World who shall dispute for them against God at the day of Judgment Who shall that day be their protector He that shall implore pardon of God having offended him shall find him gracious and merciful who doth evil shall find evil God is Omniscient and most Wise. He that committeth a venial or a mortal sin and would excuse himself committeth evidently a mortal sin Many of them had endeavoured to seduce thee hadst thou not been directed by the grace and mercy of God. But they seduce only their own Souls and shall do thee no harm God hath sent to thee the Book that containeth his Commandments he hath taught thee what thou didst not understand and his grace is eminently upon thee there is no good in the multiplicity of their secrets or discâ—…se except in such as command aâ—…ms honest â—… and peace among the people with desire tâ—…â—…ase God they shall receive from his Divine Majesty a great reward He that shall contradict the Prophet having had knowledge of the right way and shall follow other paths than that of the true believers shall relapse into his impiety I will cause him to burn in the fire of Hell where is the habitation of the wicked God pardoneth not them that say He hath Companions except this he pardons all things as he seeth good he that affirmeth that God hath a Companion greatly erreth and is estranged from the truth If they invoke other than God they invoke Idols the Devil obstinate and cursed of God when he said to him Thou wilt not give me power over them that worship thee but I will seduce them from the right way I will prolong their wicked life to retard their conversion I will cause them to cut off the ears of Beasts they shall disobey thy commandments and they shall envy thy creatures He that demandeth succours of the Devil is in manifest perdition he will promise to Men long Life and retard their repentance but he promiseth them but a vain glory Hell is the dwelling place of such Men out of which they shall find no issue Such as shall believe in God and do good works shall dwell eternally in Paradise where flow many Rivers God is most true in what he promiseth who is more than God in his words Your lies and the lies of them that know the written Law do him no harm he that shall do ill shall be punished and shall find no protector he that shall do well and shall believe in the Law of God shall enter into Paradise and shall have no injustice done to him what better Law is there than to resign thy self to God and to be an honest Man Follow the Law of Abraham God chose Abraham to love him whatsoever is in Heaven and in Earth belongeth to his Divine Majesty he knoweth all things They will question thee concerning Women say to them God teacheth you in that what you were taught in the Scripture touching Orphans and Women give to them what is appointed by the Law and desire not to espouse them only to possess their wealth God teacheth you likewise to give to Orphans what appertaineth to them and not to injure them he will understand your good actions If a Woman fear to be ill entreated by her Husband and that he will divorce her they shall do well mutually to accord for peace is exceeding good If you be too obstinate and cannot agree together if you do good to your Wives in divorcing them and fear to wrong them God will take notice of your actions If you believe you cannot keep equality and justice among your Wives although you apply your selves to it Incline not altogether to your own appetites and leave not your Wife as a thing left in toleration If you live in a good accord and fear to injure them God will be merciful to you If they separate themselves conformably to the precepts of the Law God will enrich them with his protection he is bountiful and wise and whatever is in Heaven and Earth obeyeth him We have recommended to you the fear of God as we have heretofore to them that had knowledge of the written Law. If you be impious know that whatever is in Heaven and Earth is Gods he hath no need of his Creatures and must be exalted it sufficeth thee he is thy Protector If he will he can cause you to perish and put other Creatures in your place for he is Omnipotent He that loveth the good things of the Earth shall find in God all the wealth of this World and of the other he understandeth and seeth all things O you that believe be true in your Testimonies notwithstanding it be against your selves against your Father and Mother and against your Kindred and consider the rich no more than the poor God is the Protector of the one and the other follow not your Appetites to favour the rich more than the poor pervert not the Truth be not scrupulous to testifie what you know God knoweth all your Actions O ye that believe in God! and his Prophet and the Book that was sent before him know he that blasphemeth against his Divine Majesty against his Angels the Scripture the Prophets and life eternal greatly erreth and departeth from the Truth God pardoneth not them that have embraced his Law and then have forsaken it having believed in his Divine Majesty and are returned again to their impiety declare to such men they shall feel heavy torments Such as obey Infidels to be great in this World extreamly delude themselves greatness proceedeth from God It is written in the Book that was sent to you that the Infidels shall mock you when they shall hear the word of God and you shall obey his Commandments Tarry not in their Company if they change not their Discourse otherwise you will be like to them God will assemble into the fire of Hell all Infidels and wicked Persons Some of them that observe your Actions said they were of your party when any Felicity hapned to you and when the Infidels had advantage over you they said they were with them and that they fought against you God at the Day of Judgment shall judge the difference that is between you and will not give advantage to Infidels over them that observe his Law. The wicked think to deceive God but God deceiveth them they are negligent to make their prayers they are hypocrites before the World and remember not his Divine Majesty except very few of them uncertain whether they should follow the faithful or the Infidels he whom God shall cause to go astray shall not find the right way O ye that believe obey not Infidels to the exclusion of true believers will you give God manifest occasion to chastise you for your sins The wicked shall be in the lowest place of Hell and shall find no relief except such as shall repent that shall do good works resign themselves to God and obey his Commandments they shall
unto thee it is easie to thy Lord who created thee he said Lord give me some sign of the Conception of my Wife he said to him Thou shalt not speak for Three nights Then went he out of his Oratory and made signs to the People to make their prayers Evening and Morning Oh Iohn learn the Scripture with affection we from his Infancy gave him knowledg clemency charity piety affection towards his Father and Mother and not violence and disobedience We blessed the day of his Nativity the day that he shall die and the day that he shall rise again Remember thou what is written of Mary she retired towards the East into a place far remote from her Kindâ—…ed and took a Vail to cover her we sent her our Spirit in form of a man she was afraid and said God will preserve me from thee if thou have his fear before thine eyes he said Oh Mary I am the Messenger of God thy Lord who shall give thee a Son active and prudent She answered How shall I have a Son without the touch of man I desire not to be unchaste he said The thing shall be as I have told thee it is facile to thy Lord thy Son shall be a token of the Omnipotency of God and of his special grace towards such as shall believe in his Divine Majesty she became with Child and retired some time into a place remote from People where she sustained the dolours of Child-birth at the foot of a Date-tree and said Why am I not dead Wherefore am I not in the number of persons forgotten The Angel said to her Afflict not thy self God hath placed a brook under thee shake the foot of this Palm and the Dates shall fall gather them up eat and drink and wash thine eyes say unto them that thou shall meet that thou fastest and hast made a Vow not to speak to any one until the fast be accomplished Her Parents met her while she bare her Infant and said unto her Oh Mary behold a strange thing Oh Sister of Aaron thy Father did not command thee to do evil neither was thy Mother unchaste she made signs to her Infant to answer them they said How shall the Infant in the Cradle speak Then her infant spake and said I am the Servant of God he hath taught me the Scripture hath made me a Prophet blessed me in all places and commanded me to pray unto him he hath recommended to me purity through the whole course of my life and to honour my Father and Mother he hath not made me either violent or malicious praised shall be the day of my birth the day that I shall die and the day of my resurrection Thus spake Jesus the Son of Mary with truth of which ye doubt God approveth not the discourse of them that say he hath a Son praised be God when he willeth any thing he saith Be thou and it is he is mine and your Lord worship him this is the right way there be persons who in this regard have been of different opinion but misery is upon the incredulous They shall be miserable at the Day of Judgment The Infidels are manifestly erroneous from the right way if thou preach to them the â—…orments of Hell and their ignorance they will not hear thee We are Lords of whatsoever is on Earth and dispose of every thing at our pleasure they shall be one day assembled before us to be judged Remember thou what is written of Abraham he was a Righteous man and a Prophet he said to his Father Adore not what neither seeth nor understandeth any thing and that cannot be profitable I know what ye know not follow me and I will conduct you into the right way worship not the Devil he is disobedient unto God otherwise I fear that God may chastise you and you may be in the number of the damned He answered Oh Abraham dost thou abhor my Gods Unless thou change thy discourse I will stone thee depart from me for a long time he said May God inspire you I will pray for yoâ—… he is exceeding good and will hear my prayers Whom will ye adore when I shall be gone from you Worship God my Lord and your prayers shall be heard he departed from them and worshipped one God We gave him two Sons Isaac and Iacob both Prophets we conferred our grace upon him with an eloquent and true Tongue Remember thou what is written of Moses he was a Righteous man our Prophet and Messenger we called him on the right side of the Mount Sinai drew him near unto us and taught him our secrets we through special grace gave him a Brother named Aaron Remember thou what is written of Ismael he exactly observed what he promised was a Prophet and an Apostle of the Lord preached Purity and recommended to men to make their prayers often and was pleasing to his Lord. Remember thou what is written of Enoch he was a just man and a Prophet and we took him up to an exceeding high place God gave his grace to these men among the Prophets of the Lineage of Adam among them whom we caused to embark with Noah among those of the Lineage of Abraham and Israel and among those that we assembled and guided into the right way When the miracles of the merciful were related to them they fell prostrate and adored him with tears in their eyes their Posterity forsook their footsteps abandoned the Law and followed their own Appetites but they shall be precipitated into Hell except such as shall be converted and do good works they shall enter into Paradise and no injustice shall be done to them they shall enter into the Garden of Eden what the merciful God doth promise is infallible they shall hear nothing spoken in Paradise that shall displease them they shall hear the salutation of Angels and Morning and Evening shall have what they desire such is Paradise which God giveth to his Creatures that have his fear before their eyes I descend not from Heaven but by the permission of thy Lord he is master of our actions in Heaven and Earth and of whatsoever is between them he hath not forgot thee worship him and pâ—…rsevere in thy adoâ—…ation knowest thou any person that is named like him Man saith What shall I dye and rise again He considereth not that God hath created him of nothing I will one day assemble the Infidels and Devils I will cause them to appear at the Gate of Hell upon their Knees and will cast upon them all manner of misery because they have encreased their impiety towards their Lord. I know such as deserve to burn in Hell they shall be thrown thither headlong this is a most just Sentence pronounced by the Lord. I will save the Righteous and forbid Infidels to fall on their Knees before Idols when the unbelievers and many of the Faithful heard my Commandments preached they said among themselves that they were in
impetuous Wind against those wicked people that destroyed them Temod is an example of our Omnipotency with his Nation they waxed proud and resisted the Commandments of their Lord when it was said to them that the punishment of the wicked was deferred to another time but Thunder surprised them they saw it they had not the power to stand on their feet and were deprived of protection The People of Noah's time are an example of our Omnipotency we destroyed them because they were impious We built Heaven with strength and virtue I am he that giveth power and strength we extended the Earth and created of every thing Male and Female perhaps ye will consider it Say unto them Turn ye to God I am sent from him to preach to you the pains of Hell Believe not that God hath another God with him the wicked said heretofore that the Prophets and Apostles whom he sent were Magicians and possessed of the Devil Have they recommended to their Posterity to do the like Certainly they are in a great error Separate thy self far from their company and be not troubled at what they say preach the Alcoran it is profitable to the Righteous I did not create the Devils and men but to worship me Say unto them I require nothing of unbelievers for instructing them I require not that they nourish me God enricheth whom he pleaseth he is omnipotent the wicked shall be chastised as heretofore have been their predecessors in their malice their time shall come and misery shall befal them at the day of Judgment CHAP. LII The Chapter of the Mountain containing thirty nine Verses written at Mecca IN the name of God gracious and merciful I swear by the Mountain upon which God spake to Moses by what is contained in the book written in parchment by the first Temple of Mecca by the arches of the heavens and by the sea full of water that God is one sole God and the punishment promised to unbelievers is infallible they shall not be able to escape it in the day when the heaven shall tremble and the mountains shall walk that day shall be unhappy to the incredulous they shall be precipitated in the fire of hell it shall be said to them behold the flames that ye despised is this Magick See ye it not enter have patience or ye will despair ye shall be chastised after your demerits They that shall have the fear of God before their eyes shall be in delicious gardens which God hath prepared for them and shall be delivered from the pains of hell It shall be said unto them Drink and eat at your pleasure for recompence of your good works they shall repose upon beds well ordered we will marry them to wives that shall have fair eyes they shall be attended of their family and be largely rewarded for their good works every good action shall be to them a degree of happiness We will give them such fruits and Vines as they shall desire they shall present to each other the cup to drink they shall not speak an evil word and shall not sin they shall have Pages about them for their service beautiful as polished pearls they shall discourse among them concerning what they did before on Earth and say We were in the world we and our families with a great apprehension of the pains of hell but God hath gratified us he hath delivered us from eternal flames They shall say moreover we worshipped in the world but one God most just and most merciful Remember thou to preach the Alcoran thou art not ingrateful for the grace of God thou art not possessed of the Devil will they say that thou art a Poet a Rimer that nothing must be expected from thee but fables of past Ages Say unto them ye expect the time of my destruction but I with you expect the time of your ruine Do their Superiors command them to speak in this manner Will they be obstinate in their errors Will they say that Mahomet hath invented the Alcoran Certainly they are incredulous let them bring any discourse like to this book in Doctrine and Eloquence if what they affirm be true Were they created of any thing have they created any thing have they created themselves have they created the Heavens and the Earth Certainly they are incredulous Have they in their power the treasures of thy Lord are they Giants Have they a ladder that may raise them to hear what is spoken in Heaven let them produce some reason of their opinion Believe ye that God hath daughters and that ye have sons Will ye require of him a Salary for obeying his Law Is he your debtor The wicked are lyars do they know what shall be do they write it Desire they to conspire against thee The wicked often conspire against the righteous that worship but one God Praised be God he hath no companion If the Infidels should see a piece of the heaven to fall they would say It is a cloud driven by the winds leave them in their obstinacy until they come to the day of their death that day shall their conspiracy be vain and they deprived of protection They likewise shall be punished before their death but the greatest part know it not Have patience and expect the Judgment of God thou shalt soon see it I will protect thee and thou shalt not want help Praise thy Lord exalt his glory when thou shalt rise praise him in the night and before the Stars disappear CHAP. LIII The Chapter of the Star containing sixty Verses written at Mecca IN the name of God gracious and merciful I sweat by the Star that disappeareth that your friend Mahomet erreth not he speaketh nothing of his own he speaketh but what hath been inspired into him by the omnipotent and most bountiful God. The Angel approached him in the highest place of Heaven within the length of two bowes and somewhat nearer God hath inspired into him what he hath inspired into his servant who altered nothing of what hath been inspired into him He hath spoken what he hath seen and in what form the Angel was Dispute not against him concerning what he saw he another time saw the Angel in heaven near to the Tree that is at the right side of Gods throne and although that tree was covered with that which covered him his sight was not dazled and he is not in error Certainly he hath seen the great wonders of his Lord Have ye considered Alat Az and Menat those three Idols Will ye swear that God hath daughters and that ye have sons Ye will make a false oath and shall be in a manifest error Those Idols have nothing but the names which your fathers and you have given them God hath not commanded you to worship them Ye follow only your passions remote from the truth God teacheth you the way of Salvation by the mouth of his Prophet doth man obtain from Idols what he required of them God is
fear the day wherein one Soul shall not be able to assist another when a Ransom shall not be accepted neither excuse and when the wicked shall 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 shall become of my Linage He answered Paradise shall 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 Oratory at Abraham's 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 shall believe in thy Divine Majesty and the day of Judgment God said I will for a time enrich the Infidels also and precipitate them into the fire of Hell where they shall remain to all Eternity When Abraham and Ismael raised the Foundations of the Temple of Mecca Abraham said Lord accept our Vows thou understandest all and knowest all things Lord give us the grace to be obedient to thy Commandments and let a people issue from our Loyns that may observe thy Law Shew us the way we ought to follow and have mercy upon us thou art gracious and merciful Lord send to this thy people a Prophet of their Nation to preach to them thy Commandments to instruct them in Scripture and knowledge and to purifie them thou art Omnipotent and wise No man shall abandon the Law of Abraham but to his own damage I have chosen him in this World and he is in the other in the number of the just Remember thou that his Lord said to him Be thou obedient to thy Lord and trust thou in him he said I resign my self to God Lord of the Universe He commanded Iacob and his Children to follow the Law of God. My Children God hath taught you his Law trust you in him be obedient to him even unto death Were you present when Iacob was near unto death and when he said to his Sons Whom will ye adore after me They answered We will worship thy God the God of our Fathers Abraham Ismael and Isaac one sole God we resign our selves to his pleasure The good that those men gained remained to them and the evil that you shall commit shall be against you enquire not after what they did They have said Be ye either Iew or Christian you shall follow the right way Say unto them contrariwise The Law of Abraham is most just he was not of the number of them that believed in many Gods. Say ye We believe in God in what he inspired into Abraham Ismael Isaac Iacob and the Tribes in what was taught Moses Iesus and all the Prophets we rely upon God. If they believe as you do they shall not erre if they abandon your faith they will have a controversie with you but God shall protect you he understandeth whatever they say and what they do he hath purified his Law and what better Purification is there than that of his Divine Majesty Say unto them Will you dispute with us concerning God who is your and our Lord We will answer with our Actions and you shall answer with yours all our confidence is in his Divine Pleasure Will you say that Abraham Isaac Iacob and the Tribes were Iews or Christians Are you more knowing than God Who is more unjust than 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 remain to them and the evil 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 Orisons Say unto them The East and West 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 do that which is just that you be witnesses against the people at the day of judgment and the Prophet witness against you I have not ordained that you turn your face as heretofore when you made your Orisons to the end they may be known that follow the Prophet from them that return to their impiety It will be irksome to the people to turn to that side except to such as God hath guided into the right way God will not make vain your belief he is gracious and merciful to his people I see that thou liftest up thy face to Heaven turn which way shall please thee but turn thou towards Mecca wheresoever thou art They to whom heretofore the knowledge of Scripture was given knew that the Truth proceeded from their Lord what they do is not concealed from God when thou shalt meet them and that they will not turn themselves as thou in making their Prayers do not thou likewise turn as they they turn not all the same way follow not their Appetites having comprehended the knowledge that hath been inspired into thee left thou fall into the number of the unjust Many to whom we have given the knowledge of the written Law understand it perfectly as also do their Children nevertheless they conceal the Truth and are not ignorant that it proceedeth from thy Lord Be not thou of the number of them that doubt Turn thy self always towards Mecca Do good wheresoever thou art God will be with thee he is Omnipotent From what place soever thou goest forth turn thy face towards Mecca This is reasonable and ordained by thy Lord. Whatsoever you do is not hid from God wheresoever you are turn towards Mecca that none may find wherewith to reprove your actions but the unjust fear not them but fear me I will accomplish my Grace upon you and you shall be guided through the right way We have sent unto you a Prophet of your Nation that shall teach you my Commandments and purifie you He shall instruct you in the Scripture in knowledge and in what you understand not Remember me I will remember you praise me and be not in the number of the wicked O ye that are True believers implore succour with Patience and Prayers Certainly God is with such as are patient Say not that those that are slain for the defence of their Law are dead contrariwise they are alive but you know it not I will try you and afflict you through the loss of your Goods and disease of your Persons Paradise shall be for them that shall be patient and shall say in their affliction We are given up unto God and shall return before him to be judged his Grace shall be upon
