Islamic Wisdom

The Wisdom of Muhammad and The Wisdom of the Koran

Philosophical Library

• Publisher: Philosophical Library/Open Road
• Year: 2018
• eBook ISBN: 9781504054843
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Islamic Theology

An inspirational anthology that draws on sacred texts to provide essential insight into Islam, one of the world's great religions.
The Wisdom of Muhammad: This compelling examination of the life and sayings of Muhammad offers the modern reader a guide to the history and principles of the world's second largest religion. Covering a diverse range of topics, from marriage and civic charity to the individual's relationship to God and the afterlife, the Prophet's words dispel misconceptions about Islam and its teachings.
 
The Wisdom of the Koran: Representing the ultimate authority on almost every issue in Muslim life, the Koran's lessons and parables offer moral and spiritual guidance to the faithful. In this essential guide, readers learn about key chapters such as "The Night Journey" and "The Cave" as well as several stories from Judeo-Christian history.
 

The Wisdom of the Koran

The Koran, or The Book, is the basis of Islamic religion. Most of it was written by Mohammed Ibn-Abdallah (570-632), who, while adapting many of the Judaic and Christian teachings, endeavored to restore what he considered the true Faith of Abraham. While Mohammed strongly felt that he was the one and only prophet of Allah, he rejected personal cult as well as the performing of miracles.

Salvation must come through the great prophets from Moses to Mohammed. The Koran is a guide for the pious who perform not only ritual duties but also excel in charity. Theirs is also the final reward on Judgment Day. The impact of the Koran upon the Moslem world was immense upon the social and personal life of all its adherents.

THE CHAPTER OF THE NIGHT JOURNEY¹.

IN the name of the merciful and compassionate God.

Celebrated be the praises of Him who took His servant a journey by night from the Sacred Mosque² to the Remote Mosque³, the precinct of which we have blessed, to show him of our signs! verily, He both hears and looks.

And we gave Moses the Book and made it a guidance to the children of Israel: ‘Take ye to no guardian but me.’

Seed of those we bore with Noah (in the ark)! verily, he was a thankful servant!

And we decreed to the children of Israel in the Book, ‘Ye shall verily do evil in the earth twice⁴, and ye shall rise to a great height (of pride).’

[5] And when the threat for the first (sin) of the two came, we sent over them servants of ours, endued with violence, and they searched inside your houses; and it was an accomplished threat.

Then we rallied you once more against them, and aided you with wealth and sons, and made you a numerous band.

‘If ye do well, ye will do well to your own souls; and if ye do ill, it is against them!

‘And when the threat for the last came¹—to harm your faces and to enter the mosque as they entered it the first time, and to destroy what they had got the upper-hand over with utter destruction.’

It may be that thy Lord will have mercy on you;—but if ye return we will return, and we have made hell a prison for the misbelievers.

Verily, this Qur'ân guides to the straightest path, and gives the glad tidings to the believers [10] who do aright that for them is a great hire; and that for those who believe not in the hereafter, we have prepared a mighty woe.

Man prays for evil as he prays for good; and man was ever hasty.

We made the night and the day two signs; and we blot out the sign of the night and make the sign of the day visible, that ye may seek after plenty from your Lord, and that ye may number the years and the reckoning; and we have detailed everything in detail.

And every man's augury² have we fastened on his neck; and we will bring forth for him on the resurrection day a book offered to him wide open. [15] ‘Read thy book, thou art accountant enough against thyself to-day!’

He who accepts guidance, accepts it only for his own soul: and he who errs, errs only against it; nor shall one burdened soul bear the burden of another.

Nor would we punish until we had sent an apostle. And when we desired to destroy a city we bade¹ the opulent ones thereof; and they wrought abomination therein; and its due sentence was pronounced; and we destroyed it with utter destruction.

How many generations have we destroyed after Noah! but thy Lord of the sins of his servant is well aware, and sees enough.

Whoso is desirous of this life that hastens away, we will hasten on for him therein what we please,—for whom we please. Then we will make hell for him to broil in—despised and outcast.

[20] But whoso desires the next life, and strives for it and is a believer—these, their striving shall be gratefully received.

To all—these and those—will we extend the gifts of thy Lord; for the gifts of thy Lord are not restricted.

See how we have preferred some of them over others, but in the next life are greater degrees and greater preference.

Put not with God other gods, or thou wilt sit despised and forsaken.

Thy Lord has decreed that ye shall not serve other than Him; and kindness to one's parents, whether one or both of them reach old age with thee; and say not to them, ‘Fie!’ and do not grumble at them, but speak to them a generous speech. [25] And lower to them the wing of humility out of compassion, and say, ‘O Lord! have compassion on them as they brought me up when I was little!’ Your Lord knows best what is in your souls if ye be righteous, and, verily, He is forgiving unto those who come back penitent.

And give thy kinsman his due and the poor and the son of the road; and waste not wastefully, for the wasteful were ever the devil's brothers; and the devil is ever ungrateful to his Lord.

[30] But if thou dost turn away from them to seek after mercy from thy Lord¹, which thou hopest for, then speak to them an easy speech.

Make not thy hand fettered to thy neck, nor yet spread it out quite open, lest thou shouldst have to sit down blamed and straitened in means. Verily, thy Lord spreads out provision to whomsoever He will or He doles it out. Verily, He is ever well aware of and sees His servants.

