Tetovo (Macedonian: Тетово, [ˈtetovɔ] (help·info); Albanian: Tetova, Tetovë) is a city in the northwestern part of Macedonia, built on the foothills of Šar Mountain and divided by the Pena River.

The city covers an area of 1,080 km² (417 sq mi) at 468 metres (1,535 ft) above sea level, with a population of 86,580 citizens in the municipality.^[1]. It is home to the State University of Tetovo and South East European University. The city of Tetovo is the seat of Tetovo Municipality.

Tetovo Тетово Tetova
Coat of arms
Tetovo Location within Republic of Macedonia
Coordinates: 42°00′N 20°58′E / 42, 20.967
Country	Macedonia
Municipality	Tetovo municipality
Area
- Total	1,068 km2 (412.4 sq mi)
Elevation	468 m (1,535 ft)
Population ([citation needed])
- Total	76,580
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
- Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	1200
Area code(s)	+389 044
Car plates	TE
Website: tetovo.gov.mk [1] . Name According to a legend Tetovo means "Teto's place" and, according to myth, the town was named after the legendary hero Teto, who supposedly cleared the town of snakes. Another etymology of the name Tetovo is that it comes from theSlavic word "hteti" meaning: wanting, wanted. Hence, the name Tetovocomes from its original roots Htetovo or a "place where we want tolive".[citation needed]The initial /h/ sound was regularly lost in Macedonian. The Albanianvariant is a direct adaptation of the original Slavic name (see -ovo/-evo). The name of the city in Turkish is Kalkandelen. Kalkan is a kind of wooden rooftop, as this was the way all the houses were built centuries ago. History [edit] Stone Age According to the latest data gathered through archeologicalexcavations of Neolithic sites Tumba near v. Dolno Palčište (1987/88.)and Pod selo tumba near v. Stenče (2000.), the far oldest tracks oflive in the Polog valley (Tetovo and Gostivar region) are dating 8000years back, or more specific since the year 6100 BC. From those sitescame down large number of excavated fragments, several fully preserveditems of pottery, and also sacrificial cult plastic and statuettesdedicated to the female cult. In Tetovo area many significantillustrations have been found of Rock Art as artistic compositionrelated with cult rituals. This region throughout whole Neolith has been inhabited with thecarriers of Anzabegovo-Vršnik cultural group, which also existed in theSkopje region and Eastern Macedonia. In the Early Neolith, however,this region was also under strong influence of the Neolithic culture ofVelušina-Porodin in the Pelagonia region south from here, seen by theform of the oldest intact sacrificial cult plastic of the Magna Matertype, reviled on these areas, and excavated near v. Stenče. The LateNeolith is characterized with an influence by the Vinča culture fromthe north.[ Metal Age Toward the end of the 4th Century BC, the first breaches began ofthe new settlers, steppe peoples from the central Asia- theIndo-Europeans, who by destruction and assimilation of the oldNeolithic culture created new Eneolithic cultural complex on theBalkans, named Salkutsa-Bubanj-Krivodol. Trails of this new populationhas been found in Polog also (in v. Palčište, Želino etc.). Thissituation was stabilized in the Middle Bronze Age when first embryosappear of the Balkan proto-ethnic, and latter pre-ethnic communities.In this period also began strong incursion of material signs from southby the flourishing Mycenae culture, which is visible on one paradeluxuries bronze sward found in Tetovo, and imported exactly from thoseMycenae centers. Although the following ages had been a symbol of mass migrations,however, the Iron Age is characterized with stabilization, whichbrought to flourished trade. Also, large ceramic pottery (pytos) forstoring cereals, reviled near the v. Larce dates from this period.[3]. In this period, according Strabo inscriptions related to Damastioncoins mint, and particularly based on preserved Onomastical trails fromlatter, it is visible that Polog valley was inhabited by Bryges (lat.Brigoi). The Bryges were composed part of the latter ethnic communityof the Paionians (lat. Paiones), the Ancient-Macedonians, Dasaretians(lat. Dassaretes), Edonians (lat. Edones) and Mygdonians (lat.Mygdones). Even the Paionians, although had been an old bronze-agedpopulation on this part of the Balkans, had undisputable connectionswith the Bryges. The Paionian and Ancient-Macedonian linguistics andonomastics, show large number words and names with Bryges routs, thatpoints to the fact that the Bryges were substratum or base of thePaionian and Ancient-Macedonian ethnical formation.[ Early Antiquity The influence of the Greek handcraft centers exerted this part ofthe Balkans, in fact lead to additional change of the culture and theway of living of the local population. Exactly those changes introducedthe new, Archaic period and the transition from the age of Prehistoryto the age of the History and Antiquity. On archeological plan thesetransformations are visible through the new materials (new types ofpottery, jewelry and other handcraft products), spiritual (new way ofburial: cremation instead of inhumation, accepting the cults of theGreek gods) and other characteristics, which at the beginning wereaccepted as prestige by the most elite social circles, and afterwardsby the rest of the people, that best can be seen from so called‘Princely Crypts’ of which most famous is the one from Tetovo where thewell known statuette of the Maenad was found. In the past there were different theories about the issue- which ofthe ancient tribes had inhabited this area. However, thanks to the lastdata, the entire area of Southern Serbia, Eastern Kosovo and NorthernMacedonia including Polog valley, in that period until 3rd century BC,had been inhabited by the far-northern Ancient-Macedonian (Paionian)tribe- the Agrianians (lat. Agrianes). This can by seen by thecontinuity in the archeological horizons, the developed pottery importfrom the Greek south, reach ‘Princely Crypts’ etc. This tribe had itsown kings of which the most famous was Langarus who helped theMacedonian king Alexander III in 335. BC, with his campaign against theTribales (lat. Tribaloi) to the North. Agrianians followed him also duehis campaign through Asia when they presented themselves as one of themost notorious fighters in many key battles, becoming famousparticularly in the antique world.[5]. Because of the economic and trade growth, also certain cities mintedtheir own autonomous coins. That was the case with the city of Pelagiawhich throughout entire 4th century BC minted their own silver coins inthe mint of Damastion. The city of Pelagia most probably had beensituated near present Tetovo, аnd in fact, in urban sense it is itsancient ancestor, by which name derivates the present Slavic name ofthe valley- Polog (Pelagia-Polog, as in the cases of Scupi-Skopje,Astibo-Štip, Thesalonika-Solun etc.) Toward the end of 4th century BC, the weakened Agrianian state fellinto authority of the king Audoleon of Paionia, and from mid 3rdcentury BC all their territories were occupied by Dardanians from thenorth (tо south including Northern Macedonia and Polog), which is alsonoticeable through discontinuity in the archeological horizons of thisperiod. These near-border areas throughout entire next period had beenused as logistical background, and from there the Dardania organizedvast plunder incursions to south on the reach Macedonian kingdom, evenlong after those territories had fallen into the Roman Empire in 168. BC Roman Period At last in 29. BC even Polog, along with other parts of Dardania,and on the north to the Danube River, had fallen into Roman authority,after which the era of stabilization, calm live, trade and progressbegan. There are few grave stone monuments (stela), dated 2nd-3rdcentury BC, on which, the epitaph is written in Greek script showingthat the region had been a part of the Greek language sphere, andKosovo and Skopje region which were part of the Latin language sphere.This means that in the Early-Empery Roman period (1st-3rd century AD)Polog had been a part of the Roman province Macedonia and in the LateAntiquity (3rd-4th century AD), after the king Diocletian reforms, partof Macedonia Secunda province. The revealed grave monuments consistalso a reach onomastical material and personal names, definitelyautochthonic and showing that the Romanization in these peripheralareas, outside of the reach main roads, did not take great rise. Taught by the large barbaric incursions (Celts, Ostrogoths, Huns)which had happened more frequently from the 3rd century AD andcontinued in the following centuries, in the late 4th century AD, theRoman emperors started to build strong in-wall cities and fortresses ondominant hills. From this period are dating the numerous castrums,castles and refugee settlements for the population of Tetovo area ofwhich most significant were those near present villages of Rogle,Orašje, Lešok, Stenče, Jegunovce, Gradec and the Isar-Banjiče site nearTetovo.[7]. Although the Christianization in Macedonia came along with the St.Apostle Paul in the 50’s of the 1st century AD, even after the kingConstantine declared this religion legal in 313, got through the commonpeople more massively, and also the building of Early Christianchurches- basilicas started. Until today in Polog trails of 16 suchEarly Christian basilicas have been revealed, of which 12 in Tetovoarea and 4 in Gostivar area, and best has been investigated the one inStenče dating from the 5th century AD, which is unique in Macedoniawith 3 baptisteries, and the one in Tudence dating from the second halfof 6th century AD, and being the only one the oldest three-conhalchurch in R. Macedonia and is rare even in whole southern Europe. Yet after the strong Avaric-Slavic incursions in the late 6thcentury AD, all the fortresses were abandoned but not entirelydemolished. Large part of them, two-three centuries afterwards, whenagain stabile state organization was introduced, had been restored forthe same purpose, but this time they had been inhabited by the dominantSlavic population laid foundations of the new medieval towns.[8]. Ottoman Period At the end of the 14th century, Tetovo, with the rest of Macedonia, fell under the rule of the Ottoman Empire. According to the official Ottoman statistics of Nahiya Tetovo, in 1453 the population consists of 153 Christian and 56 Muslim families, and in 1468 - 180 Christian and 41 Muslim families.[9] During Ottoman Turkish rule, Tetovo was also referred to as the“episcopal religious place Tetovo”, an Orthodox religious center; theseat of the Orthodox Church and domicile of the Orthodox religiousleader. As the Muslim population in Macedonia began to expand in theearly Ottoman period mosques,baths, and markets began to appear as early as the 15th century. TheColored or Painted Mosque (Aladzha or Sharena Dzamija), also known asthe Pasha Mosque, was built in 1459 by the Ottoman Turks. Tetovo underOttoman tutelage became an important trade center for the local farmersand craftsmen, as well as an important military fortification. Turkishinfluence deeply impacted Tetovo and it was renamed Kalkandelen toreinforce the new Islamic presence. Haci Halifein the 17th century noted in his writings that Kalkandel was expandingat an amazing rate in its lowland areas. By the 19th century, when thepopulation of Kalkandel began to increase with settlement from thesurrounding villages, the French traveler Ami Boue noted that the population had reached about 4,500 people, which are Bulgarians, Albanians and Serbs.[10][2][3] The total population of the Pashalik of Kalkandel (Tetovo) is 30,000-40,000 and is consisted of Bulgarians and Serbs who are Orthodox and of Albanian Moslems.[11][4] Present-day During the 2001 conflict, Tetovo became the center for the most major battle between government forces and the NLA insurgency (see Battle of Tetovo). Monuments Statue of women fighter in the National Liberation War The Sarena Dzamija mosque is located near the Penariver in the old part of town. The mosque was built in 1495 and rebuilt1833 by Abdurrahman Pasha, the son of Rexhep Pasha. The Monastery of Lešok with the churches of St. Athanasius and of the Church of the Holy Virginare only 8 kilometres (5 mi) away from Tetovo, by the road leading tothe village of Brezno. The Church of the Holy Virgin, built in 1326, isan excellent example of Byzantine style and architectural tradition. The church has three layers of frescoes.The 1st and bottom layer is from the first time of construction, thesecond and middle one was added sometime in the 17th century, and thethird and top layer was added in 1879. Several marble columns from theoriginal church can still be seen in the Tetovo museum. The church ofSt. Athanasius was built in 1924 next to the church of the Holy Mother of God. In the yard of the Monastery of Lešok is the tomb of the cleric, writer and enlightener Kiril Peichinovich,who was born in 1770. In his honor, this monastery hosts anInternational Meeting of Literary Translators. Tetovo is also a host tothe Festival of the Macedonian Choirs. Famous people from Tetovo Main article: List of people from Tetovo Population The majority of Tetovo's residents are ethnic Albanians who amount to 60,886 according to the last Macedonian census held in 2002 [5]. The second largest ethnic group in the city are Macedonians (20,053). Other groups include Roma (2,357), Turks (1,882), Serbs (604), Bosniaks (156), Vlachs (15), Gorani (11) and others (627). Sports Tetovo is represented in the Macedonian First League by the football clubs FK Shkendija 79 and FK Renova. FK Teteks and FK Drita play in the Macedonian Second League. See also Tetovo municipality Polog statistical region References ^ 2002 Census results ^ Fromthe newest book on Tetovo history: Darko Gavrovski “ТЕТОVO ANTIQUITIES- Polog valley from Prehistory to 7th century AD, with special emphasison the Tetovo region”, Tetovo, 2009 (Дарко Гавровски, "Тетовскидревности. Полог од Праисторијата до 7.век н.е., со посебен осврт натетовскиот крај", Тетово, 2009). More details on: www.gavro.com.mk .The data here are edited by the autor Darko Gavrovski. ^ Fromthe newest book on Tetovo history: Darko Gavrovski “ТЕТОVO ANTIQUITIES- Polog valley from Prehistory to 7th century AD, with special emphasison the Tetovo region”, Tetovo, 2009 (Дарко Гавровски, "Тетовскидревности. Полог од Праисторијата до 7.век н.е., со посебен осврт натетовскиот крај", Тетово, 2009). More details on: www.gavro.com.mk .The data here are edited by the autor Darko Gavrovski. ^ Fromthe newest book on Tetovo history: Darko Gavrovski “ТЕТОVO ANTIQUITIES- Polog valley from Prehistory to 7th century AD, with special emphasison the Tetovo region”, Tetovo, 2009 (Дарко Гавровски, "Тетовскидревности. Полог од Праисторијата до 7.век н.е., со посебен осврт натетовскиот крај", Тетово, 2009). More details on: www.gavro.com.mk .The data here are edited by the autor Darko Gavrovski. ^ Fromthe newest book on Tetovo history: Darko Gavrovski “ТЕТОVO ANTIQUITIES- Polog valley from Prehistory to 7th century AD, with special emphasison the Tetovo region”, Tetovo, 2009 (Дарко Гавровски, "Тетовскидревности. Полог од Праисторијата до 7.век н.е., со посебен осврт натетовскиот крај", Тетово, 2009). More details on: www.gavro.com.mk .The data here are edited by the autor Darko Gavrovski. ^ Fromthe newest book on Tetovo history: Darko Gavrovski “ТЕТОVO ANTIQUITIES- Polog valley from Prehistory to 7th century AD, with special emphasison the Tetovo region”, Tetovo, 2009 (Дарко Гавровски, "Тетовскидревности. Полог од Праисторијата до 7.век н.е., со посебен осврт натетовскиот крај", Тетово, 2009). More details on: www.gavro.com.mk .The data here are edited by the autor Darko Gavrovski. ^ Fromthe newest book on Tetovo history: Darko Gavrovski “ТЕТОVO ANTIQUITIES- Polog valley from Prehistory to 7th century AD, with special emphasison the Tetovo region”, Tetovo, 2009 (Дарко Гавровски, "Тетовскидревности. Полог од Праисторијата до 7.век н.е., со посебен осврт натетовскиот крај", Тетово, 2009). More details on: www.gavro.com.mk .The data here are edited by the autor Darko Gavrovski. ^ Fromthe newest book on Tetovo history: Darko Gavrovski “ТЕТОVO ANTIQUITIES- Polog valley from Prehistory to 7th century AD, with special emphasison the Tetovo region”, Tetovo, 2009 (Дарко Гавровски, "Тетовскидревности. Полог од Праисторијата до 7.век н.е., со посебен осврт натетовскиот крај", Тетово, 2009). More details on: www.gavro.com.mk .The data here are edited by the autor Darko Gavrovski. ^ Составот на населението во Тетовската нахија во XV век ^ La Turquie d'Europe; observations sur la geographie, la géologie, l'histoire naturelle, etc. (Paris, 1840), p. 306-307. ^ Ami Boue External links http://www.tetovo.gov.mk/ http://www.cdnh.edu.mk/Proekti/multimedija2007/kirilpejcinovik2/inter.htm - web page for Kiril Pejchinovic - Tetoec Vratnica - A village near Tetovo [hide] v • d • e Cities and towns in the Republic of Macedonia Berovo · Bitola · Bogdanci · Debar · Delčevo · Demir Hisar · Demir Kapija · Dojran · Gevgelija · Gostivar · Kavadarci · Kičevo · Kočani · Kratovo · Kriva Palanka · Kruševo · Kumanovo · Makedonska Kamenica · Makedonski Brod · Negotino · Ohrid · Pehčevo · Prilep · Probištip · Radoviš · Resen · Skopje · Struga · Strumica · Sveti Nikole · Štip · Tetovo · Valandovo · Veles · Vinica