It shall be said to them that have black visages Have you followed impiety after you made profession of the Faith Taste this day the torment due to your sin Such as shall have white visages shall be in the favour of God in which they shall eternally continue See there the Mysteries of the Law of God which instructeth thee with Truth God willeth that no injustice be done to his People whatever is in Heaven or in Earth appertaineth to him he disposeth all things There hath appeared no Nation on the Earth that hath followed a better way than you forbid ye to do that which is not reasonable and believe in one only God If those that heretofore had knowledge of the written Law had believed in God they had done very well there be among them that believe what is veritable but the greatest part are impious They shall not hurt you but with their tongue and shall find no protection against you if they fight you they shall turn their backs they were beaten with shame and ignominy where they made a stand except when they embraced the Law of God and observed the precepts that were taught the faithful When they returned in the wrath of God they were beaten with poverty because they believed not the word of his Divine Majesty but slew his Prophets without reason and disobeyed his Commandments They that heretofore had knowledge of the written Law are not all alike there be among them that persevered in obedience and in the night meditate on the miracles of God worship him and believe in his Divine Majesty and the Day of Judgment preach honesty prohibit to do things dishonest and apply themselves to good works certainly they are good Men. Hide not the good works which you perform God knoweth such as have his fear before their eyes Riches and Children shall be unprofitable to Infidels with God they shall eternally dwell in the fire of Hell The Alms that they give in this World are like to a Wind exceeding hot or extreamly cold that fell upon the Tillage of them that did injury to their own Souls and wholly destroyed it God did no injustice to them they were mischievous to themselves through their sins O ye that believe in God esteem no man to be elected of God that is not of your Religion The wicked endeavoured to bring you into their disorders malice appeared in their mouth and that which their heart cherisheth is yet greater We have taught you the Commandments of God if you observe them you shall protect your selves from the malice of Infidels O ye you love them and they love not you you believe generally in the Scriptures and they believe not what you believe When they met you they said We believe in God and when they were gone from you they bit for anger their Fingers ends Say to them Die with your Choler God knoweth what is in your hearts If good happen to you they are displeased and when evil befalleth you they rejoyce If you have patience and fear God their malice shall not hurt you God knoweth all their Actions Remember the morning when some of thy people deserted the true Believers in the Field of battel and when two of thy Companions forsook the fight God was their Protector All true Believers ought to trust in him He protected you at Beder where you were a few Men ill armed perhaps you will fear him and give him thanks for that favour Say to the true Believers sufficeth it not that God succoureth you with three thousand of his Angels Truly if you have patience and fear God he will come to succour you at need and your Lord will assist you with five thousand of his Angels sent from Heaven he will not send you this assistance but to declare to you his Protection and to confirm your hearts Victory proceedeth from his Divine Majesty He is Omnipotent and prudent in all his works he will extirpate in this World one part of the wicked or will so sharply reprehend them that they shall become desperate Thou hast nothing to do whether he shall pardon or chastise them because they are wicked Whatever is in the Earth and in Heaven is his he pardoneth as he seeth good he is gracious and merciful to the righteous O ye that believe be not Usurers and fear God peradventure you will obey his Commandments Fear the fire of Hell prepared for Infidels Obey God and the Prophets his Apostles your sins shall be forgiven you beg pardon speedily of your Lord. The extent of Paradise containeth Heaven and Earth it is prepared for the good God loveth them that give Alms in joy and in affliction that subdue their Passion and forgive such as offend them he loveth them that do good and that after the Commission of any sin remember his Divine Majesty and implore his Pardon Who but God forgiveth sins Such as persist not in their Errours and acknowledge their sins shall be recompensed with the mercy of God and enjoy his favour in Paradise There were heretofore Laws and Means to conduct men into the right way but consider what hath been the end of Infidels The Alcoran was sent to instruct the World to guide men in the right way and to preach to the good Dishearten not neither afflict your selves in fighting you shall be Victorious if you believe in God if you have been wounded the like hurts have befaln the impious God so diversifieth days among men to the end he may know them that are truly zealous in his Law and that among you Witnesses be taken against the malice of Infidels God loveth not the unjust he forgiveth sins to those that believe and extirpate Infidels Do you believe to enter Paradise and that God knoweth not them that fought gallantly He knoweth them that were patient in adveâ—…sity and persevered in obedience to his Commandments You expected death before you met it you saw it with your Eyes and were Victorious Certainly Mahomet is the Prophet and Apostle of God there were many Prophets before him when they died or were slain you returned upon your steps to impiety They that return upon their steps do no harm to God he will reward only such as acknowledge his favours and men cannot die without his permission and that in a time prescribed and predestinate I will give the good things of this World to whom it pleaseth me and will abundantly recompence them that praise me How many Prophets and men with them that were not dejected through their afflictions that befel them in fighting for the Law of God They were not weakned neither humbled to the Infidels God affecteth them that are patient in their adversities and such as persevere in his Law. They said in their afflictions Lord pardon our sins confirm our steps and protect us against the Infidels God giveth them the Riches of the Earth and the Treasures of Heaven he loveth them that do good O ye
were in the grace of God said to them enter at the Gate and fight against them you shall be Victorious trust in God if you believe in his Law They said O Moses we will not enter so long as those Tyrants dwell therein go and fight against them with thy Lord we will here attend Then said Moses Lord I dispose but of mine own and my Brothers person separate us from this wicked people the Lord said to him the entrance into the Holy Land is prohibited to this people they shall wander forty years upon the Earth in confusion and amazement afflict not thy self with the Deportments of the wicked teach them the History of the Sons of Adam how they offered Sacrifices how the Sacrifice of the one was accepted that of the other was not he through envy menaced his Brother to murther him his Brother said to him God receiveth the Sacrifices and Holocausts of such as have his fear before their eyes assuredly if thou extendest thine hand to slay me I will not stretch forth mine to hurt thee I fear the Lord of the Universe If thou chargest thy self with the murther of my Person with thy past sins thou shalt go to Hell where the unjust shall be punished The murther of his Brother seemed easie and advantagious for him he slew him and is in the number of the Damned God sent a Raven that made a Pit in the Earth and shewed him the manner to bury the Body of his Brother Then said he would to God I had been weak and impotent that I were like to this Raven I must bury the Body of my Brother and he was penitent for his offence by reason of this murther we ordained to the Children of Israel that he who shall slay a Person innocent shall be punished as if he had slain the whole World and he that shall give him his Life shall be recompensed as if he had given Life to the whole World. My Prophets came to the Children of Israel taught them my Commandments and caused them to see Miracles nevertheless many of them were disobedient the punishment of them that oppose the Will of God that of his Prophet and that endeavour to pollute the Earth is to be slain hanged to have the right foot and the left hand or right hand and the left foot cut off and to be extirpated from the Earth they shall have in this World shame on the Forehead and shall feel in the other great torments except such as shall be converted before their death and shall know that God is gracious and merciful O ye that believe fear God fight for his Law you perhaps shall be happy All the Treasures of the World shall not be able to redeem Infidels at the Day of Judgment they shall endure exceeding great torments they shall desire to go out of the fire of Hell but shall dwell there eternally Cut off the hands of those Men and Women that steal they contract upon themselves the wrath of the World and the punishment that God hath prepared for the wicked He that shall turn and do good works shall be pardoned God is gracious and merciful to the penitent Knowest thou not that the Kingdom of Heaven and of Earth is Gods that he chastiseth and pardoneth whom it pleaseth him and that he is Omnipotent O Prophet afflict not thy self to behold them running to impiety that say with the mouth we believe and have no Faith in their hearts neither for them that Iudaize and hearken to the lies of their Doctors to relate them to others they pervert the Language of the Old Testament and say If you be instructed in those Precepts you ought to observe them if they instruct you not in them take heed to your selves Such as make use of the name of God to move the people to Sedition are without Faith God will not purifie their hearts they shall have in this World shame upon the Forehead and feel in the other extream torments They listen to blasphemies and eat what is prohibited If they repair to thee and submit themselves to thy Judgment judge their Controversie with Equity converse not with them if thou depart from their Company they shall not hurt thee if thou givest judgment between them judge with Equity God loveth the Just How shall they submit to thy judgment seeing they have the Old Testament which containeth the Commandments of God They will not execute thy Judgment neither believe in the Old Testament wherein is the guide of the right way and a light to the Prophets to judge the differences arising among true Believers among Iews their Doctors and their Priests who study the Scripture and are Witnesses that it containeth the truth fear not the World but dread me sell not neither exchange my Commandments for any price Such as judge not conformably to the Law of God are Infidels We have ordained the Talio man for man an eye for an eye a nose for a nose an ear for an ear a tooth for a tooth a wound for a wound he that shall observe it shall do well and such as shall not judge conformably to the Law of God are unjust We sent after many Prophets Jesus the Son of Mary who confirmed the ancient Scriptures to him we gave the Gospel full of light to conduct the people to the right way with a confirmation of the Old Testament a guide and instruction for the righteous They that follow the Gospel ought to judge as it is commanded in the Gospel such as judge not conformably to what God hath taught them are disobedient to his Divine Majesty To thee have we sent the Book that containeth the truth and confirmeth the ancient Scritures determine the differences that shall arise among the people as I have inspired thee and follow not the Appetite of men that will abjure the truth which I have taught thee We have instructed all of you in a Law and assured means to lead you into the way of Salvation you should all have been of one and the same Religion had it so pleased God he hath done this to prove you Do good and know that you all shall be assembled before him and he shall resolve the doubts that are among you If thou judgest the differences that are among them judge conformably to what hath been inspired into thee and follow not their Appetites be careful they seduce thee not and move thee to doubt many things that God hath taught thee if they disobey his Commandments know he will severely punish them because of the Enormity of their Crimes The greatest part of the World are impious Do they affect the Judgment of the Ignorant What better Judge for the good is there than God O ye that believe obey not the Iews nor the Christians they mutually obey each other in their impiety he that shall obey them shall be like unto them God guideth not the unjust Thou seest such as are unstable in their Faith flock
him the right way God guideth Men to the way of Salvation I will wholly resign my self to the pleasure of his Divine Majesty Make your prayers at the time appointed and pay Tythes you all shall appear before God at the Day of Judgment to give account of your actions He it is that created Heaven and Earth Remember thou the Day wherein he said Be thou and every thing was he shall reign and at that day command an Angel to sound the Trumpet to call to universal Judgment the living and the dead He knoweth the future present and past is most Wise and nothing is hidden from him Remember thou that Abraham said to his Father Azer wherefore do you worship Idols instead of God I perceive your Family to be in manifest errour God shewed to Abraham the Kingdom of Heaven and of Earth and he was in the number of the Blessed Abraham seeing by night a most clear Star asked in himself if it were his God no replyed he to himself my God doth not rise and set seeing the Moon to arise he demanded if that were his God no said he to himself certainly God will not guide me to be of them that are erroneous when he beheld the Sun rising he likewise asked if that were his God and when he saw it set he said to his people I am innocent of the sin which you commit in adoring many Gods I wholly commend my self to his Will who created Heaven and Earth and profess his Unity His people would dispute against him he said to them will you dispute against me concerning the Unity of God who hath instructed me in the right way I fear not your Idols my God doth what pleaseth him and knoweth all things will you not consider it How shall I fear your Idols since you are not afraid to affirm that God hath Companions equal to him which you have no reason to adore If you understand the truth who is more true you or I Such as believe in God and shall not cover the truth with a lie shall be delivered from the torments of Hell and conducted into the way of Salvation We instructed Abraham with reasons to dispute against his people I give knowledge to whom I see good and exalt whom I please Thy Lord O Abraham seeth and knoweth all things we gave to Abraham Isaac and Iacob his Sons we before instructed Noah and his Lineage in the right way we taught it David Solomon Iob Ioseph Moses Aaron Zachary St. Iohn Iesus the Son of Mary Eliah Ismael Ioshua Ionas and Lot we gratified them above the residue of the World we elected their Fathers Brothers and Progeny and guided them in the right way Thus God guideth whom he seeth good Men before adored Idols and believeth there were many Gods nevertheless he blotted out their past Errours when they were converted If they slander them that have knowledge of the Scriptures and of Prophecies will give power over their Persons to Men that shall mis-lead them with the Infidels Those whom God guideth believe in the Unity of his Divine Majesty Say unto them I require no reward for having preached to you the Alcoran he teacheth to all the World the Commandments of God. The Iews have not honoured him as was their Duty they understood not his Graces when they said he hath instructed the people in nothing that is profitable Say unto them who gave the Tables unto Moses who instructed him in the Scripture which they have written in Vellum to guide and illuminate the people They have published what pleased them and have concealed much they shall learn in the Alcoran what they know not and what their Fathers understood not Say to them God after that left them obstinate and amazed in their Errours We have sent from Heaven that Book full of Blessedness it confirmeth the Scriptures that were sent before it to the end thou mayst instruct the people of Mecca them that inhabit about that City and the rest of the World. Such as shall believe in the Day of Judgment believe in what is written in this Book and shall pray to God to deliver them from the torments of Hell Who is more unjust than he that blasphemeth against God that saith God hath inspired into him what he uttereth notwithstanding he hath received no inspiration from his Divine Majesty Who more unjust than he that saith he will cause to descend from Heaven things like to those which God inspired into his Prophets When thou shalt see the wicked at the point of death and the Angels stretching forth their hands to take their Souls say unto them This day the torments of Hell shall be the punishment of the blasphemies that ye have vomited against God and your disobedience to his Commandments God shall say to them you are come before us without Riches and Children naked as you were created and have cast behind your Backs the instructions which we gave you I see not with you the Idols you adored you are separated from each other and have forsaken them that you esteemed on Earth should have been your Protectors God separateth the good from the wicked as the Corn from the Ear and the stone from the Date He causeth the Living to spring from the dead and the dead from the living behold the works of God why will you depart from his Law He divideth the Morning from darkness hath established Night for the repose of Men and the Sun and Moon to compute Ages Years Months and Seasons such are the effects of Gods power he is Omnipotent and knoweth all things He it is that created the Stars to give you light and guide you in the obscurity of the Earth and Sea he gratifieth with his Grace such as learn his Commandments He it is that created you of one sole Person that gave you the Earth to inhabit and preserveth you in the World he hath conferred his Grace on such as have obeyed his Commandments hath made Rain to descend from Heaven and caused the Earth to produce divers sorts of Herbs Green things and Corn he hath caused the Date to spring forth and the Palm Tree with Gardens enriched with Grapes Olives Pomgranets and many Fruits alike and different Consider how Fruits encrease and multiply this serveth for instruction of Gods Unity to them that have his fear before their eyes the Infidels have adored the Devil with God who created them and said that God hath Sons and Daughters such is their ignorance praised be God he created Heaven and Earth how shall he have a Son who hath no Wives He createth and knoweth all things he is your God and your Lord there is none other God but he worship him he conserveth all things he is seen of no Man and beholdeth all things he is benign and nothing is concealed from him O people there is come to you a light from your Lord to conduct you he that seeth clearly shall receive advantage and he that
God hath spoken to them and hath said enter into Paradise and fear not you shall for ever be exempt from affliction the damned shall cry unto the Blessed Give us of the water which you drink and the meats that you eat they shall answer The drink and bread of Paradise is prohibited to Infidels who sported with their Faith that were proud of the wealth of the Earth and that scoffed at the Commandments of God he hath forgotten them because they forgot the coming of the Day of Judgment and blasphemed against his Precepts We are come to the Inhabitants of Mecca to instruct them in the Alcoran we teach it unto men to give them knowledge of the right way and to acquire the mercy of God if they believe in that Book Shall they expect to believe until they know its explication It s explication shall appear at the Day of Judgment that day such as shall have lived without Faith shall say Certainly the Prophets delivered the Truth shall we partake of their Prayers will they intercede for us until we return to the World to do better than we have done and to obey Gods Commandments But they shall be damned because of their Blasphemies God is your Lord he created the Heaven and the Earth in six days and sitteth on his Throne he causeth the Night incontinently to succeed the day the Sun the Moon and the Stars move at his Command and all the World obeyeth him praised be God Lord of the Uniniverse Pray to God privately and publickly he abhorreth the unjust pollute not the Earth after the Ordure is removed pray to God to avoid his Chastisements and obtain his mercy which is for the righteous It is God that sendeth the Winds to dissipate the Rain when they carry the Clouds we drive them charged with water into places dry dead and ruined and cause the Rain to fall there that they may produce Herbs and Fruits so will we cause the dead to arise again perhaps Men will remember the good Land bringeth forth good Fruits through the permission of its Lord and the bad Land produceth only Darnel I teach my Commandments to such as are not ingrateful Certainly we sent Noah to instruct Men he said O ye people worship one God alone if you adore other then him you shall be punished at the Day of Judgment their Rulers answered O Noah thou art in a great Errour He replyed I erre not I am a Messenger sent from God to preach his Will I give you most wholsome Advice God hath taught me what you know not Is it strange to you that he hath sent you his Commandment by the Tongue of a Man like your selves to declare to you the torments of Hell Fear God he will pardon your sins But they belyed Noah we saved him in the Ark with his Retinue and drowned those that contemned our Law they were altogether blind We sent Hod to his Brother Aâ—…d and to his Retinue he said O ye people worship one God alone whom will ye adore or whom fear but God The Teachers answered thou art in an extream ignorance we believe thee to be in the number of Lyars he replied I am not a Lyar I am a Messenger sent from God to preach his Commandments I give good and salutary Advice wonder not that God teacheth you his Precepts by the Tongue of a Man like you who declareth to you his Pleasure Remember that he left you on Earth after Noah that he encreased you in number force and power Call to mind his grace you shall be happy They answered are we come to this to worship one God alone and to relinquish what our Fathers adored Shew us the truth whereof thou dost preach if thou art true he said the wrath and indignation of God shall fall upon you will you dispute with us of the Names that you and your Fathers imposed on your Idols God did not enjoyn to worship them neither have you reason to do it expect your punishment I will expect it with perseverance Then did we deliver him from their Malice and all the true Believers that were with him and destroyed those Infidels by reason of their impiety We sent Salhe to Temod and his people he said to them O ye people worship but one God he shall shew you a Miracle in this Camel suffer it to feed on the Earth and do to it no harm lest you be chastised Remember how God left you on the Earth after Aad he gave you to dwell in the Valleys in the Plains and Mountains Remember God and pollute not the Earth any more Their Captains who were proud demanded of the poor if they believed that Salhe was indeed the Messenger of God they answered We believe in his words and in his Doctrin Then said those proud Men we abjure what ye believe we condemn him and they slâ—…w the Camel of Salhe in Dâ—…ision disobeyed the Commandments of God and said O Salhe Let us now see the punishment that thou didst preach if thou art of the Prophets at the same time an Earthquake with Thunder surprized them and they remained dead as Carcasses in their Houses Salhe forsook them and said O ye people I declared to you the Will of God with fidelity but ye detest them that affect you and give you good Counsels Remember thou how Lot spake to the People saying will you daily defile your selves with Whoredome and with a filthiness that was never yet seen in the World by any your Predecessors Will you love Men better than Women Will you love sin rather than Piety They said Let us expel Lot and his Family from our City for that they will not contaminate themselves with us but God delivered him out of their hands and those of his House except his Wife who continued with them that were punished We caused a Rain to fall upon them that destroyed all of them Consider the end of the wicked We sent Chaib to the Countrey of Madian he said O ye people worship one God alone weigh with good Weights measure with good Measure and retain nothing from your Neighbour Possess not the high ways to give terrour to the people neither divert true Believers from the Law of God Remember that you were but a small handful of Men and he caused you to multiply consider the end of the wicked If any among you embrace the Faith and others contemn it have patience until God judge your differences there is no better Judge than he Their Teachers said O Chiab we will banish thee from Madian thee and those that are of thy Fath if thou art of our Religion he answered should I not abhor your Religion I should blaspheme against God who hath delivered me I will follow it if it please God he knoweth all things I will commend my self wholly to the Will of his Divine Majesty Lord judge our Controversie thou art the best Judge of the World. Then said their Teachers to the
