The Alcoran of Mahomet, translated out of Arabique into French; by the sieur Du Ryer, Lord of Malezair, and resident for the King of France, at Alexandria. And newly Englished, for the satisfaction of all that desire to look into the Turkish vanities

CHAP. XXV. The Chapter of the Alcoran, containing seventy and seven Verses, wrinten at Mecca.

IN the name of God, gracious and merciful: praised be he that sent the Alcoran to his servant to instruct the world; he is King of the Heavens and Earth; he hath no Son, nor Companion in his rign; he created and ordai∣ned every thing. The Infidels worship Gods that can create nothing, and are things created; they can neither do them good nor evil, they can give neither life nor death, neither cause them to rise again. They say that the Alcoran is but a fable of thine invention, invented with the assistance of some other person; but they lye and blaspheme. They say that it is but an old Song, and a fable of the Ancients that thou writ••st, and that thou stu∣diest morning and evening. Say unto them, it was sent by him that knoweth all ••hings in Heaven and Earth, al¦t••gether gracious and mercifull. They said, wh•• is this Prophet? He eateth bread and meat, and walketh th••ough the streets; we will not beleive him, unlesse an Angell descend from heaven to preach to us with him, unles that Angel enrich him, and that he have a Garden full of good and savory fruits; he is but a wizard, or one posses∣ed of the Devil. Consider to what they compare thee; certainly they are in error, and cannot find the right way. Praise and bless him, that is able to bestow on thee a greater good, when it shall seem good to thee, to wit, Gardens, wherein flow many Rivers, and houses of plea∣sure. They have denyed the certainty o•• Universall Judg∣ment, and we have prepared the fire of Hell to punish them; wrath shall carry them away with terrible cryes: when they shall behold the place of the assembly of judg∣ment; when they shall there appear, they shall be desperate, and shall cry, O misery! Cry not O misery, cry O mis••ries! (in the Plu••al) ask of them which is better, and more advantagious, that, or paradise, which is prepared for the recompence of the righteous, where

they shall dwell e••ern••lly with al manner of felicity; this is it that God hath prōised, & that which was impetrated of his divine Majesty, (for them that have his fear be••or their e••es) I wil one day ass••mble I dolate••s, with their i••••ls; God shall say unto them, you are they who have seduc••d my creatures from the right way. They shall say, praised be thy name: we ought to have worshipped non•• but thy divine Majesty, but the weal••h that thou gav••st to our Magistrates, and their life, which thou did prolong, caus••d them to fo••get thy Commandment••, they were pernicious men, in that they a••jured thy Law, they cannot this day be exempt from the punishment of our crim••s, neither protect us against thy wrath. The I∣dolaters shall be rigorously punished The Prophets that we sent bef••re thee, did eat bread and meat, and walked through the streets: we prove them one after another: Persevere, God beholdeth them that are patient. Those that beleive not in the R••sur••ect••on, have s••id, The An∣gels are n••t ••escended from Heaven, we have not seene G••d, they are become proud, and are fallen into an ex∣ceeding great error but the wicked shal one day be with∣out comf••rt, when they see the Angel, they shal cry, help, help! We will set before their eyes all the sins that they have commi••ted, the good works which they shal think to hav•• do••, shall be like to dust, which the Winde carry∣eth away, and the blessed shall enjoy a most certain good, they shall hear of nothing but what contenteth them. When the Heaven and the aire shall divide themselves, and the Angels shall descend, then shall the truth ap∣pear, and the mercifull shall raigne, that day shall be te∣dious to Infidels, they shall bite their fingers, and sa••, would to God I had f••llowed the Prophet and his Apo∣stle! Oh misery! would to God I had not contracted a∣mity with such an Infidell he seduced me from the right way, he hind••ed me to beleive in the A••coran which God sent, certainly the Devill hath tempted men, Then shall the Prophet say, Lo••d, such as have followed me, have o∣be••ed what is written in the Alcoran, and the Infidells have rejected it we have appointed an enemy among the

