Gems from the Holy Qur’an
From the translation by Muhammad Asad (Leopold Weiss)
About the translator:
Muhammad Asad, Leopold Weiss, was born of Jewish parents in Livow, Austria (later Poland) in 1900, and at the age of 22 made his first visit to the Middle East. He later became an outstanding foreign correspondent for the Franfurter Zeitung, and after years of devoted study became one of the leading Muslim scholars of our age. His translation of the Holy Qur'an is one of the most lucid and well-referenced works in this category, dedicated to “li-qawmin yatafakkaroon” (people who think). Forwarded by Dr Ismat Kamal.
Chapter 4, Verse 48
Verily, God does not forgive the ascribing of divinity to aught beside Him, although he forgives any lesser sin unto whomever He wills: for he who ascribes divinity to aught beside God has indeed contrived an awesome sin.
Chapter 4, Verse 75
And how could you refuse to fight in the cause of God and of the utterly helpless men and women and children who are crying, “O our Sustainer! Lead us forth [to freedom] out of this land whose people are oppressors, and raise for us, out of Thy grace, one who will bring us succor.”
Chapter 4, Verse 83
Will they not, then try to understand this Qur’an? Had it been issued from any but God, they would surely have found in it many an inner contradiction!
Chapter 4, Verse 125
And who could be of better faith than he who surrenders his whole being unto God and is a doer of good withal, and follows the creed of Abraham, who turned away from all that is false – seeing that God exalted Abraham with His love?
Chapter 4, Verse 152
But as for those who believe in God and His apostles by endeavoring to make a distinction between [belief in] God and [belief in] His apostles and make no distinction between any of them – unto them, in time, will He grant their rewards [in full]. And God is indeed much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace.
Chapter 4, Verse 155-158
And so, [We punished them] for the breaking of their pledge, and their refusal to acknowledge God’s messages, and their slaying of prophets against all right, and their boast, “ Our hearts are already full of knowledge”- nay, but God has sealed their hearts in result of their denial of the truth, and [now] they believe in but few things -; and for their refusal to acknowledge the truth, and the awesome calumny which they utter against Mary, and their boast, “Behold we have slain the Christ Jesus, son of Mary, [who claimed to be] an apostle of God!” However, they did not slay him, and neither did they crucify him, but it only seemed to them [as if it had been so]; and, verily, those who hold conflicting views thereon are indeed confused, having no [real] knowledge thereof, and following mere conjecture. For, of a certainty, they did not slay him: nay, God exalted him unto Himself – and God is indeed almighty, wise.
