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

As for those 24 who dispute with thee about Him, after "theknowledge" hath come to thee, SAY: Come,25 let us summon our sons and your sons, our wives and your wives, and ourselves and yourselves. Then will we invoke and lay the malison of God on those that lie!

This recital is very truth, and there is no god but God; and verily God is the Mighty, the Wise.

But if they turn away, then verily God hath knowledge of the corrupt doers.

SAY: O people of the Book! come ye to a just judgment between us and you-That we worship not aught but God, and that we join no other god with Him, and that the one of us take not the other for lords,26 beside God. Then if they turn their backs, SAY: Bear ye witness that we are Muslims.

O people of the Book! Why dispute about Abraham,27 when the Law and the
Evangel were not sent down till after him? Do ye not then understand?

Lo! ye are they who dispute about that in which ye have knowledge; 28 but why dispute ye about that of which ye have no knowledge? God hath knowledge, but ye know nothing.

Abraham was neither Jew nor Christian; but he was sound in the faith,29 a
Muslim; and not of those who add gods to God.

They among men, who are nearest of kin to Abraham, are surely those who follow him, and this prophet Muhammad, and they who believe on him. And God is the protector of the faithful.

A party among the people of the Book would fain mislead you: but they only mislead themselves, and perceive it not.

O people of the Book! why disbelieve the signs of God, of which yourselves have been witnesses?

O people of the Book! why clothe ye the truth with falsehood? Why wittingly hide the truth?

Others of the people of the Book say: "Believe in what hath been sent down to the believers, at daybreak, and deny it at its close"-Thus do they go back-

"And believe in those only who follow your Religion." SAY: True guidance is guidance from God-that to others may be imparted the like of what hath been imparted to you. Will they wrangle then with you in the presence of their Lord? SAY: Plenteous gifts are in the hands of God: He imparteth them unto whom He will, and God is Bounteous, Wise.

He will vouchsafe His mercy to whom He will, for God is of great bounteousness.

Among the people of the Book are some, to one of whom if thou entrust a thousand dinars, he will restore them to thee: And there is of them to whom if thou entrust a dinar, he will not restore it to thee, unless thou be ever instant with him.

This-because they say, "We are not bound to keep faith with the ignorant
(Pagan) folk, and they utter a lie against God, and know they do so:"

But whoso is true to his engagement, and feareth God,-verily God loveth those that fear Him.

Verily they who barter their engagement with God, and their oaths, for some paltry price-These! no portion for them in the world to come! and God will not speak to them, and will not look on them, on the day of resurrection, and will not assoil them! for them, a grievous chastisement!

And some truly are there among them who torture the Scriptures with their tongues, in order that ye may suppose it to be from the Scripture, yet it is not from the Scripture. And they say, "This is from God;" yet it is not from God: and they utter a lie against God, and they know they do so.

It beseemeth not a man, that God should give him the Scriptures and the Wisdom, and the gift of prophecy, and that then he should say to his followers, "Be ye worshippers of me, as well as of God;" 30 but rather, "Be ye perfect in things pertaining to God, since ye know the Scriptures, and have studied deep."

God doth not command you to take the angels or the prophets as lords.31 What! would he command you to become infidels after ye have been Muslims?

When God entered into covenant with the prophets,32 he said, "This is the Book and the Wisdom which I give you. Hereafter shall a prophet came unto you to confirm the Scriptures already with you. Ye shall surely believe on him, and ye shall surely aid him. Are ye resolved?" said he, "and do ye accept the covenant on these terms?" They said, "We are resolved;" "Be ye then the witnesses," said he, "and I will be a witness as well as you.

And whoever turneth back after this, these are surely the perverse."

Other religion than that of God desire they? To him doth everything that is in the Heavens and in the Earth submit, in willing or forced obedience! and to Him do they return.

SAY: We believe in God, and in what hath been sent down to us, and what hath been sent down to Abraham, and Ismael, and Isaac, and Jacob, and the tribes, and in what was given to Moses, and Jesus, and the Prophets, from their Lord. We make no difference between them. And to Him are we resigned (Muslims).

Whoso desireth any other religion than Islam, that religion shall never be accepted from him, and in the next world he shall be among the lost.

How shall God guide a people who, after they had believed and bore witness that the apostle was true, and after that clear proofs of his mission had reached them, disbelieved? God guideth not the people who transgress.

These! their recompense, that the curse of God, and of angels, and of all men, is on them!

Under it shall they abide for ever; their torment shall not be assuaged! nor shall God even look upon them!-

Save those who after this repent and amend; for verily God is Gracious,
Merciful!

As for those who become infidels, after having believed, and then increase their infidelity-their repentance shall never be accepted. These! they are the erring ones.

