abundance on every one who hath abundance (of merit). The difficulty of
rendering this passage arises from the word fadhl, which means merit as
applied to man, favour as applied to God.
3 That is, before the Creation. Precisely the same statement occurs in Raschi
on Gen. i. 2, also in the modern catechism. Tsenah ur'enak b'noth Tsion,
authoritatively put forth by the Polish and German Talmudist Rabbins. "At the
first creation of Heaven and Earth . . . the throne of glory of the Blessed
God stood in the air above the waters." Comp. Ps. civ. 3.
4 Men, heaven, and earth. Comp. Tr. Aboth, v. Mischna 1.
5 Comp. verse 37 and Sura [xci.] ii. 21. It should be observed that the
challenge in these passages is not to produce a book which shall equal the
Koran in point of poetry or rhetoric, but in the importance of its subject-
matter with reference to the Divine Unity, the future retribution, etc. Upon
these topics Muhammad well knew that he had preoccupied the ground. And we
may infer from the fragments of the Revelations of Musailima and Sajâh
(Hisam. 946; Attabâri (ed. Kosegarten) i. 134, 136, 152; Tab. Agâni, 339),
which are mere imitations of the Koran, that he felt this to be the case.
6 "They laughed and jeered at him in their words." Midr. Tanchuma. "The
passage Job xii. 5, refers to the righteous Noah who taught them and spake to
them words severe as flames: but they scorned him, and said, 'Old man! for
what purpose is this ark?"' Sanhedr. 108. Comp. Midr. Rabbah on Gen. 30, and
33 on Eccl. ix. 14.
7 Or, oven: according to others, reservoir. Geiger thinks that the expression
the oven boiled up may be a figurative mode of expressing the Rabbinic idea
that "the generation of the Deluge were punished by hot water." Rosch.
Haschanah, 16, 2; Sanhedr. 108. Comp. Weil's Legenden, p. 44.
8 The Montes Gordyoei, perhaps.
9 According to another reading: He hath done amiss. The origin of this story
is probably Gen. ix. 20-25.
10 A Prophet, so far as we know, of Muhammad's own invention, unless Muir's
conjecture be admitted that he was a Christian or Jewish missionary whose
adventures and persecution were recast into this form.-The name may have been
suggested by, Methusaleh, upon whose piety the Midrasch enlarges.
11 That is, we had intended to make thee our chief. Beidh.
12 Thus, in contradiction to Gen. xviii. 8, the Rabbins; comp. Tr. Baba
Mezia, fol. 86, "They made as though they ate."
13 Or, menstrua passa est, in token of the possibility of her bearing a
child.
14 Lit. his arm was straitened concerning them.
15 Lit. column.
16 With the name, it is said, of the person each should strike.
17 See Sura [lvi.] xxvi. 176.
18 That is, after giving fair measure.
19 Seizure, for punishment. Hence, the punishment itself.
20 In the later period of his life Muhammad attributed his gray hairs to the
effect produced upon him by this Sura and its "Sisters." While Abu Bekr and
Omar sat in the mosque at Medina, Muhammad suddenly came upon them from the
door of one of his wives' houses. . . . And Abu Bekr said, "Ah! thou for
whom I would sacrifice father and mother, white hairs are hastening upon
thee!" And the Prophet raised up his beard with his hand and gazed at it; and
Abu Bekr's eyes filled with tears. "Yes," said Muhammad, "Hûd and its sisters
have hastened my white hairs." "And what," asked Abu Bekr, "are its sisters?"
"The Inevitable (Sura lvi.) and the Blow (Sura ci.)." Kitâb al Wackidi, p.
84, ap. Muir.
SURA XIV.-ABRAHAM, ON WHOM BE PEACE [LXXVI.]
MECCA.-52 Verses
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
ELIF. LAM. RA. This Book have we sent down to thee that by their Lord's
permission thou mayest bring men out of darkness into light, into the path of
the Mighty, the Glorious-
Of God; to whom belongeth whatever is in the Heavens and whatever is on the
Earth: and woe! for their terrible punishment, to the infidels,
Who love the life that now is, above that which is to come, and mislead from
the way of God, and seek to make it crooked. These are in a far-gone error.
And in order that He might speak plainly to them, we have not sent any
Apostle, save with the speech of his own people; but God misleadeth whom He
will, and whom He will he guideth: and He is the Mighty, the Wise.
