Kader Abdolah

The Qur’an

A Journey

Translated from the Dutch by Nouri and Niusha Nighting

World Editions

breda 2016

Published in Great Britain in 2016 by World Editions Ltd., London

www.worldeditions.org

Copyright © Kader Abdolah, 2008

English translation copyright © Nouri and Niusha Nighting, 2016

Cover design Multitude

Image credit © Jerónimo Alba Age/F1online

The moral rights of the author and translator have been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

First published as De Koran in the Netherlands in 2008 by De Geus bv, po Box 1878, 4801 bw Breda

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available on request from the British Library.

isbn 978-94-6238-024-0

The publisher gratefully acknowledges the support of the Dutch Foundation for Literature.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Phone: +31 (0)76 523 3533. Email: info@worldeditions.org.

Introduction

Allah is all-knowing, says Muhammad.

Kader Abdolah knows nothing.

I treated the book with great affection because it was the book of the house of my father and of people dear to me.

If any part of my explanation and reworking does not tally, it is due to my ignorance and to my love for Muhammad’s prose. I use the name Muhammad as it is written in the Qur’an, and out of reverence for the prophet.

This translation can be seen as a journey through the Qur’an: I have tried to take you, the reader, with me to every corner of the book. There are many translations of the Qur’an. All, of course, are worthy of consultation, and I bow my head to the labour of those who created them. I have always cherished their work, treated it with respect, and given it a prominent place in my library.

I have to confess a few things at this juncture:

It is impossible to translate the Qur’an; the beauty of Muhammad’s language is lost in the process.

Every sentence in the Qur’an is evocative. You can translate them in different ways, and you can make mistakes.

I confess that I have made many mistakes. There was no other way. Without these mistakes, I could not continue.

There are many ambiguities in the Qur’an, but in each instance I have tried to bring clarity to the text.

I consider it a great shame that I cannot pass on the original flavour, smell, and feeling of the words of Muhammad’s recitation. What I have done, nevertheless, is make a hole in the wall that allows you to look at the gardens of Muhammad.

It pleases me, Kader Abdolah, that I have been able to show my readers something of Muhammad’s divine prose. Enjoy it.

Modus Operandi

I translated the book directly from the original Arabic Qur’an that belonged to my father.

After translating each sentence, I immediately looked at four Persian translations and then at five Dutch translations.

In addition, I consulted the five volume medieval commentary of the prominent Qur’anic exegete Tabari and used it as a foundation. When I encountered something I did not understand, I turned to him for his opinion; his judgement was always pure and original.

If Tabari was not enough, I picked up the phone and asked my elderly uncle Aga Djan for advice. Without his interpretations and explanations, I would have lost my way in the book.

Besides Aga Djan, I also consulted devout men and women in my family, men and women of advanced age; like ancient trees, the first to fall to the ground when the wind is strong.

I thank them; I thank them for their generous hearts.

Chronology of the Chapters or Suras

There are many repetitions in the Qur’an.

Repetition is part of the character of the book. The Qur’an is a recitation that was intended for illiterate people. Repetition was essential in those days.

I have removed a great deal of the repetition, but inevitably some of it has remained.

I have made four important decisions:

Muhammad’s recitations, or suras, are of two different types.

The first type of suras came into existence when he was living in Mecca and the second when he was living in Medina.

There are eighty-two suras from Mecca and thirty-two from Medina.

The compilers of the Qur’an mixed the suras together in such a way that their chronological order was lost. As a result, a sort of chaos has taken hold; a chaos, nevertheless that has given the book a divine character.

I have restored the suras to their chronological order, to allow us to better follow the development of Muhammad and his Qur’an.

In addition, I have provided most of the suras with an introduction, to pave the way to the heart of the text, and I have added one of five elements—the cow, the tulip, the windmill, the rain, and the clog—at the beginning of each sura to underline the book’s new identity. To immortalise my prose, I have added a sura to the Qur’an, sura 115.

I confess from the outset that my work has its roots in the ancient Persian literary tradition. Great Persian masters such as Hafez, Saadi, Khayyam, and Rumi each disseminated the Qur’an in their own unique way.

In the last fourteen hundred years, the Qur’an has served as a source of inspiration for the great eastern poets, writers, and architects. Arabic and eastern literature as a whole are deeply rooted in this book.