List of mountains in the Republic of Macedonia

Big Lake (2218 m) – glacier lake on Pelister Mountain

Dobra Voda peak on Celoica mountain viewed from the nearby village of Popojan, Republic of Macedonia

The Republic of Macedoniais a predominantly mountainous country. The average altitude of theterrain is 850 meters. Approximately 80% of the country consists ofhills and mountains. The mountains are divided into two basic groups:Dinaric and Rhodope.The mountains in the Rhodope group are older mountains. They are spreadacross the eastern part of the Republic of Macedonia. The mountains inthe Dinaricgroup are younger mountains, situated in the western and central partof the country. They are divided in 3 subgroups: area around the Vardar river, area around Pelagonia valley and the are in the north-western part of the Republic of Macedonia.

There are three national parks protected by law in the Republic of Macedonia: Pelister, Mavrovo and Galichica.

Following is a list of the most important Macedonian mountains:

Mount Korab

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mount Korab
The Korab Mountain range.
Elevation	2,764 m (9,068 ft)
Location	Albania &  Macedonia
Prominence	2,036 m (6,680 ft)
Coordinates	41°47′25″N 20°32′48″E / 41.79028, 20.54667Coordinates: 41°47′25″N 20°32′48″E / 41.79028, 20.54667
Listing	Country high point

Mount Korab (Macedonian: Голем Кораб, Golem Korab, Albanian: Maja e Korabit or Mali i Korabit) is the highest mountain of the Republic of Macedonia and Albania, its peak forming a frontier between the two countries. The Korab mountain is adjacent to the Šar Mountains.There are three other peaks in Albania reaching a height of more than2,700 m (8,858 ft) two of them rising to 2,716 m (8,911 ft) and 2,745 m(9,006 ft).

The mountain has a number of peaks that are higher than 2000 metres. The most important ones are:

• Mount Korab (2,764 m (9,068 ft))
• Korab II in Albania (2,745 m (9,006 ft))
• Shulani i Radomirës in Albania (2,716 m (8,911 ft))
• Small Korab (2,683 m (8,802 ft))
• Kepi Bar (2,595 m (8,514 ft))
• Mali i Gramës in Albania (2,549 m (8,363 ft))
• Mala Korapska Vrata in Macedonia (2,425 m (7,956 ft))
• Kabaš in Macedonia (2,395 m (7,858 ft))
• Ciganski Premin in Macedonia (2,295 m (7,530 ft))
• Plocha in Macedonia (2,235 m (7,333 ft))
• Visoka Karpa in Macedonia (2,090 m (6,857 ft)).

These peaks are occasionally ruptured by radial tectonics in the shape of blocks that end in the valley of the Radikariver on the Macedonian side. These blocks occasionally have steepslopes that reach up to 500 m (1,640 ft). Particularly remarkable isalso the alpine area of Kabaš with several sheer and hardlyapproachable peaks. In its highest part, above 2,000 m (6,562 ft), theclimate is alpine and includes some alpine flora elements. The largestlake on Mount Korab is Gramë Lake located on the Mali i Gramës in Albania.

The state border intersects the higher peak, Great Korab.

During the Macedonian conflict in 2001, a front was on the Korab, and there is still a minedzone around the mountain. Ascent from the Macedonian side involvesentering the Macedonian-Albanian boundary area, for which specialpermit is required from the Macedonian Ministry of internal affairs.^[1]

There are no formal restrictions on climbing the mountain from theAlbanian side. The area is now safer and more stable than it has beenin recent times. It is possible to drive as far as the local village ofRadomira, but the local infrastructure is generally not good. A fourwheel drive vehicle with high clearance may be required. There are noaccurate and up to date maps, local signposting is poor, and hikers mayhave to overcome the additional problem of aggressive dogs.^[2]

Landscape of Mount Korab.

The best chance to climb Mount Korab is to join the Internationalclimb that is taking part every year in beginning of September. Thisclimb is organized by the mountain club PSD "Korab", Skopje.

The Korab is als pictured in the coat of arms of Macedonia.

Šar Mountains

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Šar Mountains
Range
Šar Mountains from Osljak in Kosovo.
Region	Balkans
Highest point	Titov Vrv
- elevation	2,747 m (9,012 ft)

The Šar Mountains (Serbian: Шар Планина, Šar planina, Albanian: Malet e Sharrit, Macedonian: Шар Планина (help·info)) is a mountain range in the Balkans that extends from southern Kosovo^[a] and the northwest of the Republic of Macedonia to northeastern Albania.

Etymology

During Antiquity the mountains were known as Scardus Oros, Scordi montis and Scordus, and some believe^[who?] that the modern name derives from these ancient ones.^[1]

Geographical characteristics

Šar Mountains in the Republic of Macedonia.

The Šar Mountains have a total area of 1600km. 56,25% of that areais in the Republic of Macedonia, 43.12% in Kosovo, and 0,63% in Albania.^[2] There are three plains Sirinic, Vraca and Rudoka.^[3] The system is about 80 kilometers long and 10-20 kilometres wide. It includes several high peaks:

• Titov Vrv (2747 m), the highest peak
• Mal Turčin (2702 m)
• Borislavec (2662 m)
• Peskovi (2651 m)
• Big Vraca (2629 m)
• Dzini Beg (2610 m)
• Jezerski (2604 m)
• Maja e Zezë (2585 m)
• Small Vraca (2582 m)
• Guri i Zi (2536 m)
• Kobilica (2528 m)
• Piribeg (2524 m)
• Ljuboten (2498 m)
• Gemitash (2183 m)
• Kalabak (2174 m)

The Šar Mountains extend to Mount Korab (2764 m) in the southwest, and pass into northeastern Albania.

Vegetation on the mountains includes crops up to around 1000 meters, forests up to 1700 meters, and above that lie high pastures which encompass around 550 square kilometres. The Šar Mountains are the largest compact area covered with pastures on the European continent. They are most known as the origin of the dog breed Šarplaninac, which was bred on these pastures. On some days the Šar Mountains can be seen from Pristina which is many kilometres away. Ljuboten (the nearest peak to Pristina) stands out the best.

[edit] Šar Mountains in Kosovo

The Šar Mountains are located in the south-east of Kosovo, where43.12% of it is located. Many lakes are found on the Kosovan part ofthe Šar Mountains, especially south of the village of Dragaš. The ski resort of Brezovica, with an elevation of 900m - 2,524m above sea level, is located north-east of the mountain. The Ljuboten peak and the mountain of Skopska Crna Gora create the Kačanik Gorge in Kosovo. The Šar Mountains are split from the Nerodimka Mountain by the Sirinić Valley. The Šar National Park is located in Kosovo. Villages and towns that are found near the mountain are:

• Prizren
• Kačanik
• Dragaš
• Brezovica
• Štrpce

Lakes in the Kosovan part of the Šar Mountains are:

• Jazhincë Lake
• Small Jazhincë Lake
• Shutmansko Lake
• Donje Defsko Lake
• Livadichko Lake
• Black Vir Lake
• Donji Vir Lake
• Blateshtichka Lake
• Gornje Defsko Lake
• Dinivodno Lake

National Park

Šar Mountains National Park
IUCN Category II (National Park)
Šar Mountains landscape.
Nearest city	Štrpce
Coordinates	42°00′00″N 20°44′00″E / 42°N 20.733333°E / 42; 20.733333Coordinates: 42°00′00″N 20°44′00″E The Šar Mountains National Park is in the territory of Kosovo, andspreads on 380 square kilometres, on the northern slopes of the ŠarMountains. What this national park boasts in particular are the endemicrelict Macedonian Pine and white-bark pine, as well as the Alpine rose. As for game, this is the habitat of the lynx, bear, chamois, wolf, roe deer, wild boar and other species. Peskovi Peskovi (Serbian Cyrillic and Macedonian: Пескови, Albanian: Bistër) is a mountain in the Šar Mountains range, located between Kosovo and the Republic of Macedonia. Peskovi is 2,651m high. It is the second highest mountain in Kosovo after Đeravica at 2,656m (though Đeravica could be many metres higher). Many beautiful lakes are found on the Kosovan side of Peskovi. Peskovi is not to be confused with Mount Bistra a mountain in Macedonia. Dzini Beg (Macedonian: Џини Бег) is a peak in the Šar Mountains found on the boundry between Kosovo and the Republic of Macedonia.Dzini Beg reaches a top height of 2,610m and is totally covered withshort grass. To the extreme south of Dzini Beg in Kosovo is the large Dinivodno Lake which is shaped like a circle and is 80cm deep. Jezerski (Macedonian: Језерски) is a mountain located in southern Kosovo and northern Macedonia. Jezerski reaches a height of 2,604m above sea level and is a peak of the Šar Mountains. Jezerski is closest to the peak of Bistër which is several metres higher at 2,651m Maja e Zezë (Albanian: Maja e Zezë; Macedonian: Црн Врв, Crn Vrv) is a mountain in Kosovo and the Republic of Macedonia. It is part of the Šar Mountains range and is 2,585 m high. To the east of the mountain is Bistër (2,651 m), and to the west of it is Kobilica (2,528 m). Small Vraca (Albanian: Vraca e Vogël; Macedonian: Мало Враца, Malo Vraca) is a peak of the Šar Mountains located in Kosovo and the Republic of Macedonia.Small Vraca is one of the most southern peaks of the Šar Mountains. Itreaches a height of 2,582m. It is much smaller than its bigger brother Big Vraca which is 2,629m high Crni Kamen (Serbian Cyrillic and Macedonian: Црни Камен, Albanian: Guri i Zi, meaning "Black Stone") is a peak of the Šar Mountains located in Kosovo[a] and the Republic of Macedonia. The Crni kamen stands at 2,536m above sea level. The famous Brezovica ski resort is Kobilica (Albanian: Kobilica or Kobilicë; Macedonian: Кобилица) is a mountain in Kosovo and the Republic of Macedonia. It is located in the Šar Mountains and is 2,528m high. It can be seen from the Kosovan city of Prizren.situated close to the peak. Piribeg (Albanian: Piribeg; Macedonian: Пирибег) is a mountain located between Kosovo and the Republic of Macedonia. Piribeg reaches a height of 2,524m above sea level and is a peak of the eastern part of the Šar Mountains. Located on the slopes of Piribeg is the largest ski centre in Kosovo, Brezovica.At the peak of Piribeg, there is a large pole that brings people byelevator to the top of the peak at 2,524m. From there they are free toski down as far as the ski centre. Ljuboten From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search Ljuboten Elevation 2498m Location Kosovo[a],  Macedonia Range Šar Mountains Ljuboten (Macedonian: Љуботен (help·info), Albanian: Luboten, Serbian: Љуботен or Ljuboten) is a peak of the Šar Mountains located at the border between Kosovo[a] and the Republic of Macedonia. Its height is 2498 meters. Contents 1 Information 2 Notes and references 3 See also 4 External links  Information View towards Ljuboten in Kosovo. At the Macedonian side of the peak are located several interestingplaces: a mountain house called "Ljuboten", Shija Ljubotenska (English: Ljuboten's Neck), Kozja Karpa (Goat's Rock), Shiljast Kamen (Pointed Rock), and Rogacevski Korita. Ljuboten is a favorite destination of many mountain climbers from Europe. Its terrain is rich with pastures, but there are also rocky outcroppings. Livadichko Lake in Kosovo and few sheepfolds are near the peak. In wintertime there is usually over a meter of snow on the ground at Ljuboten. The mountain house at Ljuboten is located in the foothills of the peak and is connected with a road to Vratnica.It takes two or three hours to walk from Vratnica to the Ljubotenmountain house. Not more than half hour is necessary if you drive avehicle. This house is open from March till November and offers roomand board for 80-100 people. Every year at Ilinden (2nd of August), the national holiday of Macedonia, more than 200 people enjoy the untouched nature of Ljuboten and the Šar Mountains. The peak has been nicknamed "Big Duke" by the U.S. soldiers serving in the KFOR mission in Kosovo. The mountain looms over Camp Bondsteel, the main U.S. base in Kosovo, and is an iconic image to the troops serving there[citation needed].  Notes and references Notes: a.   ^ Kosovo is the subject of a territorial dispute between Serbia and the local Albanian majority. The Assembly of Kosovo declared its independence on 17 February 2008, a move that is recognised by 54 UN member states and the Republic of China (Taiwan), but not by Serbia, which claims it as part of its sovereign territory. References:  See also Vratnica Šar Mountains Football club "Ljuboten" External links Ljuboten @ Vratnica.net (in Macedonian language) Cyber VRATNICA Internet Site Coordinates: 42°12′24″N 21°07′10″E / 42.20667, 21.11944 Gemitash is a mountain in Kosovo, located in the Šar Mountains. It reaches a height of 2,183 metres (7,160 ft). It is surrounded by many lakes and is near the village of Restelica. Kalabak is a mountain belonging to the Šar Mountains, located in Albania and Kosovo.Kalabak's height is 2,174 m (7,133 ft) above sea level and is locatednear the southern tip of Kosovo. Kalabak and it's surroundings aretreeless so it is an ideal places for shepherds to raise ther sheep andthe Šarplaninac as the protector. The Šar Mountains extend to Mount Korab (2764 m) in the southwest, and pass into northeastern Albania. Vegetation on the mountains includes crops up to around 1000 meters, forests up to 1700 meters, and above that lie high pastures which encompass around 550 square kilometres. The Šar Mountains are the largest compact area covered with pastures on the European continent. They are most known as the origin of the dog breed Šarplaninac, which was bred on these pastures. On some days the Šar Mountains can be seen from Pristina which is many kilometres away. Ljuboten (the nearest peak to Pristina) stands out the best. [edit] Šar Mountains in Kosovo The Šar Mountains are located in the south-east of Kosovo, where43.12% of it is located. Many lakes are found on the Kosovan part ofthe Šar Mountains, especially south of the village of Dragaš. The ski resort of Brezovica, with an elevation of 900m - 2,524m above sea level, is located north-east of the mountain. The Ljuboten peak and the mountain of Skopska Crna Gora create the Kačanik Gorge in Kosovo. The Šar Mountains are split from the Nerodimka Mountain by the Sirinić Valley. The Šar National Park is located in Kosovo. Villages and towns that are found near the mountain are: Prizren Kačanik Dragaš Brezovica Štrpce Lakes in the Kosovan part of the Šar Mountains are: Jazhincë Lake Small Jazhincë Lake Shutmansko Lake Donje Defsko Lake Livadichko Lake Black Vir Lake Donji Vir Lake Blateshtichka Lake Gornje Defsko Lake Dinivodno Lake  / 42; 20.733333 The Šar Mountains National Park is in the territory of Kosovo, andspreads on 380 square kilometres, on the northern slopes of the ŠarMountains. What this national park boasts in particular are the endemicrelict Macedonian Pine and white-bark pine, as well as the Alpine rose. As for game, this is the habitat of the lynx, bear, chamois, wolf, roe deer, wild boar and other species. Gallery v • d • e

