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. XLIII. The Chapter of Ornament, containing eighty and nine Verses, written at Mecca.

Exteri intituled This Chapter, the Chapter of Gold.

IN the name of God, gracious and mercifull: God is prudent and wise. I swear by the book that teacheth to do well, that we have sent it in the Arabique tongue, perad∣venture ye shall understand the Alcoran; it is written in in our originall Booke, majestique and mysterious. Shall I conceal from you the book of Salvation, if ye be wicked? How many Prophets and Apostles have we sent in past Ages, whom unbeleivers have despised? We destroyed the most powerful among them, and all have incurred the pain of their predecessors. If thou ask of them who crea∣ted Heaven and Earth, they will say, that it is the omnipo∣ten, who knoweth all things. Who hath extendeth the earth under you? Who established the wayes to guide you? It is God, he causeth the rain to descend from Heaven in your necessity; he maketh the dead, drie, and barren fields to revive; in like manner shall the dead come out of their Sepulchers. He it is that created whatsoever is in the world, of divers kinds and Species, and created the SHIPS, and BEAST, to carry you. Remember

the grace of your Lord, say, praised be he that created ••or us these things; we had not the power to create them. They all shall return before the Lord to be judged. The Infidels have divided God into many parts. Certainly he that saith that there are many Gods, is impious; hath he appointed you to say, that the Angels which he hath created are his daughters, seeing that he giveth you sonnes? When it is declared to some Infidels that a Daughter is born to him, he is not satisfied, (he desireth to have a son) will they say that God adorneth himselfe, and taketh ornaments to beautifie him like their Idols? It is a manifest error they say, that the Angels that worship God, are the daughters of his divine Majesty; I will write what they say, and will r••quire of them a•• accompt of their discourse at the day of Iudgement. They have said, had it pleased God, we had not adored the Angels; They know not what they say, and ignorantly blaspheme; do they observe any Scripture that hath been taught them heretofore? On the contrary, they say that their fathers lived in like manner, and that they follow their steps; they have said as much to all the Prophets that were sent unto them. When thou spakest to them to observe ••hat is contained in the Alcoran, and to abandon the Idols which their fathers worshipped, they answered, that they believed neither in thee, nor in thy mis∣sion; but we avenged our selves upon them; Consider what is the end of blaspheme••s; Remember thou, that Abraham said to his father, and his people, I am innocent of the sin that you commit, in adoring Idols, I wo••ship him alone that created me, he shall guide me into the way of Salvati∣on, and hath left his words to posterity; perhaps the Infi∣dels shall be converted. I deferred heretofore the punish∣ment of Idolaters, until they had learned the truth and that a Prophet came to instruct them; When he preached unto them the truth, they said, that it is but witchcraft, and that they would give no faith to it. Had the Alcoran beene sent to a man, Master and Lord of two Cities, or Villages, they had esteemed and approved it. Would they dispose of the gra∣ces of GOD? He hath divided the riches of the

world among men; Some there be that are more eminent, and scorn each other, but the mercy of God is more ad∣vantageous then the riches of the Earth, which they ac∣cumulate: Although all the people be not of the same Religion, we cease not to bestow on the wicked houses a∣dorned with seeling, enchased with silver, staires, doores, and Beds of silver and gold; These things are the riches of the Earth, and Paradise is for them that are righteous. I will cause to fall headlong with the Devils, such as shall reject the Law of the mercifull; the Devils shall be their companions, they shall seduce them from the way of Sal∣vation, and they shall not know it. When we shall come to judge the Vniverse, they shall say, would to GOD we had been as remote from you, as the West is from the East. Oh what company for you! This day your repen∣tance and your hopes shall be vaine; ye were Infidels for company, ye shall be companions in the Fire of Hel. Wilt thou make the blind to see, and the deafe to heare? Wilt thou guide them that wilfully erre? If they dye before being punished on Earth, I will be avenged on them in the other world. Shall I shew thee during thy life, the punishment that we have prepared for them? We can do it, but do thou only what hath been commanded thee, thou art in the way of salva••ion, instruct men therein; an accompt of thy mission shal be required of thee. I wil require an accompt of their mission that we sent heretofore to instruct the people, we wil demand of them, if we ap∣pointed them to worship any other God but us. Wee sent Moses to Pharoah, and his Ministers, he caused them to see our Miracles, & preached to them our Commandment; he told them that he was the Messenger of the God of the V∣niverse, neverthelesse they scoffed. I shewed them no grea∣ter Miracle then that of Moses his sister, and we chastised them, because of their n••redulity. They said unto Moses, oh Magician! pray unto thy Lord, that he deliver us from these evils, and we will be converted; when they were deli∣vered, they violated their promiser; and Pharoah said to his people, am not I King of Aegypt, doth not the River NILVS flow under my obedience? Know ye