This new journey through the Qur’an has the potential to influence English literature. Up to now, most English writers, poets, and artists have turned to the Bible for inspiration, but now they can include the Qur’an. For them, it represents an ancient and mysterious world.

The prose of this journey is the combined prose of Muhammad ibn Abdullah and Kader Abdolah. It is not the kind of prose one would expect in the English speaking world.

I wish you a pleasant journey through the Qur’an and through the fascinating life of Muhammad.

Read and admire.

May Muhammad ibn Abdullah be pleased with this journey.

With respect and pride,

Kader Abdolah

#

1 ========

The Closed Drop

Muhammad waited years for a sign from above.

He thought that Allah lived on the seventh level of heaven; that He saw him and would choose him as His messenger.

Muhammad turned forty and still he waited patiently, but it seemed that no one in heaven was thinking about him.

One night he was sitting on the top of Mount Hira again, waiting. When he looked up at the sky in a moment of emotion, he saw a beam of light descend upon him like a falling star.

The light took the form of a winged angel, and it landed beside Muhammad on the rock.

It was the angel Jabra’il, the messenger of Allah!

Muhammad jumped to his feet in surprise.

The angel showed him a short text and said, ‘’Iqra’, Muhammad! Recite!’

‘I cannot,’ Muhammad answered.

The sura speaks of Abu Jahl, one of Muhammad’s enemies, who threw stones at him while he was praying and wounded his head.

In the name of Allah

He is love

He gives

He forgives

1

Muhammad! Recite!

Recite in the name of Allah, the Creator.

He created humankind from a single closed drop of blood.

Recite! Your God is the most loving.

He who taught humankind by the pen.

He who taught them what they did not know.

Humans tend to rebel when they experience a little independence.

But they always return to their creator.

2

Have you seen the man who impeded our servant’s prayer?

Did he not know that Allah sees all things?

If he does not stop, We shall tug the forelock on his head.

That deceitful, guilty head.

Let him call on his comrades.

We shall summon the watchers of hell.

Muhammad! Do not listen to that man.

Pray, and draw closer.

2 ========

The Pen

‘Nun wa-l-qalami wa-ma yasturun.’

These are the words with which the original sura begins.

The text opens with the letter N (nun), and a solemn promise is made by the pen.

It is one of the most beautiful suras in the Qur’an because Allah swears by the pen and by the ink.

The letter N (nun) has no clear meaning, but it makes the invocation mysterious.

Allah swears by the pen and immediately thereafter by what is written by it.

In doing so, He restores Muhammad’s confidence.

This oath is seen as the crown jewel of the Qur’an because it reveals a broad-minded Allah who swears by ‘whatever the messenger writes’.

The Qur’an has one hundred and fourteen recitations, otherwise known as suras.

Eighty-two of these suras were revealed in Mecca, the remaining thirty-two in the city of Medina.

The recitations from Mecca are gentle, poetic, lyrical, rhythmic, and probing.

These are the suras Muhammad recited at the beginning of his mission, at a time when he was still without power and did not believe in violence.

But after he flees to Medina, his language changes completely. In Medina, he becomes a man of power who brandishes the sword, and his words acquire harsh overtones.

In the name of Allah

He is love

He gives

He forgives

1

Nun (N.)

By the pen and what you write with it.

And by the elegance of your Creator, no, Muhammad, you are not mad.

Rather, your behaviour is worthy.

A great and eternal reward awaits you.

Soon you will see, and soon they will see who is mad.

2

Muhammad! Above all, do not listen to that liar, that wretched swearer of oaths.

He gossips, he is sly.

He leads people away from the right path.

He is a sinner.

He is violent.

He is a bastard.

3

When Our signs are recited he says, ‘Old fables, every one of them.’

He does this because he is wealthy and has sons.

But soon We shall carve a sign on his face with a sword.

4

Be sure! We put unbelievers to the test, just as We tested the two sons of the fruit farmer.

His sons had decided to pluck the fruit of their garden early in the morning so that the poor would not see them. And they had made no reservation. They had not said, ‘’in sha’ Allah. If it is Allah’s will.’

We thus let their garden be afflicted while they were asleep. It was transformed into a pile of ashes. In the morning when they woke they said to each other, ‘We must go to the garden to pick its fruit without delay.’ They did not know what had happened.

