ENTITLED, CONSULTATION;g REVEALED AT MECCA.h
IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD.
H. M. A. S. K.i THUS doth the mighty, the wise GOD reveal his will unto
thee; and in like manner did he reveal it unto the prophets who were before
thee.
Unto him belongeth whatever is in heaven, and in earth; and he is the
high, the great God.
It wanteth little but that the heavens be rent in sunder from above, at
the awfulness of his majesty: the angels celebrate the praise of their LORD,
and ask pardon for those who dwell in the earth. Is not GOD the forgiver of
sins, the merciful?
But as to those who take other gods for their patrons, besides him, GOD
observeth their actions: for thou art not a steward over them.
Thus have we revealed unto thee an Arabic Koran, that thou mayest warn
the metropolis of Mecca, and the Arabs who dwell round about it; and mayest
threaten them with the day of the general assembly, of which there is no
doubt: one part shall then be placed in paradise, and another part in hell.
If GOD had pleased, he had made them all of one religion; but he leadeth
whom he pleaseth into his mercy; and the unjust shall have no patron or
helper.
Do they take other patrons, besides him? whereas GOD is the only true
patron: he quickeneth the dead; and he is almighty.
Whatever matter ye disagree about, the decision thereof appertaineth unto
GOD. This is GOD, my LORD: in him do I trust, and unto him do I turn me:
the Creator of heaven and earth: he hath given you wives of your own
species, and cattle both male and female; by which means he multiplieth you:
there is nothing like him; and it is he who heareth and seeth.
10 His are the keys of heaven and earth; he bestoweth provision abundantly
on whom he pleaseth, and he is sparing unto whom he pleaseth; for he knoweth
all things.
He hath ordained you the religion which he commanded Noah, and which we
have revealed unto thee, O Mohammed, and which we commanded Abraham, and
Moses, and Jesus:k saying, Observe this religion, and be not divided therein.
The worship of one God, to which thou invitest them, is grievous unto the
unbelievers:
g The title is taken from the verse wherein the believers are
commended, among other things, for using deliberation in their affairs, and
consulting together in order to act for the best. Some, instead of this word,
prefix the five single letters with which the chapter begins.
h Jallalo'ddin excepts three verses, beginning with these words, Say, I
ask not of you, for this my preaching, any reward, &c.
i See the Prelim. Disc. Sect. III. p. 46, &c.
k See ibid. Sect. IV. p. 55 and 59.
GOD will elect thereto whom he pleaseth, and will direct unto the same
him who shall repent.
Those who lived in times past were not divided among themselves, until
after that the knowledge of God's unity had come unto them; through their own
perverseness: and unless a previous decree had passed from thy LORD, to bear
with them till a determined time, verily the matter had been decided between
them, by the destruction of the gainsayers. They who have inherited the
scriptures after them,l are certainly in a perplexing doubt concerning the
same.m
Wherefore invite them to receive the sure faith, and be urgent with them,
as thou hast been commanded; and follow not their vain desires: and say, I
believe in all the scriptures which GOD hath sent down; and I am commanded to
establish justice among you: GOD is our LORD and your LORD: unto us will our
works be imputed, and unto you will your works be imputed: let there be no
wrangling between us and you; for GOD will assemble us all at the last day,
and unto him shall we return.
As to those who dispute concerning GOD, after obedience hath been paid
him by receiving his religion, their disputing shall be vain in the sight of
their LORD; and wrath shall fall on them, and they shall suffer a grievous
punishment.
It is GOD who hath sent down the scripture with truth; and the balance of
true judgment: and what shall inform with truth; and the balance of true
judgment: and what shall inform thee whether the hour be nigh at hand?
They who believe not therein wish it to be hastened by way of mockery:
but they who believe dread the same, and know it to be the truth. Are not
those who dispute concerning the last hour in a wide error?
GOD is bounteous unto his servants; he provideth for whom he pleaseth;
and he is the strong, the mighty.
Whoso chooseth the tillage of the life to come,n unto him will we give
increase in his tillage: and whoso chooseth the tillage of this world, we will
give him the fruit thereof; but he shall have no part in the life to come.
20 Have the idolaters deities which ordain them a religion which GOD hath
not allowed? But had it not been for the decree of respiting their punishment
to the day of separating the infidels from the true believers, judgment had
been already given between them: for the unjust shall surely suffer a painful
torment.
On that day thou shalt see the unjust in great terror, because of their
demerits; and the penalty thereof shall fall upon them: but they who believe
and do good works shall dwell in the delightful meadows of paradise; they
shall obtain whatever they shall desire, with their LORD. This is the
greatest acquisition.
This is what GOD promiseth unto his servants who believe and do good
works. Say, I ask not of you, for this my preaching, any reward, except the
love of my relations: and whoever shall have deserved well by one good action,
unto him will we add the merit of another action thereto; for GOD is inclined
to forgive, and ready to reward.
