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
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
people if you follow Chaib you are damned not long after an Earthquake and Thunder surprized them and in the Morning they were found dead in their Houses such as belyed Chaib found no safety in their Habitations they were wretched he abandoned them and said O ye people I have preached to you the Will of God with fidelity I will no longer afflict my self with the Malice of the wicked We inflicted Sickness and Poverty on them that disobeyed the Prophets whom we sent to the Inhabitants of Madian peradventure they will be converted We proved them through Diseases and Health and gratified them in many Occurrences yet they said our Fathers were afflicted with Sickness and Poverty we shall be as they but we chastised them for their sin when they least considered it Had the Inhabitants of Mecca had our fear before their eyes and obeyed our Commandments we had opened to them the blessing of Heaven and Earth we will punish them because they are impious Some there be that shall be afflicted in the Night when they sleep and others that shall be toâ—…mented by day when they sport and recreate themselves they believed God to be a dâ—…ceiver and are damned God guideth into the right way true Believers and makes them Heirs of the Earth after their Parents had he so pleased he might have destroyed all the World he might have hardned the hearts of the people and no man had hearkned to his word I recount what things befel that City many Prophets have been sent to its Inhabitants and wrought many Miracles yet would they not relinquish their former impiety thus have we hardned the hearts of Infidels they violated their Promises and we found most of them to be wicked and disobedient We sent Moses to Pharaoh and his people he to them shewed Miracles which through their Malice they contemned but consider the end of those wicked men Moses said unto Pharaoh I am a Messenger sent from God the God of the Universe when I speak of God I deliver the Truth I am come through his Command to tell thee thou must dismiss with me the Children of Israel and no longer detain them in thy Dominions Pharaoh said if thou comest from God and art true in thy sayings let us see some Miracles then he cast upon the ground his Staffe which was changed into a Serpent shewed his hand that appeared exceeding white to the eyes of the Spectators The Doctors of Pharaoh said this Man is a Magician he would have us to abandon our Countrey what is your opinion detain him Prisoner and his Brother and send into your Cities to assemble Magicians The Magicians of Pharaoh appearing before him they said what shall be our reward if we shall be Victorious He replyed to them you shall be well rewarded and shall be of them that approach my Person They said O Moses wilt thou first cast down thy Staffe on the ground or shall we ours Moses bad them cast down theirs which they did enchanting the eyes of the Spectators and terrifying them with an extraordinary enchantment God inspired Moses to cast down his Rod which devoured the Staves of the other and the Truth appeared above falshood and above the Vanity of their Actions they were vanquished to their confusion forsook their Magick and prostrating themselves on the Earth uttered these words We believe in the Lord of the Universe the Lord of Moses and of Aaron Pharaoh said to them Ye believe in the God of Moses without my permission this is a deceit invented by you to drive the people out of my Dominions but you shall soon know the punishment that I will lay upon you I will cut off your feet and hands and command you to be crucified They answered We recommend our selves wholly to the Will of God whatsoever is thy revenge on us thou shalt not hinder us to believe in the Miracles that we see neither to obey the Commandments of his Divine Majesty Lord give us patience and to die in the number of true Believers Then said Pharaoh's Doctors dismiss Moses and his people that they may go whither they see good to pollute the Earth that they may leave thee in quiet with thy Gods He said I will cause their Children to be slain their Wives to be abused and I will inflict upon them a thousand torments Moses said to his people Implore succours of God with patience and Prayers the whole Earth is Gods he giveth it to inherit to whom he seeth good the other World is for the rightâ—…ous They said O Moses We before thy coming desired the death of our Enemies he replyed God will not destroy your Enemies to leave you alone upon the Earth he shall behold your Actions We afflicted Pharaoh and his Subjects with Famine perhaps unbelievers will consider it When any happiness befel them they said they well deserved it and when they fell into Misery they affirmed Moses and his people to be the cause of it It is God that punished them but of this most of them were ignorant They said unto Moses cease to shew us thy Miracles to inchant us we will not obey thee We sent upon them a Deluge Grass-hoppers Lice Frogs and Blood one after another nevertheless they were proud and in the number of the wicked When our wrath fell upon them they said O Moses call upon thy Lord that he give us what to thee