God. I swear by the entrance of the night and the morning that hell is an exceeding great punishment prepared for the impious The believers and unbelievers the good and the bad shall answer for their actions and such as shall have their book of account in the right hand shall go into Paradise they shall enquire of the damned and say to them Who did cast you into hell They shall answer We dâ—…d not pray to God at the time appointed we gave not to the poor to eat we believed there was neither Resurrection nor Judgment until death surprized us the prayers of them that pray for them shall be in vain Wherefore is it that unbelievers depart from the Law of God They are like to the wild Ass which flyeth as far as he can when he seeth the Lion approach him every one of them would particularly see a book to instruct them and apprehendeth not the day of Judgment Certainly the Alcoran teacheth them the Law of God that read it none shall understand it but he that shall be pleasing to God who shall have his fear before his eyes and shall implore pardon of his sins of his divine Majesty CHAP. LXXV The Chapter of the Resurrection containing forty Verses written at Mecca IN the name of God gracious and merciful I swear that it is most true That men shall rise again I swear that the wicked shall render an account of their actions think they that I cannot recollect their bones I will recollect all of them after they shall be corrupted I am able to recollect their fingers as they had them in their youth Certainly man is prone to blaspheme before the coming of the day of Judgment and enquireth when that day will be When his sight shall be troubled and the Sun and Moon gathered together then shall he say Whither shall I flye It shall be said to him Thou shalt have none other refuge but in God he shall be surprized and all his offences shall be commemorated to him and he shall witness against
Chapter of the Star or of the North Star containing seventeen Verses written at Mecca IN the name of God gracious and merciful I swear by Heaven and the Star that teacheth men the way I will not tell thee by what star by the star full of brightness that every person hath a guardian which observeth the good and the evil that it acteth Doth not man consider of what he is created he is made of a little sprinkled water that issueth out of the body of man and woman God shall make him to rise again at the day of Judgment and none shall be able to protect or defend him from the wrath of his divine Majesty I swear by heaven that returneth the rain by the earth that openeth it self and receiveth it to produce its fruits that the Alcoran distinguisheth good from evil and that it was not sent in vain The unbelievers conspire against the Prophet but God shall turn their conspiracy against them and they shall not know it Be thou patient and awhile endure the Infidels CHAP. LXXXVII The Chapter of the High and Mighty containing seventeen Verses written at Mecca IN the Name of God gracious and merciful Exalt the name of thy Lord high and mighty who hath proportioned all that he hath created he ordaineth what he listeth and guideth into the right way them that are pleasing to him he causeth herbs to spring out of the earth createth them green rendreth them dry and altereth them as to him seems good I will read to thee the Alcoran forget nothing of what thou shalt read but that which God shall will thee to forget he knoweth whatsoever is kept secret in the world and whatsoever is made manifest I will instruct thee in his Law preach the Alcoran it shall be profitable to him that shall have the fear of God before his eyes such as shall despise it shall be miserable they shall be precipitated into the fire of hell where they shall not be able either to live or die and he that shall embrace the Law of God and shall be mindful of his name shall be blessed Pray to God at the time appointed Certainly the righteous shall be heirs of the good things of the earth and those of heaven that are exceeding great and eternal this is written in the ancient books of Abraham and Moses CHAP. LXXXVIII The Chapter of the Covering containing twenty six verses written at Mecca Gelaldin intituleth this The Chapter of Iudgment because that day the damned shall be covered with fire and fear See Exteri IN the name of God gracious and merciful Hast thou heard mention of the covering That day shall the countenance of the wicked be covered with affliction they shall enter into fire that is extreamly hot they shall drink of boyling water they shall eat nothing but bryers and thorns they shall be extreamly lean and famine shall not deliver them from an infinite number of other miseries That day shall the good be filled with content they shall be recompenced or their labours in Paradise they shall hear nothing spoken that may displease them they shall see fountains flow lying upon high beds they shall drink in fair glasses fixed on diamonds upon pillows well disposed and upon pallets well adorned will not the wicked consider the Miracle of the she-Camel How it was created How Heaven was elevated How the Mountains were disposed how the Earth was extended Preach to the wicked the pains of Hell thou art sent to preach to them and not to constrain them God will chastise with his great chastisement him that shall abandon his Law and traduce the Alcoran all men shall be one day assembled before his Divine Majesty to give account of their actions CHAP. LXXXIX The Chapter of the Morning containing Thirty Verses written at Mecca IN the Name of God gracious and merciful I swear by the Morning by the tenth Night of the Month by even and odd and by the coming of Night That the wicked shall be chastised Is there any thing in consideration of this Oath that can move men to fly uncleanness Considerest thou not how God entreated Aad the Son of Arem that dwelt in Pavillions supported by Columns so big that there were none like to them in his Countrey Knowest thou not how he used Temod who hewed Stones and Rocks to inhabit the Valley Knowest thou not how he entreated Pharaoh who pierced with Pins the feet and hands of such as he gave up to punishment Knowest thou not how he entreateth them that heretofore erred from the right way in their own Countreys and that increased their pollution He poured upon them divers torments he observeth all that men do he giveth store of goods to them that he doth not try and taketh them away from such as he proveth The wicked will not give Honour to Orphans they will not abstain from eating the Bread of the Poor they shall give an account they too much affect riches when the. Earth shall tremble and shall over throw all the buildings when the Angels shall descend in order by the command of thy Lord then shall Hell be open to the wicked they shall call to mind what was preached to them in the World and say Why did not I observe the Commandments of God during my life They shall be punished more than ever any hath been and shall be more straitly bound than ever any hath been bound It shall be said to the blessed O thou Soul that hast observed with courage and without fear the Commandments of God return to thy Lord with content enter into the Society of the blessed enter into Paradise CHAP. XC The Chapter of the City containing Twenty Verses written at Mecca Many have entituled this The Chapter of Night IN the Name of God gracious and merciful I swear by that City which is permitted thee to conquer I swear by the Father and the Child that we created man in misery thinketh he that there is none stronger than he He saith That he hath expended great wealth doth he think that none hath seen what he hath done Have we not given him two eyes a tongue two lips Have we not given him to see the way of good and of evil He shall be severely chastised but I will not tell thee with what kind of chastisement Wherefore doth he not deliver Slaves Wherefore doth he not give to eat to them that are hungry to Orphans and his Kindred that are in necessity and to the poor Patience and Charity are recommended among True believers they shall be seated at the right hand and such as impugn the Mysteries of our Law shall be at the left hand they shall be shut up in the Fire of Hell. CHAP. XCI The Chapter of the Sun containging Fifteen Verses writteen at Mecca IN the Name of God gracious and merciful I swear by the Sun and his light by the Moon and her splendour by the Fire and its elevation by the