The Project Gutenberg ebook of The Koran

doers!
And Moses said, "O Pharaoh! verily I am an apostle from the Lord of the

Worlds.
Nothing but truth is it right for me to speak of God. Now am I come to you

from your Lord with a proof of my mission; send away, therefore, the children

of Israel with me." He said, "If thou comest with a sign, shew it if thou art

a man of truth."
So he threw down his rod, and lo! it distinctly became a serpent.
Then drew he forth his hand, and lo! it was white24 to the beholders.
The nobles of Pharaoh's people said, "Verily, this is an expert enchanter:
Fain would he expel you from your land: what then do ye order to be done?"
They said, "Put25 him and his brother off awhile, and send round men to your

cities who shall muster

if we prevail?"

down ours."

people's eyes, and made them afraid; for they had displayed a great

enchantment.
Then spake we unto Moses, "Throw down thy rod;" and lo! it devoured their

lying wonders.

truly is a plot which ye have plotted in this my city, in order to drive out

its people. But ye shall see in the end what shall happen.
I will surely cut off your hands and feet on opposite sides; then will I have

you all crucified."

our Lord when they came to us. Lord! pour out constancy upon us, and cause us

to die Muslims."
Then said the chiefs of Pharaoh's people�"Wilt thou let Moses and his people

go to spread disorders in our land, and desert thee and thy gods?" He said,

"We will cause their male children to be slain and preserve their females

alive: and verily we shall be masters over them."

the earth is God's: to such of His servants as He pleaseth doth He give it as

a heritage; and for those that fear Him is a happy issue."
"We have been oppressed," they said, "before thou camest to us, and since

thou hast been with us:" "Perhaps," said he, "your Lord will destroy your

enemy, and will make you his successors in the land, and He will see how ye

will act therein."

fruits, that haply they might take warning:

befel them, they regarded Moses and his partisans as (the birds) of evil

omen.26 Yet, was not their evil omen from God? But most of them knew it not.
And they said, "Whatever sign thou bring us for our enchantment, we will not

believe on thee."

frogs and the blood,�clear signs27�but they behaved proudly, and were a

sinful people.
And when any plague fell upon them, they said, "O Moses! pray for us to thy

Lord, according to that which he hath covenanted with thee: Truly if thou

take off the plague from us, we will surely believe thee, and will surely

send the children of Israel with thee." But when we had taken off the plague

from them, and the time which God had granted them had expired,28 behold!

they broke their promise.

treated our signs as falsehoods and were heedless of them.

western lands, which we had blessed as an heritage: and the good word of thy

Lord was fulfilled on the children of Israel because they had borne up with

patience: and we destroyed the works and the structures of Pharaoh and his

people:
And we brought the children of Israel across the sea, and they came to a

people who gave themselves up to their idols. They said, "O Moses! make us a

god, as they have gods." He said, "Verily, ye are an ignorant people:
For the worship they practise29 will be destroyed, and that which they do, is

vain."
He said, "Shall I seek any other god for you than God, when it is He who hath

preferred you above all other peoples?"
And remember when we rescued you from the people of Pharaoh they had laid on

you a cruel affliction; they slew your sons, and let only your daughters

live, and in this was a great trial from your Lord.
And we appointed a meeting with Moses for thirty nights, which we completed

with ten other nights, so that his whole time with his Lord30 amounted to

forty nights. Then said Moses to his brother Aaron, "Take thou my place among

my people, and act rightly, and follow not the way of the corrupt doers."

Lord, shew thyself to me, that I may look upon thee." He said, "Thou shalt

not see Me; but look towards the mount, and if it abide firm in its place,

then shalt thou see Me." And when God manifested Himself to the mountain he

turned it to dust! and Moses fell in a swoon.
And when he came to himself, he said, "Glory be to thee! To thee do I turn in

penitence, and I am the first of them that believe."

my speaking to thee. Take therefore what I have brought thee, and be one of

those who render thanks.
And we wrote for him upon the tables a monition concerning every matter, and

said, "Receive them thyself with steadfastness, and command thy people to

receive them for the observance of its most goodly precepts:�I will shew you

the abode of the wicked."

even if they see every sign they will not believe them; and if they see the

path of uprightness, they will not take it for their path, but if they see

the path of error, for their path will they take it.

life to come, as lies! Shall they be rewarded but as they have wrought?

ornaments, and ruddy like gold, and lowing.31 Saw they not that it could not

speak to them, nor guide them in the way?
Yet they took if for a God and became offenders!
But when they repented, and saw that they had erred, they said, Truly if our

Lord have not mercy on us, and forgive us, we shall surely be of those who

perish.
And when Moses returned to his people, wrathful, angered, he said, "Evil is

it that ye have done next upon my departure. Would ye hasten on the judgments

of your Lord?" And he threw down the tables, and seized his brother by the

head and dragged him unto him. Said he, "Son of my mother! the people thought

me weak, and had well nigh slain me. Make not mine enemies to rejoice over

me, and place me not among the wrong doers."

of those who shew mercy thou art the most merciful."

overtake them, and shame in this present life: for thus recompense we the

devisers of a lie.
But to those who have done evil, then afterwards repent and believe, thy Lord

will thereafter be Lenient, Merciful.

writing was guidance and mercy for those who dread their Lord.

when the earthquake overtook them, he said, "O my Lord! if it had been thy

pleasure, thou hadst destroyed them and me ere this! wilt thou destroy us for

what our foolish ones have done? It is nought but thy trial: thou wilt

mislead by it whom thou wilt, and guide whom thou wilt. Our guardian, thou!