My Greatest Need isYou

Yourhope in my heart is the rarest treasure
Your Name on my tongue is the sweetest word
My choicest hours
Are the hours I spend with You --
O Allah, I can't live in this world
Without remembering You--
How can I endure the next world
Without seeing Your face?
I am a stranger in Your country
And lonely among Your worshippers:
This is the substance of my complaint.

Dream Fable

I sawmyself in a wide green garden, more beautiful than I could begin to understand.In this garden was a young girl. I said to her, "How wonderful this placeis!"

"Would you like to see a place even more wonderful than this?" sheasked.

"Oh yes," I answered. Then taking me by the hand, she led me on untilwe came to a magnificent palace, like nothing that was ever seen by human eyes.The young girl knocked on the door, and someone opened it. Immediately both ofus were flooded with light.

Only Allah knows the inner meaning of the maidens we saw living there. Each onecarried in her hand a serving-tray filled with light. The young girl asked themaidens where they were going, and they answered her, "We are looking forsomeone who was drowned in the sea, and so became a martyr. She never slept atnight, not one wink! We are going to rub funeral spices on her body."

"Then rub some on my friend here," the young girl said.

"Once upon a time," said the maidens, "part of this spice and thefragrance of it clung to her body -- but then she shied away."

Quickly the young girl let go of my hand, turned, and said to me:

"Your prayers are yourlight;
Your devotion is your strength;
Sleep is the enemy of both.
Your life is the only opportunity that life can give you.
If you ignore it, if you waste it,
You will only turn to dust."

Then the young girldisappeared.

Reality

Inlove, nothing exists between heart and heart.
Speech is born out of longing,
True description from the real taste.
The one who tastes, knows;
the one who explains, lies.
How can you describe the true form of Something
In whose presence you are blotted out?
And in whose being you still exist?
And who lives as a sign for your journey?

My Beloved

In But Not In

    "Itis said that after Muhammad (p) and the prophets revelation does not descendupon anyone else. Why not? In fact it does, but then it is not called'revelation.' It is what the Prophet referred to when he said, 'The believersees with the Light of Allah.' When the believer looks with Allah's Light, hesees all things: the first and the last, the present and the absent. For how cananything be hidden from Allah's Light? And if something is hidden, then it isnot the Light of Allah. Therefore the meaning of revelation exists, even if itis not called revelation."

Souls

Yourtrue home is the seventh stage of spiritual growth, Illiyyun,
Reached through purification and peacefulness.
There, you are still in your body,
And yet a living Master of the Essence.

Love's Call

Atevery instant and from every side, resounds the call of Love:
We are going to sky, who wants to come with us?
We have gone to heaven, we have been the friends of the angels,
And now we will go back there, for there is our country.
We are higher than heaven, more noble than the angels:
Why not go beyond them? Our goal is the Supreme Majesty.
What has the fine pearl to do with the world of dust?
Why have you come down here? Take your baggage back. What is this place?
Luck is with us, to us is the sacrifice!
Like the birds of the sea, men come from the ocean--the ocean of the soul.
Like the birds of the sea, men come from the ocean--the ocean of the soul.
How could this bird, born from that sea, make his dwelling here?
No, we are the pearls from the bosom of the sea, it is there that we dwell:
Otherwise how could the wave succeed to the wave that comes from the soul?
The wave named 'Am I not your Lord' has come, it has broken the vessel of thebody;
And when the vessel is broken, the vision comes back, and the union with Him

I searched on the mountainsand in the valleys
but neither in the heights nor in the depths was I
able to find Him. I went to the Ka'bah in Mecca,
but He was not there either.

I questioned the scholarsand philosophers but
He was beyond their understanding.

I then looked into my heartand it was there
where He dwelled that I saw Him; He was
nowhere else to be found.

What Allah said to the Rose

And caused it to laugh in full blown beauty,

He said to my heart

And made it a hundred times more beautiful

Science and Faith

Once Science said to Faith:

"My eye can see all that is in this world;
The Entire world is within my net.
I am only concerned with material things,
What have I to do with spiritual matters?
I can strike a thousand melodies,
And openly proclaim all the secrets that I learn."

Faith said:

"With your magic even the waves in the sea are setablaze,
You can pollute the atmosphere with foul, poisonous gases.
When you associated with me, you were light,
When you broke off from me, your light became fire.
You were of Divine origin, 
But you have been caught in the clutches of Shaytan.
Come, make this wasteland a garden once again.
Borrow from me a little of my ecstasy,
And in the world set up a paradise.
From the day of creation we have been associates,
We are the low and high tunes of the same melody."

 

Allah

"The Breath of the All-Merciful has no
basis in other than the All-Merciful...
Its stopping-place is the Yaman of the creatures
and It is neither spirit nor body.
It has no limit to define It
yet It is what is (always) sought, the Sempiternal (al-matlub as-Samad)
For all the creatures are seeking It
though none of them can possess it
Unique, no one is like It
alone in the Perfection of Its description."

My Journey

I withdrew with He whom Ilove passionately, and there was no one but us,
for if there had been another than me, the retreat would not have been one.

When I imposed on my soulthe conditions of her seclusion,
the souls of the creatures all at once became her slaves!

But if there were not inher an Other than herself,
my soul would have made a gift of herself to He who overwhelms her with Hisgifts.

An Ocean without Shore

I marveled at an Oceanwithout shore,
and at a Shore that did not have an ocean;
And at a Morning Light without darkness,
and at a Night that was without daybreak;
And then a Sphere with no locality
known to either fool or learned scholar;
And at an azure Dome raised over the earth,
circulating 'round its center -- Compulsion;
And at a rich Earth without o'er-arching vault
and no specific location, the Secret concealed . . . .

I courted a Secret which existence did not alter;
for it was asked of me: "Has Thought enchanted you?"
-- To which I replied: "I have no power over that;
I counsel you: Be patient with it while you live.
But, truly, if Thought becomes established
in my mind, the embers kindle into flame,
And everything is given up to fire
the like of which was never seen before!"
And it was said to me: "He does not pluck a flower
who calls himself with courtesy 'Freeborn'."
"He who woos the belle femme in her boudoir, love-beguiled,
will never deem the bridal-price too high!"

I gave her the dower and was given her in marriage
throughout the night until the break of Dawn --
But other than Myself I did not find. -- Rather,
that One whom I married -- may his affair be known:
For added to the Sun's measure of light
are the radiant New Moon and shining Stars;
Like Time, dispraised - though the Prophet (Blessings on him!)
had once declared of your Lord that He is Time.

 Silence

There are places whichoffer but scant consolation 
while others offer one great delight. However, makethe Lord the mainstay and refuge of your soul, 
wherever and however you may be.

Fire

O Marvel! a garden amidstthe flames.
My heart has become capable of every form:
it is a pasture for gazelles and a convent for Christian monks,
and a temple for idols and the pilgrim's Ka'bah,
and the tables of the Torah and the book of the Qur'an.
I follow the religion of Love: whatever way Love's camels take,
that is my religion and my faith.

True Knowledge

There is no knowledgeexcept that taken from Allah, for He alone is the Knower... the prophets, inspite of their great number and the long periods of time which separate them,had no disagreement in knowledge of Allah, since they took it from Allah.

The Invitation

Approach the dwelling place of the dear ones who have takencovenants -
may clouds of incessant rain pour upon it!
And breathe the scent of the wind over against their land, in desire that
the sweet airs may tell thee where they are.
I know that they encamped at the banded tree of Idam, where the arar plants
grow and the shih and the katam.

From: The Fabulous Gryphon ('Anqâ' Mughrib)

Since that which is true in Vision is a major part of Prophecy, we swore ourbelief in what such Vision confers and conveys of the Favors of the Real(Praised be He!).  For I entered the House of Lights and let down the curtainsand the veils, jealously protective of the harem. Then, while I was conversingintimately with the Real in His presence, the attraction of a Mighty Oneattracted me to him, and the Real installed me in the Station of the 'Ocean' --the waves of which heave and overflow, one entering into another and risingaloft. And I was in a State which no one can know but he who has borne it, andno one describe but he who has seen it, as has been said:

No one knows Desire except for one who bears it,
nor fervent Longing, but he who suffers from it.

... Now, consider and contemplate, O Most-perfect Saint, aProphet whose body had been lost, while the memorial of his Way remained inTradition: Called up from his tomb by night, he was led forth to his Gathering,the Living one joining with the dead -- who, then, was 'gathered up,' the Lordof the House remaining in the House, which thus was filled with life!

Then [the Prophet Muhammad] requested the hand of his 'LittleFair-One' [A'ishah] from his 'Noble One' [Abû Bakr as-Siddîq], plucking herfrom the hand of his Friend (sadîqu-hu). He proposed for her a bridal-price (sadâq)the figure of which was unknown to me, and requested of me a testimony to thateffect. So he wrote on a piece of red silk a document in shining gold, and I wasthe first, by his permission and command (May God bless him!), to witness hisdower -- that being in his highest Stopping-place and most-manifest Station.When he had so commanded, [the Prophet's] dower was left in my care, and heentered his dwelling with his Bride, secluding himself with her, while the dowerremained in my possession till the expiry of my term.

Then, when the Dawn broke for him who has two eyes, bringingtogether for me the Two Lights, I did not find a 'Bride' ('irs) or a 'Husband' (ba'l) other than my own Essence, nor a dower other than my own Nature andattributes. For I was myself both the Husband and the Bride, and I marriedtogether the Intellect and the Soul. And the 'Little Fair One' became purifiedby her Husband, supported by the firm will of her Intellect.

I marveled at my affair -- that there was none but me! Thus, Iarrived at the lifting of the veils on matters concealed: And I marveled at aShore which has no sea for its complement to seek refuge in, and at a Seawithout a shore for its waves to break upon; and at a Speaker of realitieswithout a tongue and places of articulation, and a Silent One who ceases not tosummon and show the Way to Allah; and a Sphere without location which is notknown to anyone, nor does anyone not know it; and a Dome without supports, and arich Earth which is not based on causes desecrated by being mentioned andadulterated by Thought. For its Causes are, rather, from the Presence of Thatwhich occurs not to the mind of man, nor does the attentive ear hear its report,nor eye-sight perceive it truly.

Reality

They placed the palaquins
on thefinest workhorse camel mares,
andwithin their embroidered canopies
fullmoons and marbled statuettes.

They promised my heart
they'd return
but what are the promises of a soft girl
but illusions.

Theybeckoned goodbye,
fingertipsdyed with henna,
settears scattering
andstoked the fire.

They turned
back toward Yemen,
seeking Khawarnaq
thenSadir,

Damnit! I called
as theyleft.
Theyanswered:
If youwant to cry damn it,

Why settle for
a single, lonely damn?
Damn it, damn it,
Damn itall over!

Easynow,
dove ofthe thorn berry thicket,
herleaving
hassharpened your cry.

Your coo, dove,
stirs the lover
and inflames
thealready burning,
Meltsthe heart,
compoundsour longing
and oursigh

Death hovers
over a dove that coos.
We beg of him
a stay.

Maybea breath
from theEast wind
fromHajir
willbring us clouds of rain.

You who pasture the stars
be my drinking companion!
and you, awake-all-night lightning watcher,
my nightfriend!

Andyou who'd rather
sleepthe night away
beforeyou die
you liveentombed

If you'd only loved
a bravesouled beauty
you'd have found in her what you desired
and beensatisfied.
You'dbe sharing with the belles
intimatedrink,
speakingsecrets to the sun, and to the moon
whisperingnothing

O My Generous Master!

