that I shall dye and the day of my resurrection Thus spake Jesus the sonne of Mâ—â—y with truth of which ye doubt God approveth not the discourse of them that say he hath a sonne 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 incrudulous they shall be miserable at the day of Judgement The Infidels are manifestly erroneous from the right way If thou preach to them the torments of Hell and their ignorance they will not hear thee Wee 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 Devill 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 abhorre my Gods unlesse 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 you 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 sonnes Iasaac and Jacob 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 neer unto us and taught him our secrets We through speciall gâ—â—â— 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 hee 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 embarke 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 mercifull 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 mercifull 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 * Gelaldin saith â— that Mahomet complaineth to the Angel Gabriel for having been so long absent from him descend not from Heaven but by the permission of the 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 persevere in thy adoration 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 forbidâ—â—â— fidels to fall on their knees before Idols when the unbelievers and many of the faithfull heard my Commandements preached they said among themselves that they were in a better way then their neighbour how many have we destroyed befor them in past Ages more rich then they and hypocrites like unto them Say unto them God prolongeth the lâ—fe 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 mercifull I will not do it I will write all that they say and will adde to their miseries I will give to them in this world what they require and they shall rise again naked without treasure and children See Gelaldin 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 Judgement Seest thou not how we have sent the Devils against unbelievâ—rs to seduce them Be not impatient to to see them punished they shall be judged at the day appointed Be thou mindfull of the day when I shall assemble all the righteous in the presence of God and prâ—cipitate all the wicked into Hell their prayers shall not be heard except such as have accomplished their promises to the mercifull 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 accompt and number of all things of the world Men shall appear before him at the day of Judgement 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 mayst 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 on hundred and thiâ—ty Verses
who except God will be thy defendor They whom we have taught the Scripture that study read it with truth beleeve the conâ—ents of it they that do not beleeve are damned O chilâ—ren of Israel call to mind the favour that I did you I preâ—erred you before all the world fear the day wherein one â—oul shall not be able to assist another when a ransom shal not be accepted neither excuse and when the wicked shal not be protected Remember thou that Abraham requested of the Lord an accomplishment of his Word he said to him I will establish thee among the people to teach them the mysteries of my Law and he said what shal become of my â—â—nage He answered Paradise shal not be open to the unjust We have established the Temple of Mecca for a sure refuge of the people in repentance he made his Oratorie â—t Abrahams * Abrahams place is an Oratory in the temple of Mecca place and we have commanded Abraham and Ismael to keep clean my house for them that shall repair thither in procession with humility and adoration When Abraham received this command he said Lord fortifie this City and enrich its people with all good things and all the inhabitants thereof that shal believe in thy divine Majesty and the day of judgment God said I wilâ— for a time enrich the Infidels also precipitate them iâ— to the fire of hell where they shall remain to all eternitâ— When Abraham and Ismael raised the foundations of thâ— Temple of Mecca Aâ—raham said Lord accept our vows choâ— understandest all and knowest all things Lord give us thâ— grace to be obedient to thy Commandments and let a peâ—ple issue from our loyns that may observe thy Law Shew tâ— the way we ought to follow and have mercy upon us thoâ— art gracious and mercifull Lord send to this thy people Prophet of their nation to preach to them thy CoÌ„mandâ—ments to instruct them in Scripture and knowledge anâ— to purifie them thou art omnipotent and wise No manshiâ— abandon the Law of Abraham but to his own damage have chosen him in this world and he is in the other â— the number of the just Remember thou that his Lord saiâ— to him Be thou obedient to thy Lord trust thou in hiâ— he said I resign my self to God Lord of the Universe Hâ— commanded Jacob and his children to follow the Law 〈◊〉 God My children God hath taught you his Law trust yoâ— in him be obedient to him even unto death Were yoâ— present when Jacob was near unto death and when he saâ— to his sons Whom will ye adore after me They answereâ— We will worship thy God the God of our Fathers Abrâ—ham â—smael and Isaac one sole God we resign our selves his pleasure The good that those men gained remained tâ— them the evil that you shal commit shal be against yoâ— enquire not after what they did They have said Be ye eâ—ther Jew or Christian you shall follow the right way Saâ— unto them contrariwise The law of Abraham is most jusâ— he was not of the number of them that believed in manâ— Gods Say ye We believe in God in what he inspired intâ— Abraham Ismael Isaac Jacob and the Tribes in what wâ—â— taught Moses Jesus al the Prophets we rely upon Goâ— If they believe as you do they shal not err if they abandoâ— your faith they will have a controversie with you but Goâ— shal protect you he understandeth whatever they say anâ— what they do he hath purified his Law what better purification is there then that of his Divine Majesty Say untâ— them wil you dispute with us concerning God who is youâ— and our Lord We will answer with our action and you shall answer with yours all our confidence is in his Dâ—vine pleasure Will you say that Abraham Isaac Jacob and the Tribes were Iews or Christians Are you mâ—re knowing then God Who is more unjust then he that concealeth the miracles that he hath seen to proceed from God He is not ignorant of all your actions The good that those men have done remaine to them and the evill that they shall commit shall be against you enquire not after what they did Some ignorant among the people will say Their Prophet doth not appoint them to turn the face to that side to which they turned heretofore when they made their Oâ—isons Say unto them The East and Wâ—st belong unto God he directeth in the right way whom he pleaseth As we have conducted you into the right way we have likewise commanded you to doe that which is just that you be witnesses against the people at the day of judgement See Gelaldin and the Prophet witnesse against you I have not ordained that you turne your face as heretofore when you made your Orisons to the end they may be knowne that follow the Prophet from them that returne to their impiety It will be â—â—rksome to the people to turne to that side except to such â—s God hath guided into the right way God will not make â—aine your belief he is gracious and mercifull to his peoâ—le I see that thou liftest up thy face to Heaven turne â—hich way shall please thee but turne â—hâ—u towards Mecâ—a wheresoever thou art They These are the Iews and Christians that follow the written Law to whom heretofore the â—nowledge of Scripture was given knew that the Truth â—â—oceeded from their Lord what they doe is not concealed â—rom God when thou shalt meet them and that they will â—ot turne themselves as thou in making their prayers â—oe not thou likewise turne as they they turne not all the â—â—me way follow not their appetites having comprehenâ—ed the knowledge that hath been inspired into thee least â—hou fall into the number of the unjust Many to whom â—e have given the knowledge of the written Law underâ—â—and it perfectly as also doe their children neverthelesse â—â—ey conceale the Truth and are not ignorant that it proâ—â—edeth from thy Lord Be not thou of the number of them that doubt Turne thy selfe always towards Mecca Doâ— good wheresoever thou art God will be with thee he iâ— omnipotent From what place soever thou goest forth tuâ—â— thy face towards Mecca This is reasonable and ordaineâ— by thy Lord. Whatsoever you doe is not hid from God wheresoever you are turne towards Mecca that none maâ— find wherewith to reprove your actions but the unjustâ— feare not them but feare me I will accomplish my Gracâ— upon you and you shall be guided through the right waâ— We have sent unto you a Prophet of your Nation thâ— shall teach you my Commandements and purifie you Hâ— shall instruct you in the Scripture in knowledge and 〈◊〉 what you understand not Remember me I will remembâ—â— you praise me and be not in the number of the wickeâ— O ye that are * So the Turks stile themselves True believers implore uccor with paâ—â—ence and prayers Certainly God
appointed by the Law and enter not the bonds of marriage untill the time set downe in writing be accomplished God knoweth whatever is in your hearts take heed unto your selves he is gentle and gracious to them that feare him It is no sin to repudiate your wives before you have touched them you shall give them some presents and doe good unto them according to the proportion of your wealth or poverty and civilly intreat them as is the custome of honest men If you repudiate them before you have touched them and have bestowed on them any presents of garments moveables and other things they shall have the moity if they release it not to you or if the husband remitting with his owne 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 betweene you God beholdeth all your actions stand upon your guard when you make your prayers especially that at noone and be obedient unto God If you feare your enemies and cannot place your selves on your knees neither performe the Ceremonies that are appointed you omit not to say youâ— prayers on foote or on horseback and being freed froâ— feare 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 wherewitâ— 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 feare God Thus God teacheth you his Commandements perhaps you will learne 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 turne He will augment him with multiplicity of increase he giveth good and taketh it away from whom it pleaseth him you shall all returne before him to bee 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 Commandements of God If they enjoyne you to fight you will not doe it They said wee have no greater desire then to fight for the glory of his divine Majestie wee for this Cause have abandoned our houses and those of our parents neverthelesse 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 then hee hee is not rich enough he replied God hath chosen him to command you he hat encreased his knowledge and stature he giveth royalty to whom he listeth he is liberall and prudent in all his actions Their Prophet said to them the signe of his reigne shall be that the Arke shall appeare to you from God to confirme your hearts wherein shall be contained the remainder of what the people of Moses and Aaron letâ— and it shall be borne by Angels this shall bee to you the signe of his reigne if you believe in God When Saul went forth with his troops to fight his enemies he said God shall trie you by a river he that shall drink of that river shall not be mine unlesse 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 wee have â—ot this day strength sufficient to resist Goliah and his troops but such as believed in God and feared his divine Majestie said how often through the permission of God â—ath a small troop defeated a great armie He is with them that are patient when they saw Goliah with his troops appeare they said Lord give us patience confirme our steps â—nd give us victory over the Infidels They through the permission of God vanquished their enemies See Gelaldin David slew Goliah and God gave him the Royalty and knowledge of â—ture things Had not God raised the people one against â—he other the whole earth had been ful of disorders such are â—he miracles of God as I declare to thee with truth thou â—t indeed one of the Prophets of his divine Majestie We â—ave conferred our graces on the Prophets on some more â—hen on others many have spoken to their Lord and some â—ave been more elevated then others We gave knowledge â—o Iesus the Son of Mary and fortified him through the holy Spirit Had it pleased God the Prophets that came â—eretofore had not been slaine after they had taught his Commandements Men were of different opinions some believed in God others were impious had it pleased God â—hey had not been slaine but he doth what pleaseth him O ye that are true believers dispense in alms some part â—f your wealth that we have given you before the day arrive wherein you shall find no ransome alms protection nor prayers that can succour you Certainly Infidels are greatly too blame God! There is but one only God living and eternall thinke not that he slumbreth or sleepeth â—hat ever is in heaven or in earth is his who shall intercede for thee with his divine Majestie unlesse by his permissioâ— He knoweth all the actions of mâ—n and whatever they haâ— done they know nothing but what it hath pleased hiâ— teach them The largenesse of his Throne containeth hâ—ven and earth and the conservation of both is not trouâ—some to him hee is Omnipotent and glorious The â— ought not to be abjured it manifesteth the difference faith and impiety He that believeth not in Tagot or devill and hath faith in God layeth hold on the stronâ— knot that cannot be dissolved broken or cut a sunder â— understandeth and knoweth all things he aideth and sisteth them that believe in his unitie he will cause theâ— come out of darkenesse and will guide them into light wicked shall have Tagot and the devill for their protectâ— he shall cause them to forsake the light and shall lead tâ— into darkenesse such men shall remaine eternally in â— fire of hell Conâ—ider you not his action to whom God 〈◊〉 given the royalty That is Nebrot When he disputed concerning God 〈◊〉 Abraham Abraham said to him My Lord is he that givâ— life See Gelaldin and death He said I even I give life and death 〈◊〉 my subject when
causest life to come out of death and death out of life thou enrichest without measure whom thou seest good The believers shall not obey the unbelievers to the exclusion of true believers he that doth this thing â—bserveth not the Law of God but if you feare your enemies God willeth that you feare him also he is the assured refuge of the righteous say to them whether you conceale what is in your heart or whether you manifest it God knoweth all things he knoweth all that is either in Heaven or Earth he is Omnipotent Think on the day wherein every one shall find the good and the evill that he hath done then shall you desire to be cleansed from your sinnes See Gelaldin and that the number of your good works exceed that of your evill God willeth that you feare him he is gracious to them that worship him Say to them If you love God follow me God shall give you life and pardon your sinnes he is gracious and mercifull Say to them obey God and his Prophet If they returne in their sinne God will very severely punish them he loveth not Infidels God elected Adam and Noah the lineage of Abraham and the lineage of Joachim the one proceedeth from the other God knoweth and understandeth all things Remember thou how the wife of Joachim said Lord I vow unto thee the fruit that is in my wombe free See Kitab el tenoir and exempt from all affaires to serve thee in thy Temple Accept him from me who offer him to thee with affection thou understandest and knowest all things When shee was delivered shee said Lord I am delivered of a Daughter thou knowest thou hast given her to me I have named her Mary I will preserve through thine assistance her and her posterity from the malice of the Devill accept her Lord with a pleasing acceptation and cause her to produce good fruits Zachary had the care of the education of this daughter and whensoever hee went into his Oratorie he there found a thousand sorts of different fruits of divers seasons He said one day oh Mary whence doe these good things proceed she answered they proceed from God who enricheth without measure whom he pleaseth Then Zachary prayed to the Lord and said Lord give me a progenie that may bee pleasing to thee and that may observe thy Commandements Lord heare my prayers The Angels called him and said to him I declare to thee from God that thou shalt have a sonne called John See Gelaldin he shall affirme the Messias to be the word of God that he shall be a great person chaste a Prophet and one of the just Lord answered Zachary how shall I have a sonne I am old and my wife is barren The Angell said to him so God doth as pleaseth him Lord said Zachary give me some signe of the conception of my wife The signe that I will give thee answered the Angell shall be that thou shalt not speake in three dayes but by signes Remember thou thy Lord often praise him evening and morning Remember thou how the Angels said Oh Mary God hath chosen and purified thee above all women of the world oh Mary obey thy Lord praise him and worship him with them that worship him I relate to thee how the matter past thou wert not with the Ministers of the Temple when they cast in their pens to draw lots and to see which of them should have the care of the education oâ— Mary Oh Mahomet neither when they entred upon this difficulty Remember thou how the Angels said oh Mary God declareth unto thee a word from which shall proceed the Messias named Iesus the sonne of Mary full of honour in this world and that shall be in the other of the number oâ— Intercessors with his divine Majestie hee shall speakâ— in the cradle as a man betwixt thirty and fifty years and shall be in the number of the just She said Lord how shall I have a child without the touch of a man he answered so God doth as pleaseth him when he createtâ— any thing he saith be thou and it is I will teach him the Scriptures the Mysteries of the Law the Old Testament and the Gospell and he shall be a Prophet sent to the children of Israel Iesus said to the children of Israel I come to you with evident signs of my mission from your Lord I will make unto you of the slime of the earth the figure of a Bird I will blow upon it incontinently it shall be a Bird and by the permission of God shal fly I wil heal them that are borne blind and the leprous I will raise again the dead I wil teach you what you shal eat and what you ought not to eate this shall serve you for instruction if you believe in God I am come to confirme the old Testament and what hath been taught you heretofore Certainly it is lawfull for you to eat things that have been heretofore forbidden I am come to you with signs of my mission that testifie that I am truly sent from your Lord â—â—are God and obey me God is my Lord and your Lord â—orship him this is the right way When Iesus knew â—heir impiety he said who shall sustaine the Law of God 〈◊〉 my absence The Apostles answered him we will sustain â—â—e Law of God we believe in his unity be thou a witâ—esse before God that we resign our selves wholly to the â—leasure of his divine Majestie Lord we believe in what â—hou hast commanded and we have followed the Proâ—het thy Apostle write us in the number of them that â—rofesse thy Law The Iews conspired against Iesus and God caused their conspiracie to turne against them hee â—noweth the designs of Conspirators Remember thou â—ow the Lord said O Iesus I will cause thee to die I â—ill elevate thee to my self and remove thee farre from â—nfidels and preferre those that have obeyed thee to Infidels at the day of Iudgement That day shall assemble you all before me I will judge the differences between you and will punish the impious in this world and in the other none among them shall be of power to protect them I will reward them that shall have believed in my Law and have done good works God loveth not the unjust I relate to thee these mysteries and teach thee the Alcoran Iesus is with God as is Adam God created him of the Earth he said be thou and he was this truth proceedeth from thy Lord be not thou of the number of them that doubt If any one dispute with thee concerning thy Doctrine say to them Come call together your children and ours your wives and ours let us assemble and addresse our prayers to God I will lay the curse of his divine Majesty upon lyars This discourse is most true there is no God but God alone the omnipotent and wise If they depart from his Commandements he shall well observe the unbelievers say
