The Koran Part 154

Truly they who oppose G.o.d and His Apostle shall be brought low, as those who were before them were brought low. And now have we sent down demonstrative signs: and, for the Infidels is a shameful chastis.e.m.e.nt.

On the day when G.o.d shall raise them all to life, and shall tell them of their doings. G.o.d hath taken count of them, though they have forgotten them!

and G.o.d is witness over all things.

Dost thou not see that G.o.d knoweth all that is in the Heavens and all that is in the Earth? Three persons speak not privately together, but He is their fourth; nor five, but He is their sixth; nor fewer nor more, but wherever they be He is with them. Then on the day of resurrection He will tell them of their deeds: for G.o.d knoweth all things.

Hast thou not marked those who have been forbidden secret talk, and return to what they have been forbidden, and talk privately together with wickedness, and hate, and disobedience towards the Apostle? And when they come to thee, they greet thee not as G.o.d greeteth thee:3 and they say among themselves, "Why doth not G.o.d punish us for what we say?" h.e.l.l shall be their meed:4 they shall be burned at its fire: and a wretched pa.s.sage thither!

O Believers! when ye hold private converse together, let it not be with wickedness, and hate, and disobedience towards the Apostle; but let your private talk be with justice and the fear of G.o.d: aye, fear ye G.o.d unto whom ye shall be gathered!

Only of Satan is this clandestine talk, that he may bring the faithful to grief: but, unless by G.o.d's permission, not aught shall he harm them! in G.o.d then let the faithful trust.

O ye who believe! when it is said to you, "Make room in your a.s.semblies,"

then make ye room. G.o.d will make room for you in Paradise! And when it is said to you, "Rise up," then rise ye up. G.o.d will uplift those of you who believe, and those to whom "the Knowledge" is given, to lofty grades! and G.o.d is cognisant of your actions.

O ye who believe! when ye go to confer in private with the Apostle, give alms before such conference. Better will this be for you, and more pure. But if ye have not the means, then truly G.o.d is Lenient, Merciful.

Do ye hesitate to give alms previously to your private conference? Then if ye do it not (and G.o.d will excuse it in you), at least observe prayer, and pay the stated impost, and obey G.o.d and His Apostle: for G.o.d is cognisant of your actions.

Hast thou not remarked those who make friends of that people with whom G.o.d is angered? They are neither of your party nor of theirs; and they swear to a lie,5 knowing it to be such.

G.o.d hath got ready for them a severe torment: for, evil is that they do.

They make a cloak of their faith, and turn others aside from the way of G.o.d: wherefore a shameful torment awaiteth them.

Not at all shall their wealth or their children avail them aught against G.o.d.

Companions shall they be of the fire: they shall abide therein for ever.

On the day when G.o.d shall raise them all, they will swear to Him as they now swear to you, deeming that it will avail them. Are they not-yes they-the liars?

Satan hath gotten mastery over them, and made them forget the remembrance of G.o.d. These are Satan's party. What! shall not verily the party of Satan be for ever lost.

Verily, they who oppose G.o.d and His Apostle shall be among the most vile. G.o.d hath written this decree: "I will surely prevail, and my Apostles also."

Truly G.o.d is Strong, Mighty.

Thou shalt not find that any of those who believe in G.o.d, and in the last day, love him who opposeth G.o.d and His Apostle, even though they be their fathers, or their sons, or their brethren, or their nearest kin. On the hearts of these hath G.o.d graven the Faith, and with His own Spirit hath He strengthened them; and He will bring them into gardens, beneath whose shades the rivers flow, to remain therein eternally. G.o.d is well pleased in them, and they in Him. These are G.o.d's party! Shall not, of a truth, a party of G.o.d be for ever blessed?

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1 Khaula, daughter of Thalaba, who had been divorced by the formula in verse 2, which was understood among the Arabs to imply perpetual separation. This Muhammad had a.s.serted in her case; but in consequence of the woman's prayers, etc., a relaxation of the law, on fulfilment of the conditions mentioned in verses 4, 5, was hereby allowed. None of the earlier traditions fix any date for this Sura, though later authorities (Weil, 184) fix the end of Hej. 6, or the beginning of Hej. 7.-The subject matter is in part similar to that of Sura xxiv.

