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. XLI. The Chapter of Exposition, containing fifty and foure Verses written at Mecca.

Reader, Gelaldin intituleth this Chapter, Of Adoration,

IN the name of God, gracious and merciful. The Alco∣ran was sent by the gracious and merciful God: It ex∣plaineth divine Mysteries in the Arabique tongue, to them that have knowledge to understand them; it proclaimeth to the good, the delights of Paradise, and preacheth to the wicked the torments of Hel; neverthelesse, the greatest part of the world pepart from the Faith, and hear not thy words: They say, We have obdurate hearts, we cannot comprehend what thou preachest, our ears are stopped, we are too remote to heare what thou sayest. Observe thy Law, we will live after our own. Say unto them, I am a man like you, your God is one sole God, be obedient to him, and begge pardon of him for your sins: Misery is upon unbelievers, that pay not Tiths, & believe not in the day of judgment. The believers that shall do good works,

shall enjoy an infinite reward. Say unto them, How, wil•• ye be wicked towards him that created the Earth in tw•• days?* 1.1 how can you say that he hath a Companion equa•• to him? He is sole Lord of the Vniverse; he raised the Mountains, blessed the Earth, and gave to every Regio•• the particulars thereof in four days, for them that shall have need:* 1.2 After this he ascended into Heaven, that was like un∣to smoke, and said unto Heaven and Earth, Ye shall obe•• me, either through force or affection: They answered, Lord, we will be obedient to thy Commandments. He created seven Heavens in two days,* 1.3 and disposed every Hea∣ven after his own will; he adorned them with Stars, and preserveth them from the malice of the Devil.* 1.4 This is a•• effect of his Omnipotency; he is omnipotent, and know∣eth all things. If the unbelievers depart from the Faith, say unto them, I have threatned you, as heretofore thunde•• did the people of Aad and Temod, when the Prophets taugh•• them the Law of the ancient True believers, to wit, To worship but one God; They said, Were it Gods pleasure to alter our Law, he would have sent us Angels to preach unto us; we will not believe in thy mission. The people of Aad waxed proud on the Earth without reason, and said, Who is more powerfull then we? will they not consider, that he that created them, is more powerful and wealthy then they? Neverthelesse they despised our Commad∣ments. We sent against them a cold and impetuous wind, in an unhappy time, that made them to suffer on Earth shame and ignominy, because of their crimes: He shall cause them to feel the pains of Hell, that are much greater then those of the Earth, and they shall be eternally depri∣ved of protection. We instructed the men of Temod in the right way; they preferred blindnesse to light, and impiety to Salvation; they were surprized by thunder, and suffered great afflictions, because of their sins. We saved none of them, but the believers, who had our fears before their eyes. Be thou mindfull of the day that the Enemies of God shall be assembled in Hell; they shall defend their cause before the Judge, until testimony be brought against them; their ears, their eyes, and their skin shall be witnesses

of their iniquities: They shall say, Wherefore do ye wit∣nesse against us? They shall answer, He that made us to speak, giveth speech to every thing; he it is that created you, and ye are this day assembled before him to be judg∣ed. Ye did not well conceal your selves, when ye offended him; your ears, your eyes, your skin are witnesses against you; ye beleived that God should not see your sins, this was your opinion: Certainly he shall chastise you and you all shall be in the number of the damne••. Persevere, and be thou patient, the fire of Hell shall be the••r habita∣tion; they shall not be able to please God in the flames. We have given them the Devils, for their Companio••s, who caused them to delight in sin. The word of God shal be accomplished against them, as it was accomplished a∣gainst their predecessors; as well men as Devils, that are condemned. The unbelievers have said, Heare not that Alcoran, it is full of error; peradventure ye shall be sedu∣ced. I will cause them to suffer grievous pains, and will chastise them after their demerits; such is the reward of Gods enemies. They shall remain eternally in the fire of Hell, because they despise his Commandments. The wick∣ed shall say at the day of Judgement, Lord, let us see the Devils, and the men that seduced us; we will trample them un••er our feet, and precipitate them to the bottom of h••l. Such as shall have professed the Law of God, as shall have obeyed his Commandments, shall be visite•• by the Angels, and shall that day be free from fear and affliction. They shall say unto them, Rejoyce ye in Paradice, that is prepared for you; ye shall there find all the content∣ments that ye shall desire; they have been prepared for you by the gracious and mercifull. There is nothing better then to pray to God, then to do good works, and to pro∣fesse his unity. Good and evill are not a like: Ex••ell e∣vill with thy good works. There is an exceeding great an∣tipathy between Faith and Jmpiety: Faith is given to such as persevere to do well, and to them that are indued with the grace of God. The Devil will tempt thee, but im∣plo••e assistance from God; he heareth and knoweth all things, The night and the day, the Sun and the Moon,

