(excerpts from) THE KORAN link to study questions
THE EXORDIUM
1:1 IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE COMPASSIONATE, THE MERCIFUL
Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Creation,
The compassionate, the Merciful,
King of Judgment- day!
You alone we worship, and to You alone
we pray for help.
Guide us to the straight path
The path of those whom You have favoured,
Not of those who have incurred Your wrath,
Nor of those who have gone astray.
THE CESSATION
In the name of Allah, the compassionate, the Merciful
81:8 When the sun ceases to shine; when the stars fall down and the mountains are blown away; when camels big with young are left untended and the wild beasts are brought together; when the seas are set alight and the mens souls are reunited; when the infant girl, buried alive, is asked for what crime she was slain; when the records of mens deeds are laid open and the heaven is stripped bare; when Hell burns fiercely and Paradise is brought near: then each soul shall know what it has done.
I swear by the turning planets and by the stars that rise and set; by the fall of night and the first breath of morning: this is the word of a gracious and mighty messenger, held in honour by the Lord of the Throne, obeyed in heaven, faithful to his trust.
No, your compatriot is not mad. He saw him on the clear horizon. He does not grudge the secrets of the unseen; nor is this the utterance of an accursed devil.
Whither then are you going?
This is an admonition to all men: to those among you that have the will to be upright. Yet you cannot will, except by the will of Allah, Lord of the Creation. 81:29
MAN
In
the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Does
there not pass over a man a space of time when his life is a blank?
76:3 We have created man from the union of the two sexes so that We may put him to the proof. We have endowed him with sight and hearing and, be he thankful or oblivious of Our favours, We have shown him the right path.
For the unbelievers We have prepared fetters and chains, and a blazing Fire. But the righteous shall drink of a cup tempered at the Camphor Fountain, a gushing spring at which the servants of Allah will refresh themselves: they who keep their vows and dread the far-spread terrors or Judgement-day; who, though they hold it dear, give sustenance to the poor man, the orphan, and the captive, saying: We feed you for Allahs sake only; we seek of you neither recompense nor thanks: for we fear from Him a day of anguish and of woe.
Allah will deliver them from the evil of that day and make their faces shine with joy. He will reward them for their steadfastness with robes of silk and the delights of Paradise. Reclining there upon soft couched, they shall feel neither the scorching heat nor the biting cold. Trees will spread their shade around them, and fruits will hang in clusters over them.
76:15 They shall be served with silver dishes, and beakers as large as goblets; silver goblets which they themselves shall measure: and cups brim-full with ginger-flavoured water from the Fount of Selsabil. They shall be attended by boys graced with eternal youth, who to the beholders eyes will seem like sprinkled pearls. When you gaze upon that scene you will behold a kingdom blissful and glorious.
They shall be arrayed in garments of fine green silk and rich brocade, and adorned with bracelets of silver. Their Lord will give them pure beverage to drink.
Thus you shall be rewarded; your high endeavors are gratifying to Allah.
We have made known to you the Koran by gradual revelation; therefore await with patience the judgement of your Lord and do not yield to the wicked and the unbelieving. Remember the name of your Lord morning and evening; in the night-time worship Him: praise Him all night long.
The unbelievers love this fleeting life too well, and thus prepare for themselves a heavy day of doom. We created them, and endowed their limbs and joints with strength; but if We please We can replace them by other men.
This is indeed an admonition. Let him that will, take the will of Allah. Allah is wise and all-knowing.
He is merciful to whom will: but for the wrongdoers He has prepared a grievous punishment.
THE MERCIFUL
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
55:1 It is the Merciful who had taught the Koran.
He created man and taught him articulate speech.
The sun and the moon pursue their ordered course. The plants and the trees bow down in adoration.
He raised the heaven on high and set the balance of all things, that you might not transgress it. Give just weight and full measure.
He laid the earth for His creatures, with all its fruits and blossom-bearing palm, chaff-covered grain and scented herbs. Which of your Lords blessings would you deny?
He created man from potters clay and the jinn from smokeless fire. Which of your Lords blessings would you deny?
55:17 The Lord of the two easts is He, and the Lord of the two wests. Which of your Lords blessings would you deny?
He has let loose the two oceans: they meet one another. Yet between them stands a barrier which they cannot overrun. Which of your Lords blessings would you deny?
Pearls and corals come from both. Which of your Lords blessings would you deny?
His are the ships that sail like banners upon the ocean. Which of your Lords blessings would you deny?
All who live on earth are doomed to die. But the face of your Lord will abide for ever, in all its majesty and glory. Which of your Lords blessings would you deny?
All who dwell in heaven and earth beseech Him. Each day some new task employs Him. Which of your Lords blessings would you deny?
Mankind and jinn, We shall surely find the time to judge you! Which of your Lords blessings would you deny?