2 See Sura [ciii.] x.x.xiii. 4.

3 Instead of saying, Es-salam aleika, "Peace be on thee," the Infidels and Jews said, Es-sam aleika, "a plague, or poison on thee." See Geiger, p. 18.

4 Lit. sufficiency.

5 The Jews swear that they are Muslims.

SURA XXII.-THE PILGRIMAGE [CVII.]

MEDINA.1-78 Verses

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

O MEN of Mecca, fear your Lord. Verily, the earthquake of the last Hour will be a tremendous thing!

On the day when ye shall behold it, every suckling woman shall forsake her sucking babe; and every woman that hath a burden in her womb shall cast her burden; and thou shalt see men drunken, yet are they not drunken: but it is the mighty chastis.e.m.e.nt of G.o.d!

There is a man2 who, without knowledge, wrangleth about G.o.d, and followeth every rebellious Satan;

Concerning whom it is decreed, that he shall surely beguile and guide into the torment of the Flame, whoever shall take him for his Lord.

O men! if ye doubt as to the resurrection, yet, of a truth, have We created you of dust, then of the moist germs of life, then of clots of blood, then of pieces of flesh shapen and unshapen, that We might give you proofs of our power! And We cause one s.e.x or the other, at our pleasure, to abide in the womb until the appointed time; then We bring you forth infants; then permit you to reach your age of strength; and one of you dieth, and another of you liveth on to an age so abject that all his former knowledge is clean forgotten!3 And thou hast seen the earth dried up and barren: but when We send down the rain upon it, it stirreth and swelleth, and groweth every kind of luxuriant herb.

This, for that G.o.d is the Truth, and that it is He who quickeneth the dead,- and that He hath power over everything:

And that "the Hour" will indeed come-there is no doubt of it-and that G.o.d will wake up to life those who are in the tombs.

A man there is who disputeth about G.o.d without knowledge or guidance or enlightening Book,

Turning aside in scorn to mislead others from the way of G.o.d! Disgrace shall be his in this world; and on the day of the resurrection, We will make him taste the torment of the burning:-

"This, for thy handywork of old! for G.o.d is not unjust to His servants."

There are some who serve G.o.d in a single point. If good come upon one of them, he resteth in it; but if trial come upon him, he turneth him round (to infidelity) with the loss both of this world and of the next! This same is the clear ruin!

He calleth upon that beside G.o.d which can neither hurt him nor profit him.

This same is the far-gone error!

He calleth on him who would sooner hurt than profit him. Surely, bad the lord, and, surely, bad the va.s.sal!

But G.o.d will bring in those who shall believe and do the things that are right, into gardens 'neath which the rivers flow: for G.o.d doth that which He pleaseth.

Let him who thinketh that G.o.d will not help His Apostle in this world and in the next, stretch a cord aloft as if to destroy himself; then let him cut it, and see whether his devices can bring that4 to nought at which he was angry!

Thus send we down the Koran with its clear signs (verses): and because G.o.d guideth whom He pleaseth.

As to those who believe, and the Jews, and the Sabeites,5 and the Christians, and the Magians, and those who join other G.o.ds with G.o.d, of a truth, G.o.d shall decide between them on the day of resurrection: for G.o.d is witness of all things.

Seest thou not that all in the Heavens and all on the Earth adoreth G.o.d? the sun and the moon and the stars, and the mountains, and the trees, and the beasts, and many men? But of many is chastis.e.m.e.nt the due:

And whom G.o.d shall disgrace there shall be none to honour: G.o.d doth that which pleaseth Him.

These, the Faithful and the Infidels, are the two disputants who dispute concerning their Lord: but for those who have disbelieved, garments of fire shall be cut out; the boiling water shall be poured down upon their heads:

All that is in their bowels, and their skins, shall be dissolved: and there are maces of iron for them!