Rene Bazin - "The Ink Stain, v1"

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New Philadelphia Book Publisher Highlights Local Talent
Book and Publishing News from Publishers Newswire(tm)

Looking for Child to be on Cover of a New Book, 'The Model Child'
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. -- The Philadelphia literary world will celebrate the launch of two new players today, April 10th: Kay Square Press, a new publishing company focused on Philadelphia-area artists, their stories, and their art; and Kay Square's first release, 'With the Rich and Mighty: Emlen Etting of Philadelphia' (ISBN: 978-0-9815129-0-7), a critical biography by Kenneth C. Kaleta.

FlatSigned Press Alleges Don Imus Remarks Damage Legacy of President Gerald R. Ford
NEW YORK, N.Y. -- Nathan Yungerberg, an accomplished model scout and professional child photographer is launching a nation-wide casting call to find the cover model for his highly anticipated book release, 'The Model Child: A Parents Guide to the Child Modeling Industry' (ISBN: 978-0-9817018-0-6).

Books: The Koran (without footnotes)

U >> Unknown >> The Koran (without footnotes)






________


CHAPTER XXXVIII.

ENTITLED, S.; REVEALED AT MECCA.

IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD.

S. BY the Koran full of admonition.
Verily the unbelievers are addicted to pride and contention.
How many generations have we destroyed before them; and they cried for
mercy, but it was not a time to escape.
They wonder that a warner from among themselves hath come unto them. And
the unbelievers said, This man is a sorcerer, and a liar:
doth he affirm the gods to be but one GOD. Surely this is a wonderful
thing.
And the chief men among them departed, saying to one another, Go, and
persevere in the worship of your gods: verily this is the thing which is
designed.
We have not heard anything like this in the last religion: this is no
other than a false contrivance.
Hath an admonition been sent unto him preferable to any other among us?
Verily they are in a doubt concerning my admonition: but they have not yet
tasted my vengeance.
Are the treasures of the mercy of thy LORD, the mighty, the munificent
God, in their hands?
10 Is the kingdom of the heavens, and the earth, and of whatever is between
them, in their possession? If it be so, let them ascend by steps unto heaven.
But any army of the confederates shall even here be put to flight.
The people of Noah, and the tribe of Ad, and Pharaoh the contriver of the
stakes,
and the tribe of Thamud, and the people of Lot, and the inhabitants of
the wood near Madian, accused the prophets of imposture before them; these
were the confederates against the messengers of God.
All of them did no other than accuse their apostles of falsehood:
wherefore my vengeance hath been justly executed upon them.
And these wait only for one sounding of the trumpet; which there shall be
no deferring.
And they scoffingly say, O LORD, hasten our sentence unto us, before the
day of account.
Do thou patiently bear that which they utter: and remind them of our
servant David, endued with strength; for he was one who seriously turned
himself unto God.
We compelled the mountains to celebrate our praise with him, in the
evening and at sunrise,
and also the birds, which gathered themselves together unto him: all of
them returned frequently unto him for this purpose.
20 And we established his kingdom, and gave him wisdom and eloquence of
speech.
Hath the story of the two adversaries come to thy knowledge; when they
ascended over the wall into the upper apartment,
when they went in unto David, and he was afraid of them. They said,
Fear not: we are two adversaries who have a controversy to be decided. The
one of us hath wronged the other: wherefore judge between us with truth, and
be not unjust; and direct us into the even way.
This my brother had ninety and nine sheep: and I had only one ewe: and he
said, Give her me to keep; and he prevailed against me in the discourse which
we had together.
David answered, Verily he hath wronged thee in demanding thine ewe as an
addition to his own sheep: and many of them who are concerned together in
business wrong one another, except those who believe and do that which is
right; but how few are they! And David perceived that we had tried him by
this parable, and he asked pardon of his LORD: and he fell down and bowed
himself, and repented.
Wherefore we forgave him this fault; and he shall be admitted to approach
near unto us, and shall have an excellent place of abode in paradise.
O David, verily we have appointed thee a sovereign prince in the earth:
judge therefore between men with truth; and follow not thy own lust, lest it
cause thee to err from the way of GOD: for those who err from the way of GOD
shall suffer a severe punishment, because they have forgotten the day of
account.
We have not created the heavens and the earth, and whatever is between
them, in vain. This is the opinion of the unbelievers: but woe unto those
who believe not, because of the fire of hell.
Shall we deal with those who believe and do good works, as with those who
act corruptly in the earth? Shall we deal with the pious as with the wicked?
A blessed book have we sent down unto thee, O Mohammed, that they may
attentively meditate on the signs thereof, and that men of understanding may
be warned.
30 And we gave unto David Solomon; how excellent a servant! for he
frequently turned himself unto God.
When the horses standing on three feet, and touching the ground with the
edge of the fourth foot, and swift in the course, were set in parade before