rest in the other world where they shall be severely chastâ—sed I increase the wealth of Infidels to augment their pain they shall in the â—nd feele grievous torments God will not leave the faithfull in the state that you are in he will one day separate â—he good from the evill he doth not teach you what is to â—ome 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 â—nd 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 Iudgement 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 hee hath said I will write what they have spoken and keep an exâ—ct account of the murther they have unjustly committed on the persons of the Prophets I will say to them at the day of Iudgement taste of the torments of hell fire which you have deserved God doth not lead into darknesse them that worship him There be that say God hath commanded us not to believe the Prophets untill 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 bely 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 Iudgement he that shall depart from the fire of hell and enter into Paradise shal be happy The wealth of this world is but matter of Pride that you may be tried in your riches and persons Hearken not to the Iews and Christians that have known the written Law before you neither to them that belieâ— in many gods they offend God through their blasphemie if you have patience and fear God you shall make a verâ— good resolution God hath accepted the speech of the that know his written Law when they promised him 〈◊〉 preach to the people his Commandements and not coâ—ceal them neverthelesse they have contemned them aâ— changed them for profit of little value and have gainâ— nothing but misery think not that such as rejoyce of thâ— evill they have done and affect to be commended 〈◊〉 what they have not done have escaped the punishmeâ— of their crimes they shall certainly suffer great torment The kingdome of heaven and of earth is Gods he is Oâ—nipotent the Creation of heaven and earth the diffâ—rence of day and night are evident signs of his Omnipâ—tencie to such as have judgement Such as have remember God standing sitting or lying down and considerâ— the creation of Heaven and Earth have said Lord the hast not created these things in vain blessed be thâ— Name deliver us from the torments of hell fire thou wâ— render miserable him that thou shalt thither precipitatâ— and the wicked shall be deprived of protection at the daâ— of Iudgement Lord we have heard them that say believe in your Lord we believe in thy unity pardon oâ— faults blot out our sins and give us grace to die in thâ— number of the just bestow on us what thou hast proâ—â—sed by the Prophets and suffer us not to be miserable aâ— the day of Iudgement thou dost not contradict whâ— thou dost promâ—se The Lord heard them and said 〈◊〉 them I will not suffer your works to be lost as well 〈◊〉 men as of women I will blot out the sins of them thaâ— went out of Mecca to separate themselves from the wiâ—ked I will cover the offenses of them that forsook theiâ— houses that assembled to fight for the Faith and weâ— flain I will open to them the gate of Paradise wherein flow many rivers to recompence their good woorks There is with God great reward envie not the Infidels whoâ— thou shalt see posiesse a little wealth in the earth hell is prepared to be their habitation and such as fear Goâ— shall dwell eternally in gardens wherein run many rivers with all manner of content God is a great rewarder of the iust 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 doe well fight for the Faith feare 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 mercifull Kitab el tenoir O ye people feare your Lord that created you of one sole person and created his wife of his rib of whom issued many men and women Feare God by whom you sweare and say the belly * The ancient Arabians swore by by the name of God and the belly of their wives because they feared their sterility of your wives God exactly observeth your actions Give unto orphans what appertaineth to them and render not evill for good devoure not their substance it is a very great sin If you feare to doe injury to Orphans feare also to doe wrong to women marry those that please you two three or foure if you apprehend you shall not be able to entertaine 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 subsistance assist Orphans give to them the garments that shall be necessary for them and entertaine them honestly instruct them untill they have attained to years of discretion and are capable of marriage if you believe they demeane themselves wisely restore to them their faculties and devoure them not unjustly before they be of age He that shall be rich shall abstain from their goods and he that is poore shall take with honesty according to the pains he shall undergoe for them when you make to them restitution of their goods take witnesse 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 limitted When they divide their goods the kindred shall have care of the poore and Orphans doe good to them and honestly entertaine them Such as feare to leave after them a weak progeny of little children ought to feare to wrong Orphans they
our miseries The Angels shall answer Hell shall be your habitation you shall there remaine eternally and so long as it shall please God Your Lord is most wise and omniscient the wicked shall obey the wicked because of their sinnes Oh ye Bands of men and Devils have you not seen my Prophets and Apostles of your own Nation who have given you to see Miracles who have preached my Commandements and the day of Judgement They shall answer they have seen the Prophets and Apostles but that the life of the world rendred them proud and shall confesse themselves to have been wicked God shall not destroy Mecca for the injustice therein committed untill he hath sent an Apostle to the Inhabitants to teach them his Commandements every one shall be punished according to his works thy Lord knoweth whatsoever is done in the world Hee hath no need of his people he is altogether mercifull he can destroy you if it please him and establish in your place another people as he hath established you in the place of your predecessors If you be not converted you shall not escape the torments of Hell Say unto them do as you understand him I will comport my selfe as I shall apprehend him you shall in the end understand who shall have the good part in the other world None shall give succour to Idolaters they they offer to their Idols of the fruits that God hath created and say following their thoughts behold our God! Such sacrifices ascend not to God their Idolatrie hath induced many of them to sacrifice their own Children to their false Gods they have destroyed them and were ensnared in their Religion which they had not done had it so pleased God Separate thy selfe from them and their blasphemies they have said that the fruits of the earth and the benefits of God were unclean and would not eat of them God giveth food but to those whom he is pleased to gratifie They have prohibited to ride on some beasts that God gave them and slew them for food without pronouncing the name of his divine Majestie which is a great sin but they shall be punished according to their demerits They have said it is lawfull for men to eat what is in the bellies of beasts and that it is unlawfull for their wives and when they had slain them they did eat for company but God shall chastise them for their discourse he is most wise and Omniscient Such as slay their Children are wretched men fooles and ignorant they have forbidden to eat the good things that God hath given them to blaspheme and are gone astray from the right way It is God who created the gardens full of fruits and herbs of divers colours with Olives Pomegranets and other fruits alike and different Eat of the fruits of the Earth Pay the due appointed when you reap and dispense not your substance lightly God abhorreth prodigals Of clean beasts some there be that have borne the burden and others that are young and have not borne it Eat what God hath given you and follow not the foot-steps of the Devill he is your open enemie Say unto them behold eight paire of beasts viz. two paire of Weathers See Kitab el tenoir two of Ewes two of Camels and two paire of Cowes of which is it permitted or forbidden you to eat Is it lawfull for you to eat the males or females Which are those that God hath forbidden you Who is more wicked then he that blasphemeth to seduce from the right way the people that are ignorant God guideth not the unjust Say unto them In all that God hath inspired into me I finde not that it is prohibited to eat of those beasts except they die of some disease and if they be slain without pronouncing the name of God The flesh of Swine is forbidden you if you eat of it you incurre the wrath of God If any one be in necessity and eateth without designe to provoke God he shall find God gracious and mercifull We forbad the Jews to eat of beasts whose feet were cloven and of the fat of Beasts except of such as is interlarded in the flesh the entrails and the bones We enjoyned this prohibition by reason of their sinne and we are veritable in our words and exact in our promises If they slander thee Say unto them the mercy of God is great and the wicked shall not avoid the punishment of their crimes The Infidels have said had it pleased God we had not been unbelievers neither our fathers also and nothing had been prohibited Their predecessors spake as they untill they felt the punishment of their sins Say unto them Are you assured that God is content with your proceeding Tell us whence ariseth this assurance You in this follow but your opinion you are but lyers Gods providence is great he had guided all of you in the right way had it so pleased him Cause them come before us who said It is unlawfull to eat of clean Beasts were they present when God made the Prohibition If they say they were present say not as they Neither follow the appetites of blasphemous Infidels who believe not in the end of the word and worship many Gods Say unto them Come I will instruct you what is by God forbidden to be eaten there is but one sole God say not he hath companions equal to him do good to your Father and Mother and slay not your children in fear of dying with famine God shall bestow on you and them also what shall be necessary commit not whoredome either privately or publikely kill no man if justice do not command it God requireth you to observe what is above ordained perhaps you will consider it Take not the goods of Orphans but to succour them untill they be of age of discretion measure and weight with good weight and just measure I enjoyn no man any thing but what is in his power to performe Judge with equity although it be against your parents and allies satisfie what is above ordained God commandeth it peradventure you will consider it it is the right way which you ought to pursue go not aside God commandeth it perhaps you will fear his divine Majestie We taught Moses our Commandements it is a peculiar grace to instruct the righteous and guide the people in the right way it may be you will believe in the Resurrection O ye Inhabitants of Mecca We have sent to you the Alcoran full of benediction perform what is ordained the impiety your sins shall be forgiven you say not That God hath sent his Law to the two Nations that preceded you and that it is hid from you Will you say The Jews and Christians That had God taught you the Scripture you had been more obedient then they Certainly he hath taught you his Commandements it is a speciall grace to guide you into the right way Who is more unjust then he that blasphemeth against his divine Majesty and
us to believe in the miracles that wee see neither to obey the Commandements of his divine Majesty Lord give us patience and to dye in the number of True-believers Then said Pharaoh's Doctors dismisse Moses and his people that they may goe whither they see good to pollute the Earth that they may leave thee in quiet with thy Gods He said I will cause their Childeren to be slain their wives to be abused and I will inflict upon them a thousand torments Moses said to his people Implore succors 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 righteous They said Oh 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 happinesse befell 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 Grasse-hoppers Lice Frogs and Bloud one after another neverthelesse they were proud and in the number of the wicked When our wrath fell upon them they said oh Moses call upon thy Lord that hee give us what to thee he promised remove his displeasure from us we will believe thee and will dismisse with thee the Children of Israel When we delivered them from affliction they sharpened 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 Pharoah The Children of Israel having past the Sea met with men that adored Idols and said oh Moses make unto us Gods like to the Gods of this people he answered ye are ignorant these men are wretched what they doe is but ignorance and vanity shall I desire that you worship other Gods then God that preferred you to all the world We have delivered you from Pharoah's people who caused you to endure great torments they murther'd your children abused your wives and you suffered heavy afflictions for the punishment of your sins We detained Moses on the Mountaine 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 Mountaine and that his Lord spake to him he said Lord permit me to see thee he said thou shalt not see me behold this Mountaine if it continue firme in this place thou shalt be able to see me when the Lord appeared upon the Mountaine with his light it was reduced to ashes and Moses amazed fell on the ground as dead When he rose againe he said blessed be the name of God I desire to obey him and believe that no man living is able to behold him He said to Moses I have chosen and preferred thee to all the world I have made thee a Prophet thou hast talked with me receive the grace which I have bestowed on thee and be not ingratefull We gave to him the Tables whereon was written what was necessary for the salvation of men and we said to him receive with affection what I give thee and command thy people to observe the contents of those Tables I will precipitate into Hell such as transgresse my Commandements I will deprive the proud of my graces they will not believe in my Law although they see all the miracles in the world if they see the right way they will not follow it they see the way of error and pursue it because they have abjured my Commandements and rejected my grace the good works of them that disobey me and that believe not in the Resurrection are unprofitable they shall be chastised after their demerits The people of Moses after his departure adored the Calfe a bellowing God saw they not that it spake not to them neither could conduct them into the right way Neverthelesse they adored it for which they were greatly too blame When this Calfe fell to the ground and they found their errour they said if God have not pity on us we shall be miserable When Moses returned he said to them whom did ye obey after my departure You were too hasty to worship that Idol he in displeasure cast against the ground the Tables that God had given him took his brother by the head and dragging him to him said Son of my mother how hast thou governed this people I wanted power replyed he and could not divert them from their evill It wanted little but they had slain me do me no harme rejoyce not my enemies with my misery and account me not with those that adored Idols Moses said Lord pardon me and my brother give us thy mercy thou art the mercifull of the mercifull The wrath of God and the infamy of the world shall fall upon them that worshiped the Calf and blasphemed against God he will be pitifull to such as shall repent and believe in his divine Majesty The displeasure of Moses being allayed he againe tooke the Tables whereon was written the way of salvation for such as have the feare of their Lord before their eyes he caused to be separated from his people at a time appointed threescore and ten persons who were surprized with an earth-quake and with thunder and said Lord thou couldst have destroyed them before they adored the Calf wilt thou destroy us all because of the sin of the ignorant that are amongst us Thou hast desired to prove this people thou guidest and causest to erre whom thou pleasest thou art our Protector pardon our sins for thou art altogether mercifull give us thy grace in this world and guide us to the day of Judgement neer to thy divine Majestie He said I will punish as I see good my mercy embraceth the whole world it is for such as have my feare before their eyes that pay Tithes obey my Commandements follow the right way believe in the Prophet * This is Mahomet who can neither write nor read and what is written in the Old Testament and the Gospell See Kitab el tenoir he shall command them things honest he shall prohibit things uncivill he shall teach them what meats are clean and forbid them to eat what is unclean he shall deliver them from Ceremonies weighty and trublesome and from the
