Page:Sacred Books of the East - Volume 6.djvu/143

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Ⅱ, 116-120.
the chapter of the heifer.
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and who read it as it should be read, believe therein ; and whoso disbelieve therein, ’tis they who lose thereby.

O children of Israel ! remember my favours with which I favoured you, and that I have preferred you over the worlds. And fear the day when no soul shall pay a recompense for a soul, nor shall an equivalent be received therefrom, nor any intercession avail ; and they shall not be helped.

And when his Lord tried Abraham with words, and he fulfilled them, He said, ‘ Verily, I will set thee as a high priest[1] for men.’ Said he, ‘ And of my seed ?’ God said, ‘ My covenant touches not the evildoers.’

And when we made the House[2] a place of resort unto men, and a sanctuary, and (said) take the station of Abraham[3] for a place of prayer; and covenanted with Abraham and Ishmael, saying, ‘ Do ye two cleanse my house for those who make the circuit, for those who pay devotions there, for those who bow down, and for those too who adore.’

120 When Abraham said, ‘ Lord, make this a town of safety, and provide the dwellers there with fruits, such as believe in God and the last day !’ (God) said, ‘ And he who misbelieves, I will give him but little to enjoy, then will I drive him to the torment of the fire, an evil journey will it be.’


  1. Imâm, the name given to the priest who leads the prayer, it is equivalent to Antistes.
  2. The Kaabah or square temple at Mecca is spoken of as Bâit Allâh=Bethel, ‘ the house of God.’
  3. The Muqâm Ibrahîm, in the Kaabah enclosure, where a so-called footprint of the patriarch is shown.
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