him in the evening,
he said, Verily I have loved the love of earthly good above the
remembrance of my LORD: and have spent the time in viewing these horses, until
the sun is hidden by the veil of night;
bring the horses back unto me. And when they were brought back, he began
to cut off their legs and their necks.
We also tried Solomon, and placed on his throne a counterfeit body:
afterwards he turned unto God,
and said, O LORD, forgive me, and give me a kingdom which may not be
obtained by any after me; for thou art the giver of kingdoms.
And we made the wind subject to him; it ran gently at his command,
whithersoever we directed.
And we also put the devils in subjection under him; and among them such
as were every way skilled in building, and in diving for pearls:
and others we delivered to him bound in chains,
saying, This is our gift: therefore be bounteous, or be sparing unto whom
thou shalt think fit, without rendering an account.
40 And he shall approach near unto us, and shall have an excellent abode in
paradise.
And remember our servant Job, when he cried unto his LORD, saying,
Verily Satan hath afflicted me with calamity and pain.
And it was said unto him, Strike the earth with thy foot; which when he
had done, a fountain sprang up, and it was said to him, This is for thee to
wash in, to refresh thee, and to drink.
And we restored unto him his family, and as many more with them, through
our mercy; and for an admonition unto those who are endued with understanding.
And we said unto him, Take a handful of rods in thy hand, and strike thy
wife therewith; and break not thine oath. Verily we found him a patient
person: how excellent a servant was he! for he was one who frequently turned
himself unto us.
Remember also our servants Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, who were men
strenuous and prudent.
Verily we purified them with a perfect purification, through the
remembrance of the life to come;
and they were in our sight, elect and good men.
And remember Ismael, and Elisha, and Dhu'lkefl: for all these were good
men.
This is an admonition. Verily the pious shall have an excellent place to
return unto,
50 namely, gardens of perpetual abode, the gates whereof shall stand open
unto them.
As they lie down therein, they shall there ask for many sorts of fruits,
and for drink;
and near them shall sit the virgins of paradise, refraining their looks
from beholding any besides their spouses, and of equal age with them.
This is what ye are promised, at the day of account.
This is our provision, which shall not fail.
This shall be the reward of the righteous. But for the transgressors is
prepared an evil receptacle,
namely, hell: they shall be cast into the same to be burned, and a
wretched couch shall it be.
This let them taste, to wit, scalding water, and corruption flowing from
the bodies of the damned,
and divers other things of the same kind.
And it shall be said to the seducers, This troop which was guided by you
shall be thrown, together with you, headlong into hell: they shall not be
bidden welcome: for they shall enter the fire to be burned.
60 And the seduced shall say to their seducers, Verily ye shall not be
bidden welcome: ye have brought it upon us; and a wretched abode is hell.
They shall say, O LORD, doubly increase the torment of him who hath
brought this punishment upon us, in the fire of hell.
And the infidels shall say, Why do we not see the men whom we numbered
among the wicked,
and whom we received with scorn? Or do our eyes miss them?
Verily this is a truth; to wit, the disputing of the inhabitants of hell
fire.
Say, O Mohammed, unto the idolaters, Verily I am no other than a warner:
and there is no god, except the one only GOD, the Almighty,
the LORD of heaven and earth, and of whatsoever is between them; the
mighty, the forgiver of sins.
Say, it is a weighty message,
from which ye turn aside.
I had no knowledge of the exalted princes, when they disputed concerning
the creation of man:
70 (it hath been revealed unto me only as a proof that I am a public
preacher:)
when thy LORD said unto the angels, Verily I am about to create man of
clay:
when I shall have formed him, therefore, and shall have breathed my
spirit into him, do ye fall down and worship him.
And all the angels worshipped him, in general,
except Eblis, who was puffed up with pride, and became an unbeliever.
God said unto him, O Eblis, what hindereth thee from worshipping that
which I have created with my hands? Art thou elated with vain pride?
Or art thou really one of exalted merit?
He answered, I am more excellent than he: thou hast created me of fire,
and thou hast created him of clay.
God said unto him, Get thee hence therefore; for thou shalt be driven
away from mercy;
and my curse shall be upon thee, until the day of judgment.
He replied, O LORD, respite me, therefore, until the day of
resurrection.
80 God said, Verily thou shalt be one of those who are respited
until the day of the determined time.
Eblis said, By thy might do I swear, I will surely seduce them all,
except thy servants who shall be peculiarly chosen from among them.
God said, It is a just sentence; and I speak the truth:
I will surely fill hell with thee, and with such of them as shall follow thee,
altogether.
Say unto the Meccans, I ask not of you any reward for this my preaching:
neither am I one of those who assume a part which belongs not to them.
The Koran is no other than an admonition unto all creatures:
and ye shall surely know what is delivered therein to be true, after a
season.