Mankind and jinn, if you have power to penetrate the confines of heaven and earth, then penetrate them! But this you shall not do except with Our own authority. Which of your Lords blessings would you deny?
Flames of fire shall be lashed at you, and molten brass. There shall be none to help you. Which of your Lords blessings would you deny?
When the sky splits asunder and reddens like a rose or stained leather (which of your Lords blessings would you deny?), on that day neither man nor jinnee shall be asked about his sins. Which of your Lords blessings would you deny?
The wrongdoers shall be known by their looks; they shall be seized by their forelocks and their feet. Which of your Lords blessings would you deny?
That is the Hell which the sinners deny. They shall wander between fire and water fiercly seething. Which of your Lords blessings would you deny?
But for those that fear the majesty of their Lord there are two gardens (which of your Lords blessings would you deny?) planted with shady trees. Which of your Lords blessings would you deny?
Each is watered by a flowing spring. Which of your Lords blessings would you deny?
Each bears every kind of fruit in pairs. Which of your Lords blessings would you deny?
They shall recline on couches lined with thick brocade, and within their reach will hang the fruits of both gardens. Which of your Lords blessings would you deny?
They shall dwell with bashful virgins whom neither man nor jinee will have touched before. Which of your Lords blessings would you deny?
Virgins as fair as corals and rubies. Which of your Lords blessings would you deny?
Shall the reward of goodness be anything but good? Which of your Lords blessings would you deny?
And beside these there shall be two other gardens (which of your Lords blessings would you deny?) of darkest green. Which of your Lords blessings would you deny?
A gushing fountain shall flow in each. Which of your Lords blessings would you deny?
Each planted with fruit-trees, the palm and the pomegranate. Which of your Lords blessings would you deny?
In each there shall be virgins chaste and fair. Which of your Lords blessings would you deny?
Dark-eyed virgins sheltered in their tents (which of your Lords blessings would you deny?) whom neither man nor jinnee will have touched before. Which of your Lords blessings would you deny?
They shall recline on green cushions and rich carpets. Which of your Lords blessings would you deny?
Blessed be the name of you Lord, the Lord of majesty and glory! 55:78
NOAH
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
71:1 We sent forth Noah to his people, saying: Give warning to your people before a woeful scourge overtakes them.
He said: My people, I come to warn you plainly. Serve Allah and fear Him, and obey me. He will forgive your sins and respite you till an appointed time. When Allahs time arrives, none shall put it back. Would that you understood this!
71:8 Lord, said Noah, day and night I have pleaded with my people, but my pleas have only added to their aversion. Each time I call on them to seek Your pardon, they thrust their fingers in their ears and draw their cloaks over their heads, persisting in sin and bearing themselves with insolent pride. I called out to them, and appealed to them in public and in private. Seek forgiveness of your Lord, I said. He is ever ready to forgive you. He sends down for you abundant water from the sky and bestows upon you wealth and children. He has provided you with gardens and with flowing rivers. Why do you deny the greatness of Allah when He has made you in gradual stages? Can you not see how He created the seven heavens one above the other, placing in them the moon for a light and the sun for a lantern? Allah has brought you forth from the earth like a plant, and to the earth He will restore you. Then He will bring you back afresh. He has made the earth a vast expanse for you, so that you may traverse its spacious paths.
71:21 And Noah said: Lord, my people disobey me and follow those whose wealth and offspring will only hasten their perdition. They have devised an outrageous plot, and said to each other: Do not renounce your gods. Do not forsake Wad or Sowa or Yaghuth or Yauq or Nasr. They have led numerous men astray. You surely drive the wrongdoers to further error.
And because of their sins they were overwhelmed by the Flood and cast into the fire. They found none to help them besides Allah.
71:28 And Noah said: Lord, do not leave a single unbeliever in the land. If you spare them they will mislead Your Servants and beget none but sinners and unbelievers. Forgive me, Lord, and forgive my parents and every true believer who seeks refuge in my house. Forgive all the faithful, men and women, and hasten the destruction of the wrongdoers.
Names of idols.
The Romans (an excerpt from Sura 30)
In the name of Allah, Most gracious, Most Merciful
30:2 The Romans have been defeated in a land close by,
But even after this defeat of theirs, they will soon be victorious within a few
years;
With Allah is the Command in the Past and in the Future: on that Day shall the
Believers rejoice with the help of Allah.
He gives victory to whom he will, and he is Exalted in Might, Most Merciful.
It is the promise of Allah. Allah never fails from his promise: but most men do
not know this. They know the outer things in the life of this world, but of the
Hereafter they are heedless.
30:8 Do they not reflect in their own minds? Allah created the heavens and the
earth, and all between them in truth and for an appointed term: yet there are
truly many among men who deny the meeting with their Lord [at the Resurrection]!
