Books: The Koran

U >> Unknown >> The Koran

Pages:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59 | 60 | 61 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 65 | 66 | 67 | 68 | 69 | 70 | 71 | 72 | 73 | 74 | 75 | 76 | 77 | 78 | 79 | 80 | 81 | 82 | 83 | 84 | 85 | 86 | 87 | 88 | 89 | 90 | 91 | 92 | 93

o See chap. 4, p. 72.
p Never pretending to partake of the divine nature, or to be the mother
of GOD.3
q Being obliged to support their lives by the same means, and being
subject to the same necessities and infirmities as the rest of mankind, and
therefore no Gods.1
r See chap. 4, p. 72. But here the words are principally directed to
the Christians.
s That is, of their prelates and predecessors, who erred in ascribing
divinity to Christ, before the mission of Mohammed.2
t See before, p. 81, note a.
u See chap. 2, p. 11, note r.
x Having not that high conceit of themselves, as the Jews have; but
being humble and well disposed to receive the truth; qualities, says al
Beidâwi, which are to be commended even in infidels.
y The persons directly intended in this passage were, either Ashama,
king of Ethiopia, and several bishops and priests, who, being assembled for
that purpose, heard Jaafar Ebn Abi Taleb, who fled to that country in the
first flight,3 read the 29th and 30th, and afterwards the 18th and 19th
chapters of the Korân; on hearing of which the king and the rest of the
company burst into tears, and confessed what was delivered therein to be
conformable to truth; that prince himself, in particular, becoming a proselyte
to Mohammedism:4 or else, thirty, or as others say, seventy persons, sent
ambassadors to Mohammed by the same king of Ethiopia, to whom the prophet
himself read the 36th chapter, entitled Y.S. Whereupon they began to weep,
saying, How like is this to that which was revealed unto Jesus! and
immediately professed themselves Moslems.5

2 Jallalo'ddin. 1 Idem, al Beidâwi. 2 Idem.
3 See the Prelim. Disc. Sect. II.
4 Al Beidâwi, al Thalabi. Vide Abulfed. Vit. Moham. p. 25, &c. Marracc.
Prodr. ad Refut. Alcor. part i. p. 45. 5 Al Beidâwi, Jallalo'ddin.
Vide Marracc. ubi sup.

and what should hinder us from believing in GOD, and the truth which hath
come unto us, and from earnestly desiring that our LORD would introduce us
into paradise with the righteous people?
Therefore hath GOD rewarded them, for what they have said, with gardens
through which rivers flow; they shall continue therein forever; and this is
the reward of the righteous. But they who believe not, and accuse our signs
of falsehood, they shall be the companions of hell.
O true believers, forbid not the good things which GOD hath allowed you;z
but transgress not, for GOD loveth not the transgressors.
90 And eat of what GOD hath given you for food that which is lawful and
good: and fear GOD, in whom ye believe.
GOD will not punish you for an inconsiderate word in your oaths;a but he
will punish you for what ye solemnly swear with deliberation. And the
expiation of such an oath shall be the feeding of ten poor men with such
moderate food as ye feed your own families withal; or to clothe them;b or to
free the neck of a true believer from captivity: but he who shall not find
wherewith to perform one of these three things shall fast three days.c This
is the expiation of your oaths, when ye swear inadvertently. Therefore keep
your oaths. Thus GOD declareth unto you his signs, that ye may give thanks.
O true believers, surely wine, and lots,d and images,e and divining
arrows,f are an abomination of the work of Satan; therefore avoid them that ye
may prosper.
Satan seeketh to sow dissension and hatred among you, by means of wine
and lots, and to divert you from remembering GOD, and from prayer: will ye not
therefore abstain from them? Obey GOD, and obey the apostle, and take heed to
yourselves: but if ye turn back, know that the duty of our apostle is only to
preach publicly.g
In those who believe and do good works, it is no sin that they have
tasted wine or gaming before they were forbidden; if they fear God, and
believe, and do good works, and shall for the future fear God, and believe,
and shall persevere to fear him, and to do good;h for GOD loveth those who do
good.