And slay not your children for fear of poverty; we will provide for them; beware! for to slay them is ever a great sin!

And draw not near to fornication; verily, it is ever an abomination, and evil is the way thereof.

[35] And slay not the soul that God has forbidden you, except for just cause; for he who is slain unjustly we have given his next of kin authority; yet let him not exceed in slaying; verily, he is ever helped.

And draw not near to the wealth of the orphan, save to improve it, until he reaches the age of puberty, and fulfil your compacts; verily, a compact is ever enquired of.

And give full measure when ye measure out, and weigh with a right balance; that is better and a fairer determination.

And do not pursue that of which thou hast no knowledge; verily, the hearing, the sight, and the heart, all of these shall be enquired of.

And walk not on the earth proudly; verily, thou canst not cleave the earth, and thou shalt not reach the mountains in height.

[40] All this is ever evil in the sight of your Lord and abhorred.

That is something of what thy Lord has inspired thee with of wisdom; do not then put with God other gods, or thou wilt be thrown into hell reproached and outcast. What! has your Lord chosen to give you sons, and shall He take for Himself females among the angels? verily, ye are speaking a mighty speech.

Now have we turned it in various ways in this Qur'ân, so let them bear in mind; but it will only increase them in aversion.

Say, ‘Were there with Him other gods, as ye say, then would they seek a way against the Lord of the throne.’

[45] Celebrated be His praises, and exalted be He above what they say with great exaltation!

The seven heavens and the earth celebrate His praises, and all who therein are; nor is there aught but what celebrates His praise: but ye cannot understand their celebration;—verily, He is clement and forgiving.

And when thou readest the Qur'ân we place between thee and those who believe not in the hereafter a covering veil. And we place covers upon their hearts, lest they should understand, and dulness in their ears.

And when thou dost mention in the Quriân thy Lord by Himself they turn their backs in aversion.

[50] We know best for what they listen when they listen to thee; and when they whisper apart—when the wrongdoers say, ‘Ye only follow a man enchanted.’

Behold, how they strike out for you parables, and err, and cannot find the way!

They say, ‘What! when we have become bones and rubbish are we to be raised up a new creature?’ Say, ‘Be ye stones, or iron, or a creature, the greatest your breasts can conceive—!’ Then they shall say, ‘Who is to restore us?’ Say, ‘He who originated you at first;’ and they will wag their heads and say, ‘When will that be?’ Say, ‘It may, perhaps, be nigh.’

The day when He shall call on you and ye shall answer with praise to Him, and they will think that they have tarried but a little.

[55] And say to my servants that they speak in a kind way¹; verily, Satan makes ill-will between them; verily, Satan was ever unto man an open foe.

Your Lord knows you best; if He please He will have mercy upon you, or if He please He will torment you: but we have not sent thee to take charge of them.

And thy Lord best knows who is in the heavens and the earth; we did prefer some of the prophets over the others, and to David did we give the Psalms.

Say, ‘Call on those whom ye pretend other than God;’ but they shall not have the power to remove distress from you, nor to turn if off.

Those on whom they call², seek themselves for a means of approaching their Lord, (to see) which of them is nearest: and they hope for His mercy and they fear His torment; verily, the torment of thy Lord is a thing to beware of.

[60] There is no city but we will destroy it before the day of judgment, or torment it with keen torment;—that is in the Book inscribed.

Naught hindered us from sending thee with signs, save that those of yore said they were lies; so we gave Thamûd the visible she-camel, but they treated her unjustly! for we do not send (any one) with signs save to make men fear.

And when we said to thee, ‘Verily, thy Lord encompasses men!’ and we made the vision which we showed thee only a cause of sedition unto men, and the cursed tree¹ as well; for we will frighten them, but it will only increase them in great rebellion.

And when we say to the angels, ‘Adore Adam;’ and they adored, save Iblîs, who said, ‘Am I to adore one whom Thou hast created out of clay?’

Said he, ‘Dost thou see now? this one whom Thou hast honoured above me, verily, if Thou shouldst respite me until the resurrection day, I will of a surety utterly destroy his seed except a few.’

[65] Said He, ‘Begone! and whoso of them follows thee—verily, hell is your recompense, and ample recompense. Entice away whomsoever of them thou canst with thy voice; and bear down upon them with thy horse and with thy foot; and share with them in the wealth and their children; and promise them,—but Satan promises them naught but deceit. Verily, my servants, thou hast no authority over them; thy Lord is guardian enough over them!’

It is your Lord who drives the ships for you in the sea that ye may seek after plenty from Him; verily, He is ever merciful to you. And when distress touches you in the sea, those whom ye call on, except Him, stray away from you; but when He has brought you safe to shore, ye turn away; for man is ever ungrateful.

[70] Are ye sure that He will not cleave with you the side of the shore, or send against you a heavy sand-storm? then ye will find no guardian for yourselves.

Or are ye sure that He will not send you back therein another time, and send against you a violent wind, and drown you for your misbelief? then ye will find for yourselves no protector against us.

But we have been gracious to the children of Adam, and we have borne them by land and sea, and have provided them with good things, and have preferred them over many that we have created.

The day when we will call all men by their high priest; and he whose book is given in his right hand—these shall read their book, nor shall they...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Contents
• The Wisdom of Muhammad
• Introduction
• The Sayings of Muhammad:
• Glossary
• Bibliography
• Appendix
• The Wisdom of the Koran
• Copyright