They stole away and agreed as they went, ‘No needy person shall enter our garden.’

5

When they saw the garden, they were startled and said, ‘Oh, we are erring spirits.’

And one said to the other, ‘We have been robbed. Didn’t I insist that we say, “’in sha’ Allah?”’

They showered each other with accusations and said, ‘Ah, woe to us. We have been arrogant.’

They then turned to God, ‘Praised be the Creator. We were unjust. Perhaps you will give us a better garden than this.’

6

In this way We punish the unbelievers in this life. And the punishment after death is even worse. But for the devout there are gardens of delight.

No, We shall not treat believers as We treat unbelievers.

Muhammad, say to them, ‘What has happened to you? Why do you do such things? Do you not have a book in which you can read it all?’

Leave the unbelievers to Us.

We shall quietly destroy them.

We now give them space to do what they want.

But Our intention is firm.

7

So have patience, Muhammad. Wait upon the judgement of your Creator, and do not be like the man who called out to his God from the belly of the fish, impatient and desperate.

You know that he would have found himself humiliated in some barren place, if God had not helped him.

Muhammad! When the unbelievers see you recite Our signs, they shall want to smite you with their gaze. They say, ‘He is mad!’

But you are not mad, Muhammad. And the Qur’an is a warning to humankind.

3 ========

The One Wrapped in a Blanket

It is night. Muhammad is lying under a blanket. The angel Jabra’il appears and wakes him, ‘You there under the blanket, get up!’

He asks Muhammad to stay awake part of the night to recite the suras of the Qur’an.

He says, ‘Muhammad, we did not give you the Qur’an to walk around with it all day long, sharing it with people, only to end up with blisters on your feet. Take rest at night and recite the verses thereafter.’

In the name of Allah

He is love

He gives

He forgives

1

You, with the blanket pulled over your head.

Get up halfway through the night or a little before.

Recite the verses of the Qur’an at that moment, calmly, with beauty and clarity.

Muhammad, We are entrusting important words to you.

Getting up in the night is an exceptional experience and reinforces the efficacy of the Word.

You have done many other things in the course of the day. Rest at night, therefore. Let everything go, remember Allah, and be with Him completely.

2

He is the Creator of the east and of the west. There is no God but He. Ask him, therefore, to protect you.

Bear everything the unbelievers say with patience, and politely distance yourself from them.

And leave Me alone with the liars, who think their life is a delight.

We have set aside fire and chains for them.

3

Muhammad! Your Creator knows that sometimes you pray two thirds of the night with a group of your followers. Sometimes half the night and sometimes a third.

Allah determines the length of the night and of the day. He knows that you cannot extend it.

Recite, therefore, as much of the Qur’an as you are able.

Perhaps some of you are sick, others on a journey, and others still fighting for Allah.

Choose, therefore, an easy sura, and recite it for as long as you consider convenient.

Pray five times per day, give away part of your income, and offer untainted loans in the name of Allah. He shall return everything to you in abundance.

Do good deeds and ask Him for forgiveness.

He is kind and He forgives.

4 ========

The One Wrapped in a Mantle

Muhammad has just been appointed messenger in the cave of Hira.

Hesitant, covered in sweat and forlorn, he returns home.

His wife sees him standing in the doorway, a broken man. She senses immediately what has happened, pulls his mantle over his head, leads him inside, and lets him rest his head on her lap.

Then the angel Jabra’il appears anew and says, ‘You, the one wrapped in a mantle! Get up! Begin!’

In the name of Allah

He is love

He gives

He forgives

1

You, the one who pulled a mantle over your head.

Get up and warn!

Proclaim that your Creator is great.

Put on clean clothes.

Avoid idols.

Do not strive for more.

And be patient on the way to your God.

2

When the trumpet is blown, that day will be a difficult day for the unbelievers.

Leave Me alone with the person I created.

I gave him much wealth and sons.

But he still wants more of Me.

Out of the question; he resists Our signs.

We shall soon punish him severely.

3

Look! Disobedient persons contrive and deliberate.

Led astray are they.

Cursed are they.

They look around, frown peevishly, stretch their necks, and say, ‘This is nothing more than trickery.’