most wise They that esteemed that the Temple built by Unbelievers to seduce the righteous to distinguish the wicked from the good and to observe such as had before fought against God and against his Prophet is the Temple of his Divine Majesty swear that they desire to do well and that their intention is most honest but they are Lyars and God shall be witness of their falshood make not thy Prayers in that Temple make thy Prayers in the Temple founded on the fear of God that is reasonable there be Persons in that Temple who desire to be purified God loveth such as have a clean Soul Who is he that buildeth best he that foundeth his building upon the fear of God or he who layeth the Foundation of his building upon the brink of a Ditch of Sand which falleth and ruineth it self They who esteem the Temple built by Unbelievers to seduce the people to be the Temple of God shall be with that Temple and with the Infidels that built it burnt in the fire of Hell God guideth not the unjust their building shall serve only to torment them God knoweth their design and is most wise he purchaseth of true Believers their Souls and Goods and giveth them Paradise if they be slain or if they slay when they shall fight for the Faith they shall have what he hath promised to them in the Old Testament the Gospel and in the Alcoran Who better satisfieth what he hath promised than God Declare to them that they have made a good purchace they have gained the height of Felicity Such as are firm in their Faith who pray honour and worship God who observe his Commandments and all true Believers shall enjoy the delights of Paradise with all manner of content The Prophet and true Believers ought not to ask pardon of God for Infidels notwithstanding they be their Parents having had knowledge that they are damned because of their infidelity Abraham prayed not for his Father untill he had promised him to adore one God alone when he knew his Father to be an Enemy to God he declared himself an Enemy to his sin he ceased praying for him although he was exceeding charitable and patient in his afflictions God mis-leadeth not them that he hath put into the right way he giveth them to understand what they ought to do he knoweth them that deserve to be seduced and such as merit to be guided through the right way The Kingdom of Heaven and Earth is Gods he giveth life and death to whom he seeth good Who except God shall protect you he hath given his Grace to the Prophet and to such as followed him in his affliction although it wanted but a little that the hearts of many of them inclined not to the party of the Unbelievers but he pardoneth them he hath been gracious and merciful to three Persons who deserted the Prophet and were sorry for their Errour they knew there was no sure refuge but in God he pardoned them when they were converted he is gracious and merciful to such as repent O ye that believe Fear God be righteous the Inhabitants of Medina and the Arabians that dwell about that City ought not to contradict the Will of the Prophet of God neither dislike what he approveth because they have endured neither thirst nor pain nor anguish for the Service of his Divine Majesty they have not been trampled under foot by their Enemies they shall irritate the Infidels and shall receive no displeasure on the contrary they shall acquire merit and perform a good work God doth not deprive them of recompence that do well he shall write down their expence for his Service and the number of the Idols that they shall destroy for reward of their good works It is not necessary that all the faithful go to the War it is sufficient that of every Lineage and of every Nation there go a party while the rest shall learn the Laws and Mysteries of Faith to instruct their Companions when they shall return from their Voyage perhaps they will fear the chastisement of God. O ye that believe in God! fight against them that would cause you to be defiled in impiety be valiant and know that God is with them that have his fear before their eyes When God caused to descend from Heaven any Chapter of the Alcoran some of them said through disdain that will encrease the Faith of this people Certainly it augmenteth the Faith of true Believers it rejoyceth them and enflameth the wrath of his Divine Majesty upon Infidels who persist in their pollutions and dye in their wickedness They know not that God tryeth the good once or twice a year they will not be converted it is lost time to preach to them When God sent from Heaven any Chapter of the Alcoran they beheld each others and said doth any one see us They returned in their impiety and God turned their heart from the right way for that they would not learn the Truth God hath sent you a Prophet of your own Nation who with Passion desireth to deliver you from your obstinacy and is extreamly affected to instruct you in the way of Salvation God is mild and pitiful towards true Believers If they abandon the Faith say unto them God is my Protector there is but one sole God I recommend my self to the Will of his Divine Majesty he is the Lord of the Majestick Throne CHAP. X. The Chapter of Jonas containing an hundred and nine Verses written at Mecca IN the Name of God gracious and merciful I am God the merciful The Precepts contained in this Book proceed from the Omnipotent Doth the people wonder that we have inspired a Man to preach to the wicked the torments of Hell and to declare to true Believers that they shall find true what their Lord to them hath promised The wicked say that it is but Sorcery and enchantment Certainly God is your Lord who created Heaven and Earth in six days and sitteth on his Thone disposing all things no Man interceedeth for his Neighbour without his permission he is your God and your Lord worship him alone will ye not consider it you all shall be one day assembled before him he promised with truth that he will cause Men to dye and raise them again to recompence such as have believed in his Law and done good works The Unbelievers shall drink a boyling drink and shall endure great torments because of their impiety He it is that gave light to the Sun and brightness to the Moon that created the signs to know the number of years the account of Months and of whatsoever he hath created these things teach with truth the Miracles of his Divine Majesty to such as have knowledge to understand them the difference of Day and of Night and what God hath created in Heaven and in Earth are marks of his Unity to them that have his fear before their eyes They who believe there is no
his people in this World they go astray from the way of thy Law confound their riches and harden your hearts they will not believe until they see thy judgments and feel the effect of thy wrath he said I have heard the prayers of you both be faithful in your Embassie and follow not the way of the ignorant We gave passage through the Sea to the Children of Israel Pharaoh pursued them with hatred and envy until his people were drowned Then said Pharaoh believe there is none other God but the God of the Children of Israel and I wholly recommend my self to his Will. Thou dost now believe in God O Pharaoh and wert before disobedient to his Commandments filling the Earth with they enormities I have delivered thee from this peril that thou maist be an example to posterity for many among the people are ignorant of my Omnipotency We gave the Children of Israel to dwell in places full of delights and enriched them with the good things of the Earth they knew the differences that arose among them touching Religion thy Lord shall judge them at the Day of Judgment If thou doubtest what we have taught thee repair to them that have read the Scripture before thee what thy Lord hath taught thee is most true be not thou of them that doubt neither of such as derogate from the Commandments of God thou shalt be in the number of the wretched Those whom God will chastise shall not believe in his Divine Majesty should they behold all the miracles of the World until they see the torments of Hell. The faith is exceeding profitable to the Cities that have received it when the Inhabitants of the City of Ionas embraced it we delivered them from our punishment we delivered them from ignominy and enriched them until the time appointed if it pleased thy Lord all the World should believe in him wilt thou abhor the People until they believe in God No Man can embrace the faith without his permission he sendeth his indignation against them that disobey his Commandments Say unto them Consider all that is in Heaven and Earth miracles and preaching are of no use to such as will not believe shall they expect what their Predecessors expected Say unto them expect I will expect with you I will deliver my Prophets and the true believers from the torments of Hell it is reasonable that I deliver them that obey my Commandments O People who causeth you to doubt of the Law which I teach you I will not worship the Idols that you adore I worship one God alone who shall cause you all to dye I will embrace his Law it commandeth to profess his Unity I am not of them that say he hath a Companion equal to him Adore not what can neither benefit nor hurt thee if thou do it thou shalt be in the number of the unjust If God will afflict thee none can deliver thee from affliction if God will do good to thee none can deprive thee of his grace he hath given it to whom seemeth good to himself he is gracious and merciful O people God teacheth you the truth whosoever shall follow the right way shall save his Soul and whosoever shall go astray shall destroy it I am not your Tutor I do but what is inspired into me I have patience in my perseverance I will expect the judgment of God there is no better Judge than he CHAP. XI The Chapter of Hod containing an hundred twenty and three Verses written at Mecca IN the name of God gracious and merciful I am the merciful God. The signs contained in this Book are most true they proceed from the most wise who knoweth all things Worship ye but one God alone I preach to you from him the torments of Hell and declare the Joys of Paradise that ye may implore pardon of his Divine Majesty and be converted he shall give you an happy Life in the World until the time appointed and shall reward every one according to his works I fear lest you should be chastised at the Day of Judgment if you forsake the right way you all shall be assembled before God to be judged The heart of the impious inclined to hatred of the Prophet and they would have concealed themselves for some time from God they are covered with their garments that they may not be known but God knoweth what is in their Souls he understandeth whatsoever they conceal and whatsoever they make manifest All the Creatures of the World live of his grace he knoweth the place of their repair and the place where they must die all is written in an intelligible Book that explaineth all things He it is that created Heaven and Earth in six days his Throne was before upon the Waters the Alcoran exhorteth you to well-doing If thou saist to the wicked that they shall rise again after their Death they will say it is but Witchcraft and Sorcery if we retard some time to chastise them they say there is no punishment for their crimes but they shall not avoid it in the day when it shall appear and they shall feel the rigour of the pains which they contemn If we confer riches and health on the impious and deprive them of them they despair in their impiety if we give them good after their evil they say misery hath forsaken them they rejoyce and become arrogant Such as are humble and patient in their afflictions and do good works shall obtain pardon of their sins and a very great reward Perhaps thou wilt forget to teach something of what I have inspired into thee and be afflicted because they say that what thou speakest shall bring thee no profit Certainly thou art sent only to reprove them of their sin thy Lord is Omnipotent and shall chastise them after their demerits Assuredly they will say thou hast forged the Alcoran and that it is of thy invention Say unto them Come and bring with you ten Chapters of your invention like to the Alcoran in instruction and eloquence and call to your aid the Idols that ye adore if you be righteous if they hear not your prayers neither afford you succours know then that the Alcoran descended from Heaven through Gods permission and that there is but one sole God will ye not trust in him I will bestow the riches and honours of the Earth on many persons that affect them and in the end they shall be confined in the fire of Hell and the good works that they shall do in this World shall be unprofitable in the other They who observe what God hath ordained study the Alcoran and believe that it proceedeth from his Divine Majesty to teach the right way and to obtain his mercy as before it was the Book of Moses Such as shall believe in the Alcoran shall be happy doubtless the fire of Hell is prepared for the Infidels who will not believe therein but the greatest part of the World is incredulous
Arguments and Reasons most clear and intelligible but those Doctors followed his Will and obeyed his Commandments notwithstanding they were contrary to Reason they shall follow him at the Day of Judgment as they followed him upon Earth that day shall they be accursed and shall find none that shall be able to protect them the punishment of Mecca shall be like to that I relate to thee there be of its Inhabitants who subsist and that do not subsist and are no more we have done them no injustice they have drawn mischief on themselves and their Idols have been of no use to them but to augment their misery when God hath commanded to destroy them Thus hath God surprized the Inhabitants of Mecca he hath chastised them because they were unjust this shall serve for example to them that fear the Day of Judgment all Men shall there be gathered together all the World shall see it I will retard it until the time appointed that day shall no Man speak without my permission there be that shall be miserable and others who shall be happy the miserable shall dwell in the fire of Hell they shall cry and complain so long as the Earth and the Heavens shall endure and so long as it shall please God who doth as seemeth good to himself The happy shall enjoy Paradise where they shall abide eternally so long as Earth and Heaven shall endure and so long as it shall please God. Dount not what the Unbelievers worship they adore but the Idols which their Faâ—… worshipped assuredly I will chastise them as their Fathers were chastised Moses preached the Old Testament yet did the wicked contradict his Precepts had not God said that he will not punish them untill the Day of Judgment he had already destroyed them because they are in an exceeding great Errour thy Lord shall reward every one according to his works he knoweth all their Actions Observe exactly what hath been commanded you with them that are converted transgress not the Law of God he beholdeth whatsoever you do Incline not to the affections of the unjust lest the fire of Hell surprize you and you be deprived of protection Pray to God Evening and Morning and a part of the Night prayers blot out sins it is the Doctrin of Preachers be patient and persevere God will not deprive the righteous of their reward He prohibited your Predecessours and their Posterity to defile the Earth nevertheless there were few among them that abstained the unjust acted whatsoever pleased them and were guilty before God He shall not destroy Mecca if the Inhabitants thereof obey his Commandments and if it pleased him the whole World should be of one Religion they to whom he giveth his Grace transgress not his Will his Word shall be accomplished and Hell shall be filled with Devils and the wicked of all Nations They have recounted to thee and thou understandest whatsoever things are necessary for them and what the Prophets have heretofore taught thiâ—…e heart hath been strengthened they contain the truth and they shall be for a Lesson to true Believers Say unto Infidels do on your part as ye shall understand we will do on our part as we understand and attend the issue we will attend it with you whatsoever is in Heaven and in Earth appertains to God all Men shall be assembled before him worship him resign your selves to his Will he knoweth whatsoever the people doth CHAP. XII The Chapter of Joseph containing an hundred and thirteen Verses written at Mecca IN the Name of God gracious and merciful I am the merciful God. These signs are the signs of the Book which distinguisheth good from evil We have caused to descend from Heaven the Alcoran written in the Arabick Tongue peradventure ye will learn it I deliver unto thee in the Alcoran one of the best things that I have inspired into thee Thou wert before the coming thereof in the number of the ignorant Remember thou that Ioseph said to his Father My Father I saw in a Dream eleven Stars the Sun and the Moon I saw them adoring me My Son said his Father discover not thy Dream to thy Brothers they will conspire against thee the Devil is an open Enemy to Men thou shalt be elected of the Lord in this World he shall teach thee the explication of Dreams he shall accomplish his Grace upon thee and upon the Lineage of Iacob as he did accomplish it upon thy Fathers Abraham and Isaac the Lord knoweth all things and is most wise The History of Ioseph shall serve for example to Posterity remember thou how his Brothers said our Father loveth our Brother Ioseph more than all us together he is in an exceeding great errour let us kill Ioseph and cast him into some secret place remote from us his absence will render the Face of our Father more gentle toward us after his death we will be converted One of them said you shall not do well to kill him but cast him into the Well some Passengers will take him and carry him into an unknown Countrey They said to their Father Father wherefore dost thou not send Ioseph into the Fields with us we will be very careful he shall sport and recreate himself I fear said he that ye will neglect to preserve him dost thou fear said they that a Wolf should devour him in our Presence and that we want strength to defend him In the Morning they led him with them and cast him into a Well We inspired him to Prophesie to them what should befal them for the mischief they acted but they wanted knowledge to comprehend it they in the Evening returned to their Fathers house with eyes full of dissembled tears and said unto him Father we sported and ran who should run the best Ioseph remained with our Baggage a Wolf came that devoured him thou wilt not believe us although we speak the truth then they shewed him his Shirt which they had sprinkled with Blood it is you that hath done it said he you shall answer before God he is my Protector and was patient without lamenting There past that day a Caravan near to that Well who desiring to draw water to drink let down a Bucket on which Ioseph took hold to get out they gave him Cloathes led him away secretly and sold him at a good rate for ready Money they would not kill him in which they were honest Men. He that bought him in Egypt commanded his Wife to have care of him that he might one day be useful for their Service and be to them instead of a Son. Thus did we establish Ioseph in the Countrey of Egypt and taught him the exposition of Dreams thy Lord is Omnipotent but few Men know him when Ioseph came to the Age of Manhood we gave him knowledge and prudence thus do we reward the righteous His Masters Wife became amorous of his Beauty she one day shut him into her Chamber and solicited him with love