z These words were revealed when certain of Mohammed's companions
agreed to oblige themselves to continual fasting and watching, and to abstain
from women, eating flesh, sleeping on beds, and other lawful enjoyments of
life, in imitation of some self-denying Christians; but this the prophet
disapproved, declaring that he would have no monks in his religion.1
a See chap. 2, p. 24.
b The commentators give us the different opinions of the doctors, as to
the quantity of food and clothes to be given in this case; which I think
scarce worth transcribing.
c That is, three days together, says Abu Hanîfa. But this is not
observed in practice, being neither explicitly commanded in the Korân, nor
ordered in the Sonna.2
d That is, all inebriating liquors, and games of chance. See the
Prelim. Disc. Sect. V. and chap. 2, p. 23.
e Al Beidâwi and some other commentators expound this of idols; but
others, with more probability, of the carved pieces or men, with which the
pagan Arabs played at chess, being little figures of men, elephants, horses,
and dromedaries; and this is supposed to be the only thing Mohammed disliked
in that game: for which reason the Sonnites play with plain pieces of wood or
ivory; but the Persians and Indians, who are not so scrupulous, still make use
of the carved ones.3
f See the Prelim. Discourse, Sect. V.
g See ibid. Sect. II.
h The commentators endeavour to excuse the tautology of this passage,
by supposing the threefold repetition of fearing and believing refers either
to the three parts of time, past, present, and future, or to the threefold
duty of man, towards GOD, himself, and his neighbour, &c.4

1 Jallalo'ddin, al Beidâwi. 2 Al Beidâwi. 3 Vide
Prelim Disc. Sect. V. 4 Al Beidâwi.

O true believers, GOD will surely prove you in offering you plenty of
game, which ye may take with your hands or your lances,i that GOD may know who
feareth him in secret; but whoever transgresseth after this shall suffer a
grievous punishment.
O true believers, kill no game while ye are on pilgrimage;k whosoever
among you shall kill any designedly shall restore the like of what he shall
have killed, in domestic animals,l according to the determination of two just
persons among you, to be brought as an offering to the Caaba; or in atonement
thereof shall feed the poor; or instead thereof shall fast, that he may taste
the heinousness of his deed. GOD hath forgiven what is past, but whoever
returneth to transgress, GOD will take vengeance on him; for GOD is mighty and
able to avenge.
It is lawful for you to fish in the sea,m and to eat what ye shall catch,
as a provision for you and for those who travel; but it is unlawful for you to
hunt by land, while ye are performing the rights of pilgrimage;n therefore
fear GOD, before whom ye shall be assembled at the last day.
GOD hath appointed the Caaba, the holy house, an establishment for
mankind; and hath ordained the sacred month,q and the offering, and the
ornaments hung thereon.q This hath he done that ye might know that GOD
knoweth whatsoever is in heaven and on earth, and that GOD is omniscient.
Know that GOD is severe in punishing, and that GOD is also ready to forgive,
and merciful.
The duty of our apostle is to preach only;r and GOD knoweth that which ye
discover, and that which ye conceal.
100 Say, Evil and good shall not be equally esteemed of, though the
abundance of evil pleaseth thee;s therefore fear GOD, O ye of understanding,
that ye may be happy.

i This temptation or trial was at al Hodeibiya, where Mohammed's men,
who had attended him thither with an intent to perform a pilgrimage to the
Caaba, and had initiated themselves with the usual rites, were surrounded by
so great a number of birds and beasts that they impeded their march; for which
unusual accident, some of them concluded that GOD had allowed them to be
taken; but this passage was to convince them of the contrary.1
k Literally, while ye are Mohrims, or have actually initiated
yourselves as pilgrims, by putting on the garment worn at that solemnity.
Hunting and fowling are hereby absolutely forbidden to persons in this state,
though they are allowed to kill certain kinds of noxious animals.2
l That is, he shall bring an offering to the temple of Mecca, to be
slain there and distributed among the poor, of some domestic or tame animal,
equal in value to what he shall have killed; as a sheep, for example, in lieu
of an antelope, a pigeon for a partridge, &c. And of this value two prudent
persons were to be judges. If the offender was not able to do this, he was to
give a certain quantity of food to one or more poor men; or, if he could not
afford that, to fast a proportionable number of days.3
m This, says Jallalo'ddin, is to be understood of fish that live
altogether in the sea, and not of those that live in the sea and on land both,
as crabs, &c. The Turks, who are Hanifites, never eat this sort of fish; but
the sect of Malec Ebn Ans, and perhaps some others, make no scruple of it.
n See above, note k.
o That is, the place where the practice of their religious ceremonies
is chiefly established; where those who are under any apprehension of danger
may find a sure asylum, and the merchant certain gain, &c.4
p Al Beidâwi understands this of the month of Dhu'lhajja, wherein the
ceremonies of the pilgrimage are performed; but Jallalo'ddin supposes all the
four sacred months are here intended.5
q See before, p. 73.
r See the Prelim. Discourse, Sect. II.
s For judgment is to be made of things not from their plenty or
scarcity, but from their intrinsic good or bad qualities.6

1 Idem, Jallalo'ddin. 2 See the Prelim. Disc. Sect. V.
3 Jallalo'ddin, al Beidâwi 4 Idem.
5 See the Prelim Disc. Sect. VII 6 Al Beidâwi.