________


CHAPTER XXXIX.

ENTITLED, THE TROOPS; REVEALED AT MECCA.

IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD.

THE revelation of this book is from the mighty, the wise GOD.
Verily we have revealed this book unto thee with truth: wherefore serve
GOD, exhibiting the pure religion unto him.
Ought not the pure religion to be exhibited unto GOD? But as to those
who take other patrons besides him, saying, We worship them only that
they may bring us nearer unto GOD; verily GOD will judge between them
concerning that wherein they disagree. Surely GOD will not direct him who
is a liar, or ungrateful.
If GOD had been minded to have had a son, he had surely chosen what he
pleased out of that which he hath created. But far be such a thing from him!
He is the sole, the almighty God.
He hath created the heavens and the earth with truth: he causeth the
night to succeed the day, and he causeth the day to succeed the night, and he
obligeth the sun and the moon to perform their services; each of them
hastening to an appointed period. Is not he the mighty, the forgiver of sins?
He created you of one man, and afterwards out of him formed his wife: and
he hath bestowed on you four pair of cattle. He formeth you in the wombs of
your mothers, by several gradual formations, within three veils of darkness.
This is GOD, your LORD: his is the kingdom: there is no GOD but he. Why
therefore are ye turned aside from the worship of him to idolatry?
If ye be ungrateful, verily GOD hath no need of you; yet he liketh not
ingratitude in his servants: but if ye be thankful, he will be well pleased
with you. A burdened soul shall not bear the burden of another; hereafter
shall ye return unto your LORD, and he shall declare unto you that which ye
have wrought, and will reward you accordingly; for he knoweth the innermost
parts of your breasts.
When harm befalleth a man, he calleth upon his LORD, and turneth unto
him: yet afterwards, when God hath bestowed on him favor from himself, he
forgetteth that Being which he invoked before, and setteth up equals unto
GOD, that he may seduce men from his way. Say unto such a man, Enjoy this
life in thy infidelity for a little while; but hereafter shalt thou surely be
one of the inhabitants of hell fire.
Shall he who giveth himself up to prayer in the hours of the night,
prostrate, and standing, and who taketh heed as to the life to come, and
hopeth for the mercy of his LORD, be dealt with as the wicked unbeliever?
Say, Shall they who know their duty and they who know it not, be held equal?
Verily the men of understanding only will be warned.
10 Say, O my servants who believe, fear your LORD. They who do good in
this world shall obtain good in the next; and GOD'S earth is spacious: verily
those who persevere with patience shall receive their recompense without
measure.
Say, I am commanded to worship GOD, and to exhibit the pure religion
unto him:
and I am commanded to be the first Moslem.
Say, Verily I fear, if I be disobedient unto my LORD, the punishment of
the great day.
Say, I worship GOD, exhibiting my religion pure unto him;
but do ye worship that which ye will, besides him. Say, Verily they will
be the losers, who shall lose their own souls, and their families, on the day
of resurrection: is not this manifest loss?
Over them shall be roofs of fire, and under them shall be floors of fire.
With this doth GOD terrify his servants: wherefore, oh my servants, fear him.
But those who eschew the worship of idols, and are turned unto GOD, shall
receive good tidings. Bear good tidings therefore unto my servants,
who hearken unto my word, and follow that which is most excellent therein:
these are they whom GOD directeth, and these are men of understanding.
Him, therefore, on whom the sentence of eternal punishment shall be
justly pronounced, canst thou, O Mohammed, deliver him who is destined to
dwell in the fire of hell?
20 But for those who fear their LORD will be prepared high apartments in
paradise, over which shall be other apartments built; and rivers shall run
beneath them: this is the promise of GOD; and GOD will not be contrary to the
promise.
Dost thou not see that GOD sendeth down water from heaven, and causeth
the same to enter and form sources in the earth; and produceth thereby corn of
various sorts? Afterwards he causeth the same to wither; and thou seest it
become yellow: afterwards he maketh it crumble into dust. Verily, herein is
an instruction to men of understanding.
Shall he, therefore, whose breast GOD hath enlarged to receive the
religion of Islam, and who followeth the light from his LORD, be as he whose
heart is hardened? But woe unto those whose hearts are hardened against the
remembrance of GOD! they are in a manifest error.