These are the words of humans.

Without delay I shall roast them in the fire.

Do you want to know what the fire is? It leaves nothing behind and lets nothing escape. It scorches the skin.

And it is guarded by nineteen guardians.

4

By the moon.

By the night when the sun is gone.

And by the dawn as it comes in radiance.

This is one of the greatest events.

A warning for humankind.

Why do they refuse to listen?

They are like donkeys fleeing from a lion.

Without doubt! They are not afraid, but they have been warned.

And every person is responsible for what they do.

5 ========

Al-Fatiha

This sura is one of the most important in the Qur’an. It is a text that Muslims recite seventeen times a day, turning toward Mecca: twice in the morning before dawn, four times at noon, four times late in the day, three times as the evening begins, and four times late in the evening.

Believers say these words whenever and wherever they have to make important decisions, ‘bi-smi llahi ar-rahmani ar-rahim.’

‘In the name of Allah. He is love. He gives. He forgives.’

Even the devout bridegroom who shares his bed with his bride for the first time says them softly before he touches her.

Likewise, the bride says them to herself when she receives him.

These are the most commonly used words spoken by devout students before they begin an exam or test. They are the first words on the lips of believers when they start their car.

In the name of Allah

He is love

He gives

He forgives

1

’Alif Lam Mim.

All praise to Him, the Creator of the worlds.

The King of life after death.

We pray to You, and we ask only Your help.

Lead us on the right path.

On the path of those You have granted grace, not on the path of those You do not favour or who have gone astray.

6 ========

The Book In the Beginning

The book In the Beginning is in the hands of Allah.

Allah knows all the secrets of the world, and He noted every calculation in that book by hand.

‘I am illiterate,’ Muhammad asserted, ‘I cannot read or write. The texts I recite to you are not my own. They all stem from the book In the Beginning.’

In the name of Allah

He is love

He gives

He forgives

1

By the heavens where the highest towers are.

By the promised day.

By the witness and by what is declared as testimony.

Death to those who make a pit of fire.

A fire of wood.

And death to those who stood by the pit, those who were witness to what they did to the believers and looked on.

They took revenge on them because they believed in Allah.

2

The punishment of God is great.

He is the One who started with creation and who can recreate.

He is the Owner of the universe.

And He does what He wills.

Did the story of those armies not yet reach you?

The armies of Pharaoh and Thamud?

3

The unbelievers continue to deny everything.

But God surrounds them.

Without doubt! The Qur’an is a majestic document.

And it has its roots in the book In the Beginning.

7 ========

A Rope of Fibres

Abu Lahab was Muhammad’s uncle, one of his avowed enemies, and a fierce opponent of his Qur’an.

His wife also detested Muhammad.

Abu Lahab considered Muhammad an embarrassment to their clan and did everything he could to obstruct him.

At one point he devised a plan to kill Muhammad.

In the name of Allah

He is love

He gives

He forgives

1

Ruined are the hands of Abu Lahab.

May he himself also perish.

His possessions and his deeds shall not benefit him.

He shall be brought to a blazing fire.

His wife likewise, she who carries wood for the fire.

With a rope around her neck, woven from the fibres of a date palm.

8 ========

When They Go Out

Qur’an was a new Arabic word. Muhammad shared his revelations little by little and referred to them together as the Qur’an.

The word Islam was also used for the first time in this period, and it acquired the meaning ‘Submit!’

‘To whom should we submit?’ people asked.

‘To Allah,’ said Muhammad.

‘How should we picture Allah?’

‘The letters “lah” in the word “Allah” mean “no” or “no more”. Allah is thus One and nothing more. He has no father and no mother. He has no need for food. No one is like Him, and He is like no one.

‘He is not empty inside.

‘Sometimes he slices off a part of the night and adds it to the day. And vice versa.’

In the name of Allah

He is love

He gives

He forgives

1

When the sun grows dark.

When the stars go out.

When the mountains begin to move.

When the heavily pregnant and cherished camels are abandoned.

When the wild animals are assembled.

When the seas seethe and swell.

When the souls are gathered together.

When the girls are asked for which sin they were buried alive.

When the heavens are torn asunder.

When the fire of hell is kindled.

When paradise is made ready.

And when the scrolls are opened, in which the deeds of every person are inscribed.