pardon your sinnes his goodnesse is infinite The wicked have conspired against thee to punish and stay thee or drive thee from Mâ—cca but God hath rendred their conspiracy ineffectuall he knoweth all the designs of conspirators When his miracles were related to them and his Commandements taught them they said we have heard them we had â—aâ—d the like things had we so inclined it is but a song and a fable of old mâ—n Remember thou how they laid my God if what Mahomet declareth be true cause a shewer of flâ—nt-stâ—nes to fall upon us and rigorously chastise us He shall not chastise them when thou art wiâ—h them neither when they beg pardon of him Who is he that is able to â—inder God to punish them They are not in his grace when they hinder True-believers to enter the Temple of Mecca he protecteth only such as have his feare before his eyes but most of them understand it not Their prayers are very light they goe hand in hand in the Temple but shall one day feel the punishment of God because of their impiety The unbelievers that expend their wealth to turne the people from the Law of God shall have sorrow for their expence they shall be infamous and precipitated into the fire of Hell God shall separate the good from the wicked he shall cast the wicked head-long into Hell fire and they shall be in the number of the damned if they repent he will remit what is past and if they returne to fight against the Prophet they shall be entreated as the first kill them to avoyd sedition that there may be no law in the world but the Law of God If they forsake their impiety God shall behold their actions if they depart from the faith know that God alone is your Lord and protector The fifth part of the spoyle that you shall gaine from your enemies appertaineth to God the Prophet his parents orphans the poore and to Pilgrims that are in want observe what is above ordained if ye believe in God in what we have inspired into our * Mahomet Servant and in the day wherein the distinction of the good and the bad was knowne at the encounter of the * The day of battell of Beder two Camps God is omnipotent ye were in an high place the nearest to Medina your enemies were a farre off by the valley and the enemies Cavalry below you See Gelaldin had ye promised to give battell ye had transgressed your promise by reason of the great number of Infidels but what God will is speedily executed he shall destroy such as are wicked having seene that battell an evident signe of the true mission of the Prophet and shall give life to True-believers he understandeth and knoweth all things he caused you to see in a dreame your enemies in a small number had he made them to appeare numerous yee had feared to fight but he delivered you from feare he knoweth what is in the hearts of men When he caused you to appeare in their view he made you seeme few in number to accomplish his will all things depend on God Oh ye that believe make an Halt when you are in view of your enemies Troops and pray to God with affection perhaps you shall be happy obey God and the Prophet his Apostle if disorder and terror surprise you you shall loose your reputation persevere God is with them that continue to doe well Be not like them that went out of their houses with dissembled joy and hypocrisie and turne the people from the right way God knoweth all their actions The Devill caused them to find pleasure in their doings saying to them none shall this day obtaine victory over you I will be with you and when they beheld the two Camps in battailia hee returned on his steps fled and said I am innocent of the evill that you commit I * The Turks believe that the Devill saw the Angels fight for Mahomet see what you see not I fear the omnipotent God he is severe in his punishments The wicked and such as were weak in their faith speaking of the True believers said These men glory in their Law It was replyed to them he that relyeth on God shall find him to be more powerfull then his enemies and that he is most prudent in whatsoever he doth Thou sawest the Angels that slew the Infidels they did beat them behind and before and said to them taste the torments of the fire which you have merited God is not unjust to his Creatures The people of Pharaoh were Infidels and those that preceded them contemned the miracles and Commandements of God but he rigorously chastised them he is omnipotent and most severe in his punishments he shall destroy them that alter the graces he hath given to the people untill they have altered the grace he hath conferred on themselves Pharaohs people were Infidels their Predecessors disobeyed the Commandements of thy Lord See Kitab el tenoir but we destroyed them because of their sinne we drowned them for that they were unjust The wicked are like to beasts they shall never believe in God Such as promised not to assist the unbelievers and violated their promise had not the feare of God before their eyes if thou meete them in a journey separate thy selfe from them their punishment pursueth them peradventure they will consider it If you feare that any one will betray you and be wanting to their word receive no promise from him neither promise him any thing God abhorreth Traytors Believe not that Infidels escape the punishment of God returne with your whole strength to fight against them the halters of your horses shall terrifie the enemies of God and of you and of other persons who ye know not but God knoweth them all Your expence for his service shall be payed you and no injustice shall be done to you If thine enemies incline to peace thou shalt doe ill to incline as they trust in God he understandeth what they say and knoweth whatsoever they doe if they desire to betray thee God shall protect thee and all True-believers endeavour to unite their hearts but although thou shouldst expend all the riches of the world thou shalt not be able to unite them God shall one day unite them he is omnipotent and prudent in all his workes O Prophet the protection of God sufficeth thee and the righteous that follow thee Exhort the True-believers to fight against Infidels if ye be twenty assembled with resolution and perseverance ye shall vanquish two hundred Infidels if ye be an hundred ye shall overthrow a thousand the unbelievers are ignorant but God will lighten your burden he knoweth your weaknesse if ye be an hundred true believers ye shall defeat two hundred Infidels if ye be a thousand you shall subdue two thousand by the permission of God he aideth such as expect his succors with perseverance The Prophet cannot be a prisoner he shall establish
the Temple of Jerusalem as they had ruined it the first time Your Lord shall pardon you if you convert we have established Hell for a perpetuall prison of Infidels The Alcoran guideth the righteous into the right way it declareth to them a great reward preacheth to the wicked the torments of Hell and exhorteth men to wel-doing although they are inclining to evill and prompt to sin We created the day and the night they are two signes of our omnipotency we caused the night to passe away and the day to appeare for labor and to the end ye might know number of ages of months and of yeares wee explained our mysteries without obscurity and have enjoyned every one to beare the burden of his iniquities at the day of judgement that day will we make men to see the accompt of their sins they shall be recompenâ—ed and chastised according to the good and evill that they shall have committed and none shall beare burden of his neighbor we sent to the people Prophets and Apostles to preach to them our Commandements before they were chastised before the destruction of a City we advertâ—sed the principall inhabitants thereof when they disobeyed us we chastised them according to our word and destroyed them How many Cities have we ruined since Noahs flood The sins of the people and knowne to their Lord he giveth the riches of this world to them that desire them to cause them to fall head-long into Hell where they shall repent of their iniquities and be deprived of mercy He who shall labor to acquire the riches of Heaven shall be protected of thy Lord in this world and enriched with the Treasures of Heaven in the other Consider how we prefer our Creatures one to another the reward of Heaven is much greater then that of the Earth Believe not that there be two Gods otherwise you shall repent of it and be deprived of protection at the day of judgement Thy Lord hath ordained to worship him alone and to honour your father and mother especially in their old age and say nothing to them that may afflict them neither vex them speak to them with respect doe not contemne them pray to God to compassionate them as they pittied when they brought you up in your infancy God knoweth whatsoever is in your souls he will be mercifull to you if ye obey him Give to your parents what appertaineth to them doe good to the poore and to pilgrims be not prodigall the prodigall are brethren of the Devill ingratefull for the favors of their Lord. Contemne not the poore if ye desire to obtain the mercy of God speak to them with mildnesse and endeavour to content them doe not entirely shut your hands neither altogether extend them if yee doe otherwise yee shall offend Thy Lord giveth and taketh away his graces as seemeth good to him hee knoweth his people and understandeth all their actions Slay not your children for feare of necessity I will give whatsoever shall be necessary for them the murther of children is an exceeding great sin flie whoredom it is a thing uncleane kill no man without reason we have commanded to pursue him that shal have slain his neighbour but let not the heir sin maliciously prosecuting the innocent for the guilty The innocent is in Gods protection take not the goods of Orphans and be carefull of them untill they be in yeers of discretion satifie your promises an accompt shall be required of you measure with good measure and weigh with just weights Busie your selves not with that which you ought not to know There shall be required of you an accompt of the sins ye have committed in seeing hearing and thinking Be not proud ye shall never be so long as the Earth neither so high as the Mountains such sins are exceeding great before thy Lord It is one part of what he hath inspired into thee to preach to his people Say not there be two Gods left thou be confined to the fire of Hell Your Lord hath elected you with all those men and women that obey his Commandements for his sons and daughters as the Angels yet say 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 affirme invok 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 in Earth glorifie him but ye comprehend it not he is gracious and mercifull 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 turne the back and deride thee I know what they desire to heare 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 againe 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 againe They shall shake the head at thee and ask of thee In what time they shall rise againe say unto them Peradventure it shall be suddenly When ye shall be called out of the graves by the Commandement of God ye will believe that ye have remained but very little time in the world then shall the Infidels confesse that the Devill 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 you 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 neerest approach his divine Majesty they who hope in his mercy or such as feare his punishment Certainly his punishment ought most to be feared We will destroy all the Cities of the world before the day of Judgement 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 Tenod saw the miracles of the Camell 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
feared he might cause his father to sin and seduce him into his error and infidelity the Lord through his goodness would have him to be destroyed to deliver his father from his malice The wall appertaineth to two infant Orphans of this City there is under it a treasure that belongeth to them their father was a righteous man God through his goodness willeth that the treasure be preserved for them untill they attain to years of discretion he likewise willed me to do what I have done behold the exposition of what thou wert impatient to learn If any one enquire of thee concerning Alexander the great relate to them his History we gave him on earth what he desired he went as far as the West where he found a fountain guarded by a man who said to him O Alexander chastise men through the murther of their persons bondage and ransome he answered I will put to death unbelievers in this world and the Lord shall punish them in hell and the righteous shall enjoy the glory of Paradise I will tell the wicked that God hath given us what we have desired After this he continued his way untill he came to a place where the Sun riseth he found that it riseth in a countrey where they have nothing to shelter them from its heat the thing is so we taught Alexander how to shelter himself he followed his way untill he arrived between two mountains inhabited of a Nation that spake a Language which he could hardly understand they said to him O Alexander Jagog and Magog defile the earth canst thou put between them and us an obstacle to hinder that they may not come to us God said Alexander hath not given me means to do it but assist me with your power I will put between them and you a strong separation give me iron that can cut stones that I may build betwixt the two mountains and that I may fortifie the way that devideth them blow when the iron striketh the stones to â—indle fire and poure on mâ—lten brass to joyn the stones and iron together if they come they cannot pierce through the mountains neither find a way to come to you this is a favour which God conferreth on you his promises are infallible when the hour arriveth he is true in what hee promiseth we will permit them to mixe each with other we will assemble all of them when the Trumpet shall sound then will we open Hell to the wicked and to such as would neither see nor hear the Alcoran Do they imagine them that worship me to be their gods we have prepared hell to punish them Say unto them shall I relate unto thee what shall befall the damned their works shall be unprofitable in this world although they think to do well good works are unprofitable to them that contemn the Commandements of their Lord and believe not in the Resurrection they shall not want ballance at the day of Judgement hell shall be their habitation because they deride our Commandements and our Apostles and Prophets The righteous shall enjoy eternally the delight of Paradise without discontinuation If the sea were inke to write the wondrous works of my Lord it will sooner have an end then his miracles Say unto the Infidels I am a man like you God hath taught me that there is but one God he that believeth in the Resurrection studieth to do good works worship but one God who is without a companion CHAP. XIX The Chapter of Mary containing fourscore and eighteen Verses written at Mecca IN the Name of God gracious and merciful God is the rewarder conductor of the righteous liberall wise true Zachery the servant of thy Lord remembred his grace when he in secret prayed to his Lord and said Lord my bones are become feeble and mine head is white with old age Lord I was never rejected in my prayers hear my petition give me a son to succeed me that may be mine heir heir of the lineage of Jacob and be pleasing to thee O Zachary I declare unto thee that thou shalt have a son named John no man hath yet been called by that name he said Lord how shall I have a son my wife is barren and I am too old It was answered him the thing shall be as I have said unto thee it is easie to thy Lord who created thee he said Lord give me some signe 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 signes to the people to make their prayers evening and morning Oh John See Kitab el tenoir learn the Scripture with affection We from his infancie gave him knowledge 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 dye and the day that he shall rise again Remember thou what is written of Mary she retired towards the East into a place farre remote from her kindred and took a vaile to cover her we sent her our Spirit in forme of a man she was afraid and said God will preserve me from thee if thou have his fear before thine eyes hee said oh Mary I am the Messenger of God thy Lord who shall give thee a Sonne active and prudent She answered how shall I have a sonne 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 sonne shall be a token of the omnipotency of God and of his speciall 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 colours 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 Angell said to her afflict not thy selfe God hath placed a brook under thee shake the foot of this Palme and the Dates shall fall gather them up eat and drink and wash thine eyes say unto them that thou shalt meet that thou fastest and hast made a vow not to speak to any one untill thy 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 Aâ—ron thy father did not command thee to doe evill neither was thy mother unchaste She made signes 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 hee hath taught me the Scripture hath made me a Prophet blessed me in all places and commanded me to pray unto him hoe hath recommended to me purity through the whole course of my life and to honour my father and mother hee hath not made me either violent or malicious praysed shall be the day of my birth the day
continuance doe 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 deferre the punishment of the wicked untill the time appointed he had already destroyed them Be patient and endure their discourse praise thy Lord before the Sunne arise before it setteth an hour before night and at the end of day thou shalt doe a thing acceptable to him The life of the world is sweet to tempt you but the riches of thy Lord are better and eternall 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 racle from God and knoweth not the exposition of the books of our predecessors we will not believe in him We before his comming destroyed many wicked persons who said Lord hadst thou sent us a Prophet we had observed thy Commandements before we became infamous and laden with ignominie 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 mercifull The day approacheth wherein the people shall render an accompt of their actions but they consider it not and depart from the Commandements of God if they heare them they laugh they understand them not and keep secret their evill intention 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 mortalâ— 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 wee 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 cover the riches of the Earth They said misery is upon us we are too blame Thus did they talke untill 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 scoffe 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 prayse him day and night and exalt his glory without blasphemie 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 Hee asketh no counsell when he will doe 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 goe 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 sonnes of God Praysed 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 feare 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 doe I intreat unbelievers Know they not that the Heavens and the Earth were shut up We opened them and gave life to every thing through the raine which we made to descend will they not believe in my unity We created the Mountains to hinder the Earth to move we made therein wayes large and spacious for our Creatures we covered it with the Heaven and have exempted it from falling neverthelesse they despise our Commandement It is the Lord who created day and night the Moone and the Sunne all things praise and exalt him in Heaven we created no person to dwell for over on Earth all men shall taste of death I will prove you with good and evill and ye shall appeare before me to give accompt of your actions The Infidels scoffe at you when they see you and say behold them that deride our Gods They obey not the Commandements 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 judgement 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 thinke 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 mercifull God preserveth you day and night neverthelesse yee reject his Commandements 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 deafe heare not when they are exhorted When 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 workes at the day of Judgement that I may doe injustice to no person of the weight of a grain of mustard-seed and will most exactly accompt We gave to Moses and Aaron the Book that distinguisheth good from evill and commanded them to preach our Commandements to them that had our feare before their eyes