GOD hath revealed a most excellent discourse; a book conformable to
itself, and containing repeated admonitions. The skins of those who fear
their LORD shrink for fear thereat; afterwards their skins grow soft, and
their hearts also, at the remembrance of their LORD. This is the direction of
GOD: he will direct thereby whom he pleaseth; and whomsoever GOD shall cause
to err, he shall have no director.
Shall he therefore who shall be obliged to screen himself with his face
from the severity of the punishment on the day of resurrection, be as he who
is secure therefrom? And it shall be said unto the ungodly, Taste that which
ye have deserved.
Those who were before them accused their apostles of imposture; wherefore
a punishment came upon them from whence they expected it not:
and GOD caused them to take shame in this present life; but the
punishment of the life to come will certainly be greater. If they were men of
understanding, they would know this.
Now have we proposed unto mankind, in this Koran, every kind of parable;
that they may be warned:
an Arabic Koran, wherein there is no crookedness; that they may fear God.
GOD propoundeth as a parable a man who hath several companions which are
at mutual variance, and a man who committeth himself wholly to one person:
shall these be held in equal comparison? GOD forbid! But the greater part of
them do not understand.
30 Verily thou, O Mohammed, shalt die, and they also shall die:
and ye shall debate the matter with one another before your LORD, at the
day of resurrection.
Who is more unjust than he who uttereth a lie concerning GOD, and denieth
the truth when it cometh unto him? Is there not a dwelling provided in hell
for the unbelievers?
But he who bringeth the truth, and giveth credit thereto, these are they
who fear God;
they shall obtain whatever they shall desire, in the sight of their LORD:
this shall be the recompense of the righteous;
that GOD may expiate from them the very worst of that which they have
wrought, and may render them their reward according to the utmost merit of the
good which they have wrought.
Is not GOD a sufficient protector of his servant? yet they will attempt
to make thee afraid of the false deities which they worship besides GOD. But
he whom GOD shall cause to err, shall have none to direct him:
and he whom GOD shall direct, shall have none to mislead him. Is not GOD
most mighty, able to avenge?
If thou ask them who hath created the heavens and the earth, they will
surely answer, GOD. Say, Do ye think, therefore, that the deities which ye
invoke besides GOD, if GOD be pleased to afflict me, are able to relieve me
from his affliction? or if he be pleased to show mercy unto me, that they are
able to withhold his mercy? Say, GOD is my sufficient support: in him let
those put their trust, who seek in whom to confide.
Say, O my people, do ye act according to your state; verily I will act
according to mine: hereafter shall ye know
40 on which of us will be inflicted a punishment that shall cover him with
shame, and on whom a lasting punishment shall fall.
Verily we have revealed unto thee the book of the Koran, for the
instruction of mankind, with truth. Whoso shall be directed thereby shall be
directed to the advantage of his own soul; and whoso shall err, shall only err
against the same: and thou art not a guardian over them.
GOD taketh unto himself the souls of men at the time of their death; and
those which die not he also taketh in their sleep: and he withholdeth those
on which he hath passed the decree of death, but sendeth back the others till
a determined period. Verily herein are signs unto the people who consider.
Have the Koreish taken idols for their intercessors with God? Say, What,
although they have not dominion over anything, neither do they understand?
Say, Intercession is altogether in the disposal of GOD: his is the
kingdom of heaven and earth; and hereafter shall ye return unto him.
When the one sole GOD is mentioned, the hearts of those who believe not
in the life to come, shrink with horror: but when the false gods, which are
worshipped besides him, are mentioned, behold they are filled with joy.
Say, O GOD, the creator of heaven and earth, who knowest that which is
secret, and that which is manifest; thou shalt judge between thy servants
concerning that wherein they disagree.
If those who act unjustly were masters of whatever is in the earth, and
as much more therewith, verily they would give it to ransom themselves from
the evil of the punishment, on the day of resurrection: and there shall appear
unto them, from GOD, terrors which they never imagined;
and there shall appear unto them the evils of that which they shall have
gained; and that which they mocked at shall encompass them.
When harm befalleth man, he calleth upon us; yet afterwards, when we