not that God hath children We made mention in the Alcoran of whatsoever is necessary to be preached to the people say unto them If there be a God with God as ye affirm invoke him that hath his Throne in Heaven praised be God he hath no Companion he is most high and great The seven Heavens praise him and all that is on Earth glorifie him but ye comprehend it not he is gracious and merciful We will separate thee from the wicked we will harden their hearts and stop their ears When thou shalt read the Alcoran and say There is but one God they will turn the back â—…d deride thee I know what they desire to hear they would have the people to hearken to the words of the unjust who say That thou art a Sorcerer and a Magician consider to whom they compare thee they certainly are in error and are not able to find the right way What! we are say they bones and flesh shall we rise again and become new Creatures who shall cause us to rise again Say unto them Although ye be stone iron bones and flesh he who first created you shall raise you again They shall shake the head at thee and ask of thee In what time they shall rise again say unto them Peradventure it shall be suddenly When ye shall be called out of the graves by the Commandment of God ye will believe that ye have remained but very little time in the world then shall the Infidels confess that the Devil hath deceived them and that he is their open enemy Your Lord knoweth you all he will pardon or chastise you as seemeth good to him We have not sent thee to be their guardian thy Lord knoweth whatsoever is in Heaven and in Earth Certainly we gave graces to some Prophets which we gave not to others and we gave the Psalter to David Say unto the Infidels invoke the Idols which ye adore and see if they are of power to deliver you from affliction They that implore God desire to be nigh unto him who are they that shall nearest approach his divine Majesty they who hope in his mercy or such as fear his punishment Certainly his punishment ought most to be feared We will destroy all the Cities of the world before the day of Judgment and chastise the wicked with rigorous torments this is written upon the Tables kept in heaven nothing hath hindred us to manifest the miracles which the inhabitants of Mecca desire to see but the contempt shewed by their predecessors Temod saw the miracles of the Camel and contemned it I will no more shew miracles but to make the people to apprehend the torments of hell Remember thou that we have said to thee that thy Lord knoweth all that the world doth that which we gave thee to see in the voyage by night is to prove the people as the cursed tree which is spoken of in the Alcoran there be persons that will believe it others that will not believe but I will try them to augment their confusion Remember thou that we commanded the Angels to humble themselves before Adam and that they did humble themselves except the devil who said Shall I adore him whom thou hast created of the earth who is he whom thou hast preferred to me Certainly if thou tarry until the day of Judgment I will destroy his race except that small number that shall be under thy protection Thy Lord said unto him Get thee hence hell shall be thy punishment and the punishment of them that shall follow thee deceive by thy speeches them whom thou shalt be able to deceive seduce whom thou canst seduce with the wealth of the earth cause them to exercise Usury and commit the sin of whoredom tell them there is neither Resurrection nor Judgment whatsoever thou shalt promise them shall be but vanity and falshood thou shalt have no power over them that shall worship me I will protect them against thee It is your Lord who causeth the ship to travel upon the waters for the advantage of traffique when the tempest chargeth you your Idols forsake you he alone is able to protect you nevertheless when he hath caused you to arrive at the Port you deny his Unity and follow your impiety believe ye that he will another time make the sea calm to you and he will send you a favourable wind if ye do not acknowledg him your protector Believe you to return again to the sea He shall send you an impetuous wind that shall overwhelm you with your impiety and ye shall find none to protect you against him We have conferred on men many favours we have conducted them on the earth and sea enriched with all sorts of riches and gratified them above all creatures of the earth preach to them the day wherein I will assemble before me all the Nations of the World with the Prophet that shall have preached to them He to whom shall be given the Book of the Accompt of his works in his right hand shall read his accompt entirely no injustice shall be done to him and he shall be happy He that shall be blind in this world shall be so in the other and shall not see the right way They would divert thee from performing what we have inspired into thee to induce thee to blaspheme against me If thou do it thou shalt be of their friends were it not for the strength that we have given thee they would make thee to incline to their impiety hadst thou done it we had given thee to taste of great afflictions in this world and in the other thou hadst found none to protect thee against us it wanted not much but they had affrighted thee at Medina to cause thee to go out of it had they driven thee thence they had not continued there long after thee We heretofore sent our Prophets to instruct the people in our Law thou shalt find therein nothing to change make thy prayers when the Sun shall set at the beginning and at the end of the night and at the dawning of day the Angels shall be witnesses of thine orisons spend one part of the night in prayer this shall be an augmentation of merit thy Lord shall establish thee in the place of his glory Say Lord into whatsoever place I go make me to enter and go forth with truth give me thy protection Say that truth is come aâ—…d that vanity is vanished this Book shall heal the people of their error it shall bring them into the way of mercy and encreaâ—…e the misery of unbelievers We have exhorted men to abandon their impiety they have not done it and despaired when they were touched with affliction Say unto them Each of us doth after his will and God knoweth him that followeth the right way they shall demand of thee concerning the Soul Say unto them the soul is an effect of God he hath given you very little knowledge assuredly had it so
instead of God He shall be cast headlong into the Fire of Hell thus do I intreat unbelievers Know they not that the Heavens and the Earth was shut up VVe opened them and gave life to every thing through the Rain which we made to descend will they not believe in my unity VVe created the Mountains to hinder the Earth to move we made therein ways large and spacious for our Creatures we covered it with the Heaven and have exempted it from falling nevertheless they depise our Commandments It is the Lord who created Day and Night the Moon and the Sun all things praise and exalt him in Heaven we created no Person to dwell for ever on Earth all men shall taste of Death I will prove you with good and evil and ye shall appear before me to give account of your actions The Infidels scoff at you when they see you and say behold them that deride our gods They obey not the Commandments of God he created man of dust and shall shew you the effects of his Omnipotency be not impatient to see the punishment of the wicked who say when shall be the Day of Judgment Did they know it they would remove the Fire from their backs and visages that Day shall surprize them it shall astonish them when they think least of it they cannot retard it and shall be deprived of protection Certainly they scorned the Prophets that were sent before thee but they were punished after their demerits Say unto them who but the merciful God preserveth you Day and Night Nevertheless ye reject his Commandments Have they any other God but me that is able to save them Their gods cannot defend themselves I will not protect them yet will I enrich them as I enriched their fathers and will prolong their life to punish them on Earth Know they not that their estates diminish on all sides through thy Conquests Is it so that they are victorious Say unto them I preach to you what God hath inspired into me but the deaf hear not when they are exhorted VVhen they are a little touched with the chastisements of God they say oh misery We are too blame and are unjust I will weigh their works at the Day of Judgment that I may do injustice to no person of the weight of a grain of Mustard-seed and will most exactly account We gave to Moses and Aaron the Book that distinguisheth good from evil and commanded them to preach our Commandments to them that had our fear before their eyes That Book is blessed and was sent from us nevertheless unbelievers reject and condemn it We heretofore instructed Abraham in the right way and knew that he was a Righteous man. Remember thou that he said to his Father and his People What Idols do ye adore They said We find that our Fathers adored them he said unto them your Fathers and you were exceedingly erroneous They said Dost thou speak the truth or dost thou jest He said Certainly your Lord is the Lord of Heaven and Earth I swear to you that he created them Having convinced those Idolaters he said By God I will make war upon your Idols he broke them with an Hatchet in their absence except the greatest Idol on which he hung his Hatchet and said Peraventure they will accuse him to have broken the other Seeing at their return their Idols broken they said who hath in this manner handled our gods He is impious we heard it is a young man named Abraham who derideth them bring him before the eyes of the People perhaps they shall find witnesses of his action They said unto him Oh Abraham It is thou that hast so abused our gods he said on the contrary it is that great Idol they enquired of each other if those Idols spake and if they had motion afterwards they returned to themselves and said to the People Ye are too blame to adore those Idols he threw them headlong against the ground and they said Oh Abraham Thou well knewest that they spake not at all he answered Why therefore do ye worship what can neither benefit nor hurt you You defile your selves in adoring them instead of God Do ye not know him Then they said Burn Abraham and let us defend our Gods if ye are Righteous men but we commanded the Fire to lose its heat to preserve Abraham they would have tormented him and we destroyed them we saved him as we preserved Lot we conducted him into the Land of Blessing gave him Isaac and Iacob and the Children of their Children Righteous men and True believers to instruct the People in the way of Salvation we inspired them to do good works to pray at the time appointed to pay Tithes and to worship us we gave to Lot prudence and knowledge and delivered him from the Inhabitants of the City who were the most vicious upon Earth we were gracious to him because he was Righteous Remember Noah and that he heretofore invoked us we heard his Prayer and delivered him from great danger and all that were with him in the Ark we delivered him from the hand of the wicked whom we drowned Remember David and Solomon who rendred Justice in the Field whereinto the Flocks of the Village entred by Night without Shepherds we are witness of their Judgments we instructed Solomon in Justice we gave him Prudence and Knowledg the Mountains adored us with David and with him the Birds praised us we were with them when they praised us We taught you the manner of sowing Seed to preserve you from necessity peradventure ye will be thankful to me We commanded the Winds to obey Solomon and know all that he did The Devils obeyd him they dived into the Sea to fish for Gems for him and travelled also in other matters and we hindred them to act mischief against men Remember Iob who prayed to his Lord and said I am in exceeding great affliction thou art the merciful of the merciful We heard him and delivered him from his affliction gave to him our grace and to his family and to them that were with him who had patience and trusted in me Remember Ismael Enoch Delcafel and Zachary they persevered in well doing we gave them our grace because they were Righteous Remember Ionas who forsook his People in displeasure he believed I could do nothing against him but he cryed in the dark and said There is no God besides thee praised be thy Name I am to blame for having offended thee We heard him and delivered him from his disaster Thus do I protect True believers when they invoke me Remember Zachary who made his Prayer and said Lord I know there is no better Heir in the World than thy self yet let me not dye without issue We heard his request gave him a Son named Iohn and rendred his Wife fruitful All these Prophets went on with alacrity to do well and invoked us with humility with desire to obtain our grace and with fear of
the torments of Hell. Remember Mary whose womb I blessed we inspired into her our Spirit and gave her a Son a Miracle in the VVorld Your Law is one onely Law and I am one onely God worship me and be not impious ye all shall appear before me to be judged I will protect the True believers that shall have done good works and will write what they shall do for their reward Misery is upon the Cities that we have ruined their inhabitants shall not return into the World until the passage be opened to Iagog and Magog and they come running from the eminent places of the Earth then shall the Day of Judgment approach the promised Truth shall not be far off it shall trouble the sight of the wicked who shall say O misery We are miserable we did not foresee this disaster we have been exceeding too blame for having offended God. It shall be said unto them Ye worshipped instead of God the firebrands of Hell into which ye shall be cast headlong Had your Idols been Gods as ye believed they should not have entred Hell they and those that have adored them shall be eternally damned they shall groan complain and shall not be heard Such as shall be in Paradise shall be far remote from them they shall not hear their howlings and shall enjoy eternally what they shall desire the crys of the Damned shall not afflict them the Angels shall meet them when they come out of their graves and shall say Behold now the day that was foretold you in the World a Day wherein we will open the Heavens and the Book of the account of all men as we promised to your predecessors We exactly perform what we promise we have written in the Old Testament and afterwards in the Alcoran That the Righteous shall inherit the Earth This Book shall teach the way of Paradise to them that shall worship me We had not sent thee but in favour of men say unto them God hath always inspired into me that your God is one God will ye not obey him If they go astray I have taught you how they must be intreated Say unto them I know not whether the punishment denounced to you shall be speedy or tardy God knoweth what is known and unknown in the World I know not whether he will try you or defer his punishment until the time appointed He is a most just Judg and most merciful he is not such as ye speak him CHAP. XXII The Chapter of Pilgrimage containing Seventy and Seven Verses written at Mecca IN the Name of God Gracious and Merciful O ye People fear God. The Earthquake that shall happen at the Day of Judgment shall be wonderful ye shall that day see Mothers forget their Children and every one shall bear his own burden ye shall see men drunk not with Wine but amazed and astonished at the great judgments of God. There be who dispute of the Deity with ignorance and follow the will of the Devil voluntary and obstinate It is written he shall seduce them that obey him and shall conduct them into Hell. O ye People if ye doubt of the Resurrection consider how we created you of the dust of the Earth with a little Water sprinkled upon the Dust of the Earth with congealed blood and a little flesh intirely and not intirely formed I form in the wombs of Women what seemeth good to me at the time appointed I cause you to come forth Children then I give you life and make you to arrive to the Age of Virility some die young and others live to extremiry of Age to the end they may learn to live well Consider the Earth dry dead and barren when we shall cause Rain to fall it shall change the face shall produce and nourish its fruits of all sorts fair and pleasing Because God is truth it self he raiseth again the dead and is Omnipotent There is no doubt but the Day of Judgment approacheth and that God will cause the dead to rise again There be men that dispute of God without knowledg without reason without authority and go astray from the way of his Law they shall be full of ignominy and shame in this World and shall feel in the other the pains of Hell. God doth no injustice to his People There be who who adore him with scruple if good befal them they persevere to adore him if evil they return to their impiety and lose the riches of Earth and the riches of Heaven These two losses are exceeding great they invoke Idols instead of God they invoke what can neither benefit nor hurt them Such prayers are by-ways far remote from the Commandments of God they worship that which doth rather mischief nor advantage them Certainly God shall make the True-believers that do good works to enter into Gardens wherein flow many Rivers he doth what seemeth good to him He that is angry that God giveth succor and protection to Mahomet in this World and in the other let him tye a Cord to a Beam of his House and hang himself he shall see if his choller will be allayed God hath sent the Alcoran as heretofore he sent the other Scriptures it containeth his Commandments clear and intelligible it guideth into the right way whom it pleaseth him He at the Day of Judgment shall judg the differences that are between the Faithful and Infidels between the Samaritans the Christians and Idolaters he is Omniscient Seest thou not that all that is in Heaven and on Earth the Sun the Moon the Stars the Mountains Trees and Beasts adore him Many worship him with zeal but many likewise merit to be punished None shall esteem him whom God shall despise he doth as seemeth good to him These two contrary parties the Believers and the Infidels have disputed of the Deity but the Infidels shall be encompassed with flames of Hell they shall have Shirts of Fire boyling Water shall flow in upon their Heads the Fire shall burn what is in their Bellies and shall roast their Skin they shall be beaten with Clubs of Iron when they think to go out of this Fire they shall enter further into it and be eternally tormented God shall cause the True-believers that have done good works to go into Gardens wherein flow many Rivers they shall be adorned with Bracelets of Gold and Pearls they shall be clothed with Silk and enjoy Eternal felicity because they have professed his Unity and the Infidels shall suffer great torments for that they have hindred the People to imbrace the Faith and visit the Temple of Mecca which God hath established to be therein adored of all the World He that shall be sollicited to visit it and shall enter it with design to return to his impiety shall be severely punished Remember that we shewed to Abraham the place to build the Temple of Mecca that we commanded him to adore me alone and to purge my Temple from Idols for the satisfaction of them
that should there make processions Men shall come thither to visit thee from all parts on foot and on Horse-back they shall receive profit they shall there make their prayers at the times appointed and the days nominated they shall thank the Lord for his benefits towards them and the Riches which he hath given them and shall make likewise processions at the old Temple He that shall reverence it shall do exceeding well and shall be recompenced of his Lord. It is lawful for you to eat of all clean Beasts except of such as have been heretofore prohibited Depart from the pollution of Idols beware of bearing false witness and be obedient to God. He that saith God hath a Companion is like to him that fell headlong from Heaven whom the Birds devoured and the wind cast into a remote place full of miseries He that shall reverence the signs of the power of God will not doubt of his Law and shall be rewarded for his good works at the time appointed if he visit the old Temple of Mecca We have given to all Nations of the World a Law to offer their Sacrifices and to return thanks to their Lord for having given them advantage above all sorts of Beasts Your God is one God obey his Commandments proclaim a great reward to them that are obedient to him to them that tremble with fear when they hear mention of his name that are patient in their adversity that pray at the time appointed and dispence in alms some part of the wealth that we have given them We have created the female Camel for a sign of our unity she shall be profitable to you in this World. Remember to pronounce the Name of God when ye shall sacrifice her standing on her feet when she shall fall dead on the ground eat of her flesh if it like you and give to eat to such as shall require it We have made her subject to you peradventure ye will be thankful to me for this grace God promoteth before him neither the flesh of this Beast nor the blood but onely the good works that ye perform He hath thus subjected it That ye may exalt it and give him thanks for having guided you into the right way Proclaim to the righteous That God will remove far from them the malice of the wicked he abhorreth Traytors and the ingrateful Declare to such as fight against Infidels to repair the injury they have done them that God is sufficiently powerful to protect them When they were driven from their houses without reason they said God is our Lord Had not God stirred up the people against each other the Covents of the Religious the Churches of the Christians the Synagogues of the Jews and the Temples of the Believers had been ruined through the multitude of the wicked and their malice The name of God is exalted in the Temples of believers and therein is his Law defended and protected God is most strong he hath all power over his people Those whom God hath established on Earth with victory over their enemies make their prayers in the manner ordained pay Tithes and enjoin to do what is honest and civil forbid to do what is prohibited of God who knoweth the end of all things If the Infidels traduce thee their predecessors traduced Noah Aad Chaib Abraham and Lot they also slandered Moses God for a time deferred their punishment but in the end most severely chastised them How many Cities have we destroyed because of their impiety We have overthrown and made them desart through the death of their inhabitants Shall those of Mecca walk for ever upon Earth with an hard heart without reflecting upon what hath heretofore befaln the Infidels Their eyes are not blind but their hearts are blind and hardned They will require thee to cause the wicked to be speedily chastised God will not go against what he hath promised One day before thy Lord is as a thousand years before men How often hath the punishments of impâ—…ous Cities been deferred that in the end were destroyed The whole world shall one day be assembled before me to be recompenced after their merits Say unto them O people I preach unto you publickly the torments of Hell such as shall believe and do good works shall receive pardon of their sins and a precious treasure they that shall endeavour to make void the faith shall be damned We sent our Prophet to read only our Commandments to the people the unbelievers read many things that are not in the Alcoran but God hath made vain what the Devil had there inserted and confirmed the precepts of his Law What the Devil there inserted serveth for sâ—…dition to them that are weak in their faith and have an hard heart The Infidels are in an exceeding great error and are far from the Truth Such as have the knowledge of Scripture know that the Alcoran is truth it self which proceedeth from thy Lord They believe in it and humble their heart in reading it God guideth into the right way such as believe in the truth The Infidels shall be in doubt until they be surprized of the day of Judgment That day shall they be rigorously chastised that day shall God command and judg the good and the bad the righteous that shall have believed and done good works shall enter into delicious Gardens and the Infidels that shall have disobeyed his Commandments shall suffer exceeding great torments They that departed from Mecca and went to Medina to abandon the society of unbelievers and were slain or died of sickness shall be rewarded of his divine Majesty God is the greatest benefactor in the world he shall give them to enter where they shall desire he is omniscient and most merciful The believers that shall take revenge of the injury that the unbelievers have done them shall be protected of God He is gracious and merciful towards his people he maketh day to enter into night and night into day he heareth the prayers of True believers and seeth whatsoever they do and will protect them because he is truth it self Idols are but vanity and God is most high and omnipotent Dost thou not consider that God sendeth the rain from Heaven and that the Earth becometh green He is benign to his people and knoweth all things whatsoever is in Heaven and Earth is his he hath no need of his people and ought to be exalted Seest thou not that God hath subjected to you all the beasts that are upon the earth Seest thou not that the ship runneth upon the sea through his command to transport you and your substance Seest thou not that he hindreth Heaven to fall upon the Earth certainly he is benign and merciful He it is that hath given you life and death he shall make you to die and shall raise you again nevertheless man is ingrateful for his favours We have given a law to all the Nations of the World to guide them into the right