30:9 Do they not travel through the earth and see what was the end of those
before them? They were superior to them in strength: they tilled the soil and
populated it in greater numbers than these in power: Messengers of their own
came to them with Clear arguments: it was not Allah who wronged them, but they
wronged their own souls.
30:10 In the long run evil will be the end of those who do evil; they rejected
the Signs of Allah and held them up to ridicule.
Maryam (an
excerpt from Sura 19)
19:16 Relate in the Book [the story of] Mary, when she withdrew from her family
to a place in the East, she placed a screen [to screen herself] from them: then
We sent to her our angel, and he appeared before her in the likeness of a
perfect man.
She said: "I seek refuge from thee to [Allah] Most Gracious - [come not near] if
thou dost fear Allah."
He said: "Nay, I am only a messenger of thy Lord [to announce] to thee the gift
of a pure son."
She said: "How shall I have a son, seeing that no man has touched me, and I am
not unchaste?"
He said: "Even so, the Lord says, 'That is easy for Me: and [We wish] to appoint
him as a Sign unto men and a mercy from Us.' It is a matter which has been
decreed."
So she conceived him, then withdrew herself with him to a remote place.
And the pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a palm-tree: she cried [in
her anguish]: "Ah! would that I had died before this! would that I had been a
thing forgotten."
But a voice cried to her from beneath the [palm-tree]: "Grieve not! For surely
thy Lord Hath provided a stream to flow beneath you, and shake towards thyself
the trunk of the palm tree: it will cause fresh ripe dates to fall upon thee.
So eat and drink and be consoled. And if you see any man, say, 'I have vowed a
fast to [Allah] Most Gracious, and this day will I not speak with any human
being.' "
At length she brought the [babe] to her people, carrying him [in her arms], they
said: "O Mary! Surely you have done a strange thing! O sister of Aaron! Your
father was not a bad man, nor thy mother an unchaste woman!"
But she pointed to the babe. They said: "How can we talk to one who is a child
in the cradle?"
He said: "I am indeed a servant of Allah; He has given me Revelation and made me
a prophet; and he has made me Blessed wheresoever I be, and has enjoined on me
Prayer and zakat as long as I live; [He has made me] kind to my mother, and not
overbearing or unblessed; so Peace is on me the day I was born, the day that I
die, and the day that I shall be raised up to life [again]!"
Such [was] Jesus the son of Mary.
[This is] a statement of truth, concerning which they doubt. It is not
befitting to [the majesty of] Allah that He should beget a son. Glory be to
Him! When He determines a matter, He only says to it, "Be" and it is.
And surely Allah is my Lord and your Lord: Therefore serve him, that is the
right path.
But the sects differ among themselves: but woe to the Unbelievers because of the
[coming] Judgement of an awful Day!
How plainly will they will see and hear, the Day that they will appear before
Us! But the unjust today are in error manifest!
But warn them of the Day of Distress, when the matter will be determined: for
[behold,] they are negligent and they do not believe!
19:40 It is We Who will inherit the earth, and all beings thereon: to Us will
they all be returned.
Additional Suras for Supplemental Reading
THE EARTHQUAKE
In the name of Allah, the compassionate, the Merciful
99:1 When earth is rocked in her last convulsion: when earth shakes off her burdens and man asks What may this mean? on that day she will proclaim her tidings, for your lord will have inspired her.
On that day mankind will come in broken bands to be shown their labours. Whoever has done an atoms weight of good shall see it, and whoever has done an atoms weight of evil shall see it also. 99:8
THE CATACLYSM
In the name of Allah, the compassionate, the Merciful
82:1 When the sky is rent asunder: when the stars scatter and the oceans roll together: when the graves are hurled about: each soul shall know what it has done and what it has failed to do.
O man! What evil has enticed you from your gracious lord who created you, gave you an upright form, and well-proportioned you? In whatever shape he could have surely moulded you according to his will.
Yes, you deny the last judgement. Yet there are guardians watching over you, noble recorders who know all your actions.
The righteous shall surely dwell in bliss. But the wicked shall burn in hell-fire upon the judgement-day: they shall not escape.
Would that you know what the day of judgement is! Oh, would that you knew that the day of judgement is! It is the day when every soul will stand alone and Allah will reign supreme. 82:19
THE WAR STEEDS
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
100:1 By the snorting war steeds, which strike fire with their hoofs as they gallop to the raid at dawn and with a trail of dust split the foe in two: man is ungrateful to this Lord! To this he himself shall bear witness. 100:7
He love riches with all his heart. But is he not aware that when the dead are thrown out from their graves and mens hidden thoughts are laid open their Lord will on that day know all that they have done? 100:11
DAYBREAK
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
113:1 Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of Daybreak from the mischief of His creation: from the mischief of the night when she spreads her darkness: from the mischief of the envier, when he envies. 113:5
THE MEN
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
114:1 Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of men, the King of men, the God of men, from the mischief of the slinking prompter who whispers in the hearts of men: from jinn and men.