The Koran Part 147

O believers! take not infidels for friends rather than believers. Would ye furnish G.o.d with clear right to punish you?

Verily the hypocrites shall be in the lowest abyss of the fire: and, by no means shalt thou find a helper for them;

Save for those who turn and amend, and lay fast hold on G.o.d, and approve the sincerity of their religion to G.o.d; these shall be numbered with the faithful, and G.o.d will at last bestow on the faithful a great reward.

Why should G.o.d inflict a chastis.e.m.e.nt upon you, if ye are grateful, and believe? G.o.d is Grateful, Wise!

G.o.d loveth not that evil be matter of public talk, unless any one hath been wronged: G.o.d it is who Heareth, Knoweth!

Whether ye publish what is good, or conceal it, or pardon evil, verily G.o.d is Pardoning, Powerful!

Of a truth they who believe not on G.o.d and his Apostles, and seek to separate G.o.d from his Apostles, and say, "Some we believe, and some we believe not,"

and desire to take a middle way;

These! they are veritable infidels! and for the infidels have we prepared a shameful punishment.

And they who believe on G.o.d and his Apostles, and make no difference between them these! we will bestow on them their reward at last. G.o.d is Gracious, Merciful!

The people of the Book will ask of thee to cause a Book to come down unto them out of Heaven. But a greater thing than this did they ask of Moses! for they said, "Shew us G.o.d plainly!" and for this their wickedness did the fire- storm lay hold on them. Then took they the calf as the object of their wors.h.i.+p, after that our clear tokens had come to them; but we forgave them this, and conferred on Moses undoubted power.

And we uplifted the mountain 29 over them when we made a covenant with them, and we said to them, "Enter the gate adoring:"and we said to them, "Transgress not on the Sabbath," and we received from them a strict covenant.

So, for that they have broken their covenant, and have rejected the signs of G.o.d, and have put the prophets to death unjustly, saying the while, "Our hearts are uncirc.u.mcised,"-Nay, but G.o.d hath sealed them up for their unbelief, so that but few believe.

And for their unbelief,-and for their having spoken against Mary a grievous calumny,-

And for their saying, "Verily we have slain the Messiah, Jesus the son of Mary, an Apostle of G.o.d." Yet they slew him not, and they crucified him not, but they had only his likeness.30 And they who differed about him were in doubt concerning him: No sure knowledge had they about him, but followed only an opinion, and they did not really slay him, but G.o.d took him up to Himself.

And G.o.d is Mighty, Wise!

There shall not be one of the people of the Book but shall believe in Him before his death, and in the day of resurrection, He will be a witness against them.

For the wickedness of certain Jews, and because they turn many from the way of G.o.d, we have forbidden them goodly viands which had been before allowed them.

And because they have taken usury, though they were forbidden it, and have devoured men's substance in frivolity, we have got ready for the infidels among them a grievous torment.

But their men of solid knowledge, and the believers who believe in that which hath been sent down to thee, and in what hath been sent down before thee, and who observe prayer, and pay the alms of obligation, and believe in G.o.d and the latter day,-these! we will give them a great reward.

Verily we have revealed to thee as we revealed to Noah and the Prophets after him, and as we revealed to Abraham, and Ismael, and Isaac, and Jacob, and the tribes, and Jesus, and Job, and Jonah, and Aaron, and Solomon; and to David gave we Psalms.

Of some apostles we have told thee before: of other apostles we have not told thee-And discoursing did G.o.d discourse with Moses-

Apostles charged to announce and to warn, that men, after those apostles, might have no plea against G.o.d. And G.o.d is Mighty, Wise!

But G.o.d is himself witness of what He hath sent down to thee: In His knowledge hath He sent it down to thee. The angels are also its witnesses: but G.o.d is a sufficient witness!

Verily, they who believe not and pervert from the way of G.o.d, have indeed erred with error wide of truth.

Verily, those who believe not, and act wrongfully, G.o.d will never pardon, and never will he guide them on path,

Than the path to h.e.l.l, in which they shall abide for ever! And this is easy for G.o.d.

O men! now hath an apostle come to you with truth from your Lord. Believe then, it will be better for you. But if ye believe not, then, all that is in the Heavens and the Earth is G.o.d's; and G.o.d is Knowing, Wise!