Youcreated this servant of Yours and 
brought him into being from a drop of water.
I do not even have the right to say I love You,
and yet I do love You. I always remember You.
I know that even my being able to remember You
is also due to Your guidance. My mentioning Your
Name of Majesty left me dizzy, bewildered, and
amazed. 
Is it possible to imagine anyone in this world
loving the Divinity and not becoming intoxicated with
such affection? So great a blessing is affection that
even if its possessor should stray into the wilderness,
the fire of his love would not allow him to feel the heat of
the desert. 
Should the lover fall into the fire, the heat of his
love would extinguish that fire. The fire of love would cause
the poles and glaciers to melt. If mountains and boulders were
piled upon the back of the lover, the fire of his love would
prevent his feeling the weight of the load. Affection makes a
person forget about hunger and thirst, and keeps him on the
road of love.

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St. Anthony plagued by demons, as imagined by Martin Schongauer, in the 1480s.

History

The Greek conception of a daemon (< δαίμων daimōn) appears in the works of Plato and many other ancient authors, but without the evil connotations which are apparent in the Septuagint translation of the Hebrew Bible and in the Greek originals of the New Testament. The medieval and neo-medieval conception of a "demon" in Western civilization (see the Medieval grimoire called the Ars Goetia) derives seamlessly from the ambient popular culture of Late (Roman) Antiquity. Greco-Roman concepts of daemons that passed into Christian culture are discussed in the entry daemon, though it should be duly noted that the term referred only to a spiritual force, not a malevolent supernatural being. The Hellenistic "daemon" eventually came to include many Semitic and Near Eastern gods as evaluated by Christianity.

The supposed existence of demons is an important concept in many modern religions and occultist traditions. In some present-day cultures, demons are still feared in popular superstition, largely due to their alleged power to possess living creatures.

In the contemporary Western occultist tradition (perhaps epitomized by the work of Aleister Crowley), a demon, such as Choronzon, the "Demon of the Abyss", is a useful metaphor for certain inner psychological processes, though some may also regard it as an objectively real phenomenon.

Some scholars^[2] believe that large portions of the demonology (see Asmodai) of Judaism, a key influence on Christianity and Islam, originated in Zoroastrianism, and were transferred to Judaism during the Persian era.

Etymology

The idea of demons is as old as religion itself, and the word demon seems to have ancient origins. The Merriam-Webster dictionary gives the etymology of the word as Greek daimon, probably from the verb daiesthai meaning "to divide, distribute." The Proto-Indo-European root *deiwos for god, originally an adjective meaning "celestial" or "bright, shining" has retained this meaning in many related Indo-European languages and cultures (Sanskrit deva, Latin deus, German Tiw, Welsh [Duw],]), but also provided another other common word for demon in Avestan daeva.

In modern Greek, the word daimon (Greek: δαίμων) has the same meaning as the modern English demon. But in Ancient Greek, δαίμων meant "spirit" or "higher self", much like the Latin genius. This should not, however, be confused with the word genie, which is a false friend or false cognate of genius.

Psychical history

Psychologist Wilhelm Wundt remarks that "among the activities attributed by myths all over the world to demons, the harmful predominate, so that in popular belief bad demons are clearly older than good ones."^[3] Sigmund Freud develops on this idea and claims that the concept of demons was derived from the important relation of the living to the dead: "The fact that demons are always regarded as the spirits of those who have died recently shows better than anything the influence of mourning on the origin of the belief in demons."

Hebrew Bible

Demons as described in the Tanakh are the same as "demons" commonly known in popular or Christian culture.

Those in the Hebrew Bible are of two classes, the se'irim and the shedim. The se'irim ("hairy beings"), to which some Israelites offered sacrifices in the open fields, are satyr-like creatures, described as dancing in the wilderness ^[4], and which are identical with the jinn, such as Dantalion, the 71st spirit of Solomon. (But compare the completely European woodwose.) Possibly to the same class belongs Azazel, the goat-like demons of the wilderness^[5], probably the chief of the se'irim, and Lilith ^[6]. Possibly "the roes and hinds of the field", by which Shulamit conjures the daughters of Jerusalem to bring her back to her lover ^[7], are faunlike spirits similar to the se'irim, though of a harmless nature.

The evil spirit that troubled Saul (I Samuel 16:14 et seq.) may have been a demon, though the Masoretic text suggests the spirit was sent by God.

Some benevolent shedim were used in kabbalistic ceremonies (as with the golem of Rabbi Yehuda Loevy), and malevolent shedim (mazikin, from the root meaning to damage) are often responsible in instances of possession. Instances of idol worship were often the result of a shed inhabiting an otherwise worthless statue;^{[citation needed]} the shed would pretend to be a God with the power to send pestilence, although such events were not actually under his control.

Influences from Chaldean mythology

In Chaldean mythology the seven evil deities were known as shedu, meaning storm-demons. They were represented in winged bull form, derived from the colossal bulls used as protective genii of royal palaces, the name "shed" assumed also the meaning of a propitious genius in Babylonian magic literature.^[8]

It was from Chaldea that the name "shedu" came to the Israelites, and so the writers of the Tanach applied the word as a dylogism to the Canaanite deities in the two passages quoted. But they also spoke of "the destroyer" (Exodus xii. 23) as a demon whose malignant effect upon the houses of the Israelites was to be warded off by the blood of the paschal sacrifice sprinkled upon the lintel and the door-post (a corresponding pagan talisman is mentioned in Isaiah lvii. 8). In II Samuel xxiv; 16 and II Chronicles xxi. 15 the pestilence-dealing demon is called "the destroying angel" (compare "the angel of the Lord" in II Kings xix. 35; Isaiah xxxvii. 36), because, although they are demons, these "evil messengers" (Psalms lxxviii. 49; A. V. "evil angels") do only the bidding of God; they are the agents of His divine wrath.

There are indications that popular Hebrew mythology ascribed to the demons a certain independence, a malevolent character of their own, because they are believed to come forth, not from the heavenly abode of God, but from the nether world ^[9].

Hebrew demons were workers of harm. To them were ascribed the various diseases, particularly such as affect the brain and the inner parts. Hence there was a fear of "Shabriri" (lit. "dazzling glare"), the demon of blindness, who rests on uncovered water at night and strikes those with blindness who drink of it;^[10] also mentioned were the spirit of catalepsy and the spirit of headache, the demon of epilepsy, and the spirit of nightmare.

These demons were supposed to enter the body and cause the disease while overwhelming or "seizing" the victim (hence "seizure"). To cure such diseases it was necessary to draw out the evil demons by certain incantations and talismanic performances, in which the Essenes excelled. Josephus, who speaks of demons as "spirits of the wicked which enter into men that are alive and kill them", but which can be driven out by a certain root,^[11] witnessed such a performance in the presence of the Emperor Vespasian,^[12] and ascribed its origin to King Solomon.

King and queen

In some rabbinic sources, the demons were believed to be under the dominion of a king or chief, either Asmodai ^[13] or, in the older Haggadah, Samael ("the angel of death"), who kills by his deadly poison, and is called "chief of the devils". Occasionally a demon is called "satan": "Stand not in the way of an ox when coming from the pasture, for Satan dances between his horns" ^[14].

According to some texts, the queen of demons is Lilith, pictured with wings and long flowing hair, and called the "mother of Ahriman" ^[15]. "When Adam, doing penance for his sin, separated from Eve for 130 years, he, by impure desire, caused the earth to be filled with demons, or shedim, lilin, and evil spirits."^[16]

Demonology never became an essential feature of Jewish theology. The reality of demons was never questioned by the Talmudists and late rabbis; most accepted their existence as a fact. Nor did most of the medieval thinkers question their reality. Only rationalists like Maimonides and Abraham ibn Ezra, clearly denied their existence. Their point of view eventually became the mainstream Jewish understanding.

Jewish rabbinic literature

Rabbinical demonology has three classes of, demons, though they are scarcely separable one from another. There were the shedim, the mazziḳim ("harmers"), and the ruḥin ("spirits"). Besides these there were lilin ("night spirits"), ṭelane ("shade", or "evening spirits"), ṭiharire ("midday spirits"), and ẓafrire ("morning spirits"), as well as the "demons that bring famine" and "such as cause storm and earthquake" (Targ. Yer. to Deuteronomy xxxii. 24 and Numbers vi. 24; Targ. to Cant. iii. 8, iv. 6; Eccl. ii. 5; Ps. xci. 5, 6.)^[17]

New Testament and Christianity

"Demon" has a number of meanings, all related to the idea of a spirit that inhabited a place, or that accompanied a person. Whether such a daemon was benevolent or malevolent, the Greek word meant something different from the later medieval notions of 'demon', and scholars debate the time in which first century usage by Jews and Christians in its original Greek sense became transformed to the later medieval sense. It should be noted that some denominations asserting Christian faith also include, exclusively or otherwise, fallen angels as de facto demons; this definition also covers the "sons of God" described in Genesis who abandoned their posts in heaven to mate with human women on Earth before the Deluge ^[18].

In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus casts out many demons, or evil spirits, from those who are afflicted with various ailments. Jesus is far superior to the power of demons over the beings that they inhabit, and he is able to free these victims by commanding and casting out the demons, by binding them, and forbidding them to return. Jesus also apparently lends this power to some of his disciples, who rejoice at their new found ability to cast out all demons. ^[19]

By way of contrast, in the book of Acts a group of Judaistic exorcists known as the sons of Sceva try to cast out a very powerful spirit without believing in or knowing Jesus, but fail with disastrous consequences. However Jesus himself never fails to vanquish a demon, no matter how powerful (see the account of the demon-possessed man at Gerasim), and even defeats Satan in the wilderness (see Gospel of Matthew).

There is a description in the Book of Revelation 12:7-17 of a battle between God's army and Satan's followers, and their subsequent expulsion from Heaven to earth to persecute humans — although this event is related as being foretold and taking place in the future. In Luke 10:18 it is mentioned that a power granted by Jesus to control demons made Satan "fall like lightning from heaven."

Augustine of Hippo's reading of Plotinus, in City of God (ch.11) is ambiguous as to whether daemons had become 'demonized' by the early 5th century:

"He [Plotinus] also states that the blessed are called in Greek eudaimones, because they are good souls, that is to say, good demons, confirming his opinion that the souls of men are demons.^[20]

The contemporary Roman Catholic Church unequivocally teaches that angels and demons are real personal beings, not just symbolic devices. The Catholic Church has a cadre of officially sanctioned exorcists which perform many exorcisms each year. The exorcists of the Catholic Church teach that demons attack humans continually but that afflicted persons can be effectively healed and protected either by the formal rite of exorcism, authorized to be performed only by bishops and those they designate, or by prayers of deliverance which any Christian can offer for themselves or others.^[21]

Christianity

Building upon the few references to daemons in the New Testament, especially the visionary poetry of the Apocalypse of John, Christian writers of apocrypha from the 2nd century onwards created a more complicated tapestry of beliefs about "demons" that was largely independent of Christian scripture.

Origin

According to the Bible, the fall of the Adversary is portrayed in Isaiah 14:12-14 and Ezekiel 28:12-19. However, the connection between Isaiah 14:12-14 and the fall is mostly based on mistranslation and tradition. The King James Version (KJV), popular among most Christian sects, reads:

"How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! [how] art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High" (Isaiah 14:12:-14).

The word "Lucifer" was inspired by the Latin Vulgate, a translation that the authors of the KJV adhered to in several occasions to elucidate Christian traditions (see KJV, "The Project"). Lucifer is a Latin word meaning "light-bearer" (from lux, lucis, "light", and ferre, "to bear, bring"), a Roman astrological term for the "Morning Star", the planet Venus. The word Lucifer was the direct translation of the Septuagint Greek heosphoros, ("dawn-bearer"); (cf. Greek phosphoros, "light-bearer") and the Hebrew Helel, ("Bright one"). The word does not specifically refer to Satan. To the contrary, in context, Isaiah 14:12-14 actually refers to one of the popular honorific titles of a Babylonian king (see Isaiah 14:4 for context); however, later interpretations of the text, and the influence of embellishments in works such as Dante's The Divine Comedy and Milton's Paradise Lost, led to the common idea in Christian mythology and folklore that Lucifer was a poetic appellation of Satan (see Lucifer for more information).

Ezekiel 28:12-19, in context, refers to the King of Tyrus (see Ezekiel 28:2 for context). The passage, however, is popularly attributed as a reference to, or allegory of, Satan, and even by some commentators, an allegory of the fall of Adam.

The Christian teachings of [source missing] built upon later Jewish traditions that the Adversary and the Adversary's host declared war with God, but that God's army, commanded by the archangel Michael, defeated the rebels. Their defeat was never in question, since God is by nature omnipotent, but Michael was given the honour of victory in the natural order; thus the rise of Christian veneration of the archangel Michael, beginning at Monte Gargano in 493, reflects the full incorporation of demons into Christianity.

According to tradition, God then cast God's enemies from Heaven to the abyss, into a newly created prison called Hell, where all God's enemies should be sentenced to an eternal existence of pain and misery. This pain is not all physical; for their crimes, these angels, now called demons, would be deprived of the sight of God, this being the worst possible punishment.

An indefinite time later (some biblical scholars believe that the angels fell sometime after the creation of living things), when God created the earth and life, the Adversary and the other demons were allowed to tempt humans or induce them to sin by other means. The first time the Adversary did this was as a serpent in the earthly paradise called the "Garden of Eden" to tempt Eve, who became deceived by Satan's evil trickery. Eve then gave Adam some of the forbidden fruit and both of their eyes were opened to the knowledge of good and evil.

Demonologies

At various times in Christian history, attempts have been made to classify these beings according to various proposed demonic hierarchies.

According to most Christian demonology demons will be eternally punished and never reconciled with God. Other theories postulate a Universal reconciliation, in which Satan, the fallen angels, and the souls of the dead that were condemned to Hell are reconciled with God. This doctrine is today often associated with the Unification Church. Origen, Jerome and Gregory of Nyssa also mentioned this possibility.

In contemporary Christianity, demons are generally considered to be angels who fell from grace by rebelling against God. Some contest that this view, championed by Origen, Augustine and John Chrysostom, arose during the 6th century. Another theory that may have preceded or co-existed with the hypothesis of fallen angels was that demons were ostracized from Heaven for the primary sin of mating with mortal women, giving rise to a race of half-human giants known as the Nephilim. That theory is accepted by some contemporary Christian sects.

