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and the like thereof as well, they would give it for a ransom; these shall have an evil reckoning up! and their resort is hell, an evil couch shall it be!

Is he who knows that naught but the truth is sent down upon thee from thy Lord like him who is blind? Only those possessed of minds will remember!

Those who fulfil God's covenant and break not the compact, and those who attain what God has bidden to be attained, and dread their Lord and fear the evil reckoning up; and those who are patient, craving their Lord's face, and are steadfast in prayer, and expend in alms of what we have bestowed upon them secretly and openly, and ward off evil with good, these shall have the recompense of the abode, gardens of Eden, into which they shall enter with the righteous amongst their fathers and their wives and their seed; and the angels shall enter in unto them from every gate:'Peace be upon you! for that ye were patient; and goodly is the recompense of the abode.'

And those who break God's covenant after compacting for it, and who cut asunder what God hath bidden to be joined, and who do evil in the earth, these-upon them is the curse of God, and for them is an evil abode.

God extends his bounty freely to whomsoever He will, or He metes it out; and they rejoice in the life of this world, but the life of this world is naught but a (temporary) provision compared with the next.

Those who misbelieve say, 'Unless a sign is sent down upon him from his Lord . . . Say, 'God leads whom He

will astray, but guides unto Him those who turn again.

'Those who believe and whose hearts are comforted by the mention of God,-aye! by the mention of God shall their hearts be comforted, who believe and do what is right. Good cheer for them and an excellent resort.'

Thus have we sent thee to a nation before which other nations have passed away, to recite to them that which we have inspired thee with; yet they misbelieve in the merciful! Say, 'He is my Lord; there is no god but He; upon Him do I rely, and unto Him is my repentance.'

And though it were a Qur'ân by which the mountains were moved, or by which the earth were cut up, or the dead

made to speak-nay, God's is the command altogether! Did not those who believed know that if God had pleased He would have guided men altogether?

And a striking calamity shall not cease to overtake those who misbelieve for what they have wrought, or to alight close by their dwelling; until God's promise comes-verily, God fails not in His promise.

Before thee have apostles been mocked at; and those who misbelieved have I allowed to range at large; and then it caught them up! How then was my punishment? Shall He who is standing over every soul (to note) what it has earned? And they join partners with God! Say, 'Name them; can ye inform Him of what He does not know in the earth? or is it for name's sake only (that ye call upon them)?

'Nay, then, stratagem is made seemly to those who misbelieve, and they turn folks from the path of God! But whomsoever God doth lead astray no guide has he.'

For them is torment in this world's life; but surely the torment of the next is more wretched still-nor have they against God a keeper.

The likeness of the Paradise which those who fear God are promised, beneath it rivers flow, its food is enduring, and likewise its shade! That is the recompense of those who fear; but the recompense of misbelievers is the Fire!

And those to whom we brought the Book rejoice in that which we have sent down to thee; but of the confederates are some who deny a part thereof.

Say, 'I am only bidden to serve God and not to associate any with Him; on Him I call and to Him is my recourse.' Thus have we sent it down, an Arabic judgment, but hadst thou followed their lusts, after the knowledge that has come to thee, thou hadst not had against God a patron or a keeper.

And we sent apostles before thee, and we made for them wives and seed; and no apostle could bring a sign save by God's permission;-for every period there is a book.

They would not believe.

The word used in the original, yâi'as, means 'despair,' but in the patois of the Na'ha'h tribe signifies know,' and is so interpreted by the native commentators on this passage.

God blots out what He will, or He confirms; and with Him is the Mother of the Book.

Either we will let thee see a part of what we threaten them with, or we will take thee to Ourself; but thy duty is only to deliver thy message, and ours to reckon up.

Did they not see that we come to the land and diminish the borders thereof"? God judges, and there is none to reverse His judgment, and He is swift at reckoning up!

And those who were before them were crafty too; but God's is the craft altogether! He knows what every soul earns; and the misbelievers shall know whose is the recompense of the abode.

And those who misbelieve say, 'Thou art not sent!' Say, 'God is witness enough between me and you; and so is he who has the knowledge of the Book!'

5 Alluding to the conquests of Islâm.

CHAPTERS FROM THE KORAN

I

MEDINA SURAS

THE CHAPTER OF THE CONGREGATION

'N the name of the merciful and compassionate God. What is in the heavens and what is in the earth celebrates the praises of God the King, the holy, the mighty, the

wise!

He it is who sent unto the Gentiles a prophet amongst themselves to recite to them His signs and to purify them, and to teach them the Book and the wisdom, although they were before in obvious error.

And others of them have not yet overtaken them'; but He is the mighty, the wise!

That is God's grace, He gives it to whomsoever He will; for God is Lord of mighty grace.

The likeness of those who were charged with the law and then bore it not is as the likeness of an ass bearing books: sorry is the likeness of the people who say God's signs are lies! but God guides not an unjust people.

Say, 'O ye who are Jews! if ye pretend that ye are the clients of God, beyond other people; then wish for death if ye do speak the truth!'

But they never wish for it, through what their hands have sent before! but God knows the unjust.

Say, Verily, the death from which ye flee will surely meet you; then shall ye be sent back to Him who knows the unseen and the visible, and He will inform you of that which ye have done!'

O ye who believe! when the call to prayer is made upon the Congregation Day,' then hasten to the remembrance of God, and leave off traffic; that is better for you, if ye did but know!

11. e. by embracing Islâm.

Friday, called before this 'Harûbah. It was the day on which Moham med entered Medinah for the first time.

And when prayer is performed, then disperse abroad in the land, and crave of God's grace; and remember God much; haply ye may prosper!

But when they see merchandise or sport they flock to it and leave thee standing! Say, 'What is with God is better than sport and than merchandise, for God is the best of providers!'

THE CHAPTER OF THE SPOILS

In the name of the merciful and compassionate God. They will ask thee about the spoils. Say, 'The spoils are God's and the Apostle's; fear God and settle it amongst yourselves; obey God and the Apostle if ye do believe.'

Verily, the believers are those who, when God's name is mentioned, their hearts sink with fear; and when His signs are rehearsed to them they increase them in faith; and on their Lord do they rely; who are steadfast in prayer, and of what we have bestowed upon them give in alms; these are in truth believers; to them are degrees with their Lord, and forgiveness, and a generous provision.

As thy Lord caused thee to go forth from thy house' with the truth, although a sect of the believers were averse therefrom. They wrangled with thee about the truth after it was made plain, as though they were being driven on to death and looked thereon; and when God promised you that one of the two troops should be yours, and ye would fain have had those who had no arms. God wished to prove the truth true by His words, and to cut off the hindermost parts of those who misbelieve-to prove the truth true, and to make vain the vain, although the sinners are averse.*

When ye asked for succour from your Lord, and He answered you, 'I will assist you with a thousand angels, with others in reserve.'

It is said that one Friday a caravan entered the town while Mohammed was conducting the public prayers, and the congregation hearing the drums beat rushed out to see the sight, with the exception of about twelve of them. 1 At Medinah.

The occasion alluded to was one when Mohammed had made preparations for attacking an unarmed caravan on its way from Syria to Mecca, when Abu Sufian, who was in charge of it, sent to Mecca and obtained an escort of nearly a thousand men; many of Mohammed's followers wished to attack the caravan only, but the prophet and his immediate followers were for throwing themselves on the escort.

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