he promised remove his displeasure from us we will believe thee and will dismiss with thee the Children of Israel When we delivered them from affliction they sharpned their Tongues murmured and violated their Promises we avenged our selves upon them and drowned them in the Sea for that they contemned our Miracles and we gave the West and East to the Children of Israel who were humble before us we gave them our blessing our word was accomplished upon them because of their perseverance and we destroyed the Armies of Pharaoh The Children of Israel having past the Sea met with Men that adored Idols and said O Moses make unto us Gods like to the Gods of this people he answered ye are ignorant these Men are wretched what they do is but ignorance and Vanity shall I desire that you worship other Gods than God that preferred you to all the World We have delivered you from Pharaoh's people who caused you to endure great torments they murthered your Children abused your Wives and you suffer heavy afflictions for the punishment of your sins We detained Moses on the Mountain thirty Nights and ten other Nights which is in all forty Nights when he went up he said to his Brother Aaron be thou my Lieutenant command this people in mine absence and follow not the path of the wicked When Moses at the time appointed arrived at the top of the Mountain and that his Lord spake to him he said Lord permit me to see thee he said thou shalt not see me behold this Mountain if it continue firm
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
unto thee it is easie to thy Lord who created thee he said Lord give me some sign of the Conception of my Wife he said to him Thou shalt not speak for Three nights Then went he out of his Oratory and made signs to the People to make their prayers Evening and Morning Oh Iohn learn the Scripture with affection we from his Infancy gave him knowledg clemency charity piety affection towards his Father and Mother and not violence and disobedience We blessed the day of his Nativity the day that he shall die and the day that he shall rise again Remember thou what is written of Mary she retired towards the East into a place far remote from her Kindâ—…ed and took a Vail to cover her we sent her our Spirit in form of a man she was afraid and said God will preserve me from thee if thou have his fear before thine eyes he said Oh Mary I am the Messenger of God thy Lord who shall give thee a Son active and prudent She answered How shall I have a Son without the touch of man I desire not to be unchaste he said The thing shall be as I have told thee it is facile to thy Lord thy Son shall be a token of the Omnipotency of God and of his special grace towards such as shall believe in his Divine Majesty she became with Child and retired some time into a place remote from People where she sustained the dolours of Child-birth at the foot of a Date-tree and said Why am I not dead Wherefore am I not in the number of persons forgotten The Angel said to her Afflict not thy self God hath placed a brook under thee shake the foot of this Palm and the Dates shall fall gather them up eat and drink and wash thine eyes say unto them that thou shall meet that thou fastest and hast made a Vow not to speak to any one until the fast be accomplished Her Parents met her while she bare her Infant and said unto her Oh Mary behold a strange thing Oh Sister of Aaron thy Father did not command thee to do evil neither was thy Mother unchaste she made signs to her Infant to answer them they said How shall the Infant in the Cradle speak Then her infant spake and said I am the Servant of God he hath taught me the Scripture hath made me a Prophet blessed me in all places and commanded me to pray unto him he hath recommended to me purity through the whole course of my life and to honour my Father and Mother he hath not made me either violent or malicious praised shall be the day of my birth the day that I shall die and the day of my resurrection Thus spake Jesus the Son of Mary with truth of which ye doubt God approveth not the discourse of them that say he hath a Son praised be God when he willeth any thing he saith Be thou and it is he is mine and your Lord worship him this is the right way there be persons who in this regard have been of different opinion but misery is upon the incredulous They shall be miserable at the Day of Judgment The Infidels are manifestly erroneous from the right way if thou preach to them the â—…orments of Hell and their ignorance they will not hear thee We are Lords of whatsoever is on Earth and dispose of every thing at our pleasure they shall be one day assembled before us to be judged Remember thou what is written of Abraham he was a Righteous man and a Prophet he said to his Father Adore not what neither seeth nor understandeth any thing and that cannot be profitable I know what ye know not follow me and I will conduct you into the right way worship not the Devil he is disobedient unto God otherwise I fear that God may chastise you and you may be in the number of the damned He answered Oh Abraham dost thou abhor my Gods Unless thou change thy discourse I will stone thee depart from me for a long time he said May God inspire you I will pray for yoâ—… he