There are still others who say that the sin of the angels was pride and disobedience. It seems quite certain that these were the sins that caused Satan's downfall (Ezek. 28). If this be the true view then we are to understand the words, "estate" or "principality" in Deuteronomy 32:8 and Jude 6 ("And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.") as indicating that instead of being satisfied with the dignity once for all assigned to them under the Son of God, they aspired higher.

Hinduism

Hindu mythology include numerous varieties of anthropomorphic beings that might be classified as demons, including Rakshasas (belligerent, shapechanging terrestrial demons), Asuras (demigods), Vetalas (bat-like spirits), and Pishachas (cannibalistic demons).

Asuras

Originally, Asura, in the earliest hymns of the Rig Veda, meant any supernatural spirit—good or bad. Hence even some of the devas (demigods), especially Varuna, have the epithet of Asura. In fact, since the /s/ of the Indic linguistic branch is cognate with the /h/ of the Early Iranian languages, the word Asura, representing a category of celestial beings, became the word Ahura (Mazda), the Supreme God of the monotheistic Zoroastrians. But very soon, among the Indo-Aryans, Asura came to exclusively mean any of a race of anthropomorphic but hideous demons. All words such as Asura, Daitya (lit., sons of the demon-mother "Diti"), Rakshasa (lit. from "harm to be guarded against") are translated into English as demon. These demons are inherently evil and are in a constant battle against the demigods. Hence in Hindu iconography, the gods and demigods are shown to carry weapons to kill the asuras. Unlike Christianity, the demons are not the cause of the evil and unhappiness in present mankind (which occurs on the account of ignorance from recognizing one's true self). In later Puranic mythology, exceptions do occur in the demonic race to produce god-fearing Asuras like Prahalada. Also, many Asuras are said to have been granted boons from one of the members of the Hindu trinity, viz., Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva when the latter had been appeased from penances. All Asuras, unlike the devas, are said to be mortals (though they vehemently wish to become immortal). Many people metaphorically interpret these demons as manifestations of the ignoble passions in human mind.

Evil spirits

On the account of the Hindu theory of reincarnation and transmigration of souls according to one's Karma, other kinds of demons can also be enlisted. If a human does extremely horrible and sinful karmas in his life, his soul (Atman) will, upon his death, directly turn into an evil ghostly spirit, many kinds of which are recognized in the later Hindu texts. These demons could be Grimnex Vetalas, Pishachas, Bhūtas etc.^[22]

Pre-Islamic Arab culture

Pre-Islamic mythology does not discriminate between gods and demons. The jinn are considered as divinities of inferior rank, having many human attributes: they eat, drink, and procreate their kind, sometimes in conjunction with human beings. The jinn smell and lick things, and have a liking for remnants of food. In eating they use the left hand. Usually they haunt waste and deserted places, especially the thickets where wild beasts gather. Cemeteries and dirty places are also favorite abodes. When appearing to man, jinn sometimes assume the forms of beasts and sometimes those of men.

Generally, jinn are peaceable and well disposed toward men. Many a pre-Islamic poet was believed to have been inspired by good jinn, but there are also evil jinn, who contrive to injure men.

Islam

Main article: Islamic creationism

Islam recognizes the existence of the jinn. Jinns are not the "genies" of modern lore, and they are not all evil, as demons are described in Christianity, but as creatures that co-exist with humans. In Islam the evil jinns are referred to as the shayātīn, or devils, and Iblis (Satan) is their chief. Iblis was the first Jinn who disobeyed Allah. According to Islam, the jinn are made from the light of flame of fire (ناَر [nɛ:r] deviation of نور [nu:r] "light") (and mankind is made of clay).

According to the Qur'an, Iblis was once a pious servant of Allah, but when Allah created Adam from clay, Iblis became very jealous, and arrogant and disobeyed Allah.

Adam was the first man, and man was the greatest creation of Allah. Iblis could not stand this, and refused to acknowledge a creature made of "dirt" (man). Allah condemned Iblis to be punished after death eternally in the hellfire. Allah had created hell.

Iblis asked Allah if he may live to the last day and have the ability to mislead mankind and jinns, Allah said that Iblis may only mislead those whom have forsaken Allah. Allah then turned Iblis's countenance into horridness and condemned him to only have powers of trickery.

Adam and Eve (Hawwa in Arabic) were both together misled by Iblis into eating the forbidden fruit, and consequently fell from the garden of Eden to Earth.

The word "genie" comes from the Arabic jinn. This is not surprising considering the story of `Alā' ad-Dīn, (anglicized as Aladdin), passed through Arabian merchants en route to Europe.

New Age / Shamanism

Carlos Castaneda referred to demonic predators called "flyers" which have the appearance of frightening dark shadows and which vampirize human energy. According to this view ancient humans were complete, with much greater energetic resources than effete, decadent, modern humans possess. At the time when agriculture was invented the flyers gave human beings their mind (constant internal dialogue of beliefs, ideas, social mores, expectations, and dreams of success or failure). By playing on this self-reflection, sucking the angry and worried energy it generates, the flyers began to farm human beings for energy, just as humans began farming animals. Modern humans are the hypnotized slaves of these flyers; and the pseudoconcerns of modern society are a flyer mechanism of mind control.

Science

In thought experiments scientists occasionally imagine entities with special abilities in order to pose tough intellectual challenges or to highlight apparent paradoxes. Examples include:

• Descartes’ malicious demon - Cartesian skepticism (also called methodological skepticism) advocates the doubting of all things which cannot be justified through logic. Descartes uses three arguments to cast doubt on our ability to objectively know: The dream argument, the deceiving God argument, and the malicious demon argument. ^[23] Since our senses cannot put us in contact with external objects themselves, but only with our mental images of such objects, we can have no absolute certainty that anything exists in the external world. In the evil demon argument Descartes proposes an entity who is capable of deceiving us to such a degree that we have reason to doubt the totality of what our senses tell us.
• Laplace's demon - A hypothetical all-knowing entity (later called "Laplace's Demon") who knows the precise location and momentum of every atom in the universe, and therefore could use Newton's laws to reveal the entire course of cosmic events, past and future. Based upon the philosophical proposition of causal determinism. (See also causality).
• Maxwell's demon - A demon able to distinguish between fast and slow moving molecules. If this demon only let fast moving molecules through a trapdoor to a container, the temperature inside the container would increase without any work being applied. Such a scenario would violate the second law of thermodynamics.

See also: Epicurean paradox#Epicurus

• Morton's demon - A demon who stands at the gateway of a person's senses and lets in facts that agree with that person's beliefs while deflecting those which do not. Used to explain the phenomenon of confirmation bias.

Psychiatry

M. Scott Peck, an American psychiatrist, wrote two books on the subject. ^{[24] [25]}.

Peck describes in some detail several cases involving his patients. In People of the Lie: The Hope For Healing Human Evil he gives some identifying characteristics for evil persons whom he classifies as having a character disorder. In Glimpses of the Devil, A Psychiatrist's Personal Accounts of Possession, Exorcism, and Redemption Peck goes into significant detail describing how he became interested in exorcism in order to debunk the "myth" of possession by evil spirits – only to be convinced otherwise after encountering two cases which did not fit into any category known to psychology or psychiatry. Peck came to the conclusion that possession was a rare phenomenon related to evil. Possessed people are not actually evil; they are doing battle with the forces of evil. ^[26] His observations on these cases are listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (IV) of the American Psychiatric Association.^[27]

Although Peck's earlier work was met with widespread popular acceptance, his work on the topics of evil and possession has generated significant debate and derision. Much was made of his association with (and admiration for) the controversial Malachi Martin, a Roman Catholic priest and a former Jesuit, despite the fact that Peck consistently called Martin a liar and manipulator. ^{[27] [28]} Other criticisms leveled against Peck include misdiagnoses based upon a lack of knowledge regarding dissociative identity disorder (formerly known as multiple personality disorder), and a claim that he had transgressed the boundaries of professional ethics by attempting to persuade his patients into accepting Christianity. ^[27]

In Biblical tradition, an archdemon is a spiritual entity, prominent in the infernal hierarchy.^{[citation needed]} Essentially, an archdemon is the counterpart of an archangel. Archdemons are described as the leaders of demonic hosts, just as archangels lead choirs of angels.

In the Occult tradition, there is controversy regarding which demons should be classed as archdemons. During different ages, some demons were historically 'promoted' to archdemons, others were completely forgotten, and new ones were created. In ancient Jewish lore, pagan gods of neighbouring cultures were classed as extremely pernicious in order to protect Jews from worshiping them; therefore, Baal and Astarte were among the worst enemies of God. During the Middle Ages these characterizations were no longer important, but still persisted. New ones emerged, mostly revolving around Satan and the Antichrist.

Classification by domain

It can be noted that according to each author listed below, the domain of each demon is very different (with the exception of Francesco Maria Guazzo, who seem to have copied Michael Psellus with little difference). It can also be seen that each author chooses his demons in a random form.

[edit] The Testament of Solomon

Main article: Testament of Solomon

The Testament of Solomon is an Old Testament pseudepigraphical work, purportedly written by King Solomon, in which Solomon mostly describes particular demons whom he enslaved to help build the temple, the questions he put to them about their deeds and how they could be thwarted, and their answers, which provide a kind of self-help manual against demonic activity.The date is very dubious, perhaps 1st century to 3rd century, certainly the oldest work surviving particularly concerned with individual demons.

[edit] Psellus' classification of demons

This is a classification of demons prepared by Michael Psellus in the 11th century and that undoubtedly was an inspiration for the one Francesco Maria Guazzo prepared later.

• Avoid daylight and are invisible to people
• Demons of fire, which dwell far from us...

[edit] Spina's classification of demons

Alfonso de Spina, in 1467, prepared a classification of demons based on several criteria:

• Demons of fate
• Goblins
• Incubi and succubi
• Wandering groups or armies of demons
• Familiars
• Drudes
• Demons that are born from the union of a demon with a human being.
• Liar and mischievous demons
• Demons that attack the saints
• Demons that try to induce old women to attend Sabbaths

This classification is somewhat capricious and it is difficult to find a criterion for it. It seems that Spina was inspired by several legends and stories. The drudes belong to German folklore. Familiars, goblins, and other mischievous demons belong to the folklore of most European countries.

The belief in incubi and succubae (and their ability to procreate) seem to have inspired the sixth category, but it could also have been inspired in the Talmudic legend of demons having sexual intercourse with mortal women (see also Mastema).

The visions of tempting demons that some early (and not too early) saints had, perhaps inspired the ninth category (i.e. the visions of Anthony the Great).

The idea of old women attending Sabbaths was common during the European Middle Age and Renaissance, and Spina mentioned it before the Malleus Maleficarum as it is possible to see.

[edit] Binsfeld's classification of demons

Binsfeld's classification of demons was prepared in 1589 by Peter Binsfeld. His demon classification based on the seven deadly sins, establishing that each one of the mentioned demons tempted people by means of one of those sins.

• Lucifer: pride
• Mammon: greed
• Asmodeus: lust
• Leviathan: envy
• Beelzebub: gluttony
• Satan/Amon: wrath
• Belphegor: sloth

[edit] Guazzo's classification of demons

Francesco Maria Guazzo prepared this classification of demons based on a previous work by Michael Psellus. It was published in his book Compendium Maleficarum in 1608.

• Demons of the superior layers of the air, which never establish a relationship with people.
• Demons of the inferior layers of the air, which are responsible for storms.
• Demons of earth, which dwell in fields, caves and forests.
• Demons of water, which are female demons, and destroy aquatic animals.
• Demons of the underground part of the earth, responsible of keeping hidden treasures, causing earthquakes, and causing the crumbling of houses.
• Demons of the night, which are black and evil. These demons avoid daylight.

[edit] Michaelis' classification of demons

In 1613 Sebastien Michaelis wrote a book, Admirable History, in which included a classification of demons as it was told to him by the demon Berith when he was exorcising a nun, according to the author. This classification is based in hierarchies, the sins by means of which the temptation is made, and includes the demons' adversaries (who suffered that temptation without falling).

Note that many demons' names are exclusively French or unknown in other catalogs. St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist are the two St. Johns to whom Michaelis refers. The other saints are cited only by their name without making clear, i.e., which Francis is (of Assisi?).

[edit] First Hierarchy

• Beelzebub: arrogance; adversary, St. Francis
• Leviathan: attacks Christian religious beliefs; adversary, St. Peter
• Asmodai: lust; adversary: St. John
• Berith: murdering and blasphemy; adversary, St. Barnabas
• Astaroth: laziness and vanity; adversary, St. Bartholomew
• Verrin: impatience; adversary, St. Dominic. See Verrine
• Gressil: impurity, uncleanness and nastiness; adversary, St. Bernard
• Sonneillon: hate; adversary, St. Stephen.

[edit] Second Hierarchy

• Lilith: first wife of Adam, succubus
• Azazel: the Angel of Death

[edit] Third Hierarchy

• Belial: arrogance; adversary, St. Francis of Paula
• Olivier: fierceness, greediness and envy; adversary, St. Lawrence
• Jouvart: sexuality; adversary, not cited.

[edit] Barrett's classification of demons

Francis Barrett, in his book The magus (1801), offered this classification of demons, making them princes of some evil attitude, person or thing:

• Mammon: seducers
• Asmodai: vile revenges
• Satan: witches and warlocks
• Pithius: liars and liar spirits
• Belial: fraud and injustice
• Merihem: pestilences and spirits that cause pestilences
• Abaddon: war, evil against good
• Astaroth: inquisitors and accusers

[edit] Classification by month

During the 16th century, it was believed that each demon had more strength to accomplish his mission during a special month of the year. In this way, he and his assistants' powers would work better during that month.

• Belial in January
• Leviathan in February
• Satan in March
• Belphegor in April
• Lucifer in May
• Berith in June
• Beelzebub in July
• Astaroth in August
• Thammuz in September
• Baal in October
• Asmodai in November
• Moloch in December

The classification of demons by month seems to have astrological implications more than religious ones.

Classification by office

There were also classifications by office, like those written in several grimoires.

Le Dragon Rouge (or Grand Grimoire)

Like many works of mystical nature, Le Dragon Rouge (or the Red Dragon) claims to come from Solomon and his priests and is said to be published in 1517 by Alibeck the Egyptian. However, it was most likely written in France in the 18th century.

The grimoire details the different hosts of hell and their powers, describing how to enter a pact with them to attain the magicians' goals. The demons of hell are classified by three different tiers from Generals to Officers.