Then everyone will know what he has done.

2

I swear by the recurring stars, which finish their course and go down.

And by the night when it disappears.

And by the morning when it appears.

These are the words of an outstanding messenger, who has an exceptional place next to Allah, who is obedient and reliable.

No, Muhammad is not mad.

He encountered the angel Jabra’il on the clear horizon.

And the angel passed on the complete message.

Where are you going?

The message is nothing other than an exhortation for the dwellers on earth, those in search of the right path.

9 ========

The Night Star

In the culture into which Muhammad was born, most things were passed on orally.

The book and the pen were preserved for the elite of Mecca.

Poets placed a wooden stool on the market square, climbed onto it, and recited their poems by heart.

When the texts of the Qur’an were assembled, the oral tradition was transformed into a literary culture. The Qur’an became a book for everyone.

In the name of Allah

He is love

He gives

He forgives

1

By the sky and the night star.

How do you know which star is the night star?

It is a radiant star.

Every soul is watched over.

Humankind should be aware of what they are made.

They are made of leaping fluid that runs from the back of the father to the ribs of the mother.

Indeed, He is able to call back humankind.

On the day the secrets are revealed.

Then humankind shall be powerless and have no helper.

2

By the heavens from which the rain falls.

By the soil, split by a plant.

The Qur’an is a recitation, conclusive in all respects.

And the book is not an invention.

They are devising a scheme.

And I am likewise devising a scheme.

But Muhammad! Give the unbelievers a little more time!

10 ========

He is the Most High

Out of nothingness Muhammad called out, ‘Allahu ’akbar! Allah is Great!’

He said, ‘la ’ilaha ’illa llah. There is only One: Allah.’

The form and composition of his statements were new.

Muhammad said, ‘As-salamu alay-kum! My Salaam for you.’

No Arab had ever greeted anyone with As-salamu alay-kum.

(According to al-A’sha, a great poet and contemporary of Muhammad)

In the name of Allah

He is love

He gives

He forgives

1

Repeat the name of the Creator, the Most High.

He who created all things and governs it all.

He who apportions fate and shows the way.

He who brings forth vegetation.

And thereafter makes it dry and withered.

2

Muhammad!

We shall soon teach you to read so that you shall not forget the will of God.

He knows what is hidden and what is revealed.

We shall make your task easy.

Warn the people so they will benefit from the warning.

3

You opt for this present life.

But life after death is better and eternal.

This was also said in the previous heavenly books.

In the scriptures of Ibrahim and Musa.

11 ========

The Night

Muhammad sometimes uses the ‘I’ form in his recitation; one ‘I’ for himself and the other ‘I’ for Allah, and it is not always clear to the reader who is speaking, Allah or Muhammad.

Sometimes the prophet uses the ‘he’ form, which can refer to both himself and Allah.

He also uses the ‘we’ form, referring sometimes to himself and other times to Allah.

He mixes a variety of perspectives, and in so doing—consciously or unconsciously—he creates a holy confusion in his work: the reader’s thoughts travel in every direction. The recitations in the Qur’an thereby transcend what is human.

Ordinary people do not do this, but Muhammad does. His Qur’an thus acquires a divine and mysterious character.

(According to the medieval poetry collection Hafez, by Shams edine Shirazai)

In the name of Allah

He is love

He gives

He forgives

1

By the night when it veils all things.

And by the day when it shines brightly.

And by He who created male and female.

Your endeavours are different.

We shall clear the path to happiness for those who give, and fear, and are just.

But for those who do not give, and are self-satisfied, and are not just, We shall show the path to misery.

And when they perish, their possessions shall be to no avail.

2

Our task is to give guidance.

This life and life after death belong to Us.

We warn you.

12 ========

Early Morning

‘Muhammad, tell stories. Give the people food for thought, and keep repeating them,’ says Allah to Muhammad.

With every step he takes, with every move he makes, he says, ‘Bi-smi llahi ar-rahmani ar-rahim. Allah is love, Allah gives. Allah forgives.’

Muhammad also repeats the life stories of the ancient prophets without ceasing.

With these repetitions he draws everyone’s attention in one direction, toward Allah.

In the name of Allah

He is love

He gives

He forgives

1

By the early morning.

By the ten nights.

By the even and the uneven.

