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 17, Verses 25-28
Your Sustainer is fully aware of what is in your hearts. If you are righteous, [He will forgive you your errors]: for, behold, He is much forgiving to those who turn unto Him again and again.
And give his due to the near of kin, as well as to the needy and wayfarer, but do not squander [thy substance] senselessly. Behold, the squanderers are, indeed, of the ilk of the Satans – inasmuch as Satan has indeed proved most ungrateful to His Sustainer [ 1 ].
And if thou [must] turn aside from those [that are in want, because thou thyself art] seeking to obtain thy Sustainer’s grace and hoping for it, at least speak to them with gentle speech.
Chapter 17, Verse 31
Hence, do not kill your children for fear of poverty: [ 2 ] it is We who shall provide sustenance for them as well as for you. Verily, killing them is a great sin.
Chapter 17, Verse 32
And do not commit adultery [ 3 ] – for, behold, it is an abomination and an evil way.
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Translator’s Notes
[ 1 ] Since squandering implies an utter lack of gratitude for the gift of sustenance bestowed by God upon man, the squanderers are described as being “of the ilk of satans.”
[ 2 ] Historically, this may refer be a reference to the pre-Islamic Arabian custom of burying unwanted female children live, as well as to the occasional - though much rarer – sacrifices of male children to some of their gods. Beyond this, however, the above prohibition has a timeless validity inasmuch as it relates also to abortions undertaken “for fear of poverty”, i.e., on purely economic grounds.
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