Elite, veteran members of Le Dragon Rouge bear a ring of an onyx stone with the form of Le Dragon Rouge in red enamel for official stamping of letters between members.

[edit] Pseudomonarchia Daemonum

Pseudomonarchia Daemonum, by Johann Weyer, is a grimoire that contains a list of demons and the appropriate hours and rituals to conjure them in the name of God, Jesus and the Holy Ghost (simpler than those cited by The Lesser Key of Solomon below).

This book was written around 1583, and lists sixty-eight demons. The demons Vassago, Seir, Dantalion and Andromalius are not listed in this book. Pseudomonarchia Daemonum does not attribute seals to the demons. Weyer said to have been inspired by another grimoire also attributed to King Solomon.

[edit] The Lesser Key of Solomon

Main article: The Lesser Key of Solomon

The Lesser Key of Solomon or Lemegeton Clavicula Salomonis is an anonymous 17th century grimoire, and one of the most popular books of demonology. The Lesser Key of Solomon contains detailed descriptions of spirits and the conjurations needed to invoke and oblige them to do the will of the conjurer (referred to as the "exorcist"). It details the protective signs and rituals to be performed, the actions necessary to prevent the spirits from gaining control, the preparations prior to the invocations, and instructions on how to make the necessary instruments for the execution of these rituals.

The author of The Lesser Key of Solomon copied Pseudomonarchia Daemonum almost literally, but added demons' descriptions, their seals and details.

Christian demonology is the study of demons from a Christian point of view. It is primarily based on the Bible (Old Testament and New Testament), the exegesis of these scriptures, the scriptures of early Christian philosophers and hermits, tradition, and legends incorporated from other beliefs.

One relatively recent example of Christian demonology is the book War On The Saints, by Jessie Penn-Lewis, which purports to reveal what demons are, how they work at gaining possession, how to recognize their workings, how to oppose them, and how to free oneself and others from demon possession.

[edit] Development

See also: Demonology

In monotheistic religions, the deities of other religions are sometimes interpreted or created as demons.^[1] The evolution of the Christian Devil and pentagram are examples of early rituals and images that showcase evil qualities, as seen by the Christian churches.

Since early Christianity, demonology has developed from a simple acceptance of demons to a complex study that has grown from the original ideas taken from Jewish demonology and Christian scriptures. Christian demonology is studied in depth within the Roman Catholic Church,^[2] although many other Christian churches affirm and discuss the existence of demons.^[3][4]

St. Albertus Magnus said of demonology, "A daemonibus docetur, de daemonibus docet, et ad daemones ducit" ("It is taught by the demons, it teaches about the demons, and it leads to the demons").^[5]

[edit] The nature of demons

See also: Demonic possession

[edit] Origins

According to the Book of Revelation (Rev 12:9), demons are the angels that fell from heaven (fallen angels) with Satan when he chose to rebel against God.

According to the apocryphal Book of Enoch, the disembodied spirits of the Nephilim are demons. Enoch explains; ‘And now, the giants, who are produced from the spirits (Angels) and flesh, shall be called evil spirits upon the earth, and on the earth shall be their dwelling. Evil spirits have proceeded from their bodies; because they are born from men and from the holy Watchers is their beginning and primal origin; they shall be evil spirits on earth, and evil spirits shall they be called. [As for the spirits of heaven, in heaven shall be their dwelling, but as for the spirits of the earth which were born upon the earth, on the earth shall be their dwelling.] And the spirits of the giants afflict, oppress, destroy, attack, do battle, and work destruction on the earth, and cause trouble: they take no food, but nevertheless hunger and thirst, and cause offences. And these spirits shall rise up against the children of men and against the women, because they have proceeded from them. From the days of the slaughter and destruction and death of the giants, from the souls of whose flesh the spirits, having gone forth, shall destroy without incurring judgement’. (Enoch15v8-12, 16v1. C.H.Charles.)

In John 8:44 Jesus calls the Devil "the first homicide" ("he was a murderer from the beginning" in the King James Version), perhaps referring to the murdering of Abel by Cain, a liar, and father of all lies.

[edit] Number of demons

The number of demons, at least according to Christian demonology, is high. It can be deduced from the fact that the Bible mentions fallen angels, and not only one. Much has added to the growth of the number of demons when Christian theology said that all Pagan deities were demons.

In early times of Christianity it was accepted an unknown number of demons, but later, during the Late Middle Ages, some demonologists tried to evaluate this number.

Some scholars did not accept a unique number of demons. Gregory of Nyssa, in the 4th century, supported the idea that demons procreated with other demons and with women, believing in the existence of male and female demons.

Other scholars supported the idea that the number of demons was unique and they could not procreate.

As it had been said by Christian theology that there were 400 million angels, Alfonso de Spina calculated that about one third of them were demons, and in 1467 he asserted that the number of demons was 133,316,666 demons. This idea of one third of the angels turned into demons seems to be due to an exegesis of the Book of Revelation 12:3-9.

Johann Weyer, in his Pseudomonarchia Daemonum (1583) after a complicated system of hierarchies and calculations, estimated the number of demons in 44,435,622, divided in 666 legions, each legion composed by 6,666 demons, and all of them ruled by 66 hellish dukes, princes, kings, etc. He forgot to add the rulers of these rulers to the total, but not to mention them in his book. Besides, the number of legions mentioned by Weyer varies in different editions of his book.

The Lesser Key of Solomon (17th century) copied the division in legions from Pseudomonarchia Daemonum but added more demons, and so more legions; anyhow, its anonymous author did not calculate the number of demons cited in this work. According to the editions of this book, the number also varies.

It is suggestive that both Spina and Weyer used the 666 and other numbers composed by more than one 6 to calculate the number of demons (133,316,666 demons, 666 legions, 6,666 demons in each legion, 66 rulers).

[edit] Characteristics

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In Christian tradition, demons like angels, are spiritual, immutable, and immortal. Demons are not omniscient, but each one has a specific knowledge (sometimes on only one subject, sometimes on more than one). Their power is limited to that which God allows, so they are not omnipotent. No reference has been made about omnipresence, so it is as yet unclear if they can be in different places at the same time, but according to the tradition of the medieval witches' Sabbath, two conclusions can be reached: either the Devil can be in different places at the same time, or he sends an emissary in his name.^{[citation needed]}

Christian demonology states that the mission of the demons is to induce humans to sin, often by testing their faith in God. Christian tradition holds that temptations come from three sources: the world, the flesh, and the devil.

It is also believed that demons torment people during their life, like the case of Job or through possession, causing disgraces^{[citation needed]} or simply showing themselves before persons to frighten them, or by provoking visions that could induce people to sin or to be afraid. (Matthew 17:15-16)

Demons are also believed to try to make people abandon the faith, commit heresy or apostasy, remain or turn themselves Pagan or venerate "idols" (the Christian term for cult images), and gain the highest number of "Satans" or adversaries of God. (Ephesians 6:12)

[edit] Appearance

Referring to their appearance, demons can take any desired appearance, even that of an "angel of light" (2 Corinthians 11:14). Nevertheless, they were generally described as ugly and monstrous beings by Christian demonologists. Many of these descriptions have inspired famous painters like Luca Signorelli, Hieronymus Bosch, Goya, the artist that made the drawings for the Dictionnaire Infernal, and others.

The Devil in particular has been popularly symbolised as various animals, including the serpent, the goat and the dragon.

Incubi and succubi are described as being beautiful in order to accomplish their mission of seduction.

The idea that demons have horns seems to have been taken from the Book of Revelation 13:1 (here it seems that John was inspired by Leviathan) and 13:11. The book of Revelation seems to have also inspired some depictions of demons (Revelation 13:1-2). This idea has also been associated with the depiction of certain ancient gods like Moloch and the shedu, etc, which were portrayed as bulls, as men with the head of a bull, or wearing bull horns as a crown.

Concerning the weight of the demons, since the 17th century people affirmed that they were heavier than common humans.

About the colour of the demons' skin, since early times it was associated with black, thinking that they assumed the appearance of a black man, although not all descriptions agreed, giving demons very different aspects. Satan and other demons were also often depicted as black-dressed men, often riding a black horse. When demons appeared in the shape of animals, often they were black.

Henri Boguet and some English demonologists of the same epoch asserted that witches and warlocks confessed (under torture) that demons' bodies were icy. During the 17th century this belief prevailed.

[edit] Demonic abilities

Demonic supernatural powers are believed to include fabrication, psychokinesis, levitation, divination, possession, seduction, ESP, telepathy, witchcraft, and curses, as well as binding, making contracts, controlling the classical elements, animal control, and provocation. Demons use variants and combinations of these powers to harass, demoralize, confuse, and disorient the victim, or the willing subject of demonic interest. All of these attacks can be nulled by God, effect or scope of these Demonic attacks. A fictional example,but based on actual events of the above is featured in the movie The Exorcist.

Demons are believed to have the power to physically or mentally hurt people, but only within the boundaries of what God will allow. Demons can destroy anything material on the earth; these supernatural powers are always inferior to the power of God. God may use His will to cancel or destroy any effect the demon chooses to invoke. Demons, assumably, are granted permission to test, bring about trials, and to tempt people through the use of their destructive powers, to make people prove their faith, sometimes as a means to carry out the will of the Lord. Often Demons are said to creating negative emotions, wreaking havoc, ensuing chaos, and disrupting peace.^[6][7]

[edit] Incarnation of demons

The incarnation of the demons has been a problem to Christian demonology and theology since early times. A very early form of incarnation of demons was the idea of demon possession, trying to explain that a demon entered the body of a person with some purpose or simply to punish that one for some allegedly committed sin. But this soon acquired greater proportions, trying to explain how demons could seduce people to have sexual relationships with them or induce them to commit other sins. To Christian scholars demons didn't always have to manifest themselves in a visible and possible tangible form. Sometimes it was through possession.

[edit] History

New Testament via possession (analogous to invocation)

There are some biblical mentions of the incarnation of demons, similar in result to possession as in invocation, in the New Testament, according to the Matthew, Mark and Lukeas they could be seen and heard, as well as banished.

Matthew 8:16 When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with [his] word, and healed all that were sick:

Mar 1:23-27 And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, Saying, Let [us] alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him. And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine [is] this? for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him.

Matthew 8:28-33 And when he Jesus was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way.And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time? And there was a good way off from them an herd of many swine feeding.So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine. And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters. And they that kept them fled, and went their ways into the city, and told every thing, and what was befallen to the possessed of the devils.

Other sources via incarnation (analogous to evocation)

Basil of Caesarea also who wrote on this subject. He believed that demons, to materialise, had to condense vapours and with them form the body of a person or animal, then entering that body as if it were a puppet to which they gave life. Henry More supported this idea, saying that their bodies were cold due to the solidification of water vapour to form them (see below). Many authors believed that demons could assume the shape of an animal, preferably black.

It seems that until the first millennium, when the fear for the coming of the Antichrist reached proportions that were out of control, the appearance of demons was not a significant problem. But since this moment on, demons acquired a terrible appearance in the mind of those who believed to have seen them.

Raoul Glaber, a monk of Saint-Léger, Belgium, seems to have been the first in writing about the visit of a demon of horrible aspect in his Historiarum suis temporis, Libri quinque (History of his time, Book five).

Augustine thought that demons often were imaginary, but sometimes could enter human bodies, but later accepted the idea of the materialisation of demons. Thomas Aquinas followed Augustine's idea, but added that demonic materialisation had sexual connotations because demons tried to seduce people to commit sexual sins.

Ambrogio de Vignati, disagreeing with other authors, asserted that demons, besides of not to have a material body could not create it, and all what they seemed to do was a mere hallucination provoked by them in the mind of those who had made a diabolical pact or were "victims" of a succubus or incubus, including the sexual act.

[edit] Sexuality of demons

(See main article Sexuality in Christian demonology)

Most theologians agreed that demons acted first as succubae to collect sperm from men and then as incubi to put it into a woman's vagina.^[8] But as many of them agreed also in the fact that demons' bodies were icy, they reached the conclusion that the frozen sperm taken first from a man could not have generative qualities. Albertus Magnus and Thomas Aquinas wrote that demons acted in this way but could fecundate women. Ulrich Molitor and Nicholas Remy disagreed in the fact that women could be impregnated; besides, Remy thought that a woman could never be fecundated by another being than a man. Heinrich Kramer and Jacob Sprenger (authors of the Malleus Maleficarum) adopted again an intermediate position; they wrote that demons acted first as succubae and then as incubi,^[9] but added the possibility that incubi could receive semen from succubae, but they considered that this sperm could not fecundate women.

Peter of Paluda and Martin of Arles among others supported the idea that demons could take sperm from dead men and impregnate women. Some demonologists thought that demons could take semen from dying or recently deceased men, and thus dead men should be buried as soon as possible to avoid it.

[edit] Diabolical symbols

Inspired by the Book of Revelation 13:18 the number 666 (the Number of the second Beast) was attributed to the Antichrist and to the Devil.

According to medieval grimoires, demons each have a Diabolical signature or seal with which they sign diabolical pacts. These seals can also be used by a conjurer to summon and control the demons. The seals of a variety of demons are given in grimoires such as The Great Book of Saint Cyprian, Le Dragon Rouge and The Lesser Key of Solomon.

The pentagram, which has been used with various meanings in many cultures (including Christianity, in which it denoted the five wounds of Christ), is sometimes considered a diabolical sign when inverted (one point downwards, two points up). Such a symbol may appear with or without a surrounding circle, and sometimes contains the head of a male goat, with the horns fitting into the upper points of the star, the ears into the side points, the beard into the lowest one, and the face into the central pentagon.

An inverted (upside-down) crucifix has also been considered a symbol of both the Devil and the Antichrist, as has the upside down cross- although more traditionally it is the symbol of Saint Peter.