O true believers, inquire not concerning things, which, if they be
declared unto you, may give you pain;t but if ye ask concerning them when the
Koran is sent down, they will be declared unto you: GOD pardoneth you as to
these matters; for GOD is ready to forgive, and gracious. People who have
been before you formerly inquired concerning them; and afterwards disbelieved
therein.
God hath not ordained anything concerning Bahîra, nor Sâïba, nor Wasîla,
nor Hâmi,u but the unbelievers have invented a lie against GOD: and the
greater part of them do not understand.
And when it was said unto them, Come unto that which GOD hath revealed,
and to the apostle; they answered, That religion which we found our fathers to
follow is sufficient for us. What, though their fathers knew nothing and were
not rightly directed?
O true believers, take care of your souls! He who erreth shall not hurt
you, while ye are rightly directed:x unto GOD shall ye all return, and he will
tell you that which ye have done.
O true believers, let witnesses be taken between you, when death
approaches any of you, at the time of making the testament; let there be two
witnesses, just men, from among you;y or two others of a different tribe or
faith from yourselves,z if ye be journeying in the earth, and the accident of
death befall you. Ye shall shut them both up, after the afternoon prayer,a
and they shall swear by GOD, if ye doubt them, and they shall say, We will not
sell our evidence for a bribe, although the person concerned be one who is
related to us, neither will we conceal the testimony of GOD, for then should
we certainly be of the number of the wicked.
But if it appear that both have been guilty of iniquity, two others shall
stand up in their place, of those who have convicted them of falsehood, the
two nearest in blood, and they shall swear by GOD, saying, Verily our
testimony is more true than the testimony of these two, neither have we
prevaricated; for then should we become of the number of the unjust.

t The Arabs continually teasing their prophet with questions, which
probably he was not always prepared to answer, they are here ordered to wait,
till GOD should think fit to declare his pleasure by some farther revelation;
and, to abate their curiosity, they are told, at the same time, that very
likely the answers would not be agreeable to their inclinations. Al Beidâwi
says, that when the pilgrimage was first commanded, Sorâka Ebn Malec asked
Mohammed whether they were obliged to perform it every year? To this question
the prophet at first turned a deaf ear, but being asked it a second and a
third time, he at last said, No; but if I had said yes it would have become a
duty, and, if it were a duty, ye would not be able to perform it; therefore
give me no trouble as to things wherein I give you none: whereupon this
passage was revealed.
u These were the names given by the pagan Arabs to certain camels or
sheep which were turned loose to feed, and exempted from common services, in
some particular cases; having their ears slit, or some other mark, that they
might be known; and this they did in honour of their gods.1 Which
superstitions are here declared to be no ordinances of God, but the inventions
of foolish men.
x This was revealed when the infidels reproached those who embraced
Mohammedism and renounced their old idolatry, that by so doing they arraigned
the wisdom of their forefathers.2
y That is, of your kindred or religion.
z They who interpret these words of persons of another religion, say
they are abrogated, and that the testimony of such ought not to be received
against a Moslem.3
a In case there was any doubt, the witnesses were to be kept apart from
company, lest they should be corrupted, till they gave their evidence, which
they generally did when the afternoon prayer was over, because that was the
time of people's assembling in public, or, say some, because the guardian
angels then relieve each other, so that there would be four angels to witness
against them if they gave false evidence. But others suppose they might be
examined after the hour of any other prayer, when there was a sufficient
assembly.4