his Divine Majesty for them that have his fear before their eyes I will one day assemble Idolaters with their Idols God shall say unto them you are they who have seduced my creatures from the right way they shall say praised be thy Name we ought to have worshipped none but thy Divine Majesty but the wealth that thou gavest to our Magistrates and their life which thou didst prolong caused them to forget thy Commandments they were pernicious men in that they abjured thy Law they cannot this day be exempt from the punishment of our crimes neither protect us against thy wrath The Idolaters shall be rigorously punished the Prophets that we sent before thee did eat Bread and Meat and walked through the streets we prove them one after another Persevere God beholdeth them that are patient Those that believe not in the Resurrection have said The Angels are not descended from Heaven we have not seen God they are become proud and are fallen into an exceeding great error but the wicked shall one day be without comfort when they see the Angels they shall cry help help We will set before their eyes all the sins that they have committed the good works which they shall think to have done shall be like to dust which the wind carryeth away and the blessed shall enjoy a most certain good they shall hear of nothing but what contenteth them When the Heaven and the Air shall divide themselves and the Angels shall descend then shall the truth appear and the merciful shall Reign that day shall be tedious to Infidels they shall bite their fingers and say would to God I had followed the Prophet and his Apostle Oh misery would to God I had not contracted amity with such an Infidel he seduced me from the right way he hindred me to believe in the Alcoran which God sent certainly the Devil hath tempted men Then shall the Prophet say Lord such as have followed me have obeyed what is written in the Alcoran and the Infidels have rejected it We have appointed an enemy among the wicked to every Prophet of them that were before thee but it sufficeth thee that God guideth and protecteth thee The Infidels have demanded if the Alcoran was sent all at once I have so done to confirm the truth in thy heart I have sent it piece by piece they shall not shew thee any thing like unto it I have instructed thee in the Truth clear and intelligible the incredulous shall be confined in the Fire of Hell and be most miserable Certainly We gave to Moses the Book of the Law we sent with him his Brother Aaron to assist him and said unto them Go both of you preach unto Infidels we will destroy them unless they be converted When the People of Noah despised our Commandment we drowned them and made them serve for example to Posterity and prepared great torments for the impious Remember Aad Temod and those that dwelt nigh unto the Well a long time after them we spake to them in Parables and destroyed them Oh ye wicked consider the misery of the City upon which fell that mischievous Rain that destroyed them because the Inhabitants believed not in the Resurrection When the Infidels saw thee appear they derided thee and said This Prophet would seduce us and make us to abandon our God we had patience and deferred our punishment They shall know at the Day of Judgment them that have been seduced Hast thou considered the action of him that spake of his God after his fantasie Wert thou his Tutor to hinder him to speak Dost thou believe that the greatest part of the wicked hear and understand what thou speakest to them They are like Beasts and worse Seest thou how thy Lord sheddeth the Rose Were it his will it should be permanent the Sun hath caused it to melt and attracteth it gently to himself He it is that created the Night for repose and the Day for labour He it is that sendeth the Winds by his special grace he maketh Rain to descend from Heaven to refresh the Earth to give it life to water the beasts and for the contentment of men we have divided it among them that they may be mindful of our grace nevertheless the greatest part of them are ungrateful Had we so pleased we had sent to every City a preacher to preach unto the Inhabitants the Torments of Hell obey not Infidels preach to them frequently what is written in the Alcoran It is God that hath sweetned the water of Euphrates that joyned the two Seas that made them Salt and put between them a separation to hinder them to mix He created Man and Woman of a little water to increase and multiply together thy Lord can do whatsoever him pleaseth yet do the Infidels adore what can neither benefit nor hurt them and assist the devil their master to tempt the world We sent thee only to preach the torments of hell and to proclaim the joys of Paradise Say unto them I require not of you reward for my preaching he that shall be acceptable to God will follow the way of his Law Praise and exalt thy Lord trust in him he knoweth all the sins of men he created the heavens and the â—…arth in six days and sitteth on his Throne learn this of him that knoweth it When it was said to the Infidels worship the merciful God they said what merciful shall we worship what ye appoint us and they added to their impiety Blessed be he that created the signs of heaven that created the Sun and the Moon full of Brightness and light and hath made the dayes to succeed each other to return him thanks for his graces The servants of the merciful that walk with humility that salute the ignorant when they speak to them Such as pray to and worship God day and night such as say Lord deliver us from the torments of hell those that fear God that are not prodigal nor covetous that follow the middle way betwixt prodigality and avarice those that worship one God that kill no man but with reason and following the Commandments of God and that are not luxurious shall enjoy eternally the grace of God such as do the contrary shall be chastised their punishment shall be augmented at the day of Judgment and they shall be damned for ever except him that shall be converted and shall have done good works God shall give him pardon of his sins he is gracious and merciful They who do good works and repent who make no false oath who are humble and are not wilfully deaf and dumb when they hear the Alcoran read and say Lord give us and our posterity children that may be the light of our eyes and be obedient to thee work in us a fear to disobey thy Commandments such persons shall enjoy eternally the delights of Paradise for reward of their perseverance they shall there find salutations and benedictions with immense graces Say unto the
it they are remote 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 civil to True believers if they disobey thee say unto them I am innocent of what ye do and am resigned to the Will of God 〈◊〉 potent and merciful He beholdeth thee when thou dost pray and worship him he heareth and knoweth all things Shall I tell ye to whom the Devils address themselves They apply themselves to Lyars they tell to them what they have heard spoken but they all lye The erronous imitate the Poets they are confuted in their Discourse and say they have done what they 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 Fourscore and thirteen Verses written at Mecca IN the Name of God Gracious and Merciful God is most pure he understandeth all These mysteries are the mysteries of the Alcoran which distinguisheth the Truth from a Lye it conducteth men into the right way and proclaimeth the Joys of Paradise to such as believe in the Law of God who make their prayers at the time appointed pay Tithes and have knowledg of their end They that believe not in the Day of Judgment like well of what they do and are in confusion they shall in the end be in the number of the damned The Alcoran was conveyed to thee from the most prudent that knoweth all things Remember thou that Moses said to his Family I see a Fire I go to it I will bring you tidings I will bring you a spark peradventure you shall be warmed when he drew near to the Fire he heard a voice 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 Universe I am God Omnipotent and Eternal Cast thy staff on the ground When Moses beheld his staff to move as it had been alive he went back very sorrowful and returned no more Fear not that staff my Messenger and my Prophets have no fear in my presence he that shall be converted shall find me gracious and merciful Put thine Hand into thy Pocket it shall come forth white without harm it shall be one of the Nine marks of my Omnipotency Pharoah and his Ministers were altogether erroneous when they saw my Miracles they said that they were but Sorcery they despised them and encreased their impiety Consider what is the end of the wicked and how they have been destroyed We gave knowledg to David and to Solomon they said God hath gratified us above many of his Servants that have believed in his Omnipotency Solomon was David's Hâ—…ir and and said to the People we understand the Language of Birds we know whatsoever can be known it is an exceeding great Grace Solomon's Army being one day assembled before him composed of Men Devils and Birds â—…e lead them to the Valleâ—… of Pismires a 〈◊〉 their Queen cryed out Oh Pismires â—… enter into your Houses leâ—…t Solomon and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 trample you under foot withâ—… knowledg 〈◊〉 it Solomon hearing these words 〈◊〉 some time without speaking and 〈◊〉 end began to laugh saying Lord assist me that I may give thee thanks for the benefits and graces which thou didst confer upon my Father if I do well thou wilt accept it place me through thy Mercy in number of them that exalt thy glory he called for the Whoop and said Wherefore see I not the Whoop Is she in the number of the absent I will punish and put her to death if she have not a lawful excuse not long after she humbled her self 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 Throne I have found that she with her Subjects adore the Sun the Devil caused them to delight in this their action he hath seduced them from the right way and they shall be in error until they worship one God who sendeth Rain from Heaven and 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 Universe Solomon said I shall soon see if thou speak truth or whether thou be in the number of the Lyars Go bear to her this Letter and observe what she and her People shall answer at her arrival 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 merciful rise not up against me and obey me Give me counsel 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 chief of the Inhabitants and the most eminent if Solomon and his People come hither they will use us in the like manner I think it requisite to send to him an Ambassador with some presents perhaps he will take a resolution to return When the Ambassador arrived in Solomon's 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 Sirs who will bring to me the Royal 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 Solomon 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 favour of God to try if I would acknowledg his benefits He that returneth thanks to God for his graces performeth his duty he rejecteth him that is ungrateful I will try if she followeth the right way or whether she be in the number of the seduced They changed something in her Royal seat to try if she would know it when she arrived in Solomon's presence
most miserable Pharoah said to his Ministers do ye know any other God but me O Hâ—…min let me offer sacrifices and build a Temple shall I deceive my self with the God of Mâ—…ses I believe him to be in the number of lyars He became proud on earth with his Ministers and they believed that they should never be assembled 〈◊〉 me to be judged we surprized him with his people and caused him to perish in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of unbelievers we abandoned them and they are in the number of the condemned to the fire of hell They shall find none to protect them at the day of Judgment we cursed them on earth and at the day of the Resurrection they shall be abominable to all the world We taught Moses our Commandments after the destruction of many Infidels before his coming We gave him the Book to be a light to the people to conduct them into the right way and acquire our grace peradventure they will remember Thou wert not with Moses when we spake to him to him we created another age after him thou didst not at that time dwell with the Inhabitants of Madian neither didst thou teach them our Commandments it is we that have instructed thee in the History of past ages thou wert not on the mountain when we spake to Moses we sent thee through our special grace to preach to men the torments of hell they have not yet had a preacher like unto thee perhaps they will consider it when they felt any punishment for their sins they said Lord hadst thou sent us an Apostle to instruct us we should have obeyed thy Commandments and have believed in thy Law and when on our part they were instructed in the Truth they said doth Mahomet work miracles like Moses Do they not traduce what Moses did when they say that Moses and Mahomet are two apparent Sorcerers and when they said that they believed neither Prophet nor Scripture Say unto them bring any book from God that better teacheth the right way than the Old Testament and more savingly than 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 than he that followeth but his own passion and is not guided of God He guideth not Infidels Certainly we have sent them the Alcoran peradventure they will believe in it they to whom we heretofore sent this Book believe in the contents thereof when they hear 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 evil through their good deeds and have expended in good works part of the Wealth that we gave them When they heard the Faith evil spoken of they withdrew themselves took leave of the company and said Ye shall answer for your selves 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 greatest part of the People know it not How many Cities have we destroyed that took pleasure in their evil life No man inhabited them any more except very few and we became heirs of their riches God shall not destroy Mecca until he have sent an Apostle to instruct the Inhabitants thereof in the right way God destroyeth not a City if the Inhabitants be not unjust and disobey not his Commandments the Wealth of this World which ye possess pleaseth you but the Riches of Heaven are much better and eternal 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 and in the end were in the number of the damned Be thou mindful of the day when thy Lord shall call them and say unto them where are your Idols which ye believed to be my Companions The chief of them shall 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 shall not hear them they shall be visibly chastised on Earth Be thou mindful of the day when thy Lord shall call them and say unto them Wherefore have ye not believed my Apostles and my Prophets They shall be confounded and remain dumb He that shall be converted and do good works shall be happy Thy Lord createth what pleaseth him and maketh choice 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 and in the end he commandeth over all things and all People shall one day be assembled before him to be judged say unto them Had God given a continual Night even until the Day of Judgment what other God is there that is able to give you 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 and his grace He hath created the Night for repose and the Day for Labour peradventure ye will give him thanks Be thou mindful of the Day when thy Lord shall call the Infidels and shall say unto them where are the Idols that ye worshipped We will 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 we gave so great treasures that many men were burthened when they conveyed away the Keyes Remember how his People said unto him Rejoyce not above measure in thy great wealth God abhorreth them that rejoyce without reason beg of him Paradise with thy Riches forget not to do good in this World give alms 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 didst instruct the People in the Old Testament knowest thou not that God destroyed in times past many rich and opulent persons Who is more strong more powerful more rich than God He will not enquire of the wicked the number of their sins he knoweth all and the accompt Caron one daâ—… went forth
one God fear the day of Judgment and defile not the Earth They impudently traduced him but were surprized by an Earthquake and remained dead in their houses as carkasses 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 Pbaroah and Haman Moses preached to them my Commandments they contemned them and became proâ—…d in the Earth but escaped not the punishment of their crimes We chastised some by an impetuous wind and others were surprized by thunder we deprived them of their riches and they were drowned God was not unjust towards them they drew mischief on themselves through their impiety They that worship Idols are like to the Spider she buildeth her house of her â—…ob-web 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 and Earth it is a sign of his Omnipotency to True believers Instruct them in the book that is inspired into 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 all the actions of men Dispute with mildness against them that have knowledg of the written Law except against the wicked that are among them Say unto them We believe in what hath been taught you and in what hath been taught us Your God and 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 believe in the Truth of the Alcoran Thou hast not written it with thine own hand hadst thou written it thou hadst caused them to doubt who desire to make it void Certainly it containeth and teacheth intelligibly the Commandments of the Law none but Infidels reject it They have said We will not believe in this Book unless God work in it some miracle Say unto them Miracles proceed from God I am sent only to preach the torments of Hell. Is it not sufficient that we have sent thee the Alcoran to instruct them It containeth the effects of my mercy and precepts necessary for their salvation Say unto them it sufficeth that God is witness of mine actions betwixt you and me he knoweth whatsoever is in Heaven and in Earth They that believe in Idols and have not faith in God are damned They urge thee to make them see the punishment of their crimes if the time were come they should soon feel it they shall rescent it when they least think of it but they know it not they shall press thee to make them see it Say unto them Hell is prepared for Infidels When they shall be plunged in torments over their heads and under their feet it shall be said unto them Taste the punishment which ye have deserved O ye people that believe The Earth is sufficiently large and spacious for you to separate your selves from the wicked worship me alone all Creatures shall die and be assembled before me to be judged The True believers that shall have done good works shall inhabit Paradise wherein flow many rivers wherein is the reward of the righteous of them that persevere to do good and are patient in their affliction and trust in their Lord. How many beasts be there that have not wherewith to live God nourisheth them and you also he understandeth and knoweth all things If thou ask of the Infidels who created Heaven and Earth the Sun and the Moon they will say It is God. Wherefore then do they deny his Unity God enricheth and impoverisheth whom â—… leaseth him he is omniscient If thou demand of them who causeth the rain to fall from Heaven to give life to the Earth after the death thereof they will say It is God. Say unto them Praised be God that ye avouch it nevertheless the greatest part of men understand it not The life of this world is but sport and vanity life is in Paradise had they knowledge to comprehend it When they enter into a ship and see the tempest they call upon God and protest to profess his Law And when he hath preserved them on the Land they are ingrateful for his grace and return to their Idolatry they shall too late understand their error Know they not that we have established in Mecca all safety and freedom and that men are taken away by violence to be slain and made slaves believe they in things unprofitable shall they be ingrateful for the graces of God who is more impious than he that blasphemeth against God and impugneth the known Truth is there no place in Hell for the wicked I will guide into the right way them that shall fight for the Faith God is with them that do good CHAP. XXX The Chapter of the Grecians containing sixty Verses written at Mecca IN the Name of God gracious and merciful I am the most wise God. The Grecians were vanquished upon the frontier of the Persians but shall be victorious before the end of seven years God disposeth all things from the beginning to the end When they shall be victorious the True believers shall rejoyce in the victory that God shall give them he protecteth whom to him seemeth good he is omnipotent and merciful He hath promised them victory and departeth not from his promises of which the greatest part of men are ignorant they affect the life of this world and consider not their end Will they not consider that God hath created the heavens and the earth and all that is in them and hath appointed to every thing a limited and prefixed time Certainly the greatest part of the people believe not in the Resurrection Will they not consider the end of their predecessors who were more powerful and wealthy than they God hath sent to all an Apostle to teach them his Law he hath done to them no injustice they have drawn mischief on themselves through their iniquity the end of the wicked shall be like to their works they despise the Commandments of God and deride them but God shall cause them to die and rise again and all shall be assembled before him at the day of Judgment that day shall they be desperate their Idols shall not intercede for them they shall forsake them and they shall be separated from the true believers Such as believe in God and do good works shall enjoy the delights of Paradise and the wicked shall be chastised according to their demerits Praise God pray unto him evening and morning praise is due to him in heaven and earth pray unto him before the Sun set and at the hour of noon he maketh the dead to come out of the living and the living out of the dead he