is exceeding good and will hear my prayers Whom will ye adore when I shall be gone from you Worship God my Lord and your prayers shall be heard he departed from them and worshipped one God We gave him two Sons Isaac and Iacob both Prophets we conferred our grace upon him with an eloquent and true Tongue Remember thou what is written of Moses he was a Righteous man our Prophet and Messenger we called him on the right side of the Mount Sinai drew him near unto us and taught him our secrets we through special grace gave him a Brother named Aaron Remember thou what is written of Ismael he exactly observed what he promised was a Prophet and an Apostle of the Lord preached Purity and recommended to men to make their prayers often and was pleasing to his Lord. Remember thou what is written of Enoch he was a just man and a Prophet and we took him up to an exceeding high place God gave his grace to these men among the Prophets of the Lineage of Adam among them whom we caused to embark with Noah among those of the Lineage of Abraham and Israel and among those that we assembled and guided into the right way When the miracles of the merciful were related to them they fell prostrate and adored him with tears in their eyes their Posterity forsook their footsteps abandoned the Law and followed their own Appetites but they shall be precipitated into Hell except such as shall be converted and do good works they shall enter into Paradise and no injustice shall be done to them they shall enter into the Garden of Eden what the merciful God doth promise is infallible they shall hear nothing spoken in Paradise that shall displease them they shall hear the salutation of Angels and Morning and Evening shall have what they desire such is Paradise which God giveth to his Creatures that have his fear before their eyes I descend not from Heaven but by the permission of thy Lord he is master of our actions in Heaven and Earth and of whatsoever is between them he hath not forgot thee worship him and pâ—…rsevere in thy adoâ—…ation knowest thou any person that is named like him Man saith What shall I dye and rise again He considereth not that God hath created him of nothing I will one day assemble the Infidels and Devils I will cause them to appear at the Gate of Hell upon their Knees and will cast upon them all manner of misery because they have encreased their impiety towards their Lord. I know such as deserve to burn in Hell they shall be thrown thither headlong this is a most just Sentence pronounced by the Lord. I will save the Righteous and forbid Infidels to fall on their Knees before Idols when the unbelievers and many of the Faithful heard my Commandments preached they said among themselves that they were in
guideth men into the right way Pharoah said what law did your predecessors observe what is become of them Moses answered God knoweth in what condition they are nothing is concealed from God he extended the earth and established the ways he causeth rain to descend from heaven and maketh to spring forth the plants herbs and fruits which ye eat and that nourish your flocks These things are signs of his Omnipotency to them that understand them We created you of earth and to earth will we make you to return and will cause you to come out of it once again we shewed miracles to Pharoah but he was incredulous contemned them and said O Moses Art thou come to drive us out of our Dominions with thy Magick I will shew thee Magick like to thine let us meet at a place and day prefixed between thee and me to come together Moses said unto him Let us make choice of the day of your feast if it seem good to you the people may assemble at the Sun rising After this discourse Pharoab withdrew recollected all his subtilties and at the day and hour prefixed came with his people to the place appointed where Moses was who said unto them Misery is upon you blaspeme not against God he will punish you and destroy them that blaspheme against him The people of Pharoah differed in opinion what they should do kept their design secret and said to Pharoah These two men are Magicians they would chase you from your Country through their Magick and seduce your subjects from your Religion recollect your subtilties and power and chuse persons capable to dispute against them this day shall be happy to him that shall be victorious They said to Moses Wilt thou first cast thy staff on the ground or shall we ours Their cords and staves arose against Moses through their Magick and crawled Moses spake low between his teeth we said unto him Fear nothing thou shalt be victorious cast thy staff in thy right hand on the ground it shall devour what they have done it is but witchcraft and magick that produceth neither Profit nor Content Then fell the Magicians of Pharoah prostrate on the ground and said We believe in the God of Aaron and Moses Pharoah said unto them believe ye in him without my permission Moses is your master I will cut off your right feet and your left hands or your left feet and your right hands and cause you to be hanged on Palm-trees that ye may know who is the more severe in his chastisements I or the God of Moses they said the miracles that thou hast seen have they not touched thee He that