That Booke is blessed and was sent from us neverthelesse unbelievers reject and condemne 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 doe ye adore They said wee find that our Fathers adoreâ— them he said unto them your fathers and you were exceedingly erroneous they said dost thou speak the truth or dost thou jeast He said Certainely your Lord is the Lord of Heaven and Earth I sweare to you that he created them Having convinced those Idolaâ—erâ— he said by God I will make Warne upon your Idolâ— he broke them with an hatchet in their absence except the grâ—atest Idoll on which he hung his hatchet and said peradventure they will accuse him to have broken the other Seeing at their returne their Idols broken they said who hath in this mannner 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 Abram thou well knewest that they spake not at all he answered why therefore doe ye worship what can neither benefit nor hurt you You defile your selves in adoring them instead of God doe ye not know him Then they said burne 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 Jacob and the Children of their Children righteous men and True-believers to instruct the people in the way of Salvation wee inspired them to doe good workes to pray at the time appointed to pay Tithes and to worship us Wee 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 hee heretofore invoked us wee heard his prayer and delivered him from great danger and all that were with him in the Arke we delivered him from the hand of the wicked whom wee drowned Remember David and Salomon who rendred Justice in the field whereinto the flocks of the village entred by night without Shepheards wee are witnesse of their Judgements wee instructed Salomon in Justice we gave his prudence and knowledge the Mountaines 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 thankfull to me We commanded the winds to obey Solomon and know all that he did The devils obeyed him they dived into the sea to fisâ—i for Gems for him and travelled also in other matters and we hindered them to act mischief against men Remember Job who prayed to his Lord and said I am in exceeding great affliction thou art the merciful of the merciful we heard him delivered him from his affliction gave to him our grace to his family to them that were with him who had patience and trusted in me Remember Ismael Enoch * Delcafel is Ely Delcafel Zachary they persevered in wel doing we gave them our grace because they were righteous Remember Jonas See the book composed by Abdelâ—aâ—y who forsooke his people in displeasure he beleived I could doe nothing against him but he cryed in the dark and said There is no God besides thee praised be thy name I am too blame for having offended thee We heard him and delivered him from his disaster Thus do I protect true-beleivers when they invoke me Remember Zachary who made his prayerâ— and said Lord I know there is no better heir in the world then thy self yet let me not dy without issue We heard his request gave him a son named Jon and rendred his wife fruitfull All these Prophets went on with alacrity to do well and invoked us with humility with desire to obtain our grace with fear of the torments of hel Remember Mary whose womb I blessed we inspired into her our Spirit gave her a Son a miracle in the world Your law is on onely law and I am one only God worship me be not impious ye all shal appear before me to be judged I will protect the true believers that shall have done good works wil write what they shall do for their reward Mâ—sery is upon the Cities that we have ruined their inhabitants shall not return into the world untill the passage be opened to Jagog and Magog and they come running from the eminent places of the earth then shall the day of Iudgment 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 excedingly 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 beleived they should not have entred Hell they and those that have adored them shal be eternally damned they shall groan complain and shal 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 cryes 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 wee will open the heavens and the book of the accompt 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 to Paradise to them that shall worship mee We had not sent thee but in favour of men say unto them God hath alwayes 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 unknowne in the world I know not whether he will try you or defer his punishment untill the time appointed He is a most just judg and most mercifull he is not such as ye speak him
they have don them that God is sufficiently powerfull 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 See Gelaldin 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 maner ordained pay Tythes and enjoyn to do what is honest and civill forbid to do what is prohibited of God who knoweth the end of all things If the Infidâ—ls traduce thee their predecessors traduced Noah Aâ—d Chiab Abraham and Lot they also slandred Mosâ—s 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 befalne the Infidels Their eyes are not blinde but their hearts are blinde 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 yeers before men How often hath the punishments of impiâ—us Cities been deferred that in the end were destrâ—yed 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 publikely the torments of Hell such as shall believe and do good works they shal receive pardon of their sins a precious treasure they that shall endevor to make voyd the faith shal be damned We sent our Prophet to read only our Commandments to the People the unbeleivers 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 Devill there inserted serveth for sedition to them that are weak in their faith have an heart the Infidels are in an exceeding great error are far from the Truth Such as have the knowledg of Scripture know that the Alcoran is truth it self which proceedeth from thy Lord They beleive in it and humble their heart in reading it God guideth into the right way such as beleive in the truth The Infidels shall be in doubt untill they be surprized of the day of Judgement That day shall they be rigorously chastised that day shall God command and judg the good and the bad the righteous that shall have beleived and done good works shall enter into delicious Gardens and the Infidells that shall have disobeyed his Commandments shall suffer exceeding great torments See Gelaldin They that departed from Mecca and went to Medina to abandon the society of unbeleivers and were slain or died of sicknesse shall be rewarded of his divine Majesty God is the greatest benefactor in the world he shal give them to enter where they shall desire he is omniscient most merciful The believers that shall take revenge of the injury that the unbeleivers have done them shall be protected of God He is gracious and merciful towards his people he maketh day to enter into night night into day he heareth the Prayers of True beleivers and seeth whatsoever they do and will protect them because he is truth it selfe Idols are but vanity God is most high omnipotent Dost thou not consider that God sendeth the rain from Heaven and that the earth becommeth green He is benign to his people knoweth all things whatsoever is in Heaven 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 fal upon the earth certainly he is benign and merciful He it is that hath given you life and death he shal make you to dy and shall raise you againe neverthelesse man is ingrateful for his favors We have given a Law to all the Nations of the World to guide them into the right 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 shal judg your differences at the day of judgment knewest thou not that God knoweth whatsoever is in heaven or in earth All is written this is most easie to his divine Maj. Idolaters adore without reason Idols that understand not whether they be gods or no that shall be without protection at the day of Judgment when they preach to men my commandements they know by their countenance those that are impious and ingratefull for my graces they would with wrath fall upon them that instruct them Say unto them I declare unto you things more greivous God hath prepared the fire of hell to chastise Infidels O people A parable is related to you hear it All the Idolls that ye adore cannot create a flye 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 weaknesse of them that adore them They praise not God in that manner as is just and reasonable he is most strong most powerfull he hath chosen messengers to bear and and execute his Commandements among Angels and men he heareth whatsoever they say beholdeth whatsoever they do he knoweth whatsoever they have don and all things obey him O ye that believe honor and worship your Lord and do good perhaps ye 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 Alchâ—ran The Prophet shall testifie against you at the day of judgment and ye shal testifie against the people that the Prophet hath preached to them the right way persevere in your prayers pay tithes trust in God he is your Lord your Prophet and your protector CHAP. XXIII The Chapter of True Believers containing an hundred and eighteen verses written at Mecca I the Name of God gracious and merifull Certainly the True beleivers 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
world he answered it iâ— 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 Messâ—â—ger 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 Pharoah said unto him bring thy reasons if thou art true Then he cast his staffe on the ground and it was changed into a Serpent he drew hiâ— 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 skilfull Magician he would drive you from your Countrey 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 Pharaoh said unto them yes ye shall be rewarded and be among them that approach my person Moses said unto them wil you cast your staves on the ground or shal I first cast mine They cast thâ—ir cords â—heir staves first saying with the assistance of Phaâ—aoh we shall be victorious then Moses cast his rod on the ground wâ—h devoured their cords staves when they beheld this miracle they fel prostra and said we beleive in the Lord of the world God of Moses and Aaron Pharoah said to them if ye beleive in Moses without my permission ye shall see what shall befall 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 shal return before God our Lord we hope that he wil remit our sinâ— because we shal be the first converts We said unto Moses goe with 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 Israell those men are few in number they have displeased me but I will wel 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 fountaines and houses of pleasure and made the children of Israel heirs of their treaâ—ure they surprized them at the rising of the Sun when the children of Israel beheld them they said we are ovâ—taken 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 with him and drowned the men of Pharoah which shall serve for an example to the incredulous and obstinate the Lord is omnipotent and mercifull Relate to unbeleivers 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 do good unto you when ye worship them or mischeif 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 worshipp 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 do dye and from whom I hope for pardon of my sins at the day of Judgement 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 bin 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 uâ—profitable 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 with you their adherents and the devils thrown headlong into the fire of hell The Idolaters shall despute in hell with them whom they have worshipped and shall say by God we were abuâ—ed when we adored you the wicked seduced us we have none this day to intercede for us neither friend to protect us could we return into the world we would believe in the Law of God this discourse shall be for example to the wicked that believe not that thy Lord is the Omnipotent and mercifull The people of Noahs time slandered the Apostles and Prophets that were sent to them Nâ—ah thâ—ir brother said unto them fear God I am his Messenger sent to preach unto you fear God and obey him I â—equiâ—e no recompence for my Instructions God the sole Lord of the world shall reward my labours fear and obey him They said shall we believe in thee and thy followers who are infamous He said I know not what they do my Lord kâ—epeth accompt of their actions if ye knew â—he right way ye would not worship Idolls I drive not true believers from my society I am sent only to preach the torments of Hell They said O Noah if thou quit not this discourse thou shalt be stoned Noah said Lord this people is impious judge our difference deliver me from their malice and all true believers that are with me We preserved him and those that were with him in the Aâ—k and destroyed them that remained on the Earth This is an Evidence of our Omnipotency yet the greatest part of Infidels believe not that God is omnipotent and mercifull The people of Aads time traduced the Apostles and Prophets that were sent unto them Hod his brother said unto them fear God I am his Messenger sent to preach unto you with fidelity Fear God and obey him I require of you no recompense of my preaching the Lord of the Universe shall abundantly reward me Will ye build Towers and lofty Pallaces as if ye should dwel eternaly in the world Will ye be cruel without compassion on your selvs fear God and obey him fear him who giveth you his grace
bestoweth on you wealth children gardens and fountains I feare that ye shall suffer grievous paines at the day of Judgment They said unto him art thou come to be preached unto or â—o preach to us Thou relatest to us old mens Fables They slandered him and we destroyed them this is a token of our Omnipotency nâ—ver thelâ—sse the greatest part of Infidells beleive not thy Lord to be Omnipotent and merciful The people of Temod belyed the Prophets that were sent unto them his brother Salhe said unto them fear God I am a Messenger sent froÌ„ God to preach to you fear God obâ—y him I require of you no recompence for my preaching the Lord of the Vniverse shal recompense my labours will ye forsake â—ternal riches to cleave to the wealth of this world to put your trust in your gardens your fountains yâ—ur tillages your dates and fruits shall ye be esteemed prudent if ye build houses of pleasure in the mouÌ„tains fear God obey his Commandments obey not the wicked that defile the earth and do no good They sâ—id unto him thou art a Magician and an Inchanter thou art but a man like unto us shew us some miracle if thou be indeed a Prophet sent from God he said behold there a Camell The Turks believe this Camel was changed into a rock by Sâ—lhe he hath a place to drink at a day appointed ye likewise have it to drink as he â—o him no harm otherwise shal yee be punished at the day of Judgement They did hurt this Camel through contempt but â—ad cause to repent it and were severely punished This is an example for posterity nevertheles the greatest part of Infidels beleive not that thy Lord is altogether gracious and merciful The Citizens of Lot traduced the Prophets that were sent unto them Lot their brother said fear God I am a faithful Messenger sent from him to preach to you fear God obey him I require of you no reward for my pains God wil reward me will ye cleave to the world to reject that glory that he hath created for you ye forsake good to imbrace evil They said O Lot if thou change not this discourse we wil banish thee from our City he said perhaps I am one of those whom ye abhor Lord deliver me with my family from their hands We saved him with al his family except his Wife who remained with the inhabitants of the City we caused to fal upon them a rain that destroyed them This is an example for posterity nevertheles the greatest part of Infidels believe not that thy Lord is omnipotent and merciful They that inhabit the * A Forrest near to Madian Forrest slandeâ—ed the Prophets that were sent unto them Chaib said to them fear God I am a faithfull messenger sent from him to preach unto you the torments of Hel See Gelaldin fear God and obey him I require no reward of you for my preaching the Lord of tre Universe shal recompense me Measure with good measure weigh with good weights detain nothing from your neighbour defile not the earth fear him that created you al those that were before you They said unto him thou art a forcerer thou art but a man like us we beleive thee to be a lyar if thou art indeed sent from God cause a part of Heaven to fall upon us he answered God knoweth that of which ye are ignorant they traduced him but were chastised being covered with a cloud that rained upon them a shewer of fire and they were burned as if it had been the day of Iudgement this is a token of my power but the greatest part of Infidels beleive not that thy Lord is Omnipotent and merciful Certainly the Alcoran was sent by the Lord of the world the faithfull Spirit inspired it into thine heart that thou mayst preach to the people the pains of Hell in the Arabique tongue the Scriptures heretofore made mention of it if the Infidels of Mecca are ignorant of it the Doctors of the Children of Israell have knowledge to understand it although that we have not sent it in the language of the Persians yet cease not to instruct thâ—m in that which they know not we have imprinted â— lye in the hearâ—s of the wicked they shall not believe what is written in the Alcoran untill they see the punishment prepared for Infidels at the day of Judgment that day shall come at unawares of which they are ignorant They say let us tarry and not believe as yet in what is contained in that book are they impatient untill they see their punishment Hast thou seen how they have some years deferred it and how in the end that which we promised befell them their riches were to them unprofitable We have not destroyed Cities without having forewarned them of their destruction we are unjust to none That devils did not bring the Alcoran it was to them of none advantage they could not compose it they are reâ—nâ—te from the Angels and cannot hear their speech say not there is another God with God if thou say it thou shalt be chastised preach the torments of hell to them that shall follow thee be humble and civill to true believers if they disobey thee say unâ—o them I am innocent of what ye do and am resigned to the Will of God omnipotent and mercifull He beholdeth thee when thou dost pray and worship him he heareth and knoweth all things Shall I tel ye to whom the devils appresse hemselves they apply themselves â—o lyars they tell to them what they have heard spoken but they all lye The erronious imitate the Poets See Eâ—teri and Kitab el tenoir they are confuted in their discourse and say they have don what theâ— have not except those that believe in God that do good works who often think of his divine Majesty and that have been protected against the injustice of Infidels the unjust shall know that they shall one day rise again CHAP. XXVII The Chapter of the Pismire containing four-score and thirteen Verses written at Mecca IN the name of God gracious mercifull God is most pure he understandeth al. These mysteries are the mysteryes of the Alcoran which distinguisheth the truth from a lye it conducteth men into the right way proclaimeth the joyes of Paradize to such as beleive in the Law of God who make their prayers at the time appointed pay Tithes and have knowledg of â—heir end They that believe not in the day of Judgment like well of whâ—t they do are in confusion they shall be in â—he number of the damned The Alcoran was conveyd to thee from the most prudent that knoweth all things Remember thou that Moses said to his family I see a fire I goe to it I will bring you tydings I will bring you a spark peradventure you shall be warmed When he drew near to the fire hâ— heard a voyce that said to him oh Moses that which