Of old did we send Moses with our signs: and said to him, "Bring forth thy
people from the darkness into the light, and remind them of the days of God."
Verily, in this are signs for every patient, grateful person:
When Moses said to his people, "Remember the kindness of God to you, when he
rescued you from the family of Pharaoh who laid on you a cruel affliction,
slaughtering your male children, and suffering only your females to live." In
this was a sore trial from your Lord-
And when your Lord caused it to be heard that, "If we render thanks then will
I surely increase you more and more: but if ye be thankless. . . . Verily,
right terrible my chastisement."
And Moses said, "If ye and all who are on the Earth be thankless, yet truly
God is passing Rich, and worthy of all praise."
Hath not the story reached you of those who were before you, the people of
Noah, and Ad, and Themoud,
And of those who lived after them? None knoweth them but God. When their
prophets came to them with proofs of their mission, they put their hands on
their mouths and said, "In sooth, we believe not your message; and in sooth,
of that to which you bid us, we are in doubt, as of a thing suspicious."
Their prophets said: "Is there any doubt concerning God, maker of the Heavens
and of the Earth, who calleth you that He may pardon your sins, and respite
you until an appointed time?"
They said, "Ye are but men like us: fain would ye turn us from our fathers'
worship. Bring us therefore some clear proof."
Their Apostles said to them, "We are indeed but men like you. But God
bestoweth favours on such of his servants as he pleaseth, and it is not in
our power to bring you any special proof,
But by the leave of God. In God therefore let the faithful trust.
And why should we not put our trust in God, since He hath already guided us
in our ways. We will certainly bear with constancy the harm you would do to
us. In God let the trustful trust."
And they who believed not said to their Apostles, "Forth from our land will
we surely drive you, or, to our religion shall ye return." Then their Lord
revealed to them, "We will certainly destroy the wicked doers,
And we shall certainly cause you to dwell in the land after them. This for
him who dreadeth the appearance at my judgment-seat and who dreadeth my
menace!"
Then sought they help from God, and every proud rebellious one perished:
Hell is before him: and of tainted water shall he be made to drink:
He shall sup it and scarce swallow it for loathing; and Death shall assail
him on every side, but he shall not die: and before him shall be seen a
grievous torment.
A likeness of those who believe not in their Lord. Their works are like ashes
which the wind scattereth on a stormy day: no advantage shall they gain from
their works. This is the far-gone wandering.
Seest thou not that in truth1 hath God created the Heavens and the Earth?
Were such his pleasure He could make you pass away, and cause a new creation
to arise.
And this would not be hard for God.
All mankind shall come forth before God; and the weak shall say to the men of
might, "Verily, we were your followers: will ye not then relieve us of some
part of the vengeance of God?"
They shall say, "If God had guided us, we surely had guided you. It is now
all one whether we be impatient, or endure with patience. We have no escape."
And after doom hath been given, Satan shall say, "Verily, God promised you a
promise of truth: I, too, made you a promise, but I deceived you. Yet I had
no power over you:
But I only called you and ye answered me. Blame not me then, but blame
yourselves: I cannot aid you, neither can ye aid me. I never believed that I
was His equal with whom ye joined me."2 As for the evil doers, a grievous
torment doth await them.
But they who shall have believed and done the things that be right, shall be
brought into gardens beneath which the rivers flow: therein shall they abide
for ever by the permission of their Lord: their greeting therein shall be
"Peace."
Seest thou not to what God likeneth a good word?3 To a good tree: its root
firmly fixed, and its branches in the Heaven:
Yielding its fruit in all seasons by the will of its Lord. God setteth forth
these similitudes to men that haply they may reflect.
And an evil word is like an evil tree torn up from the face of the earth, and
without strength to stand.
Those who believe shall God stablish by his steadfast word both in this life
and in that which is to come: but the wicked shall He cause to err: God doth
his pleasure.
Hast thou not beholden those who repay the goodness of God with infidelity,
and sink their people into the abode of perdition-
Hell? Therein shall they be burned; and wretched the dwelling!
They set up compeers with God in order to mislead man from his way. SAY:
Enjoy your pleasures yet awhile, but assuredly, your going hence shall be
into the fire.
Speak to my servants who have believed, that they observe prayer, and give
alms of that with which we have supplied them, both privately and openly, ere
the day come when there shall be neither traffic nor friendship.