not that I am more powerful then that poor wretch Moses, that knowes not what he sayes? Give him bracelets of Gold; we will see if the Angels, and those that follow his Doct••ine, will testifie the truth of his words. He terrified his Subjects, they obeyed him, for they were Infidels, but we were avenged on them when they provoked us; we drowned them, and made them serve for example to poste∣rity, like those that preceeded them in impiety. The people would not hearken to the Sonne of Mary, when he spake by parable; they said, our Gods are more profitable to us then his lyes, and questions. On the contrary, they were refractory; he is our servant, we conferred on him our grace, and made him like to the other Prophets of the Children of Israel: Had it pleased me, I had created An∣gels on earth in your place; the comming of Jesus, the Sonne of Mary shall be a sign of the certainty of the day of Iudgment, doubt not concerning that day. He said unto men, ••ollow me, it is the right way, beware lest the Devill seduce you, he is your open enemy. I come to teach you the Commandments of God, to resolve the doubts, and judg the differences that are among you; Fear God, & obey him he is your Lord and mine, worship him, it is the right way; The people doubted his Doctrine, but misery shall be upon the wicked, they shall suffer great torments at the day of ••udgement; will they expect that day for their conversion? it shall surprize them, and they know it not; that day shall they be enemies one of another, God shall say to the righteous, fear not, ye shall not this day resent any affliction; The believers that have obeyed my Commandments, shall enter into Paradise, you and your wives shall there rejoyce, ye shall▪ drink in cups of fine gold, ye shall there find whatsoever ye shall desire, and all that can content the minde, and delight the eyes, and ye shall dwell eternally in supream felicity; behold the Paradise that ye have gained by your good life! it is en∣riched with abundance of fruits, which ye shall eat with contentment; and the wicked shall remain eternally in the fire of Hell, they shall not be eased in their miseries, and shall be dum•• with despaire; we do no injustice to them,

they drew mischief on themselves, through their disobedi∣ence; They shall demand of the Keeper of the fire, will thy Lord never deliver ••s from these paines? He shall an∣swer them, ye shall abide there Eternally; We have taught men the truth, but the greatest part of them would not be∣lieve it. The wicked have conspired against thee, and we conspired against them; think they that I know not their secrets, and whatsoever they utter? The Angels our Mes∣sengers keep accompt. Say unto them, if God have a Son, who shall we first adore? Praised be God, King of the Heavens and of the Earth; the matter is not as the Infi∣dels deliver it: Leave them implunged in their impiety, let them Laugh and rejoyce, untill the day of their pu∣nishment arrive: One God alone ought to be worshiped in Heaven and Earth, he is most wise and omniscient. Praised be he to whom appertaineth the Kingdome of the Heavens and Earth, and whatsoever is between them. He knoweth the hour and the day, that all the world shall be assembled before him to be judged. The Idols that the Infidels adore, shall not be able to intercede for them; the good intercede for them tha•• have knowledge of the truth; If thou ask of men, who created them? they will say, it is God; How can they then depart from his Com∣mandments? Lord, this peole is incredulous; Depart thou far form their company, they shall in the end, too late, acknowledg their errors.

Notes

• ••Olid bin Magui••he, and Ar••ua bin M••s∣••oud, in whom the Arabians had con∣fidence. See Kitab el tenior.
• Pharoah caused bra••••lets of guil••ed I¦ron to be given, with Collers, to criminalls, and made the•• to go t••••o••gh the City.
• See Gelal∣din. And Kitab el te∣noir.