[edit] Other views

Not all Christians accept that demons exist in a literal sense. There is the view that the New Testament language of exorcism is an example of the language of the day being employed to describe the healings of what today would be classified as epilepsy, mental illness etc.^[10]

[edit] See also

• Classification of the demons
• Deliverance ministry
• Demon possession
• Demonic hierarchy
• Demons and animals
• Exorcism
• Incarnation of the demons
• Names of the demons
• Nigromancy
• Grimoire
• Fall of man

[edit] Literature: Demonologies from Christian and Pagan perspectives

• Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica (1274)--Christian
• The Sworn Book of Honorius (13th century)--Witchcraft
• Nicholas Magni, Tractatus de superstitionibus (1405)--Christian
• Johannes Hartlieb, Buch aller verpoten kunst (1456)--Witchcraft
• The Book of Abramelin (1450s)--Witchcraft
• Heinrich Kramer and Jacob Sprenger, Malleus Maleficarum (1486)--Christian
• Martin of Arles, Tractatus de superstitionibus (1515)--Christian
• Key of Solomon (16th century)--Witchcraft
• Nicholas Remy, Daemonolatreiae libri tres (1595)--Christian

[edit] References

A folk devil is a person or group of people who are portrayed in folklore or the media as outsiders and deviant, and who are blamed for crimes or other sorts of social problems. (compare scapegoat)

The pursuit of folk devils frequently intensifies into a mass movement that is called a moral panic. When a moral panic is in full swing, the folk devils are the subject of loosely organized but pervasive campaigns of hostility through gossip and the spreading of urban legends. The mass media sometimes get in on the act or attempt to create new folk devils to create controversies (see To Catch a Predator). Sometimes the campaign against the folk devil influences a nation's politics and legislation.

The concept of the folk devil was introduced by sociologist Stanley Cohen in 1972, in his study Folk Devils and Moral Panics, which analysed media controversies concerning Mods and Rockers in the United Kingdom of the 1960s. The basic pattern of agitations against folk devils can be seen in the history of witchhunts and similar manias of persecution; in many predominately Protestant countries, there is history of anti-Catholicism in which many Catholics were seen as folk devils; minorities and immigrants have often been seen as folk devils; in the long history of anti-Semitism, which frequently targeted Jews with allegations of dark, murderous practices, such as blood libel; or the Roman persecution of Christians that blamed the military reverses suffered by the Roman Empire on the Christians' abandonment of paganism.

More recent folk devils have included the McCarthyite persecution of alleged Communists; Satanists and allegations of Satanic ritual abuse; blaming video games and violence, Goths, and other youth subcultures or musical genres for the Columbine massacre; pedophiles; racial issues from making either certain races a folk devil or racists themselves; people from certain countries (e.g. Mexico) for problems in the USA, Islam for terrorism.

Imp

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The references in this article or section may not meet Wikipedia's guidelines for reliable sources. Please help by checking whether the references meet the criteria for reliable sources. Further discussion may be found on the talk page. This article has been tagged since July 2007.

The Lincoln Imp (at the bottom of the upper V)

Old woodcut showing woman feeding imps

An imp is a mythological being similar to a fairy or demon, frequently described in folklore and superstition. The word derives from the term ympe, used to denote a young grafted tree.

Imps are usually described as mischievous more than seriously threatening, and as lesser beings rather than more important supernatural beings. The attendants of the devil are sometimes described as imps. They are usually described as lively and having small stature.

[edit] Folklore

Some accounts of imps treat them as capable of being turned to good, because they are so desperately lonely they would do almost anything—even commit good deeds—to have a committed friend.

The Ancient Greek demigod Pan has some features in common with an imp, but this is unlikely to be a direct connection, since the imp concept probably belongs to Germanic rather than Hellenic tradition. However, imps are sometimes described as fond of music, and capable of being charmed into making a promise to aid, and "do good" in that manner through music—though there is always likely to be some mischievous trick to be attached to the barter.^{[citation needed]}

Imps were the common name given to familiar spirits that served witches in the middle ages. Imps were usually kept inside artifacts such as gemstone pieces or vials and summoned for service by magics. An example of such an imp is one that was supposedly under the service of the alchemist Paracelsus.

[edit] References in popular culture

• In the comic books of DC Comics, imps are extra-dimensional beings from the fifth dimension. Imps sometimes travel to the third dimension (the main DC universe) where they have power over the fabric of reality. Imps include Mr. Mxyzptlk, Bat-Mite, Qwsp, and Thunderbolt.
• In the Soul Eater anime and manga, there is an imp in the mind of Soul since he was cut by Ragnarok.
• In the Doom series of video games, Imps are demonic foot soldiers from Hell, and the most commonly-encountered demon enemy. They attack the player with fireballs they generate from their hands, or by slashing with their claws when up close.
• Imps are featured in World of Warcraft as a Warlock pet.
• In RuneScape, imps are portrayed as the size of baby demons. They are weak, pesky, and have a bad rep as thieves. Before a graphics update, imps were portrayed as Gnomes wearing devil costumes.
• In The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, Link's fairy refers to Skull Kid on more than one occasion as an imp. Also, in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, one of the main characters in the game is an imp named Midna, whom Link must fight along with to save her world.
• In the later seasons of hit television show Dharma & Greg, Dharma frequently refers to Gregg as an "imp" (for some unknown reason, this is never explained by the producer, Chuck Lorre).
• In Discworld book series by Terry Pratchett portable appliance - like Iconographs and Dis-organisers - is powered by Imps.
• In the famous children's cartoon story in India, called Mayavi, the protagonist Mayavi himself is an Imp.
• In Digimon Tamers, there is one main digimon charecter named Impmon.
• In Guild Wars, Imps are a common enemy in a certain region of the game and a spawn able fire version can be carried.

List of theological demons

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is a list of demons, including both specific demons (e.g. Satan) and types of demons (e.g. succubus), all have been considered demons by one or more religions, though in some cases a demon in one religion may be a god or goddess in another.

The names of many demons have several spellings. If you do not find what you are looking for on this page try the search engine. If the demon is listed here under another name it will show you the title of the article which text matches. Just type the word in the box on the left side of your screen and then click on the search button or press enter. If you find that the article title exists but is not listed here under any name, you can edit the page and add the link.

[edit] A

• Amon(Aamon) (Christian demonology)
• Abaddon (Christian demonology)
• Abalam (Christian demonology)
• Abraxas (Gnosticism)
• Abyzou (Jewish mythology)
• Ad-Dajjal (a.k.a. Dajjal) (Islamic eschatology)
• Adramelech (Assyrian mythology)
• Aeshma (Zoroastrianism)
• Agaliarept (Jewish mythology)
• Agares (Christian demonology)
• Agiel (Jewish mythology)
• Ahriman/Angra Mainyu (Zoroastrianism)
• Aim (Christian demonology)
• Akem Manah/Akoman/Akvan (Zoroastrianism)
• Ala (Slavic mythology)
• Alal (Chaldean mythology)
• Alastor (Christian demonology)
• Alloces (Christian demonology)
• Allu (Akkadian mythology)
• Amaymon (Christian demonology)
• Amdusias (Christian demonology)
• Ammut (Egyptian mythology)
• Anamalech (Assyrian mythology)
• Anzu (Sumerian mythology)
• Amon (Christian demonology)
• Amy (Christian demonology)
• Andhaka (Hindu mythology)
• Andras (Christian demonology)
• Andrealphus (Christian demonology)
• Andromalius (Christian demonology)
• Antichrist (Christian demonology)
• Apep (a.k.a. Apophis) (Egyptian mythology)
• Apollyon (Christian demonology)
• Armaros (Christian demonology)
• Asag (Sumerian mythology)
• Asb'el (Jewish mythology)
• Asmodai/Asmodeus (Jewish folklore and Christian demonology)
• Astaroth (Christian demonology)
• Astarte (Semitic mythology)
• Asura (Hindu mythology)
• Azazel (Jewish demonology) and (Islamic mythology)
• Azi Dahaka/Dahak (Zoroastrianism)

[edit] B

• Baal (Christian demonology)
• Balam (Christian demonology)
• Balberith (Jewish demonology)
• Bali Raj (Hindu mythology)
• Banshee (Irish mythology)
• Baphomet (Demon, or image/idol thereof)
• Barbas (Christian demonology)
• Barbatos (Christian demonology)
• Bathin (Christian demonology)
• Beelzebub (Jewish demonology, Christian demonology)
• Behemoth (Jewish demonology)
• Beherit (Phoenician mythology)
• Belial (Jewish demonology, Christian demonology)
• Beleth (Christian demonology)
• Belphegor (Christian demonology)
• Berith (Christian demonology)
• Bies (Slavic Mythology)
• Bifrons (Christian demonology)
• Boruta (Slavic mythology)
• Botis (Christian demonology)
• Buer (Christian demonology)
  

  

  Buer, the 10th spirit, who teaches "Moral and Natural Philosophy" (from the Mathers and Liddell 1995 edition).
• Bukavac (Slavic mythology)
• Bune (Christian demonology)
• Bushyasta (Zoroastrianism)

[edit] C

• Caacrinolaas (Christian demonology)

• Caim (Christian demonology)
• Charun (Etruscan mythology)
• Chemosh (Moabite mythology)
• Chupacabra (Latin American mythology)
• Cimejes (Christian demonology)
• Corson (Christian demonology)
• Crocell (Christian demonology)
• Crone (Christian demonology)
• Culsu (Etruscan mythology)

[edit] D

• Dagon (Semitic mythology)
• Dantalion (Christian demonology)
• Danjal (Jewish mythology)
• Dasa (Hindu mythology)
• Davy Jones (sailor lore)
• Decarabia (Christian demonology)
• Demogorgon (Christian demonology)
• Devil (Christian demonology)
• Div-e Sepid (Persian mythology)
• Djinn (Islamic mythology)
• Donn (Irish mythology)
• Drekavac (Slavic mythology)
• Dumah (Jewish demonology)

[edit] E

• Eligos (Christian demonology)
• Empusa (Greek mythology)
• Euryale (Greek mythology)
• Eurynome (Greek mythology)
• Eurynomos (Greek mythology)

[edit] F

• Familiars (Christian demonology)
• Focalor (Christian demonology)
• Foras (Christian demonology)
• Forneus (Christian demonology)
• Furies (Roman mythology)
• Furcas (Christian demonology)
• Furfur (Christian demonology)

[edit] G

• Gader'el (Jewish demonology)
• Gaki (Japanese mythology)
• Glasya-Labolas (Christian demonology)
• Gorgon (Greek mythology)
• Gremory (Christian demonology)
• Grigori (Jewish demonology)
• Gusion (Christian demonology)

[edit] H

• Haagenti (Christian demonology)
• Halphas (Christian demonology)
• Haures (Christian demonology)
• Humbaba (Sumerian mythology, Akkadian mythology)

[edit] I

• Ifrit (Islamic mythology)
• Incubus (Christian demonology, Chaldean mythology, Jewish folklore)
• Ipos (Christian demonology)
• Iblis (Islamic mythology)

[edit] J

• Jinn (Islamic mythology)
• Jikininki (Japanese mythology)

[edit] K

• Kabhanda (Hinduism)
• Kitsune (Japanese mythology)
• Kobal (Christian demonology)
• Kokb'ael (Jewish demonology)
• Kulak (Christian demonology)

[edit] L

• Labal (Christian demonology)
• Lady Midday (Slavic Mythology)
• La Llorona (Latin American Myth)
• Lamia (Bulgarian folklore, Christian demonology and Greek mythology)
• Legion (Christian demonology)
• Lechies (Slavic mythology)
• (Leyak AKA Leak) (Indonesian/Bali demonology)
• Lempo (Finnish mythology)
• Leraje (Christian demonology)
• Leviathan (Jewish demonology, Christian demonology)
• Lilim (Jewish folklore)
• Lilith (Sumerian mythology, Akkadian mythology, Jewish folklore)
• Lilin (Jewish demonology)
• Lix Tetrax (Jewish/Christian demonology)
• Lucifer (Christian demonology)
• Lucifuge Rofocale (Christian demonology)

[edit] M

• Malphas (Christian demonology)
• Mammon (Christian demonology)
• Mara (Buddhist mythology, Scandinavian folklore)
• Maricha (Hindu mythology)
• Marax (Christian demonology)
• Marbas (Christian demonology)
• Marchosias (Christian demonology)
• Mastema (Jewish demonology)
• Mathim (Christian demonology)
• Medusa (Greek mythology)
• Mephistopheles (Christian folklore)
• Merihem (Christian demonology)
• Mictlantecuhtli (Aztec mythology)
• Mojo (African mythology)
• Moloch (Christian demonology)
• Murmur (Christian demonology)

[edit] N

• Naamah (Jewish demonology)
• Naberius (Christian demonology)
• Naberus (Christian demonology)
• Naphula (Christian demonology)
• Nekomata (Japanese mythology)
• Neqa'el (Egyptian mythology)
• Ninurta (Sumerian mythology, Akkadian mythology)
• Nix (North-European folklore)
• Nyai Loro Kidul (a.k.a. Nyi Roro Kidul) (Javanese mythology)

[edit] O

• Obizoth (Christian demonology)
• Onoskelis (Greek mythology)
• Oray (Christian demonology)
• Orcus Roman Mythology
• Oriax (Christian demonology)
• Orobas (Christian demonology)
• Ose (Christian demonology)
• Oni (Japanese demonology)

[edit] P

• Paimon (Christian demonology)
• Pazuzu (Sumerian mythology, Akkadian mythology)
• Penemue (Jewish mythology)
• Phenex (Christian demonology)
• Pithius (Christian demonology)
• Pocong (Melayu, Indonesian demonology)
• Pontianak (a.k.a. Kuntilanak) (Indonesian demonology)
• Popobawa (Zanzibar demonology)
• Procell (Christian demonology)
• Pruflas (Christian demonology)
• Psoglav (Slavic Mythology)
• Purson (Christian demonology)
• Putana (Hindu mythology)

[edit] Q

[edit] R

• Raging Demon (Christian demonology)
• Rahab (Jewish folklore)
• Rahovart (European folklore)
• Raiju (Japanese mythology)
• Rakshasa (Hindu mythology)
• Rangda (Balinese mythology)
• Raum (Christian demonology)
• Ravana (Hindu mythology - also seen by some Hindus as an aspect of the God Shiva)
• Razakel (European folklore)
• Ronove (Christian demonology)
• Rosier (Christian demonology)
• Rumjal (Jewish demonology)
• Rusalka (Slavic mythology)