It is God who hath created the Heavens and the Earth, and sendeth down water
from the Heaven, and so bringeth forth the fruits for your food: And He hath
subjected to you the ships, so that by His command, they pass through the
sea; and He hath subjected the rivers to you: and He hath subjected to you
the sun and the moon in their constant courses: and He hath subjected the day
and the night to you: of everything which ye ask Him, giveth He to you; and
if ye would reckon up the favours of God, ye cannot count them! Surely man is
unjust, ungrateful!
ABRAHAM said, "O Lord make this land secure, and turn aside me and my
children from serving idols:
For many men, O my Lord, have they led astray. But whosoever shall follow me,
he truly shall be of me; and whosoever shall disobey me. . . . Thou truly
art Gracious, Merciful.
O our Lord! verily I have settled some of my offspring in an unfruitful
valley, nigh to thy holy house;4 O our Lord, that they may strictly observe
prayer! Make thou therefore the hearts of men to yearn toward them, and
supply them with fruits that they may be thankful.
O our Lord! thou truly knowest what we hide and what we bring to light;
nought on earth or in heaven is hidden from God. Praise be to God who hath
given me, in my old age, Ismael and Isaac! My Lord is the hearer of prayer.
Lord! grant that I and my posterity may observe prayer. O our Lord! and grant
this my petition. O our Lord! forgive me and my parents and the faithful, on
the day wherein account shall be taken."
Think thou not that God is regardless of the deeds of the wicked. He only
respiteth them to the day on which all eyes shall stare up with terror:
They hasten forward in fear; their heads upraised in supplication; their
looks riveted; and their hearts a blank. Warn men therefore of the day when
the punishment shall overtake them,
And when the evil doers shall say, "O our Lord! respite us yet a little
while:5
To thy call will we make answer; thine Apostles will we follow." "Did ye not
once swear that no change should befal you?
Yet ye dwelt in the dwellings of those6 who were the authors of their
undoing7 and it was made plain to you how we had dealt with them; and we held
them up to you as examples. They plotted their plots: but God could master
their plots, even though their plots had been so powerful as to move the
mountains."
Think not then that God will fail his promise to his Apostles: aye! God is
mighty, and Vengeance is His.
On the day when the Earth shall be changed into another Earth, and the
Heavens also, men shall come forth unto God, the Only, the Victorious.
And thou shalt see the wicked on that day linked together in chains-
Their garments of pitch, and fire shall enwrap their faces that God may
reward every soul as it deserveth; verily God is prompt to reckon.
This is a message for mankind, that they may thereby be warned: and that they
may know that there is but one God; and that men of understanding may ponder
it.
_______________________
1 See Sura [lxxxiv.] x. 5.
2 Lit. I truly renounce your having associated me (with God) heretofore.
3 The preaching and the profession of Islam. Comp. Ps. i. 3, 4.
4 The Caaba.
5 Lit. to a term near at hand.
6 Of the anciently destroyed cities of Themoud, Ad, etc.
7 Lit. were unjust to their own souls.
SURA XII.-JOSEPH, PEACE BE ON HIM [LXXVII.]
MECCA.-III Verses
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
ELIF. LAM. RA.1 These are signs of the clear Book.
An Arabic Koran have we sent it down, that ye might understand it.
In revealing to thee this Koran,2 one of the most beautiful of narratives
will we narrate to thee, of which thou hast hitherto been regardless.
When Joseph said to his Father, "O my Father! verily I beheld eleven stars
and the sun and the moon-beheld them make obeisance to me!"3
He said, "O my son! tell not thy vision to thy brethren, lest they plot a
plot against thee: for Satan is the manifest foe of man.
It is thus that thy Lord shall choose thee and will teach thee the
interpretation of dark saying, and will perfect his favours on thee and on
the family of Jacob, as of old he perfected it on thy fathers Abraham and
Isaac; verily thy Lord is Knowing, Wise!"
Now in JOSEPH and his brethren are signs for the enquirers;4
When they said, "Surely better loved by our Father, than we, who are more in
number, is Joseph and his brother; verily, our father hath clearly erred.
Slay ye Joseph! or drive him to some other land, and on you alone shall your
father's face be set! and after this, ye shall live as upright persons."
One of them said, "Slay not Joseph, but cast him down to the bottom of the
well: if ye do so, some wayfarers will take him up."
They said, "O our Father! why dost thou not entrust us with Joseph? indeed we
mean him well.
Send him with us to-morrow that he may enjoy himself and sport: we will
surely keep him safely."