1 See the Prelim. Disc. Sect. V 2 Al Beidâwi. 3
Idem. 4 Idem.

This will be easier, that men may give testimony according to the plain
intention thereof, or fear lest a different oath be given, after their oath.
Therefore fear GOD, and hearken; for GOD directeth not the unjust people.b
On a certain dayc shall GOD assemble the apostles, and shall say unto
them, What answer was returned you, when ye preached unto the people to whom
ye were sent? They shall answer, We have no knowledge, but thou art the
knower of secrets.d
When GOD shall say, O Jesus son of Mary, remember my favor towards thee,
and towards thy mother; when I strengthened thee with the holy spirit,e that
thou shouldest speak unto men in the cradle, and when thou wast grown up;f
110 and when I taught thee the scripture, and wisdom and the law, and the
gospel: and when thou didst create of clay as it were the figure of a bird, by
my permission, and didst breathe thereon, and it became a bird, by my
permission, and thou didst heal one blind from his birth, and the leper, by my
permission;g and when thou didst bring forth the dead from their graves by my
permission; and when I withheld the children of Israel from killing thee,h
when thou hadst come unto them with evident miracles, and such of them as
believed not said, This is nothing but manifest sorcery.
And when I commanded the apostles of Jesus saying, Believe in me, and in
my messenger; they answered, We do believe; and do thou bear witness that we
are resigned unto thee.
Remember when the apostles said, O Jesus son of Mary, is thy LORD able to
cause a table to descend unto us from heaven?i He answered, Fear GOD, if ye
be true believers.

b The occasion of the preceding passage is said to have been this.
Tamîn al Dâri and Addi Ebn Yâzid, both Christians, took a journey into Syria
to trade, in company with Bodeil, the freed man of Amru Ebn al As, who was a
Moslem. When they came to Damascus, Bodeil fell sick, and died, having first
wrote down a list of his effects on a piece of paper, which he hid in his
baggage, without acquainting his companions with it, and desired them only to
deliver what he had to his friends of the tribe of Sahm. The survivors,
however, searching among his goods, found a vessel of silver of considerable
weight, and inlaid with gold, which they concealed, and on their return
delivered the rest to the deceased's relations, who, finding the list of
Bodeil's writing, demanded the vessel of silver of them, but they denied it;
and the affair being brought before Mohammed, these words, viz., O true
believers, take witnesses, &c., were revealed, and he ordered them to be sworn
at the pulpit in the mosque, just as afternoon prayer was over, and on their
making oath that they knew nothing of the plate demanded, dismissed them. But
afterwards, the vessel being found in their hands, the Sahmites, suspecting it
was Bodeil's, charged them with it, and they confessed it was his, but
insisted that they had bought it of him, and that they had not produced it
because they had no proof of the bargain. Upon this they went again before
Mohammed, to whom these words, And if it appear, &c., were revealed; and
thereupon Amru Ebn al As and al Motalleb Ebn Abi Refâa, both of the tribe of
Sahm, stood up, and were sworn against them; and judgment was given
accordingly.1
c That is, on the day of judgment.
d That is, we are ignorant whether our proselytes were sincere, or
whether they apostatized after our deaths; but thou well knowest, not only
what answer they gave us, but the secrets of their hearts, and whether they
have since continued firm in their religion or not.
e See chapter 2, p. 10.
f See chapter 3, p. 37.
g See ibid.
h See ibid. p. 38.

1 Al Beidâwi.

They said, We desire to eat thereof, and that our hearts may rest at
ease, and that we may know that thou hast told us the truth, and that we may
be witnesses thereof.
Jesus the son of Mary said, O GOD our LORD, cause a table to descend unto
us from heaven, that the day of its descent may become a festival dayk unto
us, unto the first of us, and unto the last of us, and a sign from thee; and
do thou provide food for us, for thou art the best provider.
GOD said, Verily I will cause it to descend unto you; but whoever among
you shall disbelieve hereafter, I will surely punish him with a punishment,
wherewith I will not punish any other creature.
And when GOD shall say unto Jesus, at the last day, O Jesus son of Mary,
hast thou said unto men, Take me and my mother for two gods, beside GOD? He
shall answer, Praise be unto thee! it is not for me to say that which I ought
not; if I had said so, thou wouldest surely have known it: thou knowest what
is in me, but I know not what is in thee; for thou art the knower of secrets.
I have not spoken to them any other than what thou didst command me;
namely, Worship GOD, my LORD and your LORD: and I was a witness of their
actions while I staid among them; but since thou hast taken me to thyself,l
thou hast been the watcher over them; for thou art witness of all things.
If thou punish them, they are surely thy servants; and if thou forgive
them, thou art mighty and wise.
GOD will say, This day shall their veracity be of advantage unto those
who speak truth; they shall have gardens wherein rivers flow, they shall
remain therein forever: GOD hath been well pleased in them, and they have been
well pleased in him. This shall be great felicity.
120 Unto GOD belongeth the kingdom of heaven and of earth, and of whatever
therein is; and he is almighty.