is in this fire and whatsoever is about it is blessed praise is due to God Lord of the Vniverse I am God omnipotent and eternall Cast thy staffe on the ground When Moses beheld his staffe to move as it had been alive He went back very sorrowfull and returned no more Feare not that staffe my messenger and my Prophets have no fear in my presence he that shall be converted shall finde me gracious and mercifull Put thine hand into thy pocket it shal come forth white without harm it shal be one of the nine marks of my omnipotency Pharoah and his Ministers were altogether erroneous when they saw my Miracles they said that thâ—y were but sorcery they disposed them and increased their impiety Consider what is the end of the wicked and how they have been destroyed we gave knowledg to David to Solomon they said God who hath gratifyed us above many of his servants that have beleivd in his omnipotency Solomon was Davids heire and said to the people we understand the Language of birds we know whatsoever can be known it is an exceeding great grace Solomons Army being one day assembled before him composed of men Devils and birds he lead them to the valley of Pismires a Pismire their Queen cryed out oh Pismires enter into your houses least Solomon and his troups trample you under foot without knowledge of it Solomon hearing these words remained sometime without speaking and in the end began to laugh saying Lord assist me that I may give thee thanks for the benefits and graces which thou didst conferr upon my Father If I do well thou wilt accept it place me through thy mercy in the number of them that exalt thy glory He called for the †A Bird so called Whoope and said wherefore see I not the Whoope is she in the number of the absent I will punish and put her to death if she have not a lâ—â—â—â—ll excuse not long after she humbled her selfe before Solomon who asked her whence she came she answered I come from seeing what thou seest not I come from the Kingdom of Saba whence I bring certain tidings I have found a woman their Queen who hath whatsoever is necessary for a King she hath a great and magnificent Thron I have found that she with her Subjects adore the Sun the Devill caused them to delight in this their Action he hath seduced them from the right way and they shall be in Error untill they worship one God who sendeth rain from Heaven maketh the earth to produce plants and fruits who knoweth whatsoever is in the hearts of men and what they utter God! There is but one God Lord of the Vniverse Solomon said I shall soon see if thou speak truth or whither thou be in the number of the lyars goe bear to her this letter and obsâ—rve what she and her people shall answer At her arivall the Queen said to her Ministers Oh ye that are raised to dignity in my dominions a Letter is given me from Solomon of this tenour In the name of God gracious and mercifull rise not up against me and obey me Give me counsell what I ought to do I will do nothing without your advice and what you see not with your eyes They answered Our welfare and misery depend on thee command whatsoever shall seem good to thee and we will obey thee She said When Kings enter a City they introduce many disorders they abase and humble the chiefe of the Inhabitants and the most eminent if Solomon his people come hither they will use us in the like maner I think it requisit to send to him an Ambassador with some presents perhaps he will take a resolution to return When the Ambassador arrived in Solomons presence he said unto him Do ye bring me presents God hath bestowed on me more riches then on you presents rejoyce you because ye love them Return to them that sent you I will go visit them with forces so great that they shall not be able to resist I will drive them out of their dominions and they shall be miserable if they obey me not Then he said to his people Sits who will bring to me the Royall Seat of that woman before she and her subjects obey me One of the Devils said unto him I I will bring it before thou arise from thy place I am strong enough to bear it I will carry it carefully One of them that attended Sâ—lomon Gelaldin saith he knew the name of God who knew the Scriptures said I will bring it to thee in the twinkling of an eye When Solomon beheld this Throne before him he said Behold here a favor of God to try if â— would acknowledg his benefits He that returneâ—h thanks to God for his graces performeth his duty he rejecteth him that is ingratful I will try if she followeth the right way or whether she be in the number of the seduced They changed something in her Royall seat to try if she would know it when she arrived in Solomons presence At her arrival they shewed it her and asked if it resembled her own she replyed It resembleth it This Quee was called Balkis as if it were the same She had knowledge of the right way but that which the people and she adored instead of God had seduced them from the obedience of his divine Majesty They spake to her to enter into a gallery See Gelaldin when she beheld the pavement she believed it to be water and in lifting up her robe fearing to wet it discovered her Legg Solomon told her that the pavemenâ— 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 his people to exhort them to worship one God he said unto them O people flye to the mercy of God if ye implore pardon of him ye shal be pardoned They said wouldst thou draw us into thine error into the erroâ— of them that are with theâ— He said God shall chastise you ye are seditious They were nine persons in the City that defâ—led 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 seeke 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 subtle then 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 knowledge of Our omnipotency We served the Prophâ—t and all the True-beleivers that were with him Remember then the History of Lot who said to his Citizens Will ye alway defile your selvs in uncleannesse in
Mahomet are two aparent Sorcerers when they said that they believed neither Prophet nor Scripture Say unto them bring any book from God that better teacheth the right way then the Old Testament and more savingly then the Alcoran I will follow it if ye speak the truth If they be not heard when they shall require this book know that they follow only their own appetites and their impiety who is more erroneous then he that followeth but his own passion and is not guided of God he guideth not Infidells Certainly we have sent them the Alcoran peradventur they wil believe in it they to whom we heretofore sent this book believe in the contents thereof when they heare it read they say we believe in those words it is the very truth that proceedeth from God we believe in the unity of his divine Majesty they shall be doubly rewarded because they have persevered in well-doing they have overcome evill through their good deeds and have expended in good works part of the wealth that we gave them When they heard the faith evill spoken of they withdrew themselves took leave of the company and said ye shall answer for your and we for our actions Regard not the ignorant thou shalt not convert all them that thou shalt desire to convert God converteth and guideth into the right way whom he pleaseth and knoweth such as serve him They said if I follow with thee the right way I must forsake my Country Shall not I establish them in a place of safety where they shall find all sorts of fruits to enrich them but the greaâ—est part of the people know it not How many Cities have we destroyed that took pleasure in their evill life No man inhabited them any more except very few and we became heirs of their riches God shall not destroy Mecca untill he have sent an Apostle to instruct the Inhabitants thereof in the right way God destroyeth not a Ciâ—y if the Inhabitants be not unjust and disobey not his Commandments The wealth of this world which ye pâ—ssesse pleaseth you but the riches of Heaven are much better eternall will ye not understand it Have we not kept promise with them to whom we promised Paradise and with them to whom we promised the riches of this world in the end were in the number of the damned Be thou mindfull of the day when thy Lord shal cal them say unto them where are your Idols which ye beleived to be my Companions the chief of them shal say Lord behold those that were seduced like us we are innocent of their Idolatry they adored not us they shall speak that day to the Idolaters to invoke their Idols but they shal not hear them they shal be visibly chastizâ—d on Earth Bâ— thou mindfull of the day when thy Lord shall call them and say unto them wherefore have ye not beleived my Apostles and my Prophets they shall be confounded and remâ—in dumbe He that shall be converted and do good works shall be happy Thy Lord createth what pleaseth him and maketh choyce of what seemeth to him good Praised be God he hath no companion he knoweth what is in the hearts of men and what they make manifest he is God there is no God but he praise is due to him in the beginning in the end he commandeth over all things all people shall one day be assembled before him to be judged Say unto them Had God given a continuall night even until the day of judgment what other God is there that is able to you give light will ye not hear me had God given you a continual day until the day of Judgment what other god could have given the night to refresh you will ye not consider his benefits his grace he hath created the night for repose and the day for labour pâ—radventure ye will give him thanks Be thou mindfull of the day when thy Lord shall call the Infidels and shall say unto them where are the Idols that ye worshipped We wil call a witness of every Nation and will say to the Idolaters bring your arguments that may prove the plurality of Gods Ye shall this day know your blasphemies and that there is but one God Caron was of the people of Moses he was proud because of his riches vve gave him so great treasures that many men were burdened when they conveyed away the Keyes Remember how his people said unto him Rejoyce not above measure in thy great wealth God abhorreth the that rejoyce without reason Beg of him paradise with thy riches forget not to do good in this world give almes of the substance which God hath given thee be not disobedient to him on Earth he abhorreth those that disobey him these riches were given thee because thou diâ—st instruct the people in the Old Testament knowest thou not that God destroyed in times past many rich and opulâ—nt persons Who is more strong more powerfull more rich then God He will not enquire of the wicked the number of their sinnes he knoweth all and the accompt Caron one day went forth in publique with all his retinue They that affected the wealth of this world said Would to God we had as much wealth as Caron 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 then all the treasures of Caron none shall receive his grace but such as shall obey him and persevere in obedience to his Commandments VVe deprived Caron of all his treasures and none was able to protect him against us then they that had coveted his riches said oh miracle God giveth to and depriveth of wealth whom to him seemeth good Had not God given us his grace we had bin necessitous certainly the wicked shall be miserable I will bestow Paradise on them that hate vanity and disorder on the Earth and shall have my feare before their eyes whosoever shall do good shall find good who doth evill shall be chastised after his demerits He that hath taught thee the Alcoran shall cause thee to return to the * Mecca See Gelaldin 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 speciall grace of thy Lord assist not the Infidels and take heed least they seduce thee after having learnt what hath bin taught thee Preach to the people the unity of God Be not in the number of them that belive many Deities adore God alone there is no God but hâ— al things shal have 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 beleived that it is sufficient to say we beleive 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 evill 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 soule certainly God hath no need of men their sins shall be pardoned who shall beleive 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 beleive in God and are impatient when evill befalleth them from God to prove them If God give victory to the True beleivers they say that they are on their side but doth not God know what is in their heart he knoweth them that beleive in his Law and those that are impious The Infidels said to the True-beleivers do like us follow our way we will bear your sins They will not bear them they are lyars they shal bear their own burthen shal not an accompt of their sins be required of them at the day of Judgment We sent Noah to instruct men he lived upon the earth 900. 50. years The flood surprized 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 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 prophetâ— 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 created after them another people certainly he is omnipotent He punisheth and pardoneth as he seeth goed yoâ— shall one day be assembled before him to be judged you shall not render him impotent either in the 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 beleive 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-beleivers 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 judgement Hel shall be your habitatation and ye shall be deprived of protection Lot beleived in his words and said I wil retyre â—o the place which my Lord shal appoint me he alone îs omnipotent and most wise We gave to Abraham two sons Isaac and Jacob we caused Prophets to be borne of his race and tâ—ught his progeny the Scripture we rewarded him in this world he shal be at the day of judgment in the number of the blessed Rmember Lot who said to his people Ye defile your selvs with filthinesse unknown to any before you ye incline to the love of men ye rob upon the high ways and defile on another This people answered Let us see the Judgements of God if what thoâ— 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 arrived 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 selfe We will preserve thee and all thy family except thy wife she shall abide among them that shall be destroyed we wil cause tâ—e indignation of God to fall upon this City because of their impiety it shal serve for exampl to posterity We sent Chaib to his brethren the inhabitants of Madian he said unto them Worship one God fear the day of Judgment and defile not the Earth They impudently traduced him but were surprized by an Earâ—hquake and remâ—ined dead in their houses as câ—rkases We destroyed Aad and Temod their ruine is yet apparent in the places of their habitations the Devil tempted and seduced them from the right way notwithstanding they knew their error We destroyed Caron Pharaoh and Haman Moses preached to them my Commandments they contemned them and became proud in the Earth but escaped not the punishment of their crimes We chastised some by an impetuous wind and other were surprized by thunder we deprived them of their riches and they were drowned God was not unjust towards them they drew mischiefe on themselves through their impiety They that worship Idâ—ls are like to the Spider she buildeth her house of her cob-wed that cannot defend from heat or cold They would not adore Idols did they understand what they do God seeth what they worship he is omnipotent and wise I teach the people these parables and none but the wise understand them Truly God created heaven earth it is a sign of his Omnipotency to True-beleivers Instruct them in the Book that is inspired iâ—to thee make thy prayers at the time appointed prayers divert men from sin to be mindful of God is the best work thou canst perform he knoweth al the actions of men Dispute with mildnesse against them that have knowledge of the written Law except against the wicked that are among them Say unto them we beleive in what hath been taught you in what hath been taught us Your God our God is one God we are resigned to his divine will We have sent thee the Alcoran as we sent to them the old Testament Such as understand the Old Testament bleive in the Truth of the Alcoran Thou hast not
that shall never perish God shall recompense and augment his Graces upon them he is mercifull 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 Alcoraâ— to such as We have chosen among our creature there be some who have ill discharged what we taught them some have performed 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 eternaly they shall be adorned with collars of gold enrichede with precious stones theâ— shall be cloathed with fine silk 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 speciall 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 dye in those torments and their torture shall neve be asswaged thus shall the wicked be chastised they shall in vain implore succor of God and say Lord deliver us from these paines we will do better then 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 wickednes became proud in the earth conspired against the True-deleivers their conspiracy fell upon themselves and they can expect none other things then 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 powerfull then they Nothing is impossible to God he knoweth all things and 〈◊〉 omnipotent Should God punish the people when they â—â—nd him he should leave no living creature on the earth deferreth the chastisement of the wicked untill 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 foure score 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 ô particulâ— vocativa 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 mercifull Oh man I swear by the Alcoran ful of Doctrine that thou art a prophet sent to teach the People the right way This book was sent by the Omnipotent and mercifull that thou mayst 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 behind them great obstacle we will cover their sight with darknes 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 belive in the Alcoran and to such as beleive in what they have seen proclaim to them a generall pardon of their sinnes and a very great reward I make the dead to arise again and write exactly in a book the good the evil that men commiâ— Relate to them thâ— Parable of those of the City whither thy Lord senâ— his Prophets we sent into them two Prophets they slandered both of them we succored them by a 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 stone you and make you to suffer heavy torments They said be your evill with you who hath heretofore so ill instructed you Certainly you are wickâ—d Then a man came running from the utmost part of the City who said unto them oh people obey the 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 God hear and understnnd what I say unto you Neverthelesse they slâ—w hâ—m and said unto him go enter into Paradice 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 drie dead and barren as a sign of my omnipotency for the wicked we made it revive and became green again and to bring forth fruits with whâ—ch they were satiate we there created Gardens Date-trees and Vines we cauâ—ed Fountains to
