The Quran (Koran), 1st translation - - (top 100 novels .txt) 📗

incensed at their amour, of which Muhammad had himself informed her, communicated the matter in confidence to Ayesha, from whose altered manner, probably, the prophet found that his secret had been betrayed. To free Muhammad from his obligation to Hafsa was the object of this chapter.

2 Muhammad withheld the fact that Ayesha, as well as God, was his informant, but taxed Hafsa with not having kept his secret.

3 Supply God will pardon you.

4 Asia, a name, perhaps, corrupted from that of Pharaoh's daughter Bithiah. 1 Chron. iv.18.

5 See Sura xxi. 91. Lit. quae rimam suam tuita est, in quam (rimam) inflavimus Spiritus nostri partem. Thus Beidh.

SURA1 LX.-SHE WHO IS TRIED [CX.]

MEDINA.-13 Versus

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

O YE who believe! take not my foe2 and your foe for friends, shewing them kindness, although they believe not that truth which hath come to you: they drive forth the Apostles and yourselves because ye believe in God your Lord! If ye go forth to fight on my way, and from a desire to please me, and shew them kindness in private, I well know what ye conceal, and what ye discover! Whoso doth this hath already gone astray from the even way.

If they meet with you they will prove your foes: hand and tongue will they put forth for your hurt, and will desire that you become infidels again.

Neither your kindred nor your children shall at all avail you on the day of the resurrection. A severance between you will it make! and your actions doth God behold.

A good example had ye in Abraham,3 and in those who followed him, when they said to their people, "Verily, we are clear of you, and of what ye worship beside God: we renounce you: and between us and hath hatred and enmity sprung up for ever, until ye believe in God alone." Yet imitate not the language of Abraham to his Father, "I will pray for thy forgiveness, but not aught shall I obtain for thee from God."4 O our Lord! in thee do we trust! to thee do we turn! to thee we shall come back at the last.

O our Lord! expose us not for trial to the unbelievers, and forgive us: for thou art the Mighty, the Wise!

A good example had ye in them, for all who hope in God and in the last day.
But let who will turn back, God truly is the Rich, the Praiseworthy!

God will, perhaps, establish good will between yourselves and those of them whom ye take to be your enemies:5 God is Powerful: and God is Gracious, Merciful.

God doth not forbid you to deal with kindness and fairness toward those who have not made war upon you on account of your religion, or driven you forth from your homes: for God loveth those who act with fairness.>Only doth God forbid you to make friends of those who, on account of your religion, have warred against you, and have driven you forth from your homes, and have aided those who drove you forth: and whoever maketh friends of them are wrong- doers.

O Believers!6 when believing women come over to you as refugees (Mohadjers), then make TRIAL of them. God best knoweth their faith; but if ye have also ascertained their faith, let them not go back to the infidels; they are not lawful for them, nor are the unbelievers lawful for these women. But give them back what they have spent for their dowers. No crime shall it be in you to marry them, provided ye give them their dowers. Do not retain any right in the infidel women, but demand back what you have spent for their dowers, and let the unbelievers demand back what they have spent for their wives.7 This is the ordinance of God which He ordaineth among you: and God is Knowing, Wise.

And if any of your wives escape from you to the Infidels from whom ye afterwards take any spoil, then give to those whose wives shall have fled away, the like of what they shall have spent for their dowers; and fear God in whom ye believe.

O Prophet! when believing women come to thee, and pledge themselves that they will not associate aught with God, and that they will not steal or commit adultery, nor kill their children, nor bring scandalous charges,8 nor disobey thee in what is right, then plight thou thy faith to them, and ask pardon for them of God: for God is Indulgent, Merciful!

O Believers! enter not into amity with those against whom God is angered; they despair of the life to come, even as the Infidels despair of the inmates of the tombs.

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1 Revealed probably as far as verse 9 (Ramadhan Hej. 8) shortly before the taking of Mecca.

2 Haleb (?) Ben Abu Baltaa had informed the Koreisch of an intended surprise of Mecca on the part of Muhammad, with the view of making terms for his own family who had been left there. The offence was pardoned, but the revelation was nevertheless published with the view of preventing similar acts of treachery in future.

3 Speaking of the representatives of the different religious systems prevalent in the Roman Empire, as Orpheus, Abraham, Christ, Apollonius of Tyana, enshrined among the household deities of Alexander Severus, Mr. Milman remarks (Hist. of Christianity, ii. p. 231) that "It is singular that Abraham, rather than Moses, was placed at the head of Judaism: it is possible that the traditionary sanctity which attached to the first parent of the Jewish people, and of many of the Arab tribes, and which was afterwards embodied in the Koran, was floating in the East, and would comprehend, as it were, the opinions, not only of the Jews, but of a much wider circle of the Syrian natives."

4 Sura [cxiii.] ix. 115.

5 That is, by their conversion hereafter.

6 Said (see Nöld. p. 163) to have been revealed at, or shortly after, the peace of Hudaibiya. According to the terms then agreed upon, a mutual restitution of property was to take place.

7 Who are converted to Islam.

8 Lit. with a calumny which they have devised between their hands and their feet. Said to have been revealed at the taking of Mecca. Tab. Beidh.

