J. F. Campbell Collection > Koran: or, Alcoran of Mohammed

AL KORAN.
CHAPTER L
IXTITLED, THE PREFACE, OR INTRODUCTION;" REVEALED
AT MECCA.
IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD.*
Pkaise he to God, the Lord of all creatures j** the most merciful, the
king of the day of judgment. Thee do we worship, and of thee do we beg
assistance. Direct us in the right way, in the way of those to whom thou
hast been gracious ; not of those against whom thou art incensed, nor of
those who go astray."
" In Arabic al Fatihat. This chapter is a prayer, and held in great veneratioa
by the Mohammedans, who give it several other honourable titles ; as the chapter
oi prayer, appraise, of thanksgiving, of treasure, &c. They esteem it as the quint-
essence of the whole Koran, and often repeat it in their devotions both public and
private, as the Christians do the Lord's Prayer.^
* " This formula is prefixed to all the chapters (with the exception of one). It
is expressly recommended in the Koran. The Mohammedans pronounce it when-
ever they slaughter an animal, and at the commencement of their reading, and of
all impo'rtant actions. It is with them that which the sign of the cross is with
Christians. Giaab, one of their celebrated authors, says that when these words
were sent down from heaven, the clouds fled on the side of the east, the winds were
lulled, the sea was moved, the animals erected their ears to listen, the devils were
precipitated from the celestial spheres." &c. — Savary.
^ The original words are Rabbi Idlamina, which literally signify, Lord of tha
worlds ; but dlainhm, in this and other places of the Koran, properly "means the three
Fpccies of rational creatures, men, genii, and angels. Father Marracci has endea-
v(jured to prove from this passage that Mohammed believed a plunility of worlds,
which he calls the error of the Manichees, &c. :' but this imputation the learned
Keland has shown to be entirely groundless.' Savary translates it " Sovereign of
the worlds."
" This last sentence contains a petition, that God would lead the supplicants into
the true religion, by which is meant the Mohammedan, in the Koran often called
the right way ; in this place more particularly defined to be, the way of those to whom
God hath been gracious, that is, of the prophets and faithful who preceded Moham-
med; under which appellations are also comprehended the Jews and Christians,
such as they were in the times of their primitive purity, before they had deviated
from their respective institutions; not t/m way of the mo'lern Jews, whose signal
calamities are marks of the just anger of God against them for their obstinacy and
1 Vide Bobovium de Precib. Mohammed, p. 3, et seq. ^ In Prodrome ad Refut.
Alcorani, part iv. p. 7G, et in notis ad Ale. cap. 1. ^ De Religione Mohammed p. 3t)2.