He said, "Verily, your taking him away will grieve me; and I fear lest while
ye are heedless of him the wolf devour him."
They said, "Surely if the wolf devour him, and we so many, we must in that
case be weak indeed."5
And when they went away with him they agreed to place him at the bottom of
the well. And We revealed to him, "Thou wilt yet tell them of this their
deed, when they shall not know thee."
And they came at nightfall to their father weeping.
They said, "O our Father! of a truth, we went to run races, and we left
Joseph with our clothes, and the wolf devoured him: but thou wilt not believe
us even though we speak the truth."
And they brought his shirt with false blood upon it. He said, "Nay, but
yourselves have managed this affair.6 But patience is seemly: and the help of
God is to be implored that I may bear what you tell me."
And wayfarers came and sent their drawer of water,7 and he let down his
bucket. "Good news!"8 said he, "This is a youth!" And they kept his case
secret, to make merchandise of him. But God knew what they did.
And they sold him for a paltry price-for some dirhems counted down, and at no
high rate did they value him.
And he who bought him-an Egyptian-said to his wife, "Treat him hospitably;
haply he may be useful to us, or we may adopt him as a son." Thus did we
settle Joseph in the land, and we instructed him in the interpretation of
dark sayings, for God is equal to his purpose; but most men know it not.
And when he had reached his age of strength we bestowed on him judgment and
knowledge; for thus do we recompense the well doers.
And she in whose house he was conceived a passion for him, and she shut the
doors and said, "Come hither." He said, "God keep me! Verily, my lord hath
given me a good home: and the injurious shall not prosper."
But she longed for him; and he had longed for her had he not seen a token
from his lord.9 Thus we averted evil and defilement from him, for he was one
of our sincere servants.
And they both made for the door, and she rent his shirt behind; and at the
door they met her lord. "What," said she, "shall be the recompense of him who
would do evil to thy family, but a prison10 or a sore punishment?"
He said, "She solicited me to evil." And a witness out of her own family11
witnessed: "If his shirt be rent in front she speaketh truth, and he is a
liar:
But if his shirt be rent behind, she lieth and he is true."
And when his lord saw his shirt torn behind, he said, "This is one of your
devices! verily your devices are great!
Joseph! leave this affair. And thou, O wife, ask pardon for thy crime, for
thou hast sinned."
And in the city, the women said, "The wife of the Prince hath solicited her
servant: he hath fired her with his love: but we clearly see her manifest
error."
And when she heard of their cabal, she sent to them and got ready a banquet
for them, and gave each one of them a knife, and said, "Joseph shew thyself
to them." And when they saw him they were amazed at him, and cut their
hands,12 and said, "God keep us! This is no man! This is no other than a
noble angel!"
She said, "This is he about whom ye blamed me. I wished him to yield to my
desires, but he stood firm. But if he obey not my command, he shall surely be
cast into prison, and become one of the despised."
He said, "O my Lord! I prefer the prison to compliance with their bidding:
but unless thou turn away their snares from me, I shall play the youth with
them, and become one of the unwise."
And his Lord heard him and turned aside their snares from him: for he is the
Hearer, the Knower.
Yet resolved they, even after they had seen the signs of his innocence, to
imprison him for a time.
And there came into the prison with him two youths. Said one of them,
"Methought in my dream that I was pressing grapes." And the other said, "I
dreamed that I was carrying bread on my head, of which the birds did eat.
Declare to us the interpretation of this, for we see thou art a virtuous
person."
He said, "There shall not come to you in a dream any food wherewith ye shall
be fed, but I will acquaint you with its interpretation ere it come to pass
to you. This is a part of that which my Lord hath taught me: for I have
abandoned the religion13 of those who believe not in God and who deny the
life to come;
And I follow the religion of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. We may
not associate aught with God. This is of God's bounty towards us and towards
mankind: but the greater part of mankind are not thankful.
O my two fellow prisoners! are sundry lords best, or God, the One, the
Mighty?
Ye worship beside him mere names which ye have named, ye and your fathers,
for which God hath not sent down any warranty. Judgment belongeth to God
alone. He hath bidden you worship none but Him. This is the right faith: but
most men know it not.
O my two fellow prisoners! as to one of you, he will serve wine unto his
Lord: but as to the other, he will be crucified and the birds shall eat from
off his head. The matter is decreed concerning which ye enquire."
And he said unto him who he judged would be set at large, "Remember me with
thy lord." But Satan caused him to forget the remembrance of his Lord,14 so
he remained some years in prison.