alone without children have ye any reason or authority to speak in this maner 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 Infidells shall be damned because of their blasphemies Praised be God he hath neither son nor daughter other then 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 belive not in the Alcoran they shall in fine know their incredulity We have promised protection to beleivers 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 wil they cast themselvs headlong into the torments of hell assuredly they will be astonished when the 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 eternall praise to the God of the Vniverse 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 Geladin Kitab el tenoir They have intituled it the Chapter of Truth IN the name of God gracious and mercifull I swear by the Alcoran that this Book teacheth the way of Salvation neverthelesse 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 cryed 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 beliefe of the vnity of God the last Sect did not preach it it is an evident lie 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 bountifull Possesse 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 Aâ—d 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 were punished after their demerits neverthelesse 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 obeyed him we gave force to his reign and endued him with knowled 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 judge 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 neighbor except such as believe in the Law of God and observe his Commandments which are few in number Then David knew that we had tryed him he implored pardon of his sin he humbled himselfe worshiped 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 erre from my Law shall suffer grievous pains at the day of Iudgment We have not in vain created the Heaven and the Earth as the wicked affirm misery shall befâ—l 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 blessed it to the end the people may meditate the mysteries thereof 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 houre of Vespers and said What Have I preferred the love of the wealth of the Earth to the remembrance of God even untill the Sun set He caused them to be led back againe and sacrificed some of them for expiation of his fault He caused their legs and neck to be cut off We tryed Solomon we caused a suppositious person to fit on his throne and afterwards restored him to his dominions He said Lord give me thy mercy give me so happy a reigne that the like hath not been seen thou art liberall towards thy creatures We made subject to him the winds which blowed at his command where it pleased him We made the devills 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 neer unto us and lodged him in a place of content Remember our servant Job that he prayed to his Lord and sayd That the Divell 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 his riches through our special grace to be an example to posterity It was said unto him when his
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 where in shal be written what the Prophets Martyrs have taught he shal judg the world with equity shall not do injustice to any every one shal be rewarded chastised for his works he knoweth all that they have don he shal send the Infidels into the fire of hel in troops â—hen they shal be arrived at the gate it shal 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 goe 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 troups 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 dwel 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 goe into Paradise into what place shall seeme 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 Vniverse CHAP. XL. The Chapter of the True-believer containing eighty five Verses written at Mecca Reader Gelaldin entituleth this Chapter Of the Pitifull IN the name of God gracious and mercifull God is prudent and wise This Book is sent by the omnipotent who knoweth all things who pardoneth sinnes 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 Noahs time contemned his instructions their posterity did like them and every Nation hath conspired the death of them whom God sent to instruct them thy disputed to obscure the truth through their lies but they were punished and after what manner So is the word of God accomplished against the wicked they all shall be damned The Angells that are about the Throne of God and those that bear him praise and exalt his divine Majesty they beleive in his unity and beg pardon of him for the True-believers Lord 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 shal do good works thou art omnipotent and wise Depart from sin he that shall depart from it shall resent the effects of Gods mercy at the day of Iudgment and shall enjoy eternall felicity the Infidels shall be hated of God his hatred is far more dangerous then yours wil ye be Indels after being called to the observation of the Law of Salvation They said Lord wilt thou cause us to dye twice and shall we twice rise againe But they shall say at the the day of Judgment Lord we confesse we have offended thee we acknowledge our sinne 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 shal suffer in the fire of Hell because that ye have believd them that adored Idols and because ye have said that God hath companions equall 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 Judgement that day shall the people come out of their Monuments none shal be able to hide himselfe from his divine Majesty Who shall command that day It shall be God alone victorious that day shall he recompense every one after his works without injustice he is exact to make accompt If thou preach to the wicked the day of Judgement their heart will lift them up and they shall be full of affliction their prayers shall not be heard and none shall intereede 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 powerfull and more wealthy then they God surprized them in their sinnes 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 Wee sent Moses with miracles with reasons cleare and intelligible to Pharoah to Haman and Caron they said that Moses was A Sorcerer and a Lyar and when hee preached to them the truth on our behalfe they said kill him with all those that believe him and make their wives infamous but their conspiracy was but impiety Pharoah 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 judgement Then a man of the domestiques of Pharoah that secretly professe 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 shal be against him but if he speak the truth something of what he hath preached shall befal you God guideth nether the wicked nor lyars Oh people you this day command on Earâ—h with splendor who shall defend us from the wrath of God if it fall upon us Pharoah said I speak nothing to you but what I have told you heretofore and I will guid you
all into the right way He of his Domestiques that secretly professed the true Law said oh people I fear lest ye be chastise as have been your predecessors as were the people of Noâ—â— Aad Temod and those that were after them God will 〈◊〉 do injustice to men I fear for you the day of judgment a daâ— when ye shall rise again with terror to render accompt â— your actions he whom God shal seduce shall find none 〈◊〉 guide him Certainly Joseph came hertofore with instructions clear and intelligible nevertheless ye doubted even untill his death and said that after him God shall not sendâ— 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 Pharoah sayd to * Haman was Pharoahs Leiutenant General Haman build me an high Palace peradventure I shal arrive at the Heavens and as high as the God of Moses I beleive 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-beleiver said oh people follow me See Gelaldin I will guide you into the right way the riches of the earth pass away lightly and the riches of Heaven are eternall he that doth evill shall finde evill who doth good man or woman beleiving 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 salvation Ye invite me to be wicked and to beleive that God hath companions and I know it is not so I call you to the omnipotent and mercifull God doubtlesse 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 resined to the will of God he beholdeth all the actions of his creatures he shall chastise them for the evill that they shall commit and for their wicked designes He sent his punishment upon the Lineage of PHAROAH they deserved to be precipitated into the fire of Hell they shall burn evening and morning It shall be said to â—hem at the day of Iudgment oh people of Pharoah goe enter into the fire of Hell The Infidels shal quarrell in Hell the poor shall say unto the rich We followed you are you able this day to deliver us from eternal flames they shall answer we all are damned with you God is a most just Iudge 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 shal 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 shal understand them Persevere and be patient the promise of God is infallible implore pardon of thy sinnes 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 ignorace Implore succor of God he understandeth and seeth all things the Creation of the Heavens and of the Earth is greater then 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 evill neither is obscurity such as the light but few men consider it Doubtlesse the day of Iudgment shall come neverthelesse the greatest part of men will not believe it Your Lord hath said call upon me I will heare 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 travell he is bountiful towards his Creatures bvt the greatest part of the peopple are ingratefull 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 your God your Lord blessed be God Lord of the Vâ—â— verse he it is that giveth and depriveth you of life there no God but he be obedient to him and observe his Laâ— Praised be God Lord of the Vniverse who hath createâ— you of mire Say unto the Infidels I am forbidden to woâ—ship the Idols that ye adore God hath taught me his â—nity I have received command to worship none but the Lord of the Vniverse he created you of dust mire and coâ—gealed blood he causeth you to be born little Infants hâ— maketh you to arrive to the age of discretion to virility old age many dye before that age and all attaine to the time of their destiny peradventure ye shall understand his unity he it is that maketh you to live and to dye and when he willeth any thing he saith be thou and it is See ye noâ— that they that dispute against his Commandments deparâ— from his Law Such as reject our Commandments and what we enjoyed our Prophets to preach to men shall find their errors when they shall see chaines 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 yee 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 paines befall 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 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 dye and thou shalt behold them all assembled to be judged Certaâ—nly we sent Prophets before thee we have spoken to thee of one part of our Apostles and the rest are concealed from thee neither Prophets nor Apostle can preach any thing without Gods permission he chastiseth the wicked when he pleaseth he shall judge the differences that are between them and the Prophets and shall destroy the unbelievers God hath created
from our Commandments cannot hide themselves from us Shall he that shall be precipitated into Hell be better lodged then he that shall be saved at the day of Iudgment Do what shall please you your Lord beholdeth all your actions I will chastise them thot traduce the Alcoran it is a precious Book it is approved by the ancient and modern Scriptures it is sent from the glorious and mercifull None other thing shall be spoken to thee then what hath been spoken to the Prophets that preceeded thee thy Lord is mercifull and just Had we sent the Alcoran in the Persian tongue to a Prophet an Arabian by Nation the wicked would have said That the divine mysteries are not well explained Say unto them It is the guide of Believers and a remedy to their ignorance Infidels have deaf ears they are blind and hear not a◠those that are called too far off Certainly we gave the Book and the Law to Moses Vnbelievers doubt but if thy Lord had not said That he would defer their punishment untill the day of Iudgement he had already chastised them in this world because they doubt of the truth Whosoever shall doe good shall find good and the evill that a man committeth shall be against him Thy Lord doth no injustice to his Creatures None but he knoweth the day of Iudgement no fruit nor flower springeth out of the Earth and woman neither conceiveth nor bringeth forth but by his permission Be thou mindful of the day that the lord shal cal Idolaters demand of them where be their Idols They shall say Lord we acknowledg thy Vnity None of us will hereafter adore those false gods They that worshipped one God departed from Idolaters they know that the punishment of their sin is infallible Man never ceaseth to require riches and is troubled when evill befalleth him if we give him good after his affliction he saith that he foresaw it and hath no thought of the comming of the day of Judgement if he be converted thy Lord openeth to him the gate of Paradise I will make the wicked to know their wickednesse and will most severely punish them when we bestow wealth on man he followeth his Idolatry and his sin and when he is touched in affliction he aboundeth in prayer Say unto them know ye not that the Alcoran proceedeth from God neverthelesse ye have renounced it who is more impious then he that impugneth the known truth I will cause them to see my miracles even to the utmost parts of heaven and earth and in their own persons to the end they may know the truth of the Alcoran Sufficeth it not them that thy Lord seeth all things neverthelesse they are in doubt of the Resurrection and of being assembled before him to be judged certainly God is omniscient CHAP. XLII The Chapter of Counsell containing fifty and three Verses written at Mecca IN the Name of God gracious and mercifull God is prudent wise majestique he understandeth all things and is omnipotent God hath sent thee the same inspirations that he sent to them that did precede thee he is omnipotent and wise whatsoever is in heaven and in earth appertaineth to him he is omnipotent and knoweth all things the heavens open at his command the Angels exalt his glory and implore his pardon for them that are on earth he is mercifull he beholdeth them that invoke Idols and knoweth them all but thou art not their Tutor We have inspired into thee the Alcoran in the Arabique tongue to preach to the Inhabitanta of Mecca and such as dwell about that City we have sent thee to preach unto them the day of Judgement there is no doubt that one part of men shall be saved and the other shall be damned had it pleased God he had created them of one the same Religion he giveth his grace to whom he listeth and Infidels shall be deprived of succour because they have required the protection of Idoles but God is the true protector of the world he reviveth the dead and is omnipotent he shall one day judge all the difficulties resolve all your doubts in your Religion he is my Lord I recommend my self to his divine Will he created your wife of your selvs he created all beasts male and female and caused you to multiply there is not any thing like unto him he keepeth the keyes of the Treasures of heaven and earth and taketh away and giveth wealth as pleaseth him The Law that I gave to Noah Abraham Moses and Jesus is that which I commanded thee to observe viz. to believe in one God The infidells are angry when thou preachest to them the unity of God he teacheth it whom he pleaseth and guideth into the right way them that obey him the wicked approve some points of his law and reject the rest although they have knowledge of his Vnity and that through the envy that is risen among them if thy Lord had not heretofore said that he would defer their punishment untill the day of Iudgment he had already destroyed them many of those who after them shall have knowledg of the Scriptures shall doubt of his Law but follow thou the way that is appointed thee and follow not their appetites Say unto them I believe in the Book that God hath sent I have received commandment to preach unto you that God is your and our Lord ye shall answer for your actions and we shall answer for ours it is not necessary to dispute against us God will one day assemble us in his presence to judge our differences he is our refuge such as dispute against the faith after knowledge of the truth are without reason their arguments shall be vaine with God they shall be the object of his wrath and shall suffer exceeding great pains God hath sent the Alcoran with truth ballance he will not instruct thee when the day of judgment shal be Such as have no faith in him ask when it shal come and they that believe him fear the coming thereof and know it to be infallible such as doubt are erroneous from the right way God is merciful to his people enricheth whom he pleaseth he is strong omnipotent he encreaseth the graces of him that desireth the riches of Heaven he giveth the wealth of the earth to them that effect it and depriveth them of the riches of Heaven Are there wicked ones among men that teach them a false Religion prohibited of God God hath not revealed it to thē had he not deferred their punishment until the day of Iudgmment he had already destroyed them they shall in the end feel grevious tormens ye shal see thē fear their own deportments ye shall see them chastised after their demerits and the believers that do good works shall enjoy the delights of Paradise where they shall finde whatsoever they shall desire this is the great grace of God this is that which he hath proclaimed to the faithfull that believed