are signs of his Omnipotency: Adore neither the Sun, nor the Moon, worship God that created them. If the Infi∣dels res••st the Faith, the Angels that are in Paradise defist not, notwithstanding, to exalt the glory of his divine Majesty, day and night, without intermission. It is a signe of his Omnipotency, to see the barren and dry Earth to change the face, and become green, when it is watered with rain. He that maketh the plants to revive, is he that ma∣keth every thing to live and dye, he is Omnipotent. Such as depa••t from our Commandments, cannot hide them∣selves from us: Shall he that shall be precipitated into Hell, be better lodged then he that shall be saved at the day of Iudgment? Do what shall please you, your Lord beholdeth all your actions. I will chastise them thot tra∣duce the Alcoran, it is a precious Book; it is approved by the ancient and modern Scriptures, it is sent from the glo∣rious and mercifull. None other thing shall be spoken to thee, then what hath been spoken to the Prophets that pre∣ceeded thee; thy Lord is mercifull and just. Had we sent the Alcoran in the Persian tongue, to a Prophet; an Arabian by Nation; the wicked would have said, That the divine mysteries are not well explained. Say unto them, It is the guide of Believers, and a remedy to their ignorance. Infidels have deaf ears, they are blind, and hear not, a•• those that are called too far off: Certainly, we gave the Book and the Law to Moses. Vnbelievers doubt, but if thy Lord had not said, That he would defer their punish∣ment untill the day of Iudgement, he had already chastised them in this world, because they doubt of the truth. Whosoever shall doe good, shall find good; and the evill that a man committeth shall be against him. Thy Lord doth no injustice to his Creatures: None but he knoweth the day of Iudgement; no fruit nor flower spring∣eth out of the Earth, and woman neither conceiveth nor bringeth forth, but by his permission. Be thou mind∣ful of the day that the lord shal cal Idolaters, & demand of them where be their Idols? They shall say, Lord, we acknowledg thy Vnity; None of us will hereafter adore those false gods. They that worshipped one God, departed

from Idolaters, they know that the punishment of their sin is infallible. Man never ceaseth to require riches, and is troubled when evill befalleth him; if we give him good af∣ter his affliction, he saith, that he foresaw it, and hath no thought of the comming of the day of Judgement; if he be converted, thy Lord openeth to him the gate of Para∣dise. I will make the wicked to know their wickednesse, and will most severely punish them; when we bestow wealth on man, he followeth his Idolatry and his sin, and when he is touched in affliction, he aboundeth in prayer: Say unto them, know ye not that the Alcoran proceedeth from God? neverthelesse ye have renounced it, who is more impious then he that impugneth the known truth? I will cause them to see my miracles, even to the utmost parts of heaven and earth, and in their own persons, to the end they may know the truth of the Alcoran. Sufficeth it not them that thy Lord seeth all things? neverthelesse, they are in doubt of the Resurrection, and of being assembled before him to be judged, certainly God is omniscient.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Munday & Tues∣day.
• * 1.2

  See Gelal∣din.
• * 1.3

  Thursday & Friday.
• * 1.4

  See Gelal∣din.