O ye people of the Book! overstep not bounds in your religion;31 and of G.o.d, speak only truth. The Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, is only an apostle of G.o.d, and his Word which he conveyed into Mary, and a Spirit32 proceeding from himself. Believe therefore in G.o.d and his apostles, and say not, "Three:"

(there is a Trinity)-Forbear-it will be better for you. G.o.d is only one G.o.d!

Far be it from His glory that He should have a son! His, whatever is in the Heavens, and whatever is in the Earth! And G.o.d is a sufficient Guardian.

The Messiah disdaineth not to be a servant of G.o.d, nor do the angels who are nigh unto Him.

And whoso disdaineth His service, and is filled with pride, G.o.d will gather them all to Himself.

And to those who believe and do the things that are right, will He pay them their due recompense, and out of His bounty will He increase them: but as for those who are disdainful and proud, with a grievous chastis.e.m.e.nt will He chastise them;

And none beside G.o.d shall they find to protect or to help them.

O men! now hath a proof come to you from your Lord, and we have sent down to you a clear light. As to those who believe in G.o.d and lay fast hold on Him, these will He cause to enter into his mercy and grace, and along the straight way unto Himself will He guide them.

They will consult thee. SAY: G.o.d instructeth you as to distant kindred. If a man die childless, but have a sister, half what he shall have shall be her's; and if she die childless he shall be her heir. But if there be two sisters, two-third parts of what he shall have shall be theirs; and if there be both brothers and sisters, the male shall have the portion of two females. G.o.d teacheth you plainly, that ye err not! G.o.d knoweth all things.

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1 Most of the events alluded to in this Sura fall between the end of the third and the close of the fifth year after the Flight to Medina.

2 Muhammad a.s.sumed to himself the privilege of having a yet greater number of wives. But in doing so, he was probably actuated by a desire for male offspring. Chadijah was his only wife until quite a late period of his career. Comp. Arbah Turim. Ev. Hazaer 1, "A man may marry many wives, for Rabba saith it is lawful to do so, if he can provide for them. Nevertheless, the wise men have given good advice, that a man should not marry more than four wives." See also Yad Hachazakah Hilchoth Ishuth. 14, 3.

3 Verses 8 and 12 are said by the commentators to have been revealed in consequence of the complaints of Omm Kuhha that, in accordance with the ante- Islamitic custom, she had been excluded from any portion of her deceased husband's property. The unsatisfactory nature of the Muhammadan traditions may be inferred from the fact, that no less than six different names are a.s.signed to him. It is, however, probable that these and similar laws relative to inheritances were given at a time when many heads of families had fallen, as at Ohod, in battle. This remark applies to verses 33-45.

4 Women found guilty of adultery and fornication were punished at the first rise of Islam, by being literally immured. But this was exchanged, in the case of a maiden, for one year's banishment and 100 stripes; and in the case of a married woman, for stoning.

5 What took place in the times of ignorance, previous to the revelation of the Koran. See Freytag's Einl. p. 201, as to the incestuous nature of the ante-Islamitic Arabian marriages.

6 By marrying without means adequate to the support of a free wife, or by remaining single.

7 From marrying slaves.

8 Games of chance, usury, etc.

9 By providing for them a home and the protection of a husband. Or, of that which G.o.d would have them care for.

10 An undutiful child is very seldom heard of among the Egyptians, or the Arabs in general. Sons scarcely ever sit, or sit, or eat, or smoke, in the presence of the father unless bidden to do so; and they often wait upon him and upon his guests at meals and on other occasions: they do not cease to act thus when they have become men. Lane's Mod. Egypt. vol. i. p. 69.

11 The Koranic precepts as to prayer savour of Jewish origin. Thus, "Prayer should be said standing" is a Rabbinic precept.-Comp. Sura [xci.] ii. 240.- Misch.Berachoth 10-may be shortened in dangerous places, ib. iv. 10-is forbidden to the drunken, ib. 31, 2. Erubin, 64-and to the polluted; Berachoth iii. 4-and is to be preceded, in this case, by was.h.i.+ngs with water or sand. See Sura xvii. 110, note 2, p. 173. 1 Cor. xi. 21.

12 The Jews and their Rabbis.

13 See Sura [xci.] ii. 98.