have done good works say unto them I require none other recompense for the pains that I take in preaching to you then to love my kindred he that shall do any good work shall be rewarded God is mercifull and good works are pleasing to him Will they say that thou hast blasphemed against God If it please God he shall hinder thee to hear this discourse or will imprint patience in thine heart he abolisheth lies and confirmeth the truth through his words he knoweth whatsoever is in the hearts of men he accepteth the conversion of his creatures he pardoneth their sins and knoweth all their actions he heareth the prayers of the faithfull that do good works and augmenteth his grace upon them but Infidels shall undergo the rigours of eternall pains Had God equally enriched all his creatures they had bin in confusion upon Earth he enricheth whom he pleaseth he seeth and knoweth all he sendeth rain when men despair of his grace he is the protector of believers and praise is due to him eternally the creation of the Heavens and of the earth and of all that moveth betweene them is a sign of thine omnipotency If evil befal you believe that ye have deserved it neverthelesse he pardoneth you many things ye cannot escape his punishment on earth none is able to protect you against him The Vesâ—el that runneth upon the water big as a mountain is a token of his omnipotency to them that persevere in his Law and acknowledg his graces He shall reprove the wicked for their sins and shall pardon many They that dispute against his Commandments cannot escape their punishent the riches that ye possesse are the riches of the earth the riches that God bestoweth on them that trust in him are eternal They that depart from mortall sins that repent to have committed them that beg of God to be heard and persevere in their supplications they that take councel and consult among them what they ought to do that employ in good works part of the wealth that God hath given them that implore his help in their afflictions such as do good and such as commit evil shall be recompensed and punished according to their works God abhorreth Infidels ye have no power over them that implore his assistance in their affliction and repent your power extendeth over them that doin justice to the people and dâ—sobey on earth the Commandments of his divine Majesty they shall suffer great torments Such as persevere in well-dâ—iâ—g and pardon their Neighbour do what God hath Commanded He whom God shall mâ—slâ—ad shall finde none to guide him Thou shalt see that the Infidels shall ask if they may return into the world when they shall behold the fire of Hâ—l thou shalt see them flie with exâ—ream fear of eternal ignominy they shall look awry upon hell and the believers shall see that the wicked that have lost heâ—r Souls that have misled their family and all the impious shall be eternally damned none shall be able to save them and he that God shall mislead shall not finde the right way Say unto them beg pardon of God before the â—ay come that ye shall finde no way to return into the world nor excuse for your sins If they disobey thee we have not sent thee to be their Tutor thou art sent only to preach unto them When we give to man any pâ—osperity be rejoyceth and when affliction befalleth him â—e is ingratâ—ful for the grace of his Lord King of the heavens and earth God giveth children sons and daughters â—o whom he pleaseth he knoweth all things and is omnipotent he speaketh not to man but by inspiration and parable without being seen he sendeth his Prophets and Apostles into whom he inspireth what pleaseth him he knoweth all things and is omnipotent Thus have we sent thee our spirit to teach thee our Commandments thou knowest not before what was written in the Alcoran neither the misteries of faith we have sent it to thee to be a Light to the world I will guide into the way of Salvation whom I please I wil giude him into the way of the Lord to whom belongeth all that is in Heaven and Earth and who disposeth of all things CHAP. XLIII The Chapter of Ornament containing eighty and nine Verses written at Mecca Exteri intituled This Chapter the Chapter of Gold IN the name of God gracious and mercifull God is prudent and wise I swear by the book that teacheth to do well that we have sent it in the Arabique tongue peradventure ye shall understand the Alcoran it is written in in our originall Booke majestique and mysterious Shall I conceal from you the book of Salvation if ye be wicked How many Prophets and Apostles have we sent in past Ages whom unbeleivers have despised We destroyed the most powerful among them and all have incurred the pain of their predecessors If thou ask of them who created Heaven and Earth they will say that it is the omnipoten who knoweth all things Who hath extendeth the earth under you Who established the wayes to guide you It is God he causeth the rain to descend from Heaven in your necessity he maketh the dead drie and barren fields to revive in like manner shall the dead come out of their Sepulchers He it is that created whatsoever is in the world of divers kinds and Species and created the SHIPS and BEAST to carry you Remember the grace of your Lord say praised be he that created â—or us these things we had not the power to create them They all shall return before the Lord to be judged The Infidels have divided God into many parts Certainly he that saith that there are many Gods is impious hath he appointed you to say that the Angels which he hath created are his daughters seeing that he giveth you sonnes When it is declared to some Infidels that a Daughter is born to him he is not satisfied he desireth to have a son will they say that God adorneth himselfe and taketh ornaments to beautifie him like their Idols It is a manifest error they say that the Angels that worship God are the daughters of his divine Majesty I will write what they say and will râ—quire of them aâ— accompt of their discourse at the day of Iudgement They have said had it pleased God we had not adored the Angels They know not what they say and ignorantly blaspheme do they observe any Scripture that hath been taught them heretofore On the contrary they say that their fathers lived in like manner and that they follow their steps they have said as much to all the Prophets that were sent unto them When thou spakest to them to observe â—hat is contained in the Alcoran and to abandon the Idols which their fathers worshipped they answered that they believed neither in thee nor in thy mission but we avenged our selves upon them Consider what is the end of blasphemeâ—s Remember thou that Abraham said to his
the end too late acknowledg their errors CHAP. XLIIII The Chapter of Smoke cnotaining fifty nine Verses written at Mecca IN the name of God gracious and mercifull God is prudent and wise I swear by the book that distinguish the good from evil that we sent it the night of blessing to teach the people the torments of hel this book explaineth our commandments al that we heretofore comanded the Prophets this is a speciall grace of thy Lord he heareth knoweth all things he is Lord of Heaven and Earth aâ—â— of all that is between them beleive 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 shal 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 preched 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 Messenger of his divine Maj. resist not his Law I wil teach you his Comandments he shal defend me from your malice he shal preserve me from being stoned but if ye will not believe me depart far from me He prayed to his Lord when he knew that that people were unbelieving impious God said unto him goe 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 enemyes that shall follow thee shal be drownd How many gardens fountains places of pleasure wherin they took delight did they forsake They fel into the power of another with al their treasures and none lamented them either in Heaven or earth they expected not that punishment We delivered the Children of Israel from Pharoahs tyranny he was powerfull and a great sinner We elected them through our certain knowledg among all the world and 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 â—ruth of thy words Are they more powerful then their predecessors whom we destroyed because of their impiety We have not created in vain the Heaven and the Earth and whatsoever is between them we created them for certain signes of our Vnity the greatest part of the world understand it not the day of Iudgment is thâ— time appointed for their punishment that day none shall be able to save his neighbour or parent or freind nor shall any be saved but those to whom God shall give his mercy he is omnipotent and mercifull The fruit of the Tree of Hel called Zacon shall serve for food to the wicked it shal boil in their bellyes 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 bee said unto them tast the pains of Hell ye believed your selves to be the Omnipotent precious on Earth behold the punishment of which ye doubted The righteous shall be in delicious places in Gardens adorned with Fountains they shall be clothed with purple they sâ—all behold each other face to face we wil assemble them with women pure clean who shall have most beautifull eyes that shall have fruits savory and delicious of all seasons they shal never dye and shall be delivered from the torments of Hell through the special grace of thy Lord behold supreme felicity Certainly we have sent the Alcoran in thy tongue peradventure the Arabians will learn it they covet thy ruine but persevere thou and expect the time of the punishment of their crimes CHAP. XLV The Chapter of Genuflexion or Knee-bowing containing fifty nine Verses written at Mecca IN the name of God gracious and merciful God is most prudent and wise This Book is sent by the Omnipotent and wise The Heavens and the Earth are most certain signes of his Vnity to such as believe in his Law your Creation and the Creation of all Creatures are marks of his greatnesse 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 windâ— are signes of his Omnipotency to them that have knowledg to comprehend it I relate to thee the wonders of God with truth in what will Infidels 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 â—he rigors of infinite pains They deride the Faith when they are spoken to Certainly they 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 acknowledg 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 demirits Whosoever shall do good shall finde good and ye shall be assembled before his divine Majesty to be judged Certaiuly we instructed the children Israel in the Scripture and our Commandments we taught them knowledg and gave them the grace of Prophesie we enriched them with all sorts of riches preferred them to al the world We taught them our Law none disputed against our Commandmenes but such as had knowledg that through the envy thar arose among them but thy Lord shall judg their differences at the day of Iudgment We have sent thee our Law observe it and follow not the appetites of the ignorant they shall not be able to deliver thee from eternall pains The Infidels obey each other and the true-belivers obey God This book is the light of the world it guideth into the way of Salvation and the mercy of God them that believe in his divine Majesty Do the wicked imagine they shall
this present ye shall this day be punished in this fire because of your pridâ— 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 popâ—sterity viz. worship â—ut one God alone iâ— 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 â—ee the torments that thou preachest to us if thou art true he laid God knoweth in what time he will chastise you I preach to you what hath been appoâ—nted me to preach but I see that ye are obstinate When they beheld a black câ—oud appear which approached the place of their habitation they said behold a cloud that shall give us rain on the contrary it is the punisâ—ment that ye have demaned it is full of an in pâ—â—â—ous wind that shall destroy you though 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 cares but their hearts eyes ears were to them unpreâ—ntabâ—e the evill which they despised befell 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 paradventure the inhabitants thereof will be converted The Idols that they worshiped 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 Booke 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 Considâ—r 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 omniponent Be thou mindfull 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 pedecessors persevered Be not impatient till thou see the punishment of Infidels they shall see it when they shall rise againe 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 merciful Good works are vain unprofitable to the wicked and to them that hinder their neighbour to follow the Law of God he pardoneth their sins who beleive 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 warre cut their necks pursue them untill ye take them prisoners then bind them after this ye shal either give them liberty or put them to ransom untill 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 wil 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 Hee 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 whâ—reof 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 Mecca stronger more opulent then that which they caused thee to abandon have we destroyed They found no protâ—ction Are such as embrace the Law of God like to them that follow their own appetites God hath promiseâ— 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 savory and delicioius 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 shal remain eternally in the fire of Hell where they shall drink a boyling liquor that shall burn their entrails There be persons among the Infidels 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 Iudgment God hath hardned the hearts of such men and they shall never follow but their own passions God encreaseth the graces of them that obey his Commandments and fortifyeth them in their perseverance Shall the Infidells tarry untill the day of Iudgement surprizeth them The signes of that day hath already appeared that day shall repentance be in vain There is no God but God implore from him pardon of thy sin and for these men and Women that believe in his Law he knoweth what they doe day and night If the Chapter of the place where Justice is rendred had not been sent had not made mention of Combats thou hadst not seen them that doubt of the Law look upon thee with eyes troubled because of their fears of dying Teach them obedience and speak to them with civility Had they believed and obeyed when they were appointed to fight they had performed a good work Have ye disobeyed Have ye abandoned the Law of God to defile the earth and to deprive your sâ—lves of his mercy God rendreth them whom he curseth who comprehend not the truth of the Alcoran deaf and blind Have they a firm heart Such as have returned to their impiery after
of Moses and Abraham to wit that none shall bear the burden of another man shal have but what he shal have gained he shal in the end see his labour be rewarded after his works and all shall appear in the presence of thy Lord. Hâ— it is that causeth to laugh and mourn to live and to dye 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 Aâ—â— and Temod drowned the people of Noah 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 hel 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 scoffe and lament not when ye are spoken to but ye shal be surprized in your sin if ye humble not your selves before God neither worship him CHAP. XLVII The Chapter of the Moon containing fifty five Verses written at Mecca IN the name of God gracious and mercifull The day of Iudgment approacheth the Moon was divided into two parts nevertheless Infidels believe not miracles when they see them they say that this is Magick they lie and follow but their passion but as is written The history of past ages full of salutery counsels was preached to them neverthelesse Preachers were to them unprofitable Depart thou far from them when they shall be called to the universall Judgement which they will not believe that day shall their eyes be troubled with feare they shall come out of the Earth dispersed like frighted GRASSEHOPPERS they shall flock to him that shal summon theÌ„ 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 Devill Noah exhorted them and invoked his Lord in the end he said that his strength was gon and that he was overcome through the malice of men then was he powerfully succored we opened the gate of the Heavens and caused an extraordinary raine to fall wee caused FOVNTAINES to issue â—orth 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 Arke well pinned and chaulked it floated upon the water trough our pâ—â—mission to serve for a token of our omnipotency will any of the vnâ—elievers 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 puishment 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 Helâ— was he alone elected among us to receive the inspirations of God No he is an Imposter but in the end they knew them that were wicked and lyars We sent the Camell 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 drinke neverthelesse they called their Companions and slew the Camell of Salhe but in what manner were they chastised I darted thunder against them which made them drie as chaffe We have made the Alcoran easie to be understood will there be any to study it Lots Citizens traduced him and despised his instructions We sent against them an hot winde with burning stones that destroyed them and we in the morning saved Lot with his family throught our speciall grace thus do I recompense them that ackowledge my benefits Lot had preached to them the pains of hel we surprized them when they disputed against his exhortations they saw his guests to enter into the city in the figure of men we blinded their sight and said Tast oh ye wicked the punishment of your crimes In the morning they wery chastised with a perpetuall 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 Pharoâ—h were preached unâ—o they would not obey my Law and despised my miracles but we surprized them in their sinnes Are the Infidels that are among you of more value then those that preceded them Finde ye any Salvation for them in the SCRIPTVRE 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 then 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 twinckling of an eye the thing waâ— we heretofore destroyed a great number of Infidels like unto them will there be any that considereth it All the good and the evill that they have done is exactly written The righteous shall dwell in pleasant gardens they shall drink in eternall 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 of the Mercifull containing eighteen Verses written at Medina IN the name of God gracious and mercifull The mercifull hath taught the Alcoran he hath created man and given him the use of reason he created the Sun and the Moon to count seasons the Stars and Trees adore him he hath elevated the Heavens established Justice commanded to weigh with good weights he hath created the Earth for the habitation of men with all sorts of fruits gâ—ain and leaves he created the winds and tempests Oh men and Devils what Lord do ye blaspheme but your own Lord He created man of Earth like a pot and the Devils of the flame of fire what Lord do ye blaspheme but your own Lord He is the Lord of both the Wests and both the Easts what Lord do you blasphem but your own Lord He maketh the fresh water to mingle with the salt and the one easily mingleth with the other what Lord do ye blaspheme but your own Lord be bringâ—â—â— Pearls and Corrall out of the Sea what Lord do ye blaspeme but your own Lord he created the Ships that float upon the Sea big as mountains what Lord