SURA1 CX.-HELP [CXI.]

MEDINA.-3 Verses

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

WHEN the HELP of God and the victory arrive,

And thou seest men entering the religion of God by troops;

Then utter the praise of thy Lord, implore His pardon; for He loveth to turn in mercy.

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1 This Sura was revealed at the taking of Mecca, and is supposed to have given Muhammad warning of his death.

SURA XLIX.-THE APARTMENTS [CXII.]

MEDINA.-18 Verses

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

O BELIEVERS! enter not upon any affair ere God and His Apostle1 permit you; and fear ye God: for God Heareth, Knoweth.2

O Believers! raise not your voices above the voice of the Prophet, neither speak loud to him as ye speak loud one to another, lest your works come to nought, and ye unaware of it.

They who lower their voices in the presence of the Apostle of God, are the persons whose hearts God hath inclined to piety. Forgiveness shall be theirs and a rich reward.

They who call out to thee while thou art within3 thine APARTMENTS, have most of them no right perception of what is due to thee.

But if they wait patiently till thou come forth to them, it were far better for them. But God is Indulgent, Merciful.

O Believers! if any bad man4 come to you with news, clear it up at once, lest through ignorance ye harm others, and speedily have to repent of what ye have done.

And know that an Apostle of God is among you! should he give way to you in many matters ye would certainly become guilty of a crime. But God hath endeared the faith to you, and hath given it favour in your hearts, and hath made unbelief, and wickedness, and disobedience hateful to you. Such are they who pursue a right course.

Through the bounty and grace which is from God: and God is Knowing, Wise.

If two bodies of the faithful are at war, then make ye peace between them:5 and if the one of them wrong the other, fight against that party which doth the wrong, until they come back to the precepts of God: if they come back, make peace between them with fairness, and act impartially; God loveth those who act with impartiality.

Only the faithful are brethren; wherefore make peace between your brethren; and fear God, that ye may obtain mercy.

O Believers! let not men laugh men to scorn who haply may be better than themselves; neither let women laugh women to scorn who may haply be better than themselves!6 Neither defame one another, nor call one another by nicknames. Bad is it to be called wicked after having professed the faith:7 and whoso repent not of this are doers of wrong.

O Believers! avoid frequent suspicions, for some suspicions are a crime; and pry not: neither let the one of you traduce another in his absence. Would any one of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? Surely ye would loathe it. And fear ye God: for God is Ready to turn, Merciful.

O men! verily, we have created you of a male and a female; and we have divided you into peoples and tribes that ye might have knowledge one of another. Truly, the most worthy of honour in the sight of God is he who feareth Him most.8 Verily, God is Knowing, Cognisant.

The Arabs of the desert9 say, "We believe." Say thou: Ye believe not; but rather say, "We profess Islam;" for the faith hath not yet found its way into your hearts. But if ye obey God and His Apostle, he will not allow you to lose any of your actions: for God is Indulgent, Merciful.

The true believers are those only who believe in God and His Apostle, and afterwards doubt not; and who contend with their substance and their persons on the path of God. These are the sincere.

SAY: Will ye teach God about your religion? when God knoweth whatever is in the Heavens and on the Earth: yea, God hath knowledge of all things.

They taunt thee with their having embraced Islam.10 SAY: Taunt me not with your having embraced Islam: God rather taunteth you with His having guided you to the faith: acknowledge this if ye are sincere.

Verily, God knoweth the secrets of the Heavens and of the Earth: and God beholdeth what ye do.

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1 Or anticipate not, take not the lead of God and His Apostle.

2 All the ancient Interpreters (as His. 933 ff., Ibn Sa'd. 320, Tab. Agâní. 116 f.-comp. also Weil 244 ff., Caussin, iii. 271) refer from 1-5 to the disrespectful demeanour, in Muhammad's presence, of the envoys of the Banu Tamim in Hej. 9 or 10.

3 Lit. from without.

4 The commentators mentioned in the last note, as well as others, explain this verse of Al Walid ben Uqba, who had brought a false report of the refusal of the Banu'lmustaliq to pay certain alms which Muhammad had sent him to demand. This Al Walid became governor of Kufa under Othman. He probably was never really converted to Islam.

5 Upon this passage 91-2, die Muslimen, says Nöldeke, verschiedene Geschichten erzählen, so dass sich Nichts sicher bestimmen Iässt, p. 164. This remark applies to the great mass of Muhammadan comment.

6 Said to refer to Safia, one of Muhammad's wives. who had been taunted by his other wives with being a Jewess.

7 Lit. Bad the name, wickedness, after faith.

8 That is, not the most nobly born, like the Koreisch. This verse is said to have been revealed in Mecca on the day of its conquest. See Weil, Leben, p.372, and n.

9 The Banű Asad had come to Medina in a year of famine to seek support for themselves and families, and made profession of Islamism. Beidh.-Thus, also Ibn Sad. Tabari. Wah.

10 As if by so doing they had conferred a favour on the Prophet.

SURA IX.1-IMMUNITY [CXIII.]

MEDINA.-130 Verses

An IMMUNITY from God and His Apostle to those with whom ye are in league, among the Polytheist Arabs! (those