created us doth things which are not in thy power to perform thy power extendeth only in this World we believe in God our Lord who will pardon our sins thou art the cause that he abhorreth us with our magick he is more powerful than thou and Eternal Hell is prepared for Infidels they shall find repose neither in their life nor death and the righteous that shall do good works shall eternally enjoy the pleasures of the gardens of Eden wherein flow many delicious Rivers such is the reward of them that are purged from their sins We said unto Moses Go out by Night with my People and make them a drie Path through the Sea fear not that thine Enemies may overtake thee neither be afraid of being drowned Pharoah shall follow them with his Troops I will overwhelm in the Sea and will mislead him with his People he shall not follow the right way O Children of Israel We delivered you from your Enemies and conducted you towards the mountains of Sinai We caused Manna and Quailes to descend upon you and said Eat ye of the good things that we have given you and be not ungrateful otherwise my wrath shall fall upon you he upon whom mine indignation shall fall shall be thrown headlong into the Fire of Hell I will be merciful to such as shall convert do good works and follow the right way O Moses who pressed thee to absent thy self from thy People He answered behold he that followeth my steps I am come up to receive thy Commandments We after thy departure estranged thy People from thee and Samery seduced them from the right way he returned upon his steps to his People in great displeasure and said O ye People did not God promise to you all manner of content He protracted the effect of his promises because of your sins will you that his wrath fall upon you Wherefore have ye trangressed what ye promised to me They said we have not transgressed our promises of our own accord we took the most weighty ornaments of the People and cast them into the Fire Samery himself did cast them in he made the body of a bellowing Calf and said with his followers Behold there your God the God of Moses whom he hath forgotten Saw they not that this Calf spake not to them and that it had not power to do good or evil Aaron had said unto them before the coming of Moses O ye People you have been seduced by this Calf the merciful is your God and your Lord Follow and obey me They said Shall we abide here until Moses return Moses at his return said unto Aaron What hindred thee to follow me when thou sawest them to turn aside from the Law of God Wherefore hast thou disobeyed me O Son of my Mother said Aaron drag me not by the Beard and Hair I feared to displease thee if I forsook the Children of Israel and disobey thy Commandments Moses said unto Samery what was thy design He answered I saw what this People seeth not I took an handful of the Earth of the footsteps of the Messenger of God and made the Figure of a Calf the fairest that I could Moses said unto him Go get thee from among us thou shalt fly the presence of men all the days of thy life thou shalt say unto them Come not nigh me touch me not the time of thy punishment is appointed thou shalt not escape it behold thy false god behold the Calf which thou hast adored I will cause it to burn and will cast the ashes thereof into the Sea your God is one God and there is none other God but the God that knoweth all things Thus do I relate to thee things past we have sent thee the Alcoran such as shall abjure it shall bear their burthen at the Day of Judgment and be eternally tormented I will one day require an account of their burden and will assemble them with all their subtilties when the Trumpet shall sound they shall demand of each other how long they have continued in the World They shall say That they have remained there but Ten days and Ten nights I know all that they will say the most prudent among them shall say that they have been but one day They shall enquire of thee concerning the Mountains Say unto them God
wicked God will not enlighten you neither hearken to your prayers because ye have traduced his Prophet the time of the punishment of your crimes shall suddenly arrive CHAP. XXVI The Chapter of Poets containing an hundred and twenty seven Verses written at Mecca IN the name of God gracious and merciful God is most pure he understandeth all things he is most wise These signs are the signs of the book that distinguisheth truth from falshood wilt thou destroy thy self because men are impious If I will I can cause my judgments to descend upon them that shall humble them they despise my Commandments they scoff but shall be rigorously punished See they not how many fruits we have made to spring out of the earth It is a token of our Omnipotency nevertheless the greatest part of them believe not that thy Lord is the omnipotent and the merciful Instruct them how thy Lord said unto Moses thou shalt be my messenger to the Infidels and the people of Pharoah that they may have my fear before their eyes Moses said Lord I fear they may traduce me and that my tongue cannot be loosed send with me my brother Aaron they know the fault I have committed and will put me to death The Lord said to him they shall not put thee to death go both whither I