And by the night when it vanishes.

Does this not contain a sign for those who have understanding?

Do you not know what your Creator did with the ancient people of ‘Ad?

The people had palaces with pillars.

Elevated buildings, to be found nowhere else.

And with the ancient Thamud people, who made homes in the rocks.

And with the Pharaoh, the lord of the pegs.

They were all oppressors who spread death and destruction in their land.

Therefore, God let the scourge of punishment descend upon them.

He knows all things.

2

When God tests a man by giving him something he says, ‘God has exalted me.’

But when God puts him to the test by limiting his bread, he quickly loses patience and says, ‘God has humiliated me.’

No, nothing of the sort.

You do nothing for the orphans.

And you do not feed the needy.

And you greedily devour the inheritance in its entirety.

And you are too attached to possessions.

3

But you, the soul who has found rest!

Return to Me.

Be one of My servants.

And enter My paradise.

13 ========

The Radiant Day

After his first encounter with the angel Jabra’il, Muhammad waits three years for a new sign, but nothing happens. It seems that no one in heaven has time for him.

Muhammad is a broken man, and he begins to doubt whether he is really a prophet, and whether he really encountered the angel.

Did he imagine it all?

Then, on the point of despair, the angel appears again and reassures Muhammad.

In the name of Allah

He is love

He gives

He forgives

1

By the radiant day.

And by the night in which one rests.

Muhammad! Your Creator has not abandoned you and has not forgotten you.

The hereafter shall truly be better for you than this life.

He shall uplift you so that you feel happy.

Did He not find you an orphan and give you shelter?

Did He not find you lost and give you guidance?

Did He not find you needy and give you prosperity?

Never speak harshly to the orphan.

Never turn away the beggar.

And speak with respect about the favours of your God.

14 ========

The Expansion

This sura comes at a time when Muhammad no longer has doubts and has become a familiar figure in Mecca.

He considers himself a true prophet, and seems equal to everything.

In the name of Allah

He is love

He gives

He forgives

1

Muhammad!

Did We not expand your heart?

And did We not remove the heavy burden resting on your shoulders?

And did We not grant you renown?

Remember! After a time of difficulty, a time of ease always dawns.

When you have found rest, turn, then, to your Creator and focus on prayer.

15 ========

Time and Life

In the name of Allah

He is love

He gives

He forgives

1

By time and life.

Humans do damage to themselves.

Except those who believe, and do good deeds, and urge one another to be righteous and patient.

16 ========

Those that Run

The prose of the Qur’an is the crown of the Arabic language. No one can reach higher, no one can produce anything more powerful, nothing is more mysterious than the Qur’an.

It is not human prose. It is the prose of Allah. And it is all in the book In the Beginning.

(According to Naged Andelesi, the Qur’an expert)

In the name of Allah

He is love

He gives

He forgives

1

By the running, fighting horses, their breath short and panting.

And by the sparks that fly from their hooves.

And by the warriors in the early morning.

Who then cause dust to rise.

And thus clear a path through the middle of the battle array.

Humans are ungrateful to their Creator.

And they know it.

And they are mean and possessive.

Do they not know that every grave shall be dug over?

That secrets shall be exposed?

17 ========

A Wonderful Pond

A large part of the Qur’an deals with the Jews, sometimes directly, often indirectly.

Muhammad and the Jews have a mutual bond.

Without the presence of the Jews in Mecca, and especially in Medina, Muhammad would never have completed his mission.

Medina was under the control of the Jews. The Arabs felt subordinate in their own country and in their own city. The Jews had a book and a prophet, but the Arabs had nothing.

Muhammad responded to this dissatisfaction and gave the Arabs the Qur’an, and with it a strong personal identity.

He fought against the Jews to convince the Arabs of his leadership. It was only after the Jews in Medina had been defeated that the Arabs accepted Muhammad as the messenger.

(According to Abu’l-Fadl Bayhaqi, a medieval poet)

In the name of Allah

He is love

He gives

He forgives

1

Muhammad!

We have given you a wonderful pond of abundance.

Praise your God, therefore, and bring Him sacrifices.

Not you but your enemies shall die out.

18 ========

Wanting More

In the name of Allah

He is love

He gives

He forgives

1

Your greed preoccupies you.