i This miracle is thus related by the commentators. Jesus having, at
the request of his followers, asked it of God, a red table immediately
descended, in their sight, between two clouds, and was set before them;
whereupon he rose up, and having made the ablution, prayed, and then took off
the cloth which covered the table, saying, In the name of GOD, the best
provider of food. What the provisions were with which this table was
furnished is a matter wherein the expositors are not agreed. One will have
them to be nine cakes of bread and nine fishes; another bread and flesh;
another, all sorts of food, except flesh; another all sorts of food, except
bread and flesh; another, all except bread and fish; another, one fish, which
had the taste of all manner of food; and another, fruits of paradise; but the
most received tradition is that when the table was uncovered, there appeared a
fish ready dressed, without scales or prickly fins, dropping with fat, having
salt placed at its head and vinegar at its tail, and round it all sorts of
herbs, except leeks, and five loaves of bread, on one of which there were
olives, on the second honey, on the third butter, on the fourth cheese, and on
the fifth dried flesh. They add that Jesus, at the request of the apostles,
showed them another miracle, by restoring the fish to life, and causing its
scales and fins to return to it, at which the standers-by being affrighted, he
caused it to become as it was before; that 1,300 men and women, all afflicted
with bodily infirmities or poverty, ate of these provisions, and were
satisfied, the fish remaining whole as it was at first; that then the table
flew up to heaven in the sight of all; and every one who had partaken of this
food were delivered from their infirmities and misfortunes; and that it
continued to descend for forty days together at dinner-time, and stood on the
ground till the sun declined, and was then taken up into the clouds. Some of
the Mohammedan writers are of opinion that this table did not really descend,
but that it was only a parable; but most think the words of the Korân are
plain to the contrary. A further tradition is, that several men were changed
into swine for disbelieving this miracle, and attributing it to magic art; or,
as others pretend, for stealing some of the victuals from off it.1 Several
other fabulous circumstances are also told, which are scarce worth
transcribing.2
k Some say the table descended on a Sunday, which was the reason of the
Christians observing that day as sacred. Others pretend this day is still
kept among them as a very great festival; and it seems as if the story had its
rise from an imperfect notion of Christ's last supper and the institution of
the Eucharist.
i Or, since thou hast caused me to die: but as it is a dispute among the
Mohammedans whether Christ actually died or not, before his assumption,3 and
the original may be translated either way, I have chosen the former
expression, which leaves the matter undecided.

Idem, al Thalabi. 2 Vide Marracc. in Alc. p. 238, &c.
3 See cap. 3, p. 38.

CHAPTER VI.

ENTITLED, CATTLE;m REVEALED AT MECCA.n

IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD.

PRAISE be unto GOD, who hath created the heavens and the earth, and hath
ordained the darkness and the light; nevertheless they who believe not in the
LORD equalize other gods with him.
It is he who hath created you of clay; and then decreed the term of your
lives; and the prefixed term is with him:o yet do ye doubt thereof.
He is GOD in heaven and in earth; he knoweth what ye keep secret, and
what ye publish, and knoweth what ye deserve.
There came not unto them any sign, of the signs of their LORD, but they
retired from the same;
and they have gainsaid the truth, after that it hath come unto them: but
a message shall come unto them, concerning that which they have mocked at.p
Do they not consider how many generations we have destroyed before them?
We had established them in the earth in a manner wherein we have not
established you;q we sent the heaven to rain abundantly upon them, and we gave
them rivers which flowed under their feet: yet we destroyed them in their
sins, and raised up other generations after them.
Although we had caused to descend unto thee a book written on paper, and
they had handled it with their hands, the unbelievers had surely said, This is
no other than manifest sorcery.
They said, Unless an angel be sent down unto him, we will not believe.
But if we had sent down an angel, verily the matter had ben decreed,r and they
should not have been borne with, by having time granted them to repent.
And if we had appointed an angel for our messenger, we should have sent
him in the form of a man,s and have clothed him before them, as they are
clothed.
10 Other apostles have been laughed to scorn before thee, but the judgment
which they made a jest of encompassed those who laughed them to scorn.
Say, Go through the earth, and behold what hath been the end of those,
who accused our prophets of imposture.
Say, Unto whom belongeth whatsoever is in heaven and earth? Say, Unto
GOD, He hath prescribed unto himself mercy. He will surely gather you
together on the day of resurrection; there is no doubt of it. They who
destroy their own souls are those who will not believe.