up the Mountains upon the Earth to fasten and hinder it to move he hath thereon dispersed many Beasts and sent Rain from Heaven which causeth Plants to spring forth and Herbs of divers sorts Behold here what God hath created shew me what your Idols have created assuredly Idolaters are manifestly seduced from the right way We inspired knowledg into Locman and spake unto him to give God thanks he that returneth thanks to God for his Graces doth good for his Soul. God rejecteth the ingrateful and praise is due to him in all places Remember thou that Locman said unto his Son O my Son believe not thou that God hath a companion it is an exceeding great Sin We have commanded man to honour his Father and Mother his Mother beareth him with grief upon grief and weaneth him at the age of Two years be thou not ingrateful for God's benefits honour Father and Mother thou shalt be one day before God to be judged If thy Parents press thee to believe that God hath companions obey them not follow the way of them that obey him all men shall be one day assembled before him to be rewarded according to their works O my Son if thou dost evil of the weight of a Grâ—…n of Mustardseed or of the weight of a Rock or of the greatness of Heaven and Earth God will know it and put it in account he is exact and Omniscient O my Son make thy prayers at the time appointed do what is honest and civil fly what is not approved and be patient in thy adversities regard not the World disordered through pride converse not with the proud God detesteth the haughty observe thy steps walk with modesty speak gently they be persons that bray like Asses when they speak seest thou not that God hath created for men all that is in Heaven and Earth and conferreth on them his Graces in general and particular There be ignorant persons that dispute of the Deity without reason when it is said unto them Do what God hath appointed they answer We will do what we saw done by our Fathers They consider not that the Devil calleth them and their Fathers to the pains of Hell. He that obeyeth God and doth good works fastneth him to the strongest Knot and will have a care of him at the Hour of his end The impiety of the wicked ought not to afflict thee they shall be one day assembled in our presence to be chastised I will shew them all that they have done I know what is in the hearts of men I will prolong awhile their punishment upon Earth and precipitate them in the other World into the Fire of Hell. Hast thou not demanded of them who created Heaven and Earth They said It is God say unto them therefore praised be God nevertheless the greatest part of them are ignorant Whatsoever is in Heaven and Earth is Gods he hath no want of the World praise is due unto him in all that he doth if all the Trees of the World were Pens and the Sea Ink they could not comprehend the effect of his Omnipotency he is Omnipotent and knoweth all things He created and shall make you to rise again with one word he understandeth and seeth all things Consider they not that God causeth the Night to enter into the Day and the Day into the Night that he created the Sun and the Moon that move in the Heaven until the day appointed he knoweth whatsoever ye do because he is truly God they that invoke other than him invoke things vain and unprofitable God alone is most high and most mighty Seest thou not how the Ship runneth upon the Water for a token of his Omnipotency to such as acknowledg his Graces When the Wars arose against the Infidels many called upon God with resolution to follow his Law when he saved them on the Land some persevered to do well and others returned to their impiety none but deceivers and ingrateful persons despise his Commandments O People fear God and the day when the Father shall not be able to succour his Child neither the Child serve his Father God's promises are infallible be not proud of your Riches neither that God tolerateth and suffereth you he knoweth the time when ye shall be chastised the hour that the Rain shall fall upon the Earth he knoweth what is in the wombs of women whether it be Male or Female none but God knoweth what thou wilt do to morrow none but he knoweth the place where thou shalt die he knoweth all he knoweth all CHAP. XXXII The Chapter of Worship containing an Hundred and Thirty Verses written at Mecca IN the name of God gracious and merciful I am the most Wise God. Doubtless this Book was sent by the Lord of the Universe will the wicked say that thou hast invented it On the contrary it is the truth it self which proceedeth from thy Lord to preach to them that heretofore had none to instruct them peradventure they will follow the right way God created Heaven and Earth and all that is between them in Six days and sitteth on his Throne Who shall protect you Who shall hear your prayers but he Will you never consider it He disposeth all things in Heaven and Earth all men shall one day be assembled before him to be judged a Thousand years are but one day before his Divine Majesty he knoweth what is past present and future he is Omnipotent and Merciful he hath created every thing for his People he formed man of the Dirt and Dust of the Earth he inspired the Soul into his Body he giveth you hearing sight and sense but few men return him thanks for his Graces They say What shall we die and return to be a new People Certainly they believe not in the Resurrection Say unto them The Angel of Death shall cause you to die and ye shall return before God to be judged Thou shalt then see how the Infidel will hang down the Head before their Lord and say Lord we now see the certainty of the Resurrection we this day know the truth of thy words permit us to return into the World we will be Righteous we now understand what is profitable and necessary for us we could have given a guide to every Person my word is most true I will fill Hell with the wicked and Paradise with the Righteous thus shall men be rewarded and chastised according to their works Taste O ye wicked the pains that ye have deserved in refusing to believe in this day which ye have found we leave you in the miseries due to your incredulity taste the eternal torments that ye have merited through your impiety Such as believe in the mysteries of my Law are humble they worship me alone and praise me when they hear mention of me they are not proud rebel not against my Commandments They arise from their Bed to make their prayers with fear and hope and imploy in pious works some part of
the Wealth that we have given them No man hath either seen or knoweth what God reserveth to recompence the Righteous for their perseverance The believers and unbelievers shall not be alike entreated the believers that have done good works shall enjoy Paradise as the reward of their labours and the unbelievers shall be precipitated into the Fire of Hell the more they shall labour to get out the further shall they enter into it it shall be said to them Taste the pains of eternal flames which ye would not believe I will make the wicked to taste of the torments of the World and the pains of Hell if they be not converted Who is more unjust than he that knoweth the Commandments of his Lord and disobeyeth them We will be avenged on his impiety We gave a most true Book to Moses to instruct the Children of Israel we put into the right way those among them that persevered in their Faith and obeyed our Commandments Thy Lord shall judge the difficulties of the Infidels at the Day of Judgment see they not how much People we destroyed in times past that reposed confidence in their Houses It is a token of our Omnipotency will they never understand it See they not how I thrust forth Water in desart and barren Lands That I cause Herbs to spring forth for the nourishment of men and beasts Will they never consider it They demand when will the Day of Judgment come Say unto them that Day shall not bring contentment to Infidels and they shall be without protection Depart thou far from them persevere and attend they wait an occasion to mischief thee but thou shalt see them chastised CHAP. XXXIII The Chapter of Bands and Troops of Souldiers containing fourscore and seven Verses writttn at Medina IN the name of God gracious and merciful Oh Prophet fear God and obey not unbelievers God knoweth all things and is most prudent in what he ordaineth observe what thy Lord hath taught thee he knoweth the actions of men recommend thy self to God it ought to suffice thee that he protecteth thee He hath not given two hearts unto men he hath not enjoyned us to call your wives your mothers those which you call your children are not all your Children ye speak it only with the mouth but God always speaketh the truth and guideth men into the way of salvation Call your neighbour by the name of his father this action shall be acceptable to God provided that ye have no evil design in the heart if ye know not his name call him your brother in God or Sir God is gracious and merciful The Prophet is obeyed of them that believe in God and honour his wives as their mothers Kinsmen are heirs of each other it is so appointed by his divine Majesty to the Believers that went out of Mecca to follow the Prophet It is ordained in Scripture to do good to your parents Remember thou that we received the promise of the Prophets of thee of Noah of Abraham of Moses and of Jesus the Son of Mary to worship but one God we received a strong promise An accompt shall be required of their actions and the wicked shall feel the rigour of infinite pains Oh ye that believe in God! remember his favour towards you when ye were charged by troups of enemies he sent against them an impetuous wind and troups invisible to your eyes to fight them he seeth all that ye do those invisible troups came from the East and from the West from above and below when your sight was troubled and your hearts failed you because of the great number of your â—…nemies ye had already conceived a very bad opinion of the Law of God then were the True believers tryed they trembled with â—…ear The wicked and such as were weak in their faith said that whatsoever God and his Prophet had promised them was but abuse and vaâ—…ity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 how a party of them said to the 〈◊〉 of the Territory of Medina there is no 〈◊〉 for you with Mahomet reâ—… 〈◊〉 your houses Remember thou how many among them required dismission and said that theâ—… houses were forsaken Their houses were not forsaken but they had a design to â—…ly had they 〈◊〉 to their houses they had on all â—…des perswaâ—…d them to follow imâ—… they shoâ—… not there have made long abode because they before had promised God not to fly he would have required an accompt of their promises Say unto them flight shall be to you unprofitable if ye flie death for that ye ought no longer to contiâ—…e in the world Say unto them who is able to protect you against God when 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to destroy you take none other 〈◊〉 but him he knoweth them that were diâ—…waded to go to the battel to spare their wealth and persons They cast an eye upon thee when they are surprised with fear they turn their eyes into the head as a man that dyeth and when they are delivered from fear they traduce thee because of their extreme avarice Such men believe not in God he rendreth all their works unfruitful it is a thing easie to his divine Majstey The Troups of the Infidels believed they were invincible and when they saw the troups of the True believers they desired to flye The Infidels desired to draw the Arabians to their party and have intelligence to know in what condition you are had they been of your party few of them had been slain the adhering to the Prophet of God serveth to you as a Cittadel it serveth as a Bulwark to them that apprehend the day of Judgment and think often on his divine Majesty When the believers said behold what God and his Prophet promised us they are sincere in their promises the sight of their enemies encreased their faith and zeal towards God and his Prophet There be persons among the True believers who have performed what they promised to God many of them are dead in obedience to the Commandments of his divine Majesty others attend the same thing and swerve not from what they have promised God shall recompence them for their zeal and chastise the Infidels or pardon them if it so please him he is gracious and merciful God shall destroy the unbelievers with their wrath against the believers he protecteth True believers in combats he is strong and omnipotent The Jews descended from their Fortress to give aid to the Infidels but God cast fear into their hearts a party of them were slain and the rest taken slaves they by their death made you heirs of their lands their houses their riches and fortresses which you were not able to conquer God is omnipotent Oh Prophet if thy wives be too ambitious of the wealth of the earth and of garments too sumptuous Call them Say unto them that thou wilt deal well with them and wilt repudiate them with mildness and civility If they love God and his Prophet if they are virtuous his divine Majesty will
〈◊〉 his 〈◊〉 they shall say Lord we 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Superiors they seduced us 〈◊〉 the right way Lord chastise them douâ—… and give them thy curse O ye that believe be not like them that displeased Moses he was innnocent of the crimes that they laid upon him he was inspired of God fear God and speak with civility your works shall be acceptable to him and he shall pardon your sins he that shall obey God and his Apostle shall be happy fidelity and obedience are pleasing to him in Heaven and in Earth and upon the Mountains Such as depart far from him as did Adam do injury to themselves and are ignorant he shall chastise those men and women that shall be disobedient and impious he will give his grace to those men and women that shall believe in his Law he is gracious and merciful to them that obey him CHAP. XXXIV The Chapter of †Saba containing Fifty four Verses written at Mecca IN the Name of God gracious and merciful Praised be God whatsoever is in Heaven and in the Earth appertaineth to him praise is due unto him he is most Wise and Omniscient he knoweth whatsoever entreth into the Earth and cometh out of it whatsoever ascendeth to Heaven and descendeth he is gracious and merciful to his creatures The wicked demand if they shall see the Day of Judgment say unto them yes and that thy Lord knoweth the time he knoweth what is past present and future and all that is in Heaven and in the Earth even to the weight of an Atome what is yet less and what is yet greater than an Atome is written in a Book that discovereth every thing he shall reward the True believers that have done good works he shall give them his Mercy and enrich them with precious treasures Such as have endeavoured to suppress his Law shall feel the effects of his indignation They that understand the Scripture know that God hath taught thee the very truth to guide the People into the right way into the path of honour and vertue but the wicked said among them will ye believe a man who affirmeth that after your death ye shall rise again and be new creatures He lyeth impudently he is possessed of the Devil Certainly they that believe not in the Resurrection are in an exceeding great error and shall suffer most grievous pains see they not what is above and what is below them Consider they not the Heaven and the Earth If I will I can render it barren and cause a piece of the Heaven to fall upon them for a sign of my Omnipotency We gave our grace to David and spake to the Mountains Birds and Metals with him to praise me we commanded him to make Cuirasses and Iron was soft in his hand as Wax O Lineage of David be not ingrateful I see whatsoever ye do We made the Winds subject to Solomon he commanded them Evening and Morning from the East to the West we gave him a Fountain and a Brook of dissolved Brass the Devils through our permission wrought it to his mind and we punished in the Fire of Hell such as refused to obey him They built for him lofty Palaces and spacious houses they formed Basons for Water Channels and Pools We said unto him O Lineage of David be not ingrateful for my graces for that few persons do acknowledge them When he dyed through our Commandment nothing discovered his death to the Devils but the worms that had eaten the end of his staff whereon he leaned when the Devils saw him fall they perceived that had they known the future and what was hid from them they should not have laboured so long a time in his Service The Inhabitants of Saba have a mark of my Omnipotency in their Countrey viz. two Gardens the one on the North side and the other towards the South it was said unto them eat of the good things that your Lord hath given you and return him thanks their Country is delicious God hath been merciful towards them nevertheless they are ingrateful and impious we sent the River of Arem that overflowed their Gardens we changed them into two Gardens of Thorns of Cyprus and a little Tamarinde thus did we punish them because of their impiety We established a way with many Cities for facility of commerce among them and the City which we blessed and spake unto the People to follow that way Night and Day with safety and withou fear They said God destroyeth us through the length of this way they returned to their impiety and we dispersed them upon the Earth to serve for example to Posterity and instruction to such as persevere in my Law and acknowledg my graces The Devil caused them to believe his Opinion they followed him except some of the True believers that were among them he had no power over them but to know them that believed in the Resurrection and such as doubt Thy Lord observeth and regardeth all Say unto them invoke your Idols they have not power of the bigness of an Atome neither in Heaven nor Earth God hath no Companion they shall find none to protect them at the Day of Judgment none shall intercede for them without the permission of his Divine Majesty if they receive any relaxation in their â—…ear they enquire of each other what God spaâ—…e and anâ—…wer that he spake 〈◊〉 truth that he is most 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 most mighty say unto them who enricheth you with the good things of Heaven and Earth They will say that it is God. Say unto them Who of you or of us followeth the right way Or who of you or of us is seduced Enquire not after our sins we are not curious to know what ye do God shall assemble us at the Day of Judgment and shall judg our differences with equity he is an exceeding great Judg say unto them Let us see the Idols that ye have worshipped certainly there is but One God Omnipotent and Wise. We have not sent thee but to declare to men the joys of Paradise and to preach to them the pains of Hell but the greatest part knoweth it not they ask in what time they shall see the punishment that is preached to them and if thou speakest the truth say unto them when the time thereof is come ye shall not be able to retard or advance an hour They have said That they will not believe in the Alcoran but thou shalt see them one day assembled in the presence of thy Lord thou shalt see that they shall accuse one another the Poor shall say unto the Rich you have hindred us to obey the Commandments of God they shall answer have we seduced you from the way that was taught you On the contrary you were wicked and malicious They shall say on the contrary you employed Night and Day your Artifices to render us ingrateful for the graces of God and to induce us to believe that he hath
traduced him and were condemned to the fire of hell except such among them as obeyed my Commandments We left his memory happy to posterity thus I reward the righteous he was in the number of them that obeyed my Commandments Lot was in the number of my Prophets and Apostles Remember thou how we delivered him and his family from evident peril except his wife who remained among them that were chastised having saved him we destroyed the wicked they saw in the morning the footsteps of the ruin that befell them the night before will ye not understand this miracle Ionas was in the number of the Prophets Remember thou that he fled in a Ship and was the cause of evil to the Sailors he was swallowed of a Whale had he not repented of his fault he should have continued in the belly of that Fish until the day of Judgment we cast him on the shore extremely feeble we covered him with leaves of Filbert and sent him to preach to more than an hundred thousand persons that we reconverted whose decease we deferred until the time appointed The Infidels have demanded if thy Lord hath daughters as they have sons did we create the Angels male and female in their presence They lye when they say that God hath a son hath he desired to have daughters rather than sons how can you thus blaspheme Consider ye not that he is God alone without children have ye any reason or authority to speak in this manner bring your arguments produce your reason if ye are true The Infidels have said that the Angels were of the lineage of God but the Angels well know that the Infidels shall be damned because of their blasphemies Praised be God he hath neither son nor daughter other than the righteous that worship him and obey his Commandments You with your Idols cannot escape the punishment of your sins ye shall be condemned to the fire of hell There is none among the Angels that knoweth not his place and his order in Paradise to praise and worship his Divine Majesty If the Infidels say we observe the Religion of our Predecessors we are in the right way Say unto them that if they believe not in the Alcoran they shall in fine know their incredulity We have promised protection to believers and Prophets they shall be protected and victorious depart for a time from the wicked consider how God punisheth them they shall feel the punishment of their impiety will they cast themselves headlong into the torments of hell assuredly they will be astonished when they shall feel them depart from their company and consider that they shall not be able to escape the punishment of their crimes Praise thy Lord the Lord of power and greatness above the wicked salvation be to the Prophets and eternal praise to the God of the Universe CHAP. XXXVIII The Chapter of Truth containing fourscore and eight Verses written at Mecca Reader Mahomet intituled this Chapter with the Letter named in the Arabique Alphabet Ssad which signifieth in this place Ssidk that is to say Truth See the Gloss of Gelaldin Kitab el tenoir They have intituled it the Chapter of Truth IN the name of God gracious and merciful I swear by the Alcoran that this Book teacheth the way of Salvation nevertheless the Infidels resist the Faith and are among themselves of a different opinion How many have we destroyed in times past that were like unto them They cried and required succors but they were no longer to be succored The Infidels wonder that a man like themselves should be sent to instruct them they say That he is a Magician and a lyar to preach one sole God. It is a strange thing Their Doctors forsook their Assemblies they went to preach through the City and said Persist to adore your Gods we abjure the belief of the unity of God the last Sect did not preach it it is an evident lye Was Mahomet chosen among us to receive alone the Alcoran descended from Heaven Certainly they doubt the Alcoran they shall know the truth when they shall be in the fire of Hell. Have they in their power the Treasures of the mercy of thy Lord omnipotent and bountiful Possess they the Kingdom of the Heavens and Earth and whatsoever is betwixt them If it be so let them ascend into Heaven with their forces assuredly they shall be shamefully beaten in all places The wicked heretofore defamed Noah Aad Pharoah the maker of Charmes and Temod the Inhabitants of the City of Lot those that dwelt in the Forest and their companions traduced the Prophets and were punished after their demerits nevertheless the Infidels consider not that they shall be chastised when the trumpet shall sound at the day of Judgment and that they shall no more return on earth to be converted They say in scorn Lord give us to see the Book of the Accompt of our sins before the day of Judgment Persevere and be patient be not troubled at their discourse and call to mind our servant David stout and zealous in my Law the Mountains and the Birds praised me with him they assembled in his presence and obeyed him we gave force to his reign and endued him with knowledg and eloquence Hast thou learnt Davids quarrel when they hindred him to enter into the Temple and how he feared his enemies When they entred towards him they said unto him Be not afraid we have a dispute among us judg our difference with equity and teach us the right way This man is my brother he hath fourscore and nineteen sheep I had but one which he hath ravished from me because he was stronger than I. David said He hath done thee wrong art thou troubled for one Ew The greatest part of men arose against their neighbour except such as believe in the Law of God and observe his Commandments which are few in number Then David knew that we had tried him he implored pardon of his sin he humbled himself worshipped us and was converted We gave him pardon of his fault we drew him near unto us and lodged him in a place of content I said unto him O David we have established thee on Earth to determine the differences that shall arise among the people follow not thine own appetite it will seduce thee from the way of Salvation such as shall err from my Law shall suffer grievous pains at the day of Judgment We have not in vain created the Heaven and the Earth as the wicked affirm misery shall befal them they shall be cast headlong and burnt in the fire of Hell. Shall I alike entreat the believers and unbelievers the righteous and the wicked This Book we have sent it to thee and blessed it to the end the people may meditate the mysteries thereof and the wise reap advantage for their salvation We gave Solomon to our servant David he was extreamly zealous in our service Remember that horses ready and vigorous were presented to him about