command you I will be with you and will hear what they say say to Pharoah that ye are the Messengers of the Lord of the World and let him dismiss with you the Children of Israel Pharoah said unto Moses have I not seen thee within this house a little Child Didst thou not dwell with us many years Dist thou not kill a man Thou art impious Moses said I did what I did I was in the number of the seduced I fled when I feared you since that time God hath given me knowledg and placed me in the number of his Prophets and Apostles he hath sent me his grace to set before thee the evil that thou dost commit in causing thy self to be adored of the Children of Israel Pharoah said unto him who is that God of the World He answered it is the Lord of Heaven and Earth and of whatsoever is between them Pharoah said to them that were about him Hear ye not what he saith Moses continued his speech and said my Lord is your God the God of your Fathers and of your Predecessors Pharoah said this Prophet that is sent to you is a fool Moses said I am indeed the Messenger of the Lord of the West and East if ye had understanding to know him Pharoah said if thou worship any other God but me I will cause thee to be put unto the bottom of a Pit Moses said to him Wilt thou do it seeing I am come to thee with reasons so strong and arguments so infallible Pharaoh said unto him Bring thy reasons if thou art true Then he cast his staff on the ground and it was changed into a Serpent he drew his Hand out of his bosom it appeared white and shining to the Eyes of the spectators Then said Pharoah to them that were about him Certainly behold here a skilful Magician he would drive you from your Country through his Magick what say ye They answered He with his Brother must be terrified and men must be sent into all thy Cities to assemble the most knowing Magicians of all thy Dominions when they came together at the day appointed it was demanded of them if they were called to follow the magick of Moses and of Aaron They said what shall be our reward if we be victorious Pharoah said unto them Yes ye shall be rewarded and be among them that approach my Person Moses said unto them will you cast your staves on the ground or shall I first cast mine They cast their cords and their staves first saying With the assistance of Pharoah we shall be victorious then Moses cast his Rod on the ground which devoured their cords and staves when they beheld this miracle they fell prostrate and said We believe in the Lord of the World God of Moses and Aaron Pbaroah said to them If ye believe in Moses without my permission ye shall see what shall 〈◊〉 you he is your Master he understandeth Magick better than you I will cause your right feet and left hands or your right hands and left feet to be cut off and cause you all to be hanged they said This shall do us none harm we shall return before God our Lord we hope that he will remit our sins because we shall be the first Converts We said unto Moses go with the Children of Israel my servants and fear not the People of Pharoah that shall follow thee Pharoah sent his Commissioners through his Dominions to assemble the People and said speaking of the Children of Israel those men are few in number they have displeased me but I will well awake them We moved Pharoah and his People to depart out of Egypt to pursue the Children of Israel we caused them to quit their Gardens Fountains and Houses of pleasure and made the Children of Israel heirs of their treasure they surpriz'd them at the rising of the Sun when the Children of Israel beheld them they said we are overtaken Moses answered No my Lord is with me he shall guide me then we inspired Moses to strike the Sea with his Rod incontinently it divided it self on both sides like two Mountains we saved him and all that were wiâ—…h him and drowned the men of Pharoah which shall serve for an example to the incredulous and obstinate thy Lord is Omnipotent and merciful Relate to unbelievers the History of Abraham when he said to his Father and his People whom do ye adore they answered We adore our Idols he said unto them Do they hear you when ye invoke them Do they good unto you when ye worship them or mischief when ye neglect them they answered We find that our Fathers worshipped them as we do Abraham said unto them you and your Fathers worship vain things ye adore only Idols mine Enemies I will not worship them I will worship the Lord of the World who created guideth and nourisheth me who giveth me health when I am sick who maketh me to live and will cause me to die and from whom I hope for pardon of my Sins at the Day of Judgment Lord give me the knowledg of thy will grant that my Tongue and Words may be credited as true by Posterity put me into the number of the Heirs of Paradise pardon my Father who hath been in the number of the erroneous and make me not ashamed at the Day of the Resurrection at the Day when riches and Children shall be unprofitable except to such as shall have an heart estranged from Impiety God shall make the righteous to approach to Paradise and the wicked to see Hell They shall say Can the Idols that ye adore save you Can they save themselves They shall be
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