Until you are buried in your graves.

Be warned! You shall soon come to know.

Again, be warned!

And woe to you, when you behold everything with your own eyes.

Yes, look carefully.

On that day you shall be questioned about the squandered gifts.

19 ========

Giving

In the name of Allah

He is love

He gives

He forgives

1

Have you seen the one who denies this faith?

He is the one who sends the orphan away.

He is the one who gives no bread to the poor.

Woe, therefore, to the believers.

Those who are careless with their prayer.

Or those who flaunt it.

And refuse to give.

20 ========

The Unbelievers

How many prophets did Allah send? One hundred and twenty-four thousand!

He started with Adam and after him came many more, including ‘Ad, Hud, Saleh, Ishaq, Shuayb, Ayoub, Idris, Ilias, Yunus, Nuh, Yaqub, Yusuf, Musa, Dawud, Sulayman, Zakariya, Yahya, Ibrahim, Isma‘il, and Isa.

Muhammad is the last of the prophets. He does not cease to tell stories, for Allah said to him, ‘Muhammad, tell stories and keep repeating them. Give the people food for thought.’

Muhammad thus recounts:

‘Hawwaa, the wife of Adam, bore two sets of twins.

‘In both instances a son and a daughter.

‘Their sons were called Habil and Qabil.

‘Habil loved the land. He gathered seeds, plucked fruit, and brought home vegetables.

‘Qabil loved the animals. He jumped on the back of horses, took care of the cattle, and slaughtered them when necessary.

‘Adam gave the twin sister of Qabil to Habil as his wife, and the twin sister of Habil to Qabil.

‘Qabil wanted to marry his own twin sister, but she was not granted him, and hatred grew in him.

‘When the wife of Habil bore him a son, Qabil was overcome with jealousy, and he killed Habil with a stone.

‘He did not know what to do with his brother’s body. Then he saw a crow with a walnut in its beak! The bird dug a pit in the ground and hid the walnut in it.

‘Qabil followed the bird’s example, dug a hole and hid his brother’s body in it.’

Muhammad tells another story:

‘Sheth was the son of the son of the son of Habil.

‘He was the first genuine prophet, for now that there were so many people on earth, they needed someone to lead them. Sheth warned the people for two-hundred and seventy years, but he was unable to steer anyone onto the right path. The people were hungry, and they constantly had to fend off the animals. They had no time for God. Sheth himself, moreover, did not know precisely what God was.’

(According to Abu Ali Sina)

Muhammad also recounts:

‘For a thousand years, no prophets came.

‘There was still no question of a god, not even of an idol.

‘The people were afraid of everything: of death, of sickness, of the night, and of the cold, but they did not know what to do about it. In the midst of this great ignorance, a man named Idris stood on an elevation and cried out, “People. I am a messenger of God.”

‘But humans were still unable to make themselves completely understood, because language was still in its infancy and inadequate. Thus, Idris did not succeed in imparting his message to his people. When he died, he did not have a single disciple.’

In the name of Allah

He is love

He gives

He forgives

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Muhammad, say, ‘Oh, you unbelievers.

‘I do not serve what you serve.

‘And you do not serve what I serve.

‘And I shall not pray for what you pray for.

‘And you shall not pray for what I pray for.

‘Your faith is for you.

‘My faith is for me.’

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The Elephants

Muhammad was born in the year 570 CE.

At that very time, the king of neighbouring Habasha and his warriors invaded the city of Mecca on elephants, intent on destroying the Kaaba.

But God sent flocks of birds to crush the king’s army.

In the name of Allah

He is love

He gives

He forgives

1

Have you not heard what God did with the army of elephants?

Did He not frustrate their plan?

Did He not send flocks of birds to stone them with small stones?

Thus, he made them as harmless as chewed straw.

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The Dawn

In the name of Allah

He is love

He gives

He forgives

1

Muhammad!

Say, ‘I take refuge in the Creator of the dawn.

‘From the evil side of everything He created.

‘And from the evil of the night when it approaches.

‘And from the evil of witches who blow into knots.

‘And from the evil of those who are jealous.’

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Mankind

Human beings dwell on earth, like the jinn do.

The jinn are invisible, said Muhammad.

They have their own life and their own prophets.

The jinn can see and hear human beings, but human beings cannot see or hear the jinn.

