The Quran (Koran), 1st translation by - (inspirational books to read txt) 📖

Bear thou up, then, with patience, as did the Apostles endued with firmness, and seek not to accelerate their doom. For, on the day when they shall see that with which they have been menaced,

It shall be as though they had waited but an hour of the day. Enough! shall any perish save they who transgress?

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1 See Sura lxviii. p. 32.

2 Of a divine revelation, authorising the worship of other gods than God

3 Abdallah bin Salma, say the commentators.

4 Comp. John vii. 48.

5 Thus Mischn. Aboth, v. 21, "at forty years of age a man comes to intelligence." This verse refers, it is said by the Sonnites, to Abu Bekr, afterwards Chalif, who embraced Islam in his 40th year. But this interpretation was probably invented after his accession to power.

6 Lit. suffer loss.

7 The Prophet Houd.

8 That is, Sandhills; at Taief, to which Muhammad had retired in consequence of the opposition, etc., of the Meccans. Verses 20-31 are probably misplaced, as they interrupt the connection between 19 and 32, but appear to belong to the same period as the rest of the Sura.

9 Thus Ullm. als naheverwandte Götter. But Wahl, denen sie sich mit gottesdienstlichen Opfer näherten. Ad appropinquandum (magis ipsi Deo), by intercession. Mar. Beidh.

MECCA.-165 Verses

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

PRAISE be to God, who hath created the Heavens and the Earth, and ordained the darkness and the light! Yet unto their Lord do the infidels give peers!

He it is who created you of clay then decreed the term of your life: and with Him is another prefixed term for the resurrection. Yet have ye doubts thereof!

And He is God in the Heavens and on the Earth! He knoweth your secrets and your disclosures! and He knoweth what ye deserve.

Never did one single sign from among the signs of their Lord come to them, but they turned away from it;

And now, after it hath reached them, have they treated the truth itself as a lie. But in the end, a message as to that which they have mocked, shall reach them.

See they not how many generations we have destroyed before them? We had settled them on the earth as we have not settled you, and we sent down the very heavens upon them in copious rains, and we made the rivers to flow beneath their feet: yet we destroyed them in their sins, and raised up other generations to succeed them.

And had we sent down to thee a Book written on parchment, and they had touched it with their hands, the infidels had surely said, "This is nought but plain sorcery."

They say, too, "Unless an angel be sent down to him. . . ." But if we had sent down an angel, their judgment would have come on them at once,1 and they would have had no respite:

And if we had appointed an angel, we should certainly have appointed one in the form of a man, and we should have clothed him before them in garments like their own.2

Moreover, apostles before thee have been laughed to scorn: but that which they laughed to scorn encompassed the mockers among them!

SAY: Go through the land: then see what hath been the end of those who treated them as liars.

SAY: Whose is all that is in the Heavens and the Earth?

SAY: God's. He had imposed mercy on Himself as a law. He will surely assemble you on the Resurrection day; there is no doubt of it. They who are the authors of their own ruin, are they who will not believe.

His, whatsoever hath its dwelling in the night and in the day! and He, the
Hearing, the Knowing!

SAY: Other than God shall I take as Lord, maker of the Heavens and of the Earth, who nourisheth all, and of none is nourished? SAY: Verily, I am bidden to be the first of those who surrender them to God (profess Islam): and, be not thou of those who join gods with God.

SAY: Verily, I fear, should I rebel against my Lord, the punishment of the great day.

From whomsoever it shall be averted on that day, He will have had mercy on him: and this will be the manifest bliss.

If God touch thee with trouble, none can take it off but He: and if He visit thee with good-it is He whose power is over all things;

And He is the Supreme over his servants; and He is the Wise, the Cognisant!

SAY: What thing is weightiest in bearing witness? SAY: God is witness between me and you; and this Koran hath been revealed to me that I should warn you by it, and all whom it shall reach. What! will ye really bear witness that there are other gods with God? SAY: I bear no such witness. SAY: Verily, He is one God, and truly am guiltless of what ye join with Him.

They to whom we have given the Book, recognise him (Muhammad) as they do their own children:3 but they who are the authors of their own perdition are they who will not believe.

And who more wicked than he who inventeth a lie concerning God, or who treateth our signs as lies? Verily those wicked ones shall not prosper.4

And on "the Day" we will gather them all together: then will we say to those who joined gods with God, "Where are those companion-gods of yours, as ye supposed them?"

Then shall they find no other excuse than to say, "By God our Lord! we joined not companions with Him."

Behold! how they lie against themselves-and the gods of their own inventing desert them!

Some among them hearken unto thee: but we have cast veils over their hearts that they should not understand the Koran, and a weight into their ears: and though they should see all kinds of signs, they will refuse all faith in them, until when they come to thee, to dispute with thee, the infidels say, "Verily, this is nothing but fables of the ancients."