As for those who are infidels, and die infidels, from no one of them shall as much gold as the earth could contain be accepted, though he should offer it in ransom. These! a grievous punishment awaiteth them; and they shall have none to help them.

Ye shall never attain to goodness till ye give alms of that which ye love; and whatever ye give, of a truth God knoweth it.

All food was allowed to the children of Israel, except what Jacob forbad himself, ere the law was sent down; SAY: Bring ye then the law and read it, if ye be men of truth.

And whoso after this inventeth the lie about God: These are evil doers.

SAY: God speaketh truth. Follow, therefore, the religion of Abraham, the sound in faith, who was not one of those who joined other gods to God.

The first temple that was founded for mankind, was that in Becca,33-Blessed, and a guidance to human beings.

In it are evident signs, even the standing-place34 of Abraham: and he who entereth it is safe. And the pilgrimage to the temple, is a service due to God from those who are able to journey thither.

And as to him who believeth not-verily God can afford to dispense with all creatures!

SAY: O people of the Book! why disbelieve ye the signs of God? But God is witness of your doings.

SAY: O people of the Book! why repel believers from the way of God? Ye fain would make it crooked, and yet ye are its witnesses! But God is not regardless of what ye do.

O believers! if ye obey some amongst those who have received the Scripture, after your very Faith will they make you infidels!

But how can ye become infidels, when the signs of God are recited to you, and his prophet is among you? Whoever holdeth fast by God, is already guided to a straight path.

O ye believers! fear God as He deserveth to be feared! and die not till ye have become Muslims.

And hold ye fast by the cord 35 of God, all of you, and break not loose from it; and remember God's goodness towards you, how that when ye were enemies, He united your hearts, and by his favour ye became brethren;

And when ye were on the brink of the pit of fire, he drew you back from it.
Thus God clearly sheweth you his signs that ye may be guided;

And that there may be among you a people who invite to the Good, and enjoin the Just, and forbid the Wrong. These are they with whom it shall be well.

And be ye not like those who have formed divisions, and fallen to variance after the clear proofs have come to them. These! a terrible chastisement doth await them,

On THE DAY when faces shall turn white, and faces shall turn black! And as to those whose faces shall have turned black ". . . .What! after your belief have ye become infidels? Taste then the chastisement, for that ye have been unbelievers."

And as to those whose faces shall have become white, they shall be within the mercy of God: therein shall they abide for ever.

These are the signs of God: we recite them to thee in truth: And God willeth not injustice to mankind.

Whatever is in the Heavens, and whatever is on the Earth, is God's. And to
God shall all things return.

Ye are the best folk that hath been raised up unto mankind. Ye enjoin the
Just, and ye forbid the Evil, and ye believe in God: And if the people of the
Book had believed, it had surely been better for them! Believers there are
among them, but most of them are perverse.

They will never inflict on you but a trifling damage; and if they do battle with you, they shall turn their backs to you: then they shall not be succoured.

Shame shall be stamped upon them36 wherever found, unless they ally them with God and men! And the wrath of God will they incur, and poverty shall be stamped upon them! This-for that they believed not in the signs of God, and slew the prophets unjustly: This-because they rebelled, and became transgressors.

Yet all are not alike: Among the people of the Book is an upright folk, who recite the signs of God in the night-season, and adore:

They believe in God and in the latter day, and enjoin justice, and forbid evil, and speed on in good works. These are of the righteous.

And of whatever good ye do, ye shall not be denied the meed. God knoweth those who fear Him.

But as for the infidels, their wealth, and their children shall avail them nothing against God. They shall be the inmates of the fire, to abide therein eternally.

The alms which they bestow in this present life, are like a freezing wind, which falleth upon and destroyeth the cornfields of a people who have been to themselves unjust. God doeth them no injustice, but to themselves are they unjust.

O ye who have believed! form not intimacies among others than yourselves. They will not fail to corrupt you. They long for your ruin. Hatred hath already shewn itself out of their mouths, but more grievous is what their breasts conceal. The tokens thereof we have already made plain to you, if ye will comprehend.

See now! ye love them, but they love not you. Ye believe the entire Book. And when they meet you, they say, "We believe;" but when they are apart, they bite their fingers' ends at you, out of wrath. SAY: "Die in your wrath!" God truly knoweth the very recesses of your breasts.

If good befalleth you it grieveth them, and when ill lighteth on you, they rejoice in it. But if ye be steadfast and fear God, their craft shall in no way harm you. For God is round about their doings.

And remember when thou didst leave thy household at early morn, that thou mightest prepare the faithful a camp for the war;37-God heard, knew it-

When two troops of you became full of anxious thoughts, and lost heart, and when God became the protector of both! In God, then, let the faithful trust.

God had already succoured you at Bedr, when