Forgive us then and have mercy on us; for of those who forgive art thou the

best:
And write down for us what is good in this world, as well as in the world to

come, for to thee are we guided." He said, "My chastisement shall fall on

whom I will, and my mercy embraceth all things, and I write it down for those

who shall fear me, and pay the alms, and believe in our signs,

described with them in the Law and Evangel. What is right will he enjoin

them, and forbid them what is wrong, and will allow them healthful viands and

prohibit the impure, and will ease them of their burden, and of the yokes

which were upon them; and those who shall believe in him, and strengthen him,

and help him,33 and follow the light34 which hath been sent down with him,�

these are they with whom it shall be well."
SAY to them: O men! Verily I am God's apostle to you all;
Whose is the kingdom of the Heavens and of the Earth! Therefore believe on

God but He! He maketh alive and killeth! Therefore believe on God, and his

Apostle�the unlettered Prophet�who believeth in God and his word. And follow

him that ye may be guided aright.

with truth, and practise what is right according to it.

unto Moses when the people asked drink of him�"Strike the rock with thy

staff:" and there gushed forth from it twelve fountains�the men all knew

their drinking places. And we caused clouds to overshadow them, and sent down

upon them the manna and the quails. . . . "Eat of the good things with which

we have supplied you." But it was not us whom they injured, but they injured

their own selves:
And when it was said to them, "Dwell in this city, and eat therefrom what ye

will, and say 'Hittat' (forgiveness), and enter the gate with prostrations;

then will we pardon your offences,�we will give increase to the doers of

good:"
But the ungodly ones among them changed that word into another than that

which had been told them:36 therefore sent we forth wrath out of Heaven upon

them for their wrong doings.

broke the Sabbath; when their fish came to them on their Sabbath day

appearing openly, but came not to them on the day when they kept no Sabbath.

Thus did we make trial of them, for that they were evildoers.38

chastise with terrible chastisement? they said, For our own excuse with your

Lord; and that they may fear Him.
And when they forgot their warnings, we delivered those who had forbidden

evil; and we inflicted a severe chastisement on those who had done wrong, for

that they were evil doers.
But when they proudly persisted in that which was forbidden, we said to them,

"Become scouted apes;" and then thy Lord declared that until the day of the

resurrection, he would surely send against them39 (the Jews) those who should

evil entreat and chastise them: for prompt is thy Lord to punish; and He is

Forgiving, Merciful.
And we have divided them upon the Earth as peoples: some of them are upright

and some are otherwise; and by good things and by evil things have we proved

them, to the intent that they might return to us.
And they have had successors to succeed them: they have inherited the Book:

they have received the passing good things of this lower world,40 and say,

"It will be forgiven us." Yet if the like good things came to them again,

they would again receive them. But hath there not been received on their part

a covenant through the Scripture that they should speak nought of God but the

truth? And yet they study its contents. But the mansion of the next world

hath more value for those who fear God�Do ye not then comprehend?�
And who hold fast the Book, and observe prayer: verily, we will not suffer

the reward of the righteous to perish.

thought it falling upon them, . . . "Receive, said we, with steadfastness

what we have brought you, and remember what is therein to the end that ye may

fear God."

of Adam and took them to witness against themselves, "Am I not," said He,

"your Lord?" They said, "Yes, we witness it." This we did, lest ye should say

on the day of Resurrection, "Truly, of this were we heedless, because

uninformed;"
Or lest ye should say, "Our fathers, indeed, aforetime joined other gods with

our God, and we are their seed after them: wilt thou destroy us for the

doings of vain men?"
Thus make we our signs clear: that haply they may return to God.
Recite to them42 the history of him43 to whom we vouchsafed our signs, and

who departed from them, so that Satan followed him, and he became one of the

seduced.
Had we pleased, we had certainly thereby exalted him; but he crouched to the

earth and followed his own lust: his likeness, therefore, is as that of the

dog which lolls out his tongue, whether thou chase him away, or leave him

alone! Such is the likeness of those who treat our signs as lies. Tell them

this tale then, that they may consider.
Evil the likeness of those who treat our signs as lies! and it is themselves

they injure.

lost.
Many, moreover, of the Djinn and men have we created for Hell. Hearts have

they with which they understand not, and eyes have they with which they see

not, and ears have they with which they hearken not. They are like the

brutes: Yea, they go more astray: these are the heedless.
Most excellent titles hath God:44 by these call ye on Him, and stand aloof

from those who pervert45 his titles. For what they have done shall they be

repaid!
And among those whom we have created are a people who guide others with

truth, and in accordance therewith act justly.