Do they say, Mohammed hath blasphemously forged a lie concerning GOD? If
GOD pleaseth, he will seal up thy heart:o and GOD will absolutely abolish
vanity, and will establish the truth in his words;p for he knoweth the
innermost part of men's breasts.
l viz., The modern Jews and Christians.
m Not understanding the true meaning, nor believing the real doctrines
thereof.
n Labouring here to obtain a reward hereafter; for what is sown in this
world will be reaped in the next.
o The meaning of these words is somewhat obscure. Some imagine they
express a detestation of the forgery charged on the prophet by the infidels;
because none could be capable of so wicked an action but one whose heart was
close shut, and knew not his LORD; as if he had said, God forbid that thou
shouldst be void of grace, or have so little sense of thy duty. Others think
the signification to be that GOD might strike all the revelations which had
been vouchsafed to Mohammed, out of his heart at once; and others, that GOD
would strengthen his heart with patience against the insults of the
unbelievers.1
p Wherefore if the doctrine taught in this book be of man, it will
certainly fail and come to nothing; but if it be of GOD, it can never be
overthrown.2
1 Al Beidâwi. 2 Idem.
It is he who accepteth repentance from his servants, and forgiveth sins,
and knoweth that which ye do.
He will incline his ear unto those who believe and work righteousness,
and will add unto them above what they shall ask or deserve, of his bounty:
but the unbelievers shall suffer a severe punishment.
If GOD should bestow abundance upon his servants they would certainly
behave insolently in the earth: but he sendeth down by measure unto every one
that which he pleaseth; for he well knoweth and seeth the condition of his
servants.
It is he who sendeth down the rain, after men have despaired thereof, and
spreadeth abroad his mercy; and he is the patron, justly to be praised.
Among his signs is the creation of heaven and earth, and of the living
creatures with which he hath replenished them both; and he is able to gather
them together before his tribunal, whenever he pleaseth.
Whatever misfortune befalleth you is sent unto you by God, for that which
your hands have deserved; and yet he forgiveth many things:
30 ye shall not frustrate the divine vengeance in the earth; neither shall
ye have any protector or helper, against GOD.
Among his signs also are the ships running in the sea, like high
mountains: if he pleaseth, he causeth the wind to cease, and they lie still on
the back of the water: (verily herein are signs unto every patient and
grateful person):
or he destroyeth them by shipwreck, be cause of that which their crews
have merited; though he pardoneth many things.
And they who dispute against our signs shall know that there will be no
way for them to escape our vengeance.
Whatever things are given you, they are the provision of this present
life: but the reward which is with GOD is better, and more durable, for those
who believe, and put their trust in their LORD;
and who avoid heinous and filthy crimes, and when they are angry,
forgive;
and who hearken unto their LORD, and are constant at prayer, and whose
affairs are directed by consultation among themselves, and who give alms out
of what we have bestowed on them;
and who, when an injury is done them, avenge themselvesq
(and the retaliation of evil ought to be an evil proportionate thereto):
but he who forgiveth and is reconciled unto his enemy, shall receive his
reward from GOD;r for he loveth not the unjust doers.
And whoso shall avenge himself, after he hath been injured; as to these,
it is not lawful to punish them for it:
40 but it is only lawful to punish those who wrong men, and act insolently
in the earth, against justice; these shall suffer a grievous punishment.
And whoso beareth injuries patiently, and forgiveth; verily this is a
necessary work.
Whom GOD shall cause to err, he shall afterwards have no protector. And
thou shalt see the ungodly,
q Using the means which GOD has put into their hands for their own
defence. This is added to complete the character here given; for valour and
courage are not inconsistent with clemency,3 the rule being,
Parcere subjectis, et debellare superbos.
r See chapter 5, p. 79, &c.
3 Idem.
who shall say, when they behold the punishment prepared for them, Is
there no way to return back into the world?
And thou shalt see them exposed unto hell fire; dejected, because of the
ignominy they shall undergo: they shall look at the fire sideways, and by
stealth; and the true believers shall say, Verily the losers are they who have
lost their own souls, and their families, on the day of resurrection: shall
not the ungodly continue in eternal torment?
They shall have no protectors to defend them against GOD: and whom GOD
shall cause to err, he shall find no way to the truth.
Hearken unto your LORD, before the day come, which GOD will not keep
back: ye shall have no place of refuge on that day; neither shall ye be able
to deny your sins.
But if those to whom thou preachest turn aside from thy admonitions,
verily we have not sent thee to be a guardian over them: thy duty is preaching
only. When we cause man to taste mercy from us, he rejoiceth thereat: but if
evil befall them, for that which their hands have formerly committed, verily
man becometh ungrateful.
Unto GOD appertaineth the kingdom of heaven and earth: he createth that
which he pleaseth; he giveth females unto whom he pleaseth, and he giveth
males unto whom he pleaseth;
or he giveth them males and females jointly: and he maketh whom he
pleaseth to be childless; for he is wise and powerful.
50 It is not fit for man that GOD should speak unto him otherwise than by
private revelation, or from behind a veil,
or by his sending of a messenger to reveal, by his permission, that which
he pleaseth; for he is high and wise.
Thus have we revealed unto thee a revelation,s by our command. Thou
didst not understand, before this, what the book of the Koran was, nor what
the faith was: but we have ordained the same for a light; we will thereby
direct such of our servants as we please: and thou shalt surely direct them
into the right way,
the way of GOD, unto whom belongeth whatever is in heaven and in earth.
Shall not all things return unto GOD?
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