knowledg of the truth are without reason their arguments shall be vain with God they shall be the object of his wrath and shall suffer exceeding great pains God hath sent the Alcoran with truth and ballance he will not instruct thee when the day of Judgment shall be Such as have no faith in him ask when it shall 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 and enricheth whom he pleaseth he is strong and omnipotent he increaseth the graces of him that desireth the riches of Heaven he giveth the wealth of the Earth to them that affect 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 them had he not deferred their punishment until the day of Judgment he had already destroyed them they shall in the end feel grievous torments ye shall see them 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 find whatsoever they shall desire this is the great grace of God this is that which he hath proclaimed to the faithful that believed and have done good works Say unto them I require none other recompence for the pains that I take in preaching to you than to love my kindred he that shall do any good work shall be rewarded God is merciful 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 lyes 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 faithful that do good works and augmenteth his grace upon them but Infidels shall undergo the rigors of eternal pains Had God equally enriched all his Creatures they had been 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 between them is a sign of thine Omnipotency If evil befal you believe that ye have deserved it nevertheless he pardoneth you many things ye cannot escape his punishment on earth and none is able to protect you against him the vessel 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 punishment the riches that we possess are the riches of the earth the riches that God bestoweth on them that trust in him are eternal They that depart from mortal sins that repent to have committed them that beg of God to be heard and persevere in their supplications they that take counsel 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 do injustice to the people and disobey on earth the Commandments of his divine Majesty they shall suffer great torments Such as persevere in well-doing and pardon their neighbour do what God hath Commanded He whom God shall mislead shall find 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 hell thou shalt see them flie with extream fear of external ignominy they shall look awry upon hell and the believers shall see that the wicked that have lost their souls that have mislead 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 find the right way Say unto them beg pardon of God before the day come that ye shall find 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 prosperity he rejoyceth and when affliction befalleth him he is ingrateful for the graâ—…e of his Lord King of the heavens and 〈◊〉 God giveth children sons and daughrers to 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 thy mysteries 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 will guide 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 containng Eighty and nine Verses written at Mecca Exteri intituled this Chapter The Chapter of Gold. IN the name of God gracious and merciful 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 our original Book 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 unbelievers 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 Omnipotent who knoweth all things Who hath extended 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 dry 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 for us these things we had not the power to create them They also shall return before the Lord to be judged The Infidels have divided God
conspired against them think they that I know not their secrets and whatsoever they utter The Angels our Messengers keep account say unto them If God have a Son who shall we first adore Praised be God King of the Heavens and of the Earth the matter is not as the Infidels deliever it Leave them implunged in their impiety let them laugh and rejoyce until the day of their punishment arrive One God alone ought to be worshipped in Heaven and Earth he is most wise and Omniscient Praised be he to whom appertaineth the Kingdom of the Heavens and Earth and whatsoever is between them He knoweth the hour and the day that all the World shall be assembled before him to be judged The Idols that the Infidels adore shall not be able to intercede for them the good intercede for them that have knowledge of the truth if thou ask of men Who created them They will say It is God How can they then depart from his Commandments Lord this People is incredulous Depart thou far from their company they shall in the end too late acknowledg their errors CHAP. XLIV The Chapter of Smoke containing Fifty nine Verses written at Mecca IN the Name of God gracious and merciful God is Prudent and Wise. I swear by the Book that distinguisheth good from evil that we sent it the Night of blessing to teach the People the torments of Hell this Book explaineth our Commandments and all that we heretofore commanded the Prophets this is a special grace of thy Lord he heareth and knoweth all things he is Lord of Heaven and Earth and of all that is between them believe in his Omnipotency There is no God but he he giveth life and death to whom he listeth he is your Lord the Lord of your fathers and predecessors the wicked deride this discourse but the Day of Judgment attends them that day the Heaven shall resemble Smoak that shall cover the World that day shall the People say Behold here grievous torments Lord deliver us from this misery we will believe in thy Law Their conversion shall be in vain because when the Prophet preached to them they scorned his words and said That he was a foolish Teacher and when they were comforted on Earth they returned to their impiety Remember thou the day when they were vanquished and taken by force and that we were revenged on their impiety We heretofore tryed the People of Pharoah my beloved Prophet preached to them my Commandments and said Come follow me Oh ye servants of God! I am a faithful â—…essenger of his divine Majesty resist not his law will teach you his Commandments he shall defend me from your malice he shall preserve me from being stoned but if he will not believe me depart far from me He prayed to his Lord when he knew that that people was unbelieving â—…nd impious God said unto him Go forth by night out of the City with my servants if the men of Pharoah pursue thee enter into the Sea through a path large and spacious thine enemies that shall follow thee shall be drowned How many Gardens Fountains and places of Pleasure wherein they took delight did â—…hey forsake They fell into the power of anoâ—…her with all their treasures and none lamented â—…hem either in Heaven or Earth they expected â—…ot that punishment We delivered the Children of Israel from Pharoahs tyranny he was â—…owerful and a great sinner We elected them through our certain knowledg among all the world â—…nd tryed them through our Miracles and Commandments The wicked say we shall dye and not rise again if the Resurrection be true cause our fathers to revive to evidence the truth of thy words Are they more powerful than their predecessors whom we destroyed because of their â—…mpiety We have not created in vain the Heaven and the Earth and whatsoever is between them we created them for certain signs of our â—…nity the greatest part of the world understand â—…t not the day of Judgment is the time appointed for their punishment that day none shall be able to save his neighbour or parent or friend nor shall any be saved but those to whom God shall give his mercy he is omnipotent and merciful The fruit of the Tree of Hell called Zacon shall serve for food to the wicked it shall boyl in their bellies like pitch or water They shall cry Take the wicked drag them into the fire of Hell pour upon their heads all manner of torments It shall be said unto them taste the pains oâ—… Hell ye believed your selves to be thâ—… omnipotent and precious on Earth behold thâ—… punishment of which ye doubted The righteouâ—… shall be in delicious places in Gardens adorneâ—… with Fountains they shall be clothed with purple they shall behold each other face to face wâ—… will assemble them with women pure and cleaâ—… who shall have most beautiful eyes they shall havâ—… fruits savoury and delicious of all seasons the shall never dye and shall be delivered from thâ—… torments of Hell through the special grace 〈◊〉 thy Lord behold supreme felicity Certainly we have sent the Alcoran in thy tongue peradveâ—… ture the Arabians will learn it they covet thy 〈◊〉 ine but persevere thou and expect the time of 〈◊〉 punishment of their crimes CHAP. XLV The Chapter of Genuflexion or Knee-bowinâ—… containing fifty nine Verses 〈◊〉 at Mecca IN the Name of God gracious and mercifâ—… God is most prudent and Wise. This Book sent by the Omnipotent and Wise. The Heaveâ—… and the Earth are most certain signs of his Uniâ—… to such as believe in his Law your Creation aâ—… â—…he Creation of all Creatures are markâ—… of his greatness to them that have his fear before their eyes the difference of the night and the day the rain that he sendeth from Heaven to cause fruits to spring out of the Earth and to revive it after its death and the diversity of winds are signs of his Omnipotency to them that have knowledg to comprehend it I relate to thee the wonders of God with truth in what will 〈◊〉 believe if they believe not in the word of his divine Majesty Misery is upon them that hear the Commandments of God and become proud as if they had not heard them Preach unto such men that they shall suffer the rigors of infinite pains They deride the Faith when they are spoken to Certainly they shall be punished in the fire of Hell their riches shall not be able to save them neither the Idols which they adore they shall be eternally damned This Book guideth men into the way of salvation they that shall not believe in the Law of God shall feel the effects of his fury He created the Seas that bear the Ships for the advantage of your commerce peradventure ye will acknowlged this grace He hath created for you all that is in Heaven and on Earth it is a sign of his goodness to such as consider it Speak unto them that believe
joys of Paradise prepared for the Righteous He that shall speak to his Father and Mother in civility and shall say unto them in derision will ye bring me yet once more into the World after my death will ye revive me from my grave Many are dead heretofore that are not return'd He shall be punish'd of God his Father and Mother shall require help of his Divine Majesty and shall say unto him My Son misery is with thee believe in God and in the Resurrection the Word of God is infallible if he reply that it is an old Fable he shall feel the punishment of God the Word of his Divine Majesty shall be accomplished against him as it hath been accomplished against them that did precede him in impiety as well Devils as men they shall be damned they shall be in sundry degrees of pains he shall chastise them after their demerits and no injustice shall be done to them It shall be said to the wicked that would depart out of Hell fire Ye expelled your felicity when ye lived in the World your punishment was deferred until this present ye shall this day be punished in this Fire because of your pride and crimes Remember thou the Brother of Aad who preached the torments of Hell in the Valley of Hecaf his words was heard in his time and are come to Posterity viz. worship but one God alone if you do otherwise I apprehend for you the Day of Judgment They answered him Art thou come to hinder us to adore our gods Let us see the torments that thou preachest to us if thou art true He said God knoweth in what time he will chastise you I preach to you what hath been appointed me to preach but I see that ye are obstinate When they beheld a black cloud appear which approached the place of their habitation they said Behold a Cloud that shall give us Rain on the contrary it is the punishment that ye have demanded it is full of an impetuous wind that shall destroy you through the Commandment of God in the Morning their houses were found empty of inhabitants Thus God chastiseth the wicked ye dwell in the places which they inhabited they had hearts eyes and ears but their hearts eyes and ears were to them unprofitable the evil which they despised befel them when they neglected to observe the Commandments of God. We have destroyed whatsoever is round about Mecca and have made the effects of our Omnipotency to appear peradventure the inhabitants thereof will be converted The Idols that they worshipped and those to whom they sacrificed did not save them on the contrary they forsook them because of their blasphemies Remember thou that we sent to thee Devils that desired to hear a Lecture of the Alcoran when they heard thee they said Hark he begins and when thou madest an end they returned with exceeding great fear and said to their companions We have heard a Lecture of a Book sent from Heaven after the Book of Moses it confirmeth the ancient Scriptures teacheth the truth and guideth the people into the way of salvation O people hear him that calleth you to the Law of God and to the observance of his Commandments believe him God shall pardon your sins and deliver you from the pains of Hell such as shall not hearken to him shall not escape the punishment of their crimes and shall be deprived of protection at the day of Judgment such men are seduced from the way of salvation Consider they not that God who created Heaven and Earth did not labour in creating them that he is able to give life and death and is omnipotent Be thou mindful of the day that the Infidels shall desire to get out of the fire of Hell it shall be said unto them Are not the pains that were preached to you true they shall say yes Lord it shall be said to them Taste then the torments which ye have merited through your impiety Persevere thou as the Prophets thy Predecessors persevered Be not impatient till thou see the punishment of Infidels they shall see it when they shall rise again and shall believe that they have been but an hour in their Sepulchres This is that which God hath commanded to preach he shall destroy those only that disobey his Commandments CHAP. XLVII The Chapter of the Combat containing fourscore and eight Verses written at Mecca IN the name of God gracious and merciful Good works are vain and unprofitable to the wicked and to them that hinder their neighbour to follow the Law of God he pardoneth their sins who believe in what Mahomet hath preached it is the very truth that proceedeth from his Divine Majesty but the Infidels have followed vanity and the believers have embraced the truth sent from their Lord Thus God speaketh to the people in Parables When ye shall meet the Infidels in time of war cut their necks pursue them until ye take them prisoners then bind them after this ye shall either give them liberty or put them to ransome until their party shall lay down arms If God pleased he could give you victory without fighting but his will is to prove you he guideth into Paradise them that are slain for the defence of his Law and giveth them his grace Oh ye that believe in God! If ye protect the Law of God God will protect you he will confirm your steps and destroy the Infidels because they have contemned his Commandments and their good works shall be to them unprofitable consider they not what hath been the end of the impious that were before them and that God hath destroyed them He shall destroy them in like manner because he protecteth the Believers and Infidels are deprived of his protection he maketh the righteous to enter into Paradise into Gardens wherein flow many Rivers The punishment of the wicked is sometimes deferred in this world they live like beasts but the fire of Hell is prepared for their punishment How many Cities stronger and more opulent than that which they caused thee to abandon have we destroyed They found no protection Are such as embrace the Law of God like to them that follow their own appetites God hath promised Paradise to them that have his fear before their eyes there be in Paradise rivers of water that receiveth no alteration there be rivers of milk that never corrupteth rivers of wine savoury and delicious to the taste rivers of honey pure and clean fruits of all sorts and the grace of God for them that shall obey his Commandments the wicked shall remain eternally in the fire of Hell where they shall drink a boiling liquor that shall burn their entrails There be persons among the Insidels that hear what thou dost preach when they are gone from thee their Doctors demand of them what thou hast said concerning the day of Judgment God hath hardned the hearts of such men and they shall never follow but their own passions God encreaseth the
graces of them that obey his Commandments and fortifieth them in their perseverance Shall the Infidels tarry until the day of Judgment surprizeth them The signs of that day hath already appeared that day shall repentance be in vain There is no God but God implore from him parden of thy sin and for these men and women that believe in his Law he knoweth what they do day and night If the Chapter of the place where Justice is rendred had not been sent and 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 selves of his mercy God rendreth them whom he curseth and who comprehend not the truth of the Alcoran deaf and blind Have they a firm heart Such as have returned to their impiety after having known the right way were tempted of the Devil and particularly when they told the Infidels that they would obey them in any thing God knoweth all their secrets what will become of them when the Angels shall cause them to die they shall beat them before and behind because they have incurred the wrath of God and despised his Commandments their good works shall be unprofitable think they that God will never make manifest their malice If thou wilt I will make it appear thou shalt know them by their countenance thou shalt discover them by their voice and speech Say unto them God knoweth all your actions he shall prove you to discover the believers and the unbelievers The wicked who hinder the people to follow the way of Salvation that contradict the Prophet after they have had knowledg of the Law of God hurt not his Divine Majesty their actions are vain and unprofitable Oh ye that believe obey God and his Prophet and render not your good works ineffectual through disobedience he pardoneth not the wicked who seduce the people from the way of Salvation and die in their impiety Be not faint-hearted and flothful ye shall be victorious God is with you He will not deprive you of reward the life of this world is but foolish pastime and delusion if ye believe in God and have his fear before your eyes he will recompence you for your good works he requireth not an account of your riches if he do require it of you it is to hinder you to be avaricious and to banish usury from among them that believe in his Law Oh people ye are commanded to make some expence for the love of God He that shall be a niggard and avaricious in this occurrence shall be avaricious and a niggard to himself God is rich and ye are poor if ye despise his Law he will create in your place other persons that shall not do like you CHAP. XLVIII The Chapter of Conquest containing twenty nine Verses written at Mecca This is the Chapter Of the taking of the City of Mecca IN the name of God gracious and merciful We have given thee a manifest victory God pardoneth the sin that thou didst commit when thou wert too prompt and when thou wert too tardy to fight for his Law he shall accomplish his grace upon thee he shall guide thee into the right way and shall powerfully protect thee he hath delivered the hearts of the believers from fear to augment their faith he disposeth the forces of the Heavens and Earth he knoweth all and is most prudent He shall make them that shall obey his Commandments to dwell in Gardens wherein flow many rivers and shall remit to them their offences this is supreme felicity The Infidels the wicked the disobedient and unjust that have evil thoughts of God shall be accursed of his Divine Majesty misery shall always pursue them and his wrath be eternally upon them he hath prepared for them the pains of Hell. God disposeth the powers of the Heavens and Earth he is omnipotent and wise We have sent thee to be witness of the deportments of those of thy Nation to proclaim to them the joys of Paradise and to preach to them the pains of Hell to the end they may believe in God and in his Prophet that they may praise him honour him and exalt his glory evening and morning Such as shall obey thee obey God the hand of God is stronger than the hand of men he that shall sin shall offend against his own soul and he that performed what he hath promised to God shall have an exceeding great reward Such of the Arabians as have no inclination to follow thee say thou imployest our wealth and persons to go with thee implore therefore pardon of God for us but they speak not with the mouth what they have in the heart Say unto them who but God is able to do ought for you if it be his will to bring good or evil upon you he is omnipotent and knoweth all that you do Ye believed that the Prophet and True believers should be slain when they fought for the Law of God ye believed that they should never return to their houses This opinion rejoiced your heart but you were deceived and were your selves destroyed with them that believed not in God nor his Prophets God hath prepared the fire of Hell for Infidels the Kingdom of the Heavens and Earth appertaineth to him he punisheth and chastiseth whom he listeth he is gracious and merciful When ye shall go to the spoil such as refused before to follow you to the fight will say Permit us to go with you they would pervert the Word of God. Say unto them Ye shall not follow us in this occasion God hath not heretofore ordained it they will reply Certainly ye are envious against us on the contrary they understand not the Law of God except very few among them Say to the Arabians that refused to follow thee Ye shall be called to fight against miserable men ye shall fight them nevertheless they shall still be obedient to God if ye obey and fight for the Faith he will largely reward you if ye desert his service as heretofore ye have done he shall severely chastise you The blind the lame and the sick are not obliged to go to the war. He that shall obey God and his Prophet shall dwell eternally in Gardens wherein flow many rivers and he that shall disobey Gods Commandments shall be punished for his disobedience God accepted their action that repaired to thee under the tree he knew what they had in their hearts he confirmed their steps and gave them victory he is omnipotent and wise God had promised you great spoil he gave it you and delivered you from the hands of the people this shall serve for a sign of his omnipotency to the true believers