down by means of which they know not:

possessed? Yes, his office is only that of plain warner.

all things which God hath made, to see whether haply their end be not drawing

on? And in what other book will they believe46 who reject the Koran?
No other guide for him whom God shall mislead! He will leave them distraught

in their wanderings.

knowledge of it is only with my Lord: none shall manifest it in its time but

He: it is the burden47 of the Heavens and of the Earth: not otherwise than on

a sudden will it come on you.48

with none but God. But most men know not this.

willeth. Had I the knowledge of his secrets, I should revel in the good, and

evil should not touch me. But I am only a warner, and an announcer of good

tidings to those who believe.

forth his wife that he might dwell with her: and when he had known her, she

bore a light burden, and went about with it; and when it became heavy, they

both cried to God their Lord, "If thou give us a perfect child we will surely

be of the thankful."
Yet when God had given them a perfect child,49 they50 joined partners with

Him in return for what he had given them. But high is God above the partners

they joined with Him!
What! Will they join those with Him who cannot create anything, and are

themselves created, and have no power to help them, or to help themselves?

same to them whether ye summon them or whether ye hold your peace!

Call on them then, and let them answer you, if what ye say of them be true!

see with? Have they ears to hear with? SAY: Call on these joint gods of

yours; then make your plot against me, and delay it not.
Verily, my Lord is God, who hath sent down "the Book;" and He is the

protector of the righteous.

themselves:

look towards thee, but they do not see!

ignorant:

verily heareth, knoweth!

remember Him, and lo! they see clearly.

themselves from it.

"Hast thou not yet patched it up?53 SAY: I only follow my Lord's utterances

to me. This is a clear proof on the part of your Lord, and a guidance and a

mercy for those who believe.

ye may obtain mercy.

without loud spoken words, at even and at morn; and be not one of the

heedless.
Verily they who are round about thy Lord disdain not His service. They praise

Him and prostrate themselves before Him.

_______________________
1 The initial letters, it has been conjectured, of (Amara li Muhammad

sahdiq), thus spake to me Muhammad the truthful. But see Sura 1xviii. p. 32.

The first part of this Sura was perhaps revealed when the Arabians were

assembled at the Pilgrimage. See verse 29.

mosque, mesjid, however, is usually applied only to that of Mecca. The common

term in use for larger places of worship is djami, a word unknown, in that

sense, to the Koran.

Einl. pp. 295 327. The Koreisch (we are told in Sirat Arrasul, fol. 26, and

Beidh.), in order to instil a deep respect for the Caaba and other holy

places into the minds of the Arabians, had forbidden all food during the

processions, and required that no clothes, except those borrowed from

Meccans, should be worn, or that those who wore their own should devote them

to God as holy vestments. The consequence was that most of the pilgrims

visited the holy places in perfect nudity. Hence the precept in the text.

vowel in the Arabic word for camel, we obtain the rendering, cable. In the

Rabbinic form of the proverb, however, the elephant is substituted for the

camel, which confirms the usual rendering and reading.

allusion to the employment of those upon it) will stand those whose good and

evil works are equal, and are not, therefore, deserving of either Paradise or

Gehenna. The idea, which is analogous to that of Purgatory, may be derived

from the Talmud. Thus in the Midrasch on Eccl. vii. 14, 'How much space is

there between the two' (Paradise and Hell)? R. Jochanan saith, a wall; R.

Acha, a span: others hold them to be so close that a person may see from one

into the other." See Plato's Phaed. 62.

the people of Hell by the blackness of their faces.

turn.
12 The fruits of Paradise. Comp. Luke xvi. 19.

Comp. Tract Tanith, fol. I, and connect it with the Resurrection, Tract

Berachoth, fol. 33.
15 The Rabbins in like manner describe the mission of Noah. Comp. Sanhedr.

108. Midr. Rabbah on Gen. par. 30, 33; and on Eccl. 9, 14. See Sura [lxxv.]

xi. 40.
16 The two tribes of Ad and Themoud�the latter of whom is mentioned by Diod.

Sic. and Ptolemy�lay to the north of Mecca in the direct line of traffic

between the countries to the north and to the south, and both probably

disappeared with its cessation, when the Arabs were no longer held in check

by the Romans. The traditions adopted by Muhammad attribute this to the

divine vengeance, throughout the Koran, and were derived by him from the

popular legends of Arabia. See Freyt. Einl. p. 12.
17 On Houd, see Geiger, pp. 113 119. He supposes him to be the Eber of the

Bible. But Mr. Muir suggests that both Houd and Saleh may have been

persecuted Jewish or Christian emissaries and teachers, whose rejection was

thus recast by Muhammad. See note on verse 71.

740, makes him the Schelah of Gen. xi. 13. See v. 63, n. and p. 220, n.

tribe, in killing the milch camel of Basűs, a female relative of his wife of

Bani-Bakr lineage�which led to a forty years' war between these two tribes,