And the King said, "Verily, I saw in a dream seven fat kine which seven lean
devoured; and seven green ears and other withered. O nobles, teach me my
vision, if a vision ye are able to expound."
They said, "They are confused dreams, nor know we aught of the unravelling of
dreams."
And he of the twain who had been set at large, said, "I will tell you the
interpretation; let me go for it."
"Joseph, man of truth! teach us of the seven fat kine which seven lean
devoured, and of the seven green ears, and other withered, that I may return
to the men, and that they may be informed."
He said, "Ye shall sow seven years as is your wont, and the corn which ye
reap leave ye in its ear, except a little of which ye shall eat.
Then after that shall come seven grievous years which shall eat what ye have
stored for them, except a little which ye shall have kept.
Then shall come after this a year, in which men shall have rain, and in which
they shall press the grape."
And the King said, "Bring him to me."15 And when the messenger came to Joseph
he said, "Go back to thy lord, and ask him what meant the women who cut their
hands, for my lord well knoweth the snare they laid."
Then said the Prince to the women, "What was your purpose when ye solicited
Joseph?" They said, "God keep us! we know not any ill of him." The wife of
the Prince said, "Now doth the truth appear. It was I who would have led him
into unlawful love, and he is one of the truthful."
"By this" (said Joseph) "may my lord know that I did not in his absence play
him false, and that God guideth not the machinations of deceivers.
Yet I hold not myself clear, for the heart is prone to evil, save theirs on
whom my Lord hath mercy; for gracious is my Lord, Merciful."
And the King said, "Bring him to me: I will take him for my special service."
And when he had spoken with him he said, "From this day shalt thou be with
us, invested with place and trust."
He said, "Set me over the granaries of the land,16 I will be their prudent
keeper!"
Thus did we stablish Joseph in the land that he might house himself therein
at pleasure. We bestow our favours on whom we will, and suffer not the reward
of the righteous to perish.
And truly the recompense of the life to come is better, for those who have
believed and feared God.
And Joseph's brethren came and went in to him and he knew them, but they
recognised him not.
And when he had provided them with their provision, he said, "Bring me your
brother from your father. See ye not that I fill the measure, and am the best
of hosts?
But if ye bring him not to me, then no measure of corn shall there be for you
from me, nor shall ye come near me."
They said, "We will ask him of his father, and we will surely do it."
Said he to his servants, "Put their money into their camel-packs, that they
may perceive it when they have returned to their family: haply they will come
back to us."
And when they returned to their father, they said, "O, our father! corn is
withholden from us: send, therefore, our brother with us and we shall have
our measure; and all care of him will we take."
He said, "Shall I entrust you with him otherwise than as I before entrusted
you with his brother? But God is the best guardian, and of those who shew
compassion He is the most compassionate."
And when they opened their goods they found their money had been returned to
them. They said, "O, our father, what more can we desire? Here is our money
returned to us; we will provide corn for our families, and will take care of
our brother, and shall receive a camel's burden more of corn. This is an easy
quantity."17
He said, "I will not send him with you but on your oath before God that ye
will, indeed, bring him back to me, unless hindrances encompass you." And
when they had given him their pledge, he said, "God is witness of what we
say."
And he said, "O, my sons! Enter not by one gate, but enter by different
gates.18 Yet can I not help you against aught decreed by God: judgment
belongeth to God alone. In Him put I my trust, and in Him let the trusting
trust."
And when they entered as their father had bidden them, it did not avert from
them anything decreed of God; but it only served to satisfy a desire in the
soul of Jacob which he had charged them to perform; for he was possessed of
knowledge which we had taught him; but most men have not that knowledge.
And when they came in to Joseph, he took his brother to him. He said,
"Verily, I am thy brother. Be not thou grieved for what they did."19
And when he had provided them with their provisions, he placed his drinking
cup in his brother's camel-pack. Then a crier cried after them, "O
travellers! ye are surely thieves."
They turned back to them and said, "What is that ye miss?"
"We miss," said they, "the prince's cup. For him who shall restore it, a
camel's load of corn! I pledge myself for it."
They said, "By God! ye know certainly that we came not to do wrong20 in the
land and we have not been thieves."
"What," said the Egyptians, "shall be the recompense of him who hath stolen
it, if ye be found liars?"
They said, "That he in whose camel-pack it shall be found be given up to you
in satisfaction for it. Thus recompense we the unjust."