God in the beginning and the end How many Angels be there in Heaven whose prayers are unprofitable if God doth not accept them They that believe not in the day of Judgment say that Angels are Maidens they understand not what they say they speak through opinion and that opinion is not conformed to truth Depart thou far from them that reject our Law and desire only the goods of the Earth and are ignorant of all other things Thy Lord knoweth them that go astray from the right way and such as follow the path of Salvation all that is in the Heavens and Earth is Gods he shall chastise the wicked and reward the just He pardoneth their venial sins who flie sins mortal he is exceeding merciful He knoweth that he hath created you of Earth and that he formed you in your Mothers womb Extol not your selves he knoweth such as have his fear before their eyes Hast thou seen him that abandoneth the faith A little wealth was given him and nothing more doth he know what must befal him Hath he knowledg of what is to come Will he not learn what is written in the books of Moses and Abraham To wit that none shall bear the burden of another man shall have but what he shall have gained he shall in the end see his labour be rewarded after his works and all shall appear in the presence of thy Lord. He it is that causeth to laugh and mourn to live and to die he created the Male and Female of every thing he giveth and taketh away mans soul when he listeth he is most Rich and hath no want of any person He is the Lord of the Planet which men adored He destroyed Aad and Temod drowned the People of Noab who were most erroneous and unjust overthrew the City of Lot and covered it with burning stone In whom will they believe if they believe not in thy Lord This Prophet is sent to preach to you the pains of Hell as did the other Prophets that were before you the Day of Judgment approacheth and none but God knoweth when it will come wonder ye at this discourse Ye scoff and lament not when ye are spoken to but ye shall be surprized in your sin if ye humble not your selves before God neither worship him CHAP. LIV. The Chapter of the Moon containing Fifty five Verses written at Mecca IN the Name of God gracious and merciful The Day of Judgment approacheth the Moon was divided into two parts nevertheless Infidels believe not Miracles when they see them they say that this is Magick they lye and follow but their passion but all is written The History of past Ages full of salutary Counsels was preached to them nevertheless Preachers were to them unprofitable depart thou far from them when they shall be called to the Universal Judgment which they will not believe that Day shall their eyes be troubled with fear they shall come out of the Earth dispersed like frighted Grass-hoppers they shall flock to him that shall summon them to Judgment and shall say Behold here a Day unhappy for the wicked The People heretofore belyed Noah and said That he was possessed of the Devil Noah exhorted them and invoked his Lord in the end he said That his strength was gone and that he was overcome through the malice of men then was he powerfully succoured we opened the gates of the Heavens and caused an extraordinary Rain to fall we caused Fountains to issue forth from under the Earth the water of Heaven and Earth were gathered together and overwhelmed the Infidels because of their sins We saved Noah in the Ark well pinned and chaulked it floated upon the waters through our permission to serve for a token of our Omnipotency will any of the unbelievers of this time consider this Will they consider the punishment of their crimes and the pains of Hell We have made the Alcoran easie to be understood will there be any that study it The wicked that traduced Aad were chastised but with what chastisement We sent against them an impetuous wind in a day to them unfortunate that caused men to fall like Palms rooted up consider what was their punishment we have rendred the Alcoran intelligible will there be any one that will study it Temod and his People traduced the Prophets and contemned their exhortations they said There is a man among us who would seduce us from the right way if ye follow him he will lead you into Hell was he alone elected among us to receive the inspirations of God No he is an Impostor but in the end they knew them that were wicked and lyars We sent the Camel to prove the Infidels their Prophet observed what they did and was patient the water was divided for them and for the Camel and each at his day found to drink nevertheless they called their companions and slew the Camel of Salhe but in what manner were they chastised I darted Thunder against them which made them dry as Chaff we have made the Alcoran easie to be understood Will there be any to study it Lot's Citizens traduced him and despised his instructions we sent against them an hot wind with burning stones that destroyed them and we in the Morning saved Lot with his Family through our special grace thus do I recompence them that acknowledge my benefits Lot had preached to them the pains of Hell we surprized them when they disputed against his exhortations they saw his guests enter into the City in the figure of men we blinded their sight and said Taste oh ye wicked the punishment of your crimes in the Morning they were chastised with a perpetual chastisement because they despised the words of Lot. We have made the Alcoran intelligible will there be any that will study it Certainly the men of Pharaoh were preached unto they would not obey my Law and despised my Miracles but we surprized them in their sins Are the Infidels that are among you of more value than those that preceded them Find ye any Salvation for them in the Scripture Will they say they shall obtain victory over the believers On the contrary they are vanquished and turn the back Certainly the hour of their punishment shall speedily come their time approacheth and their pain in Hell shall be greater than that of the Earth they are wholly seduced from the way of Salvation and shall be dragged and cast headlong into Eternal flames We have created all things by our sole power we spake but one word and in the twinkling of an eye the thing was we heretofore destroyed a great number of Infidels like unto them will there be any that considereth it All the good and the evil that they have done is exactly written The Righteous shall dwell in pleasant Gardens they shall drink in Eternal Rivers they shall not speak a Lye in their Assemblies and shall dwell eternally near to the most Majestique and Omnipotent God. CHAP LV. The Chapter
knoweth all things hath revealed it to me that ye may be converted your hearts are inclined to do what is forbidden if ye act any thing against the Prophet know that God is his protector the Angel Gabriel and all the believers will defend him the Angels shall protect him against you If it be his will to repudiate you God shall give him for the future other wives in your place that shall be obedient True believers humble faithful devout contented mild clean Virgins and not Virgins Oh ye that believe in God! strengthen your selves you and your Families in obedience to his Commandments the Idolaters shall burn in the Fire of Hell with their Idols the Angels deputed to torment them disobey not God they execute whatsoever is commanded them Oh ye that are Infidels there is no excuse for you ye shall be chastised after your demerits Oh ye that believe turn to God with affection he shall pardon your sins and make you to enter into Gardens wherein flow many Rivers the light of Faith shall go before the Prophet and them that have followed him when God shall recompence them they shall say Lord give us thy light pardon our sins thou art Omnipotent Oh Prophet fight against the Infidels and the wicked fortifie thy self against them Hell shall be their habitation God teacheth unbelievers a Parable and saith the wives of Noah and the wives of Lot were under the power of my two Servants righteous men they betrayed them but did not escape the punishment of their sin It was said unto them enter into the Fire of Hell with them that go into it God teacheth them a Parable that follow his Law take example by the Wife of Pharaoh she prayed to God and said Lord build me an House in Paradise deliver me from Pharoah from his works and unjust men Mary the daughter of Iosâ—…phat preserved her Virginity we inspired into her our Spirit she believed the words of her Lord and the Scriptures she was in the number of them that obey CHAP. LXVII The Chapter of Empire containing Thirty Verses written at Mecca IN the name of God gracious and merciful Praised be he to whom belongeth the Empire oâ—… the World who is Omnipotent and hath created Life and Death to let you know which is the better he is Omnipotent and merciful He hath created seven Heavens one upon another thou seest nothing of what he hath created that is not proportioned raise yet thy sight to Heaven thou shalt not there see any thing defective behold it twice or more often thou shalt not perceive therein any thing vain or imperfect We have adorned the Heaven and the World with Stars we expelled thence the Devils we prepared for them a great fire and the torments of Hell for unbelievers They shall hear horrible and terribble voices that proceed from despair and wrath when they shall be cast thither headlong when they shall enter into Hell by Troops the Overseer of the torments shall say unto them Had you none on Earth that preached to you the pains of Hell Yes shall they reply they were preached to us but we traduced our preachers we said that God did not command to do what they declared that they were lyars and seduced from the right way had we heard them and had we been wise we should not this day have been in the number of the damned they shall confess their sins in the bottom of Hell. Such as fear God without seeing him shall receive pardon of their offences and an exceeding great reward Speak secretly or publickly God knoweth whatsoever ye have in your hearts since the time of your creation he is blessed and omniscient He hath established ways upon the earth go on all sides and live of his good things ye all shall revive and be one day assembled before him to be judged Believe ye that he who is in heaven cannot render the earrh dry and barren and cause it to tremble Believe ye that he who is in heaven is not able to send against you an impetuous wind to destroy you Ye shall hereafter feel what are the torments of hell Your predecessors would not believe them and were chastised for their incredulity Consider ye not the birds that flie over your heads how they extend and shut their wings nothing supporteth them but that mercy that beholdeth all things Who but God shall protect you in your miseries The Infidels are proud Who shall enrich you if God restraineth his grace nevertheless ye persevere in your sins and flie the truth Is he that creepeth on his face like to him that goeth on his feet in the right way Say unto them God hath created you he hath given you sight hearing and sense but few among you return him thanks for his graces Say unto them he created you of earth and ye shall one day be assembled before him to render account of your actions The wicked demand when the day of Judgment shall be Say unto them God knows I am sent only to preach to you the pains of hell Their visages shall become black when they shall see the punishment of their sins approach It shall be said to them behold that which ye have demanded with so much impatience Say unto them did you see that God destroyed me and them that were with me No he gave us his grace Who shall deliver the Infidels from the torments of hell Say unto them God is merciful we believe in him and we are resigned to the will of his divine Majesty ye shall know hereafter them that shall be seduced If the water that watereth your flocks enter under the earth who shall give you other water or another Fountain to supply you CHAP. LXVIII The Chapter of the Pen containing fifty two Verses written at Mecca Bedaoi entituleth this the Chapter of the Letter Noun n and saith that it is as much as to say Whale or great Fish Some other Doctors say that Noun n is the name of the Ink or Table on which the Angels write the Commandments of God Others affirm it to signifie the Inkhorn but many of the Mahometan Doctors intitle this the Chapttr of the Pen. IN the name of God gracious and merciful I swear by the Pen and by all that is written that thou art not possessed of the Devil through the grace of thy Lord thou shalt have an infinite reward God hath created thee with a creation high and most illustrious Thou shalt hereafter know and the Infidels likewise shall know one day them among you that are ignorant Certainly thy Lord knoweth them that are seduced and them that follow the right way Obey not the wicked they desire thee to be more inâ—…ulgent towards them and themselves more â—…ild towards thee Obey not those infamous â—…ars those bablers sinners and seducers and wicked persons full of treasures and children When the Mysteries of faith are related to them â—…hey say that they are but fables of antiquity we
gracious to them that worship him Say to them If you love God follow me God shall give you life and pardon your sins he is gracious and merciful Say to them obey God and his Prophet If they return in their sin God will very severely punish them he loveth not Infidels God elected Adam and Noah the Lineage of Abraham and the Lineage of Ioachim the one proceedeth from the other God knoweth and understandeth all things Remember thou how the Wife of Ioachim said Lord I vow unto thee the Fruit that is in my Womb free and exempt from all Affairs to serve thee in thy Temple Accept him from me who offer him to thee with affection thou understandest and knowest all things When she was delivered she 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 Devil 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 he went into his Oratory he there found a thousand sorts of different Fruits of divers Seasons He said one day O Mary whence do 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 Progeny that may be pleasing to thee and that may observe thy Commandments Lord hear my Prayers The Angels called him and said to him I declare to thee from God that thou shalt have a Son called Iohn he shall affirm 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 Son I am old and my Wife is barren The Angel said to him so God doth as pleaseth him Lord said Zachary give me some sign of the Conception of my Wife The sign that I will give thee answered the Angel shall be that thou shalt not speak in three days but by signs Remember thou thy Lord often praise him evening and morning Remember thou how the Angels said O Mary God hath chosen and purified thee above all Women of the World O 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 of Mary neither when they entred upon this difficulty Remember thou how the Angels said O Mary God declareth unto thee a word from which shall proceed the Messias named Jesus the Son of Mary full of honour in this World and that shall be in the other of the number of Intercessors with his Divine Majesty he shall speak 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 createth 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 Gospel and he shall be a Prophet sent to the Children of Israel Jesus 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 shall flie I will heal them that are born blind and the leprous I will raise again the dead I will teach you what you shall eat and what you ought not to eat this shall serve you for instruction if you believe in God I am come to confirm the Old Testament and what hath been taught you heretofore Certainly it is lawful 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 fear God and obey me God is my Lord and your Lord worship him this is the right way When Jesus knew their impiety he said Who shall sustain the Law of God in my absence The Apostles answered him we will substain the Law of God we believe in his unity be thou a witness before God that we resign our selves wholly to the pleasure of his Divine Majesty Lord we believe in what thou hast commanded and we have followed the Prophet thy Apostle write us in the number of them that profess thy Law. The Iews conspired against Jesus and God caused their conspiracy to turn against them he knoweth the designs of Conspirators Remember thou how the Lord said O Jesus I will cause thee to die I will elevate thee to my self and remove thee far from Infidels and prefer those that have obeyed thee to Infidels at the day of Judgment 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 Jesus 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 address our prayers to God I will lay the curse of his Divine Majesty upon lyers This Discourse is most true there is no God but God alone the Omnipotent and Wise. If they depart from his Commandments he shall well observe the unbelievers say to them O ye that know Scripture come with words alike true between you and us Do I worship other than God I do not associate him with any one and acknowledge none other Lord but him but if they turn aside from the way of faith God knoweth them that shall pollute the Earth Say to them be ye witnesses that we believe in God. O ye that understand Scripture dispute not the Law of Abraham to wit if he observed the Old Testament or the Gospel they were taught after him perhaps you will acknowledge your error Oh ye that have disputed what you knew not Abraham was no Iew nor Christian he professed the unity of God he was a true believer and not of the number of Infidels The People and particularly those that followed him of his time as also the Prophet Mahomet and all true believers have known the truth of his Law.
Part of them to whom heretofore was given the knowledge of Scripture desired seduced you from the right way but they themselves erred and they knew it not O ye that know the Scripture do not maliciously conceal the Commandments of God cover not the Truth with a lye neither willingly hide it Many of them that knew the written Law said From the break of day believe in what hath been taught them that believe in the Law of God Nevertheless at evening they were themselves of the number of Infidels peradventure they will be converted Believe not but such as follow your own Law Say to them The true guide is the guide of God. The knowledge that was given to you was not given to any other but to you If the Infidels shall dispute against you before your Lord at the day of Judgment say to them Grace proceedeth from the hand of God He is bountiful and omniscient he pardoneth whom he pleaseth and is altogether merciful If thou intrustest thy wealth to the hands of many of them that know the written Law they will faithfully restore it to thee There be also many of them that will not restore it if thou take not heed because they have said They have no belief in the Arabians they blaspheme against God and know their blasphemies He that shall satisfie what he hath promised and shall fear God shall be beloved of God he loveth such as have fear of him before their eyes such as pervert his Commandments for any profit shall have no part in Paradise he will not protect them neither regard or pardon them at the day of Judgment and they shall be rigorously punished There be of them that alter the Scripture in reading it and will make believe that what they read is in the Scripture although it be not they blaspheme and know it well God gave not to Man the Scripture knowledge and prophecies to say to the People Worship me instead of God but indeed to say Observe exactly what you have learned in Scripture and what you read God doth not command you to adore Angels nor Prophets Will he command you impiety having instructed you in his Law Remember that he received the promise of the Prophets to preach his Commandments without fear and that he hath taught you Scripture and knowledge and that after this came a Prophet that confirmed the Doctrine that was taught you that you might believe his words Have you not approved it Have you not received what was promised unto you We have received it be therefore witnesses against your selves and against them that have followed you and I will be a witness against you and against them Such as go astray from the right way shall be wicked Desire they to observe any other Law than that of God Whatever is in Heaven or Earth obeyeth him either willingly or by force And you shall all one day appear before him to be judged Say to them We believe in God in what he hath inspired into us in what he inspired 〈◊〉 Abraham Ismael Isaac Iacob and the Tâ—…e 〈◊〉 what was ordained by Moses by Iesus 〈◊〉 generally all the Prophets from God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are wholly resigned to his pleasure The Sacrifices of them that desire to follow other Law than the Law of Salvation shall not be accepted they shall be in the other World in the number of the damned God guided not those that followed impiety after they had professed his Law and having seen and testified that the Prophet is true by signs clear and evident that appeared to them God guideth not the unjust they shall be for ever cursed of his Divine Majesty of Angels and of all the World they shall find no relaxation of their torments and at the Day of Judgment be deprived of protection except such as shall be converted and do good works God shall be to them gracious and merciful Such as shall be impious towards Jesus having believed the Books of Moses and shall augment their impiety against Mahomet shall never be converted they shall err eternally All the treasures of the Earth shall not be able to save the wicked that die in their impiety great punishments are prepared for them and none of them shall be able to protect them You shall not be justified until you have dispensed in pious works part of the goods you possess God will take notice of the alms you bestow All meats were permitted the Children of Israel except what Israel forbad to himself before the Old Testament Say to them Come and bring the Old Testament and consider it it will appear if you speak the Truth These that shall afterwards blaspheme against God shall be exceedingly to blame Say God hath spoken Truth follow ye the Law of Abraham that is pleasing to him He professed the unity of his Divine Majesty he was not of them that believed in many Gods. The Temple of Mecca is the first that God established on Earth to be therein adored he blessed it and Men shall there find the instructions of the right way with clear and evident signs of his omnipotency to wit Abraham's place He that shall enter into this Temple shall be in a place of safety and priviledge God hath commanded that Pilgrimages be made thither by such as shall be able He that is impious must know that God hath not to do with him O ye that have knowledge of the written Law do not willingly conceal the Commandments of God he knoweth all your actions Say to them O ye that have the knowledge of Scriptures divert not from the way of Salvation them that believe in the Law of God you desire to alter and pervert it but God is not ignorant of what you do O ye that believe if you obey many of them that have the knowledge of the written Law they will mis-lead you into the number of the wicked How can you be of the impious since you are taught the Commandments of God and that his Prophet and his Apostle is among you He that resigneth himself to God is in the right way O ye that fear God die in the profession of his Unity imbrace his Law and remember the favour he hath shewed you you were all enemies of each other he hath united your hearts and through his special Grace you continued united to each other as good Brethren you were upon the brink of a pit of fire from which he withdrew you Thus God manifesteth to you his mercies perhaps you will follow the right way Some there be among you that exhort the People to do good they command to do that which is honest and abstain from what is unreasonable these Men shall be happy Be not like them that have abandoned the Truth and followed lies notwithstanding the Truth was known to them they shall suffer great torment in the day wherein the visage of the good shall be white and that of the wicked shall be black