[edit] S

• Sabnock (Christian demonology)
• Saiko (Christian demonology)
• Sallos (Christian demonology)
• Salpsan, Satan's son (Apocryphal Gospel of Bartholomew)
• Samael (Jewish demonology)
• Satan (Jewish demonology, Christian demonology, Islamic mythology)
• Satanachia (Christian demonology)
• Scox (Christian demonology)
• Seere (Christian demonology)
• Semyazza (Jewish demonology)
• Set (Egyptian mythology during the Second Intermediate Period)
• Shaitan (Islamic mythology)
• Shax (Christian demonology)
• Shedim (Jewish folklore)
• Shezmu (Egyptian mythology)
• Sidragasum (Christian demonology)
• Sitri (Christian demonology)
• Stheno (Greek mythology)
• Stolas (Christian demonology)
• Stuhać (Slavic Mythology)
• Succubus (Sumerian mythology, Akkadian mythology, Jewish folklore, Christian demonology)
• Surgat (Christian demonology)

[edit] T

• Tannin (Jewish demonology)
• Tartaruchi (Apocryphal Christian demonology)
• Temeluchus (Apocryphal Christian demonology)
• Teeraal (Babylonian mythology)
• Tengu (Japanese Mythology Buddhist demon and Shinto spirit or god)
• Titivillus (Christian demonology)
• Tuyul (Indonesian demonology)

[edit] U

• Ukobach (Christian demonology)
• Utukku (Akkadian mythology - but could be good or evil in Sumerian mythology)

[edit] V

• Valefar (Christian demonology)
• Vapula (Christian demonology)
• Vassago (Christian demonology)
• Vepar (Christian demonology)
• Verrine (Christian demonology)
• Vine (Christian demonology)
• Volac (Christian demonology)
• Vual (Christian demonology)
• Vucub Caquix (Mayan mythology)

[edit] W

• Wendigo (Native American Mythology)

[edit] X

• Xaphan (Christian demonology)

[edit] Y

• Yeqon (Jewish demonology)
• Yeter'el (Christian demonology)
• Yokai (Japanese folklore)
• Yuki-Onna (Japanese folklore)

[edit] Z

• Zaebos (Christian demonology)
• Zagan (Christian demonology)
• Zepar (Christian demonology)
• Zmeu (Romanian folklore)
• Zin (West African folklore)
• Ziz (Jewish Demonology)

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

• Demon Hierarchy lists: - A hierarchical list of demons from each grimoire.
• Underworld Demon Names
• Origin of Demons By Tom Brown

[edit] Christian views on demons

• Angels and Demons in Christianity
• What are Demons?
• The New Testament's Demons/Daemones/Daimones (The Pre-Christian Origins of)
• Doctrines of Demons
• Demons and the Christian Skeptic
• All about demons"(a.k.a. diabolical spirits, evil spirits, unclean spirits, devils, etc.)

[edit] Other views on demons

• Demons and the Occult in Tarot Cards

Azrael

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Artistic depiction of Azrael, the Angel of Death.

Azrael is the Islamic Archangel of Death. He is also the Angel of Death in Judeo-Christian extrabiblical tradition and folklore. It is an English form of the Arabic name Azra'il (عزرائيل) or Azra'eil (عزرایل), the name traditionally attributed to the angel of death in Islam and some Hebrew lore.^[1] The Qur'an never uses this name, referring instead to Malak al-Maut (which translates directly as angel of death). It is also spelled Izrail, Izrael, Azrail, Ezraeil, Azraille, Azryel, or Ozryel. Chambers English dictionary uses the spelling Azrael. The name literally means Whom God Helps.^[1]

[edit] Background

Although some sources have speculated about a connection between Azrael and the human priest Ezra,^[2] he is generally depicted as an archangel whose history long predates this figure.^[3] Rather than merely representing death personified, Azrael is usually described in Islamic sources as subordinate to the will of God "with the most profound reverence."^[4] In Jewish mysticism he is identified as the embodiment of evil, not necessarily or specifically death itself.^[1] Depending on the outlook and precepts of various religions in which he is a figure, Azrael may be portrayed as residing in the Third Heaven.^[5] In one of his forms, he has four faces and four thousand wings, and his whole body consists of eyes and tongues, the number of which corresponds to the number of people inhabiting the Earth. He will be the last to die, recording and erasing constantly in a large book the names of men at birth and death, respectively.^[6]. The angel of death is seen as many different ways to different religions.

[edit] In art and literature

Azrael, as both a character or a more abstract concept has been adopted by many different artists, musicians, poets, and authors over the centuries to express or evoke a variety of different meanings or emotions in the reader – often drawing on the cultural resonance of the name for effect.

Depiction of Azrael by Mikhail Vrubel.

In literature, Azrael has been featured by a variety of authors, across a broad range of styles and countries. Recently in the West, he has been written about by Terry Pratchett in both Reaper Man and Good Omens, the latter coauthored by Neil Gaiman and as the main character in Anne Rice's "Servant of the Bones." He also forms part of the underworld pantheon in the Dragon King series by Stephen Lawhead. Philip Pullman's Lord Asriel from His Dark Materials might also be an allegory for Azrael. The playwright Arthur Miller wrote in Azrael as a character in "The Creation of Life and Other Business", while the Mexican poet Amado Nervo wrote a poem entitled Azrael. The character has even found a place in popular culture – emerging as a costumed superhero named Azrael in the fictional Batman universe, and in the French graphic novel "Poulet aux prunes". Mimi Force, one of the teen vampires in the Blue Bloods series by Melissa de la Cruz, is supposed to be the reincarnated version of Azrael. He even formed the title of the CSI: NY episode "Here's To You, Mrs. Azrael", featuring a homicidal mother. Also, he appeared as a character played by Jason Lee in the Kevin Smith movie Dogma though in a vastly different interpretation, as a fallen muse and demon, rather an angelic assassin. In music, Azrael has been written about in both songs and albums by such varied acts as Demons & Wizards, Coil, The Nice, Crimson Glory and VNV Nation – classically, Asrael is a symphony by Czech composer Josef Suk, dating from 1906. In the comic book genre, writer Marc Guggenheim wrote Azrael as the warrior/angel of death whom Wolverine has to fight every time he suffers a lethal wound in order to save his soul, which is returned to his physical body if he is victorious.^[7]. It is also the name of the Wizard Gargamel's cat in the cartoon The Smurfs and the name of the leader of the fictional chapter of Space Marines from Games Workshop known as the Dark Angels. The Swedish black metal band Marduk named one of their songs Azrael, on their album La Grande Danse Macabre. The name also features in the 1996 PC game Azrael's Tear; the game also featured a specific Biblical quote relating to Azrael's function as Angel of Death. The song Cyanide by heavy metal band Metallica is said to be conceptually inspired by Azrael. Also, in the Playstation 2 game 'Chaos Legion', Azrael is the second last boss fought after Victor and before a possesed version of Selia, being the final boss.

Memnoch the Devil (1995) is the fifth novel in Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles series, following The Tale of the Body Thief. In this story, Lestat is approached by the Devil himself and offered a job.

Plot summary

After stalking and killing Roger, a ruthless but enthrallingly passionate mobster, Lestat is approached by his ghost. Roger's ghost asks him to take care of his daughter Dora, a devout and popular television evangelist, whom he wants to spare from embarrassment. At the same time, he is becoming increasingly paranoid that he's being stalked by a powerful force. Lestat and his companions try to protect her "church" from the fact that her father was a killer.

Eventually, Lestat meets the Devil, who calls himself "Memnoch". He takes Lestat on a whirlwind tour of Heaven, Hell, and the main epochs in the evolution of the universe. The tour offers a retelling of the entirety of biblical history from the devil's point of view, in an effort, by Memnoch, to convince Lestat to join him in a noble quest. In his journey, Memnoch claims he is not evil but merely working for God by ushering lost souls into Heaven. Lestat is left in confusion, unable to decide whether or not to cast his lot with the Devil.

After the tour, Lestat believes himself to have had a major revelation. Among other things, he believes that he has seen Christ's crucifixion and that he has received Saint Veronica's Veil. He has also lost an eye in Hell. He tells his story to Armand, David Talbot, and Dora, who have joined him in New York. Dora and Armand are deeply affected upon seeing the veil. Dora takes it and reveals it to the world, and Armand goes into the sun and immolates himself in order to convince people that a miracle has occurred.

At the end of the novel, Lestat and David go to New Orleans. There, Maharet returns Lestat's eye to him, along with a note from Memnoch. This note reveals that Memnoch may have been manipulating Lestat to serve his own agenda. Lestat then loses control of himself and Maharet is forced to chain him in the basement of the St. Elizabeth's convent, which is owned by the vampires, so that he will not hurt himself or others. When he is at last released, Lestat enters a prolonged coma on the floor of St. Elizabeth's (in which he remains for the next installment of the Vampire Chronicles).

Although the novel fits in the The Vampire Chronicles storyline, the vast majority of it consists of the "tour" Memnoch gives Lestat of Heaven, Hell, and of the cosmology and theology behind it all.

The novel follows up on claims made by David Talbot in The Tale of the Body Thief, that God and the Devil are on better terms than most Christians believe. It also reinterprets biblical stories to create a complete history of Earth, Heaven, and Hell that fit neatly with the history of vampires given in The Queen of the Damned.

[edit] Characters

[edit] Lestat (vampire)

The main character of the story and the past three books (the first being about Louis), Lestat, was created by a powerful vampire named Magnus, who promptly cremated himself after creating his heir. Lestat is a relatively "good" vampire, only feeding on those he deems evil after reading their minds.

Fond of breaking rules and creating chaos, Lestat decides to become a rock star in the late 20th century, outing himself as a vampire through his lyrics, which also incorporated vampiric lore. When the "mother" and "father" of all vampires are awakened by Lestat's music, a chain reaction was set off that had global consequences for both humanity and immortal. After killing her husband, the so-called Queen of the Damned, Akasha, is set on slaying as many of her progeny as possible, also slaughtering mortal men, in a bid to create a new female dominated world. Simultaneously horrified at her actions, and drawn to her intoxicating power, Lestat ultimately seduced her with his good looks and eloquent speech, then betrayed her. He also made the man named David Talbot a vampire by force, although it was against vampire law. David subconsciously wanted to become a vampire, but kept his urges secret because he did not want to be a man-killing monster. Lestat relieved him of the need to choose.

[edit] Dora (human)

Is a devout Christian who has a cable TV show. She is very beautiful and very charismatic. She is waiting for a miracle to inspire her.

Dora is the daughter of Roger. She won’t take anything from Roger because he is a mobster. Lestat becomes obsessed with her in the process of hunting her father. Despite the warnings of his vampire kin, he reveals himself to her, and she takes it as the miracle she’s been awaiting. When Lestat brings her Veronica's veil Dora starts her own religion.

[edit] Veronica (human)

Based on Saint Veronica and her veil. It's mentioned in the course of the book that Veronica derives from Vera Ikon or "true icon" and did not actually exist.

[edit] Roger (human/ghost)

Roger is a mobster who runs a successful drug ring selling cocaine. He loves his daughter, Dora, very much. When Dora’s mother wants a divorce and tries to take custody over her, he kills her but Dora does not know this. After his death, he haunts Lestat, describing his own life and commanding Lestat to watch over Dora from then on.

[edit] God/Jesus (God/superior seraph)

God is the angel who created the other angels. He does not know how he came to be, and therefore created the universe and life in an attempt to better understand himself.

In this story God is portrayed in a different way than he is often portrayed in other stories.

[edit] Memnoch (fallen angel/the Devil)

Memnoch is the fallen angel of legend. He has long been the 'best' of the angels, but has always defied God and asked why humans should suffer and not immediately be placed in Heaven. Because of these questions and other actions that he makes, he is put in charge of preparing the souls for their ascent into Heaven.

[edit] Cosmology

The universe as revealed to Lestat by the Devil follows the following cosmology:

• God is a powerful being worshiped by angels since before the existence of matter and time. The Earth was his creation, because of this angels spent much time admiring his handywork. However, this god does not appear to be omniscient. Despite assurances, Memnoch claims to have changed God's opinion on the importance and unnaturalness of humanity.
• Through evolution, creatures on the earth developed the image of angels, and a "flame" of life which allowed pain and death. Eventually humans developed their own souls, invisible forces similar to angels. This surprises and shocks many of the angels. These souls collect in confusion around the world in a realm that the angels describe as "Sheol", or the Gloom, attempting to come to terms with their existence. Such interventions caused the tales of spirits, reincarnation, and the first vampires.
• The book also mentions the addle-brained spirits that were never human, that are mentioned in The Queen of the Damned and The Witching Hour. Memnoch explains these as being of two origins. The first is angels that fell in love with certain parts of nature and became the spirits of the rocks, mountains, and trees (and therefore did not return to Heaven) and the "invisible ones", incorporeal beings who never interacted with the angels. Neither were ever human souls because both established themselves before human souls developed.
• Memnoch, an archangel, becomes impatient with God's constant assurances that all is well, despite the pain and suffering of life and death. Memnoch vehemently criticizes God's plan, accusing God of lacking vision and benevolence. Memnoch decides to fully experience the special nature of humanity by creating a physical form and sleeping with a woman. God bans Memnoch from heaven, causing Memnoch to impart his vast knowledge of science to humanity, in retaliation, and thus inadvertently founding civilization, during which time Memnoch realizes that the characteristic that sets humans apart is their ability to love and feel passionate.
• When God invites Memnoch to Heaven to explain his disturbance of the natural order of creation, Memnoch persuades God to allow him to find souls who are suitable for Heaven. After thousands of years wandering Sheol, Memnoch discovers an especially powerful group of souls who have forgiven God and appreciate the grandness of all creation. God accepts these souls into Heaven, permanently changing it forever.
• God is highly pleased with the new composition of Heaven, but Memnoch continues to accuse God of not showing concern for the other souls of Sheol. Memnoch finally loses trust in God and demands that he should take human form to understand passion, and, in fury, God banishes Memnoch from Heaven.
• While Memnoch is in exile, God admits some of his angel's wisdom and takes on a human form, Jesus. God believes that by appearing in human form, performing miracles, suffering and dying, he will create a religion that will allow more humans to attain Heaven by reverence and fear. This is in sharp contrast to Memnoch's approach of attaining purity through love and experience of the wonders of creation, and the two confront each other in the desert.
• Memnoch is awed and shocked by God's sacrifice. Nevertheless, he argues that God did not put himself through enough. Unlike a regular human, when God died on the cross, he knew that he would survive, and thus could never have known the true suffering of Man. Man does not know his soul will survive and thus suffers. God knew he would survive death, and could not truly know what it was to be a human. For God, this complaint is the last straw, he declares Memnoch as his adversary and commands him to rule Sheol and Earth in a satanic form, preparing souls for Heaven in his own fashion.
• Working in the Sheol, Memnoch