wicked, to every Prophet of them that were before thee, but it sufficeth thee that God guideth and protecteth thee. The Infidels have dema••ded, it the Alcoran was sent all at once; I have so done to confirme the truth in thy heart, I have sent it piece by piece, they shall not shew thee any thing like unto it; I have instructed thee in the truth clear and intelligible, the incredulous shall be con∣fined in the fire of Hell, and be most miserable. Certain∣ly, We gave to Moses the book of the Law, we sent with him hi•• brother Aaron to assist him, and said unto them, Goe bo••h of you, p••each unto Infidells, we will destroy them, unless they be converted. When the people of Noah despised our Commandment, we drowned them, and made them sure for example to posterity, and prepa∣red great torments for the impious. Remember Aad, T••mod, and those that dwelt nigh unto the well, a long time af••er them; we spake to them in parables, and de∣stroyed them. Oh ye wicked! consider the misery of t••e City, upon which fell that mischievous rain, that destroy∣ed them, because the Inhabitants believed not in the Re∣surrection. When the Infidels saw thee appear, they d••∣••ided thee, and said, This Prophet would seduce us, and make us to abandon our God, We had patience, and de∣ferred our punishment: they shall know at the day of Judgement them that have bin seduced; Hast thou con∣sidered the action of him that spake of his God after his fantasie? Wert thou his Tutor, to hinder him to speak? Dost thou believe that the greatest part of the wicked heare, and understand what thou speakest to them? They are like beasts, and worse; Seest thou how thy Lord shed∣deth the Rose, were it his will, it should be permanent, the Sun hath caused it to melt, and attracteth it gently to himself. He it is that created the night for repose, and the day for labour. He it is that sendeth the winds by his special grace, he maketh rain to descend from Heaven, to refresh the Earth, to give it life, to water the beasts, and for the contentment of men; we have divided it among them, that they may be mindful of our grace, nevertheless, the greatest part of them are ungratefull. Had we so plea∣sed,

we had sent to every City a Preacher, to preach unto the Inhabitants the torments of hell; obey not Infidels, preach to them frequently what is written in the Alcoran It is God that hath sweetned the water of Euphrates, that joyned the two Seas, that made them fa••t, and put be∣tween them a separation, to hinder them to mix: He cre∣ated man and woman of a little water, to increase & mul∣tiply together; thy Lord can do whatsoever him pleaseth, yet do the Infidels adore what can neither hen•• fit nor hurt them, and assist the Devil their master to tempt the world We sent thee only to pr••ach the torments of hel & to pro∣claime the joyes of Paradise: Say unto them, I require not of you a reward for my preaching, he that shall be ac∣ceptable to God, will follow the way of his Law: Praise and exalt thy Lord, trust in him, he knoweth all the sins of men; he created the heavens, and the earth in six days, and sitteth on his Throne; learn this of him that know∣eth it. When it w••s s••id to the Infidels, worship the mer∣ciful [God;] they s••id, what merciful? shal we worshipp what ye appoint us? and they added to their impi∣ety. Blessed be he that created the signs of heaven, that created the Sun, and the Moon, ful of brightnesse & light, and hath made the days to succeed each other, to returne him thanks for his graces. The servants of the mercifull that walk with humility, that salute the ignorant when they speak to them; Such as pray to▪ & worship God day and night; such as say Lord▪ deliver us from the torment of hell; those that fear God, that are not prodigall, nor co∣vetous, that folow the middle way, betwixt prodigality and avarice, those that worship one God, that kill no man but with reason, and following the Commandments of God, and that are not luxurious, shall injoy eternally the grace of God; such, as do the contrary shal be chastised, their punishment shall be augmented at the day of Iudgment, and they shall be damned for ever, except him that shal be converted, and shall have don good works, God shal give him pardon of his sins, he is gratious and mercifull. They, who do good works and repent, who make no false O••th who are humble, and are not (wilfully) deaf & dumbe

when they heare the Alcoran read, and say, Lord, give us and our posterity children, that may be the light of our eyes, and be obedient to thee; work in us a fear to disobey thy Commandements; such persons shall enjoy eternally the delights of Paradise, for reward of their perseverance; they shal there find salutations, and benedictions, with im∣mense graces. Say unto the wicked, God will not enligh∣ten you, neither hearken to your prayers, because yee have traduced his Prophet; the time of the punishment of your c••imes shall suddenly arrive.