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. XXX. The Chapter of the Grecians, containing sixty Verses, written at Mecca.

IN the name of God, gracious & merciful. I am the most wise God. The Grecians were vanquished upon the frontier of the Persians, but shall be victorious before the end of seven yeers. God disposeth all things from the be∣ginning to the end; When they shall be victorious, the

True-beleivers shall rejoyce in the victory that God shall give them; he protecteth whom to him seemeth good; he is omnipotent and merciful. He hath promised them victory, and departeth not from his promises; of which the greatest part of men are ignorant; they affect the life of this world, and consider not their end: Will they not consider that God hath created the heavens and the earth, and all that is in them? and hath appointed to every thing a limited and prefixed time? Certainly the greatest part of the people believe not in the Resurrection: Will they not consider the end of their predecessors, who were more powerfull and wealthy then they? God hath sent to all an Apostle to teach them his Law, he hath don to them no injustice, they have drawn mischief on themselves through their iniquity; the end of the wicked shall be like to their works, they des∣pise the Commandments of God, & deride them, but God shall cause them to die, and rise again, and all shall be assem∣bled before him at the day of Judgement; that day shall they be desperate, their Idols shall not intercede for them, they shall forsake them, and they shall be separated from the true-believers. Such as believe in God, and do good works shall enjoy the delights of Paradise, and the wicked shall be chastised according to their demerits. Praise God, pray un∣to him evening and morning, praise is due to him in heaven and earth; pray unto him before the Sun set, and at the hour of noon▪ he maketh the dead to come out of the living, and the living out of the dead; he causeth the barren earth to re∣vive, and grow green after its death; in like manner will he cause you to arise again, and come out of your sepulchers: it is a sign of his omnipotency, to have created you of earth▪ to have given you flesh and bones, and to have created the woman (of the rib of the man) to dwell with him; he hath commanded you to love mutually, and to exercise charity among you, these things are signs of his omnipotency to them that consider his graces. The creation of heaven and earth, the diversity of tongues, the differences of your visages, and of your colour, the night created for repose, and the day for travell, the lightning that terrifieth the people, and which through rain causeth the earth a∣gain

to flourish, are signs of his Omnipotency: It is a token of his Omnipotency to sustain the heaven, and the earth; ye shall come out of your sepulchres when he shall call you; whatsoever is in heaven and earth obey him; he causeth men to dye, and to rise again, he alone is God in heaven & earth, he is Omnipotent, and knoweth all things. He spea∣keth to you in a parable, drawn from your selves, your slaves; are they your companions? do they equally partake with you in the goods which God hath given you? How then will ye say that God hath a companion equall to him? Thus do I unfold his misteries to persons that have know∣ledg to comprehend them; c••rtainly the wicked have fol∣lowed their apetites with ignorance; who shall guide him whom God shall cause to err? he shall find no protector; embrace the law of Salvation, God hath established it, that men may observe it; it admitteth no alteration, but the greatest part of the wo••ld are ignorant of it: Feare God, make your pra••ers at the time app••inted; be not like to them t••at say, God hath a companion; neither like to them that are at present in the number or Heretiques, & were be∣fore as ye are; every Sect is pleased in its opinions, when any evill b••falleth them that call upon God, and are con∣verted: neverthelesse some of them return to their Idolatry; after the reception of his grace, they are ingratefull, they shall awhile be tolerated, and in the end they shall, too late understand their error: Have we taught them reasons and arguments, that prove that I have a companion? The peopl•• rejoyced when we enlarged to them our graces; and be∣came desperate, when evill befell them; see they not that I give, and take away wealth, as to me seemeth good, This is a t••ken of my Vnity to such as obey my Command∣ments. Give to your neighbour what appertaineth to him, and particularly to the poor, and true beleivers, if ye desire to see the face of God; such as shall do it, shall be blessed. The money which ye put to Vsury encreaseth in the hands of men, God shal not suffer it to prosper; the almes which ye give shal make you to see the face of his divine Maj. and shall be doubly restored to you. God hath created you, he enricheth you, & causeth you, to die & rise again

can your Idols do as much? Praised be God, he hath no companion; disorder appeared in the e••rth, and in t••e sea, because of the iniquities of men; peradventure they will be converted, when they shall feel the punishment of their crimes: Say unto them, go throughout the earth, and con∣sider the end of your predecessor, the greatest part of them were Idolaters; embrace the true Law before the day com∣eth, when none shall be heard; that day shall the wicked be separated from the good, the impious shall give an accompt of their impiety, and such as sha••l have lived well, shall en∣joy the joyes of Paradise, the grace of God shall be their recompense, God abhorreth Infidels. It is a sign of his Omnipotency, to send the winds to bring you rain, and make you to taste the fruits of his grace; the ship runneth upon the water through his permission, for the advantage of your commerce; will ye not be thankfull to him for his benefits? We sent to every Nation Prophets and Apostles before thee, they came with most intelligible precepts, and with many miracles; we chastis••d those that slandred them, and protected the faithful. God sendeth the winds that e∣levate the clouds, and extendeth them in the aire in many pieces at his pleasure; he causeth the rain to fall where he listeth, and rejoyceth whom to him seemeth good of them that expect it with impatience; consider the effects of his bounty: he causeth the dry and barren earth to flourish a∣gain, and restoreth the dead to life, he i•• Omnipoten••. We sent the winds to assemble the clouds that covered men with their shaddow, nevertheless they are returned to their impiety; the dead shall not understand thee, neither like∣wise the dumbe, thou art not obliged to lead the blind, none shall hearken to thee but such as shall believe in my Law, and be obedient: Say unto them, God created you impotent, he hath given you strength, and after, having re∣duced you to the weakness of old age, doth what to him seemeth good; he knoweth mens secrets, and doth what pleaseth him; ••he wicked shal swear at the day of judgment, that they have remained but an hour in their sepulchers; they lye in like manner, when they deny the Resurrection; the true believers, that know the truth, shal say unto thē, ye

have remained there the time apointed in the book of God, to w••t, untill the day of Resurrection; behold the day of resurrection! ye knew not at what time it should arrive; this day excuses shall be unprofitable to Infidels, they shall be ••eprived of protection. We have taught in the Alcoran all that is profitable for the salvation of men; if thou teachest them my Commandments, unbeleivers will say, thou bring∣est nothing but disorder; thus God hardneth the hearts of the ignorant. Be patient, and persevere; what God promi∣seth is infallible; beware lest unbeleivers shake thy perse∣verance.