And they will forbid it, and depart from it:-but they are only the authors of their own perdition, and know it not.

If thou couldst see when they shall be set over the fire, and shall say, "Oh! would we might be sent back! we would not treat the signs of our Lord as lies! we would be of the believers."

Aye! that hath become clear5 to them which they before concealed; but though they should return, they would surely go back to that which was forbidden them; for they are surely liars!

And they say, "There is no other than our life in this world, neither shall we be raised again."

But if thou couldest see when they shall be set before their Lord! He shall say to them, "Is not this it6 in truth?" They shall say, "Yea, by our Lord!" "Taste then," saith He, "the torment, for that ye believed not!"

Lost are they who deny the meeting with God until "the Hour" cometh suddenly upon them! Then will they say, "Oh, our sighs for past negligence of this hour!" and they shall bear their burdens on their back! Will not that be evil with which they shall be burdened?

The life in this world is but a play and pastime; and better surely for men of godly fear will be the future mansion! Will ye not then comprehend?

Now know we that what they speak vexeth thee:7 But it is not merely thee whom they charge with falsehood, but the ungodly gainsay the signs of God.

Before thee have apostles already been charged with falsehood: but they bore the charge and the wrong with constancy, till our help came to them;-for none can change the words of God. But this history of His Sent Ones hath already reached thee.

But if their estrangement be grievous to thee, and if thou art able to seek out an opening into the earth or a ladder into Heaven,8 that thou mightest bring them a sign. . . . Yes! But if God pleased, He would surely bring them, one and all, to the guidance! therefore be not thou one of the ignorant.

To those only who shall lend an ear will He make answer: as for the dead, God will raise them up; then unto Him shall they return.

They say, "Unless a sign be sent down to him from his Lord. . . ." SAY: Verily, God is able to send down a sign; but the greater part of them know it not.

No kind of beast is there on earth nor fowl that flieth with its wings, but is a folk9 like you: nothing have we passed over in the Book:10 then unto their Lord shall they be gathered.

They who gainsay our signs are deaf, and dumb, in darkness: God will mislead whom He pleaseth, and whom He pleaseth He will place upon the straight path.

SAY: What think ye? If the punishment of God were to come upon you, or "the Hour" were to come upon you, will ye cry to any other than God? Tell me, if ye speak the truth?

Yes! to Him will ye cry: and if He please He will deliver you from that ye shall cry to Him to avert, and ye shall forget the partners ye joined with Him.

Already have we sent apostles to nations that were before thee, and we laid hold on them with troubles and with straits in order that they might humble themselves:

Yet, when our trouble came upon them, they did not humble themselves; but their hearts were hardened, and Satan pre-arranged for them11 their course of conduct.

And when they had forgotten their warnings, we set open to them the gates of all things, until, as they were rejoicing in our gifts, we suddenly laid hold upon them, and lo! they were plunged into despair,

And the uttermost part of that impious people was cut off. All praise be to
God, the Lord of the Worlds!

SAY: What think ye? If God should take away your hearing and your sight and set a seal upon your hearts, what god beside God would restore them to you? See! how we vary our wondrous verses (signs)! yet they turn away from them!

SAY: What think ye? If the punishment of God come on you suddenly or foreseen,12 shall any perish except the impious?

We send not our Sent Ones but as heralds of good news and warners; and whoso shall believe and amend, on them shall come no fear, neither shall they be sorrowful:

But whoso shall charge our signs with falsehood, on them shall fall a punishment for their wicked doings.

SAY: I say not to you, "In my possession are the treasures of God;" neither say I, "I know things secret;" neither do I say to you, "Verily, I am an angel:" Only what is revealed to me do I follow. SAY: Shall the blind and the seeing be esteemed alike? Will ye not then reflect?

And warn those who dread their being gathered to their Lord, that patron or intercessor they shall have none but Him,-to the intent that they may fear Him!

And thrust not thou away those who cry to their Lord at morn and even, craving to behold his face. It is not for thee in anything to judge of their motives, nor for them in anything to judge of thee. If thou thrust them away thou wilt be of the doers of wrong.

Thus have we made proof of some of them by others, that they may say, "Are these they among us to whom God hath been gracious?" Doth not God best know the thankful?

And when they who believe in our signs come to thee, SAY: Peace be upon you! Your Lord hath laid down for himself a law of mercy; so that if any one of you commit a fault through ignorance, and afterwards turn and amend, He surely will be Gracious, Merciful.

Thus have we distinctly set forth our signs, that the way of the wicked might be made known.

SAY: Forbidden am I to worship those whom ye call on beside God. SAY: I will not follow your wishes; for then should I have gone astray, and should not be of the guided.

SAY: I act upon proofs from my