have bestowed on him favor from us, he saith, I have received it merely
because of GOD's knowledge of my deserts. On the contrary, it is a trial;
but the greater part of them know it not.
50 Those who were before them said the same: but that which they had
gained, profited them not:
and the evils which they had deserved, fell upon them. And whoever of
these Meccans shall have acted unjustly, on them likewise shall fall the evils
which they shall have deserved; neither shall they frustrate the divine
vengeance.
Do they not know that GOD bestoweth provision abundantly on whom he
pleaseth, and is sparing unto whom he pleaseth? Verily herein are signs unto
people who believe.
Say, O my servants who have transgressed against your own souls, despair
not of the mercy of GOD: seeing that GOD forgiveth all sins, for he is
gracious and merciful.
And be turned unto your LORD, and resign yourselves unto him, before the
threatened punishment overtake you; for then ye shall not be helped.
And follow the most excellent instructions which have been sent down unto
you from your LORD, before the punishment come suddenly upon you, and ye
perceive not the approach thereof;
and a soul say, Alas! for that I have been negligent in my duty to GOD;
verily I have been one of the scorners:
or say, If GOD had directed me, verily I had been one of the pious:
or say, when it seeth the prepared punishment, If I could return once
more into the world, I would become one of the righteous.
But God shall answer, My signs came unto thee heretofore, and thou didst
charge them with falsehood, and wast puffed up with pride; and thou becamest
one of the unbelievers.
60 On the day of resurrection, thou shalt see the faces of those who have
uttered lies concerning GOD, become black: is there not an abode prepared in
hell for the arrogant?
But GOD shall deliver those who shall fear him, and shall set them in
their place of safety: evil shall not touch them, neither shall they be
grieved.
GOD is the creator of all things, and he is the governor of all things.
His are the keys of heaven and earth: and they who believe not in the signs
of GOD, they shall perish.
Say, Do ye therefore bid me to worship other than GOD, oh ye fools?
since it hath been spoken by revelation unto thee, and also unto the
prophets who have been before thee, saying, Verily if thou join any partners
with God, thy work will be altogether unprofitable, and thou shalt certainly
be one of those who perish:
wherefore rather fear GOD, and be one of those who give thanks.
But they make not a due estimation of GOD: since the whole earth shall
be but his handful, on the day of resurrection; and the heavens shall be
rolled together in his right hand. Praise be unto him! and far be he exalted
above the idols which they associate with him!
the trumpet shall be sounded, and whoever are in heaven, and whoever are
on earth, shall expire; except those whom GOD shall please to exempt from the
common fate. Afterwards it shall be sounded again; and behold, they shall
arise and look up.
And the earth shall shine by the light of its LORD: and the book shall be
laid open, and the prophets and the martyrs shall be brought as witnesses;
and judgment shall be given between them with truth, and they shall not be
treated unjustly.
70 And every soul shall be fully rewarded, according to that which it shall
have wrought; for he perfectly knoweth whatever they do.
And the unbelievers shall be driven unto hell by troops, until, when they
shall arrive at the same, the gates thereof shall be opened: and the keepers
thereof shall say unto them, Did not apostles from among you come unto you,
who rehearsed unto you the signs of your LORD, and warned you of the meeting
of this your day? They shall answer, Yea: but the sentence of eternal
punishment hath been justly pronounced on the unbelievers.
It shall be said unto them, Enter ye the gates of hell, to dwell therein
forever; and miserable shall be the abode of the proud!
But those who shall have feared their LORD shall be conducted by troops
towards paradise, until they shall arrive at the same: and the gates thereof
shall be ready set open; and the guards thereof shall say unto them, Peace be
on you! ye have been good: wherefore enter ye into paradise, to remain therein
forever.
And they shall answer, Praise be unto GOD, who hath performed his promise
unto us, and hath made us to inherit the earth, that we may dwell in paradise
wherever we please! How excellent is the reward of those who work
righteousness!
And thou shalt see the angels going in procession round the throne,
celebrating the praises of their LORD: and judgment shall be given between
them with truth; and they shall say, Praise be unto GOD, the LORD of all
creatures!