he is not ignorant of what is in the hearts of men Have ye not heard what did heretofore befall the wicked They were punished they dyed 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 doe with them neither hath he need of the world praise is due to him in all places doe the wicked believe that they shall not rise againe 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 Judgement this shall be the day of Dâ—ceipt they shall be known that have deceived themselves and those that have deluded their neighbours See Kitab el tenoir 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 Commandements shall be precipitated into hell where they shall burn eternally No evill befalleth you but through Gods 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 resigne themselves to his divine will Oh 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 mercifull Wealth and children do often hinder you to obey God but know that he rewardeth abundantly the righteous feare him with all your power hearken to his Commandements 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 acknowledgement of his benefits and is most mercifull he knoweth what is present past and future is omnipotent and wise CHAP. LXV The Chapter of Divorce containing eighteen Verses written at Mecca IN the Name of God gracious and merciful O Prophet when ye repudiate your wives 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 expell them before the time appointed if they be not taken in adultery Such are the Ordinances of God he that shall transgress 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 tarrie shall be finished retain or dismisse 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 Judgement 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 moneths and doubt that they are misreckoned they shall tarrie three moneths before they marry again if they be not Nurses if they be with child ye shall abstain till their delivery whosoever feareth God rejoyceth in the observance of his Commandements 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 neer to you abuse them not If they bee with châ—lde allow them what shall be necessary for them untill they shall be delivered if they desire to nurse their children ye shall give them an honest salarie 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 then his ability permitteth he shall give you good after evill how many have been the Cities that have heretofore disobeyed the Commandements of God and of his Prophets We have kept an exact accompt 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 mercifull Oh Prophet prohibit not for the contentment of thy wives to do that which God hath permitted thee he is gracious and mercifull 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 faithfull devout contented milde clean virgins and not virgins Oh ye that believe in God! strenthen your selves you and your families in obedience to his Commandements 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 goe before the Prophet and them that have followed him When God shall recompense 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 goe into it God teacheth them a parable that follow his Law Take example by the wife of Pharoah 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 Josaphat preserved her virginity we inspired into her our Spirit she believed the words of her Lord and the Scriptures shee 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 mercifull Praised be he to whom belongeth the Empire of the world who is omnipotent and hath created life and death to let you know which is the better he is omnipotent and mercifull 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 terrible voyces that proceed from despair and wrath when they shall be cast thither headlong when they shall enter into hell by troups 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 bottome of hell Such as fear God without seeing him shall receive pardon of their offences and an exceeding great reward Speak secretly or publiquely God knoweth whatsoever ye have in your hearts since the time of your creation he is blessed and omniscient He hath established wayes upon the earth goe 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 earth drie and barren and cause it to tremble Believe ye that hee who is in heaven is not able to send against you an impetuous winde 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 neverthelesse ye persevere in your sinnes 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 hee 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 accompt of your actions The wicked dmaned when the day of Judgement shall be Say unto them God knowes 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 sinnes 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 mercifull 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 Commandements of God Others affirm it to signifie the Ink-horn but many of the Mahometan Doctors intitle this the Chapter of the Pen. IN the Name of God gracious and mercifull I swear by the Pen and by all that is written that thou art not possessed of the Devill 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 indulgent towards them and themselves more milde towards thee Obey not those infamous lyars those bablers sinners seducers and wicked persons full of treasures and children When the Mysteries of faith are related to them they say that they are but fables of antiquitie we will put upon their noses a mark of shame and ignominy we have tryed them as Gardeners when they have resolved in the evening to cut off the morning following some fruits of their garden for their refection and have not said if it please God By night which they slept God sent fier into their gardens that consumed them in the morning they called each other and said come to put order to your garden if ye desire to gather the fruits they believed the poore would enter they ran to drive them away and found their fruits black and their gardens blasted Then they said we are seduced we are sinners one of them said that it was requisite to praise God Then they said praised be God we are great sinners they approached each other and complained among themselves They said misery is upon us we were in a great error peradventure God will give us hereafter more then 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 his fear before their eyes shall dwell in gardens full of delights Shall I intreat the good like the wicked How can ye judge it have ye a book wherein you reade what pleaseth you have we promised to you any content at the day of Judgement 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 mindfull 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 punishment of their crimes because my wrath is strong Dost thou demand of men any recompence 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 Judgement 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 through their looks and that through envie they affirm that thou art possessed of the Devill when they hear thee read the Alcoran It was not sent but to instruct the world CHAP. LXIX The Chapter of Verification containing fifty two Verses written at Mecca Ekteri intituleth this the Chapter of Judgement 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 in him that preached to them the day of affliction and sorrow but Temod was destroyed by an extraordinary noise and Aad by an impetuous winde that God sent against them seven nights and eight dayes together they were overthrown strâ—tched out like palms faln upon the earth did any one among them save himself Pharoah 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 Noahs 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 mindfull of the day when the Angell shall sound the Trumpet when the earth shall lift it selfe up and the mountains tremble then what must come to passe shall come to passe 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 sinnes of men and nothing shall be concealed Such as shall take in the right hand the book of the accompt of their actions shall say wee finde what we believed to be true we know with certain knowledge the comming 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 accompt of their actions in their left hand shall say would to God that this book had been lost I know not what is this accompt 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 binde them and throw them headlong into 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 Majestique 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 shal the day of Judgement be 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 Judgement 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 mettall the mountains shall be like to carded wooll 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 behinde 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 evill 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 bashfull that believe in the day of Judgement feare 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 Judgement those that shall act the contrary shall be in the number of the unjust They
affliction shall appear I will not tell thee in what time this shall be then shall all men be assembled stretched out like Quilts and the mountaines shall be like carded wool Such whose ballance shall be weighty with good works shall go into Paradise and they whose ballance shall be light of good works shall go into hell they shall go into a fire so hot that I am not able to expresse the heat CAAP. CII The Chapter of Abundance containing eight Verses written at Mecca IN the name of God gracious and mercifull Certainly all your care even to the grave is in the abundance of your wealth but ye shall hereafter learne ye shall hereafter learn the truth If ye had knowledge ye would meditate on the torments of hell you shall see one day that they are indubitable then shall ye ask where is Paradise CHAP. CIII The Chapter of the Evening IN the name of God It is an hour appointed to the Mahometans to pray gracious and mercifull I sweare by the hour of the Evening that men are inclined to their destruction except such as believe in God that do good works and have in esteem truth and perseverance CHAP. CIIII. The Chapter of Persecution containing seven Verses written at Mecca IN the name of God gracious and mercifull Misery is upon him that persecuteth his neighbour persecution hath its Counter-persecution He that heapeth up treasures and is busied to count them thinketh they will make him immortall but they shall precipitate him into his misery I will not tell thee into what misery but the fire of hell is alwaies kindled to burn the heart of the wicked they shall be over-whelmed in flames and bound to great pillars CHAP. CV The Chapter of Elephants containing five Verses written at Mecca IN the name of God gracious and mercifull Considerest thou not how thy Lord intreated them that came mounted upon Elephants to ruin the Temple of Mecca Was not their conspiracy their own destruction God sent against them flying Troops that threw upon them stones whereon were imprinted their names he made them like to corn sown in fields devoured by beasts CHAP. CVI. The Chapter of Coreis containing four Verses written at Mecca IN the name of God gracious and mercifull Coreis had no humanity for them the people come every winter and every summer to worship the God of the Temple of Mecca which nourisheth and delivereth them from famine and fear CHAP. CVII The Chapter of the Law containing seven Verses written at Mecca IN the name of God gracious and mercifull Sawest thou him that blasphemed against the Law He it is that devoureth the substance of Orphans and the bread of the poor Misery is upon them that are not attentive to their prayers that are hypocrites and hinder men to do well CHAP. CVIII The Chapter of Affluence containing three Verses written at Mecca IN the name of God gracious and mercifull We have given thee a great affluence of our graces Pray to thy Lord lift up thine hands he that haâ—eth thee shall be accursed CHAP. CIX The Chapter of Infidells containing six Verses written at Mecca IN the name of God gracious and mercifull Oh Infidells Idolaters I worship not what ye worship and ye worship not what I worship I will not worship that which ye worship and ye will not worship that which I worship you observe your Law and I mine CHAP. CX The Chapter of Protection containing four Verses written at Mecca IN the name of God gracious and mercifull A great number of people embrace the Law of God when he protecteth the true believers and giveth them vicâ—ory Exalt his glory and implore pardon of him he is most mercifull CHAP. CXI The Chapter of the Cord of Palme containing eleven Verses written at Mecca Gelaldin entituleth this the Chapter of Losse The wife of Ablheb did cast stones in Mahomets way in contempt See Bedaoi IN the name of God gracious and mercifull Ablheb lost his hand God chastised him his riches shall not save him he shall burn in eternall flames with his wife that carrieth wood upon her neck bound with a cord of Palme CHAP. CXII The Chapter of Salvation containing four Verses written at Mecca IN the name of God gracious and mercifull Say unto unbelievers God is eternall he neither begetteth nor is begotten and hath no companion CHAP. CXIII The Chapter of Separation containing five Verses written at Mecca IN the name of God gracious and mercifull Say unto them God who hath separated light from darknesse shall defend me from all the evills that he hath created from danger darknesse from them that blow against the knot of the string from Sorcerers and the envious CHAP. CXIV The Chapter of the People containing six Verses written at Mecca IN the name of God gracious and mercifull Say unto them I will beware of the temptations of the Devil and the malice of the people through the assistance of the Lord and King of the people FINIS THE LIFE AND DEATH OF MAHOMET THE PROPHET of the Turks And AUTHOR OF THE ALCORAN MAHOMET the son of Abdalla a vicious Pagan was born Posthumus at * Now a City called Medina-talnabi i.e. the Town of the Prophet Jesrab then a Village of Arabia Feâ—ix his Mother a Jewesse both by birth and Religion dying when he was two yeares old left him to his * Some will have to be his grandfather Uncle Abdal Mutalib who being of vile condition and unable to give him education above the common ignorance and irreligion of his Countrey at the age of sixteen yeâ—rs abandoned him to fortune or after the barbarous custome of the Arabians sold him to the Ismalite Merchants who exposing him to sale in the Markets he was purchased by Abdemonople a wealthy Merchant He after some observation and experience of his wit and industry withdrew him from the common drudgery of a slave to employ him with his other factors in Commerce and finding him apt for those affaires gave him the conduct of his Camels into Syria Aegypt Persia and elsewhere By which in a short time he became so expert in his Trade that as be encreased the wealth and profit of his Master so he gained his good will and affection At that time Heraclius being Emperor of the East and the seaÌ„mlesse coat of the Church torne by variety of Sects and Heresies the Bishops and Governors in Constantinople justly fearing divine vengeance by reason of the Nestorian heresie which with that of the Monothelites began afresh to infect their Clergie deliberated on some Ecclesiasticall censure against them When Sergins a Monke and Sectary of Nestorius conscious of his error and dreading the punishment fled secretly into Arabia and found retreat and entertainment with Abdemonople the master of Mahomet where finding slender hopes of propagating his infectious Heresie the family being Pagans and lesse of overthrowing his opposites in Religions he resolved to take revenge on Christianity it self and
his train from the town This repulse rather irritating then terrifying him he drew all his force into the field and assailed the Jewes in two severall conflicts in one of which by a wound on the face with a sword that broke out his fore-teeth He signed the Articles of his Law with his blood and continued a long time as dead in a ditch but being rescued by his Slaves and recovered of his wound he again fought and vanquished them and converted their Synagogue into a Temple for his own use The fame of his exploits increasing with the number of his Sectaries to whom some Princes and eminent persons of the Countrey began to incline giving him their daughters in marriage awakened the Nobles of Mecca particularly the family of Coreis who wisely judging a new form of Religion propagated by a new way force of arms must inevitably introduce a new Government of which Mahomet of base and obscure beginnings would be chief as the Author opposed themselves to his designs expelled all such as seemed to favour him out of the City and severall times gave him battell in which he so valiantly deported himself that though he was somtimes put to the worst yet he more often prevailed and giving freedome to such prisoners as would imbrace his Law encorporated them into his Army strengthning himself and weakning his enemies Being in fine a compleat Conqueror in the field he assaulted the City of Mecca took it and after some slaughter of the Nobility his enemies proclaimed impunity to all that would acknowledge him a Prophet of God by whose favour as he affirmed and appointment not by his own valour he had attained to that honor After this Proclamation many for fear of present danger and apprehension of future bondage more out of ignorance imbraced his beliefe and he injoyed the vaine felicity to see himself Generall of an Army Lord of a vast Countrey and to be esteemed and reverenced as a Prophet About that time Heraclius the Emperor disposing himselfe rather to improve the Heresie of the Monothelites then to defend the Confines of the Empire not onely permitted Mahomet to domineere in Arabia but gave advantage to Cosroes the Persian King to invade his Dominions but at length awakened by the alarmes of so puissant an enemy levied a strong Army and summoned the * Sarra signifies in their tongue a Desart Sahen to inhabit Saracens a people so called from their inhabiting the Desart to his assistance The Persian vanquished and the Saracens expecting the salarie of their labours and with some importunity demanding it were answered that the Emperor had not sufficient Treasure to pay the Christian Troops and therefore those Heathen Dogs must attend the conveniency of their Prince Incensed by this contempt they retired See â—â—â—ds his Travell and marched by the way of Africk where finding Mahomet busie to inlarge his power he aggravated their discontents affirming it to be the Will of God that all men should injoy their Liberty that God was offended at their oppressions and willed them to oppose the tyranny of the Christians and that whosoever died in that holy war his soul should be instantly transported to Paradise These motives raised them to a resolution of making defection so that they elected Mahomet their Generall who incontinently deprived the Emperor Heraclius of his Tribute and his Officers who were slaine in demanding it of their lives After this act the whole Province which that of Egypt revolted and the people generally esteeming the successe of Mahomets armes which he was diligent to imploy as a sure testimony of the goodnesse of his Cause embraced his Religion Heraclius having neglected to strangle this rebellion in its birth indeavoured to extinguish it being now growne to considerable strength and to that end sent an Army under the Conduct of Theodesius his Favorite his Army was twice overthrowne the Generall slaine and the Mahometans pursuing their victories tooke from the Greeks the Countries of Egypt Syria and other Provinces of Africa where Mahomet increased his Triumphs and erected his Trophies Being now growne impotent rather through his inordinate life then burthen of years he retired full of glory as a King and Prophet to Mecca where he resolved to end his dayes 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 Angells to be the Sanctuary of all that repaire 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 delightfull and fertile scituation of it he should have been inticed to desert Mecca and contradict his own Prophesie His life now drawing to a period a Plurisie surprized him On the seventh day for Crisis of his disease he became frantique Haly one of his successors â—stonisht at his distemper and frenzie 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 daies intire with impatient expectation of his Resurrection were at length compelled by reason of its putrifaction to take him up ond bury him at Medina where his Reliques are annually visited by the superstitious Pilgrims of his Religion Thus Mahomet the Prophet of the Turks and Author of the Alcoran died on the twelf day of the Month * June Rabeg in the great climatericall yeare of his Age having abused men with his horrible impostures full 23. years dwelling in the esteem of a Prophet ten at Mecca and thirteen at Medina His coming was some years after the year of our Saviour 600. Heraclius being Emperor at Constantinople Sadinion Bishop of Rome Clotaire King of France Viteric of Spain and Edbald of England He was of stature not tall large sinews brown color broad face his head disproportioned to his Body yet may we well imagine the beauty of his body to surpasse that of his mind which was full of deceit vicious and cruell never sparing any thing to advance his lust in which he equalled himselfe to forty men or to procure his revenge He was as himselfe confessed altogether illiterate and though by nature subtile and quick witted yet often pusled for the invention of delusive Miracles to confirme the Arabians in their Belief For he continually preached to them that God had sent him to confirm his Law by force of Armes and not by Miracles yet the people instantly demanding them as signs of his Mission he was constrained first to tell them of a certain voyage to Heaven which was briefly thus The Angel Gabriel with threescore and