They are everywhere, and in large numbers.

During the day, they rest on the banks of the river, in abandoned houses, and in old bathhouses, but as soon as darkness falls, they come out en masse. The jinn think that human beings are blind. When they see a human being approach, they say to one another, ‘Make way, a blind person is approaching.’

The jinn enter into the lives of human beings in various forms.

A black dog suddenly appeared, instantly transformed into a black crow, and flew off. Who or what was it?

A jinn.

In the name of Allah

He is love

He gives

He forgives

1

I take refuge in the Creator of humankind.

In the King of humankind.

In the God of humankind.

From the evil of those who whisper secretly and enticingly.

Those who murmur in people’s innermost hearts.

Both the jinn and the human beings.

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Submission

Everything in heaven and on earth praises Allah.

‘Even the stones lying on the ground?’ people asked.

‘The stones on the ground, the mountains, the stars, the moon, the trees, and the sun; all of them praise Allah.’

‘And solid iron?’ people asked.

‘Iron too.’

‘Why, then, don’t we hear the iron?’

‘Humans were created with limitations. They cannot perceive everything,’ said Muhammad.

In the name of Allah

He is love

He gives

He forgives

1

Muhammad!

Say, ‘Allah is One.

‘Allah is the Eternal.

‘He was not fathered nor does He father.

‘And there is no one equal to Him.’

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The Star

Allah wanted to meet Muhammad personally.

He sent a winged white horse to collect him, and received him on the seventh level of heaven, where they spoke to each other behind closed doors.

When they were finished, the angel Jabra’il gave Muhammad a tour of paradise.

On one path, Muhammad encountered Musa. The prophet with the staff opened his arms with a smile, embraced Muhammad, and kissed him on the head.

A little further, he found Sulayman under an almond tree, surrounded by a cluster of animals, ‘Good day, Muhammad!’

And in a garden of fragrant flowers, he met Isa. There, smiling young female companions placed a crown of colourful flowers on his head.

In the name of Allah

He is love

He gives

He forgives

1

By the star at the moment it falls,

Your fellow human being Muhammad has not gone astray and has not been misled.

And he does not speak what he desires.

And it is nothing other than a clear revelation.

The angel Jabra’il taught it to him.

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Allah is resolute. He possesses power.

He stood on the farthest horizon.

He came closer, and He descended.

To a distance of two bows or less.

He revealed to Muhammad what he had to reveal.

His heart did not lie about what he has seen.

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Do you dispute what he has seen?

Truly! He saw Him beside the tree of Sidrah on the distant horizon, next to the gardens of happiness, when the tree was covered with the light that ought to cover it.

Muhammad did not look away nor did he stare.

Truly! He saw the tremendous signs of the Creator.

4

Have you seen the idols al-Lat and al-‘Uzza, and the other, the third, Manat?

Do the daughters belong to Allah and the sons to you? Then the apportioning is unjust.

These are just names you and your forebears have given them.

Those who do not believe in life after death give female names to the angels. At the same time, they give their idols male names.

Their knowledge is based on speculation. They are ignorant.

5

Muhammad! Turn your face away from those who do not think about Us and are only concerned with this life.

Everything in heaven and on earth belongs to Him.

Those who show remorse for minor and major sins are forgiven by God.

He already knew you from the time He made you from earth, and you were still in the bellies of your mothers.

He knows who is God-fearing, and who is not. So do not simply count yourself among the devout.

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No one shall carry the sins of another.

And humans get what they want.

And they quickly see the consequences of their deeds.

That they are recompensed completely for them.

That everything ultimately returns to Him.

That He is the One who causes smiles to appear and tears to flow.

That He is the One who causes death and gives life.

That He has created a male and a female part in the seeds that fall.

That He makes life after death possible.

That He created the stars and the firmament.

That He destroyed the ancient people of ‘Ad and left nothing of the people of Thamud, and, before that, wiped the entire people of Nuh from the face of the earth.

He caused the ancient cities to perish, and covered them with what ought to cover them.

Which gifts of Allah would you call into question?

Muhammad is one who warns, in line with others who warned before.

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What must come is on its way.

Are you still surprised at this news?

Do you laugh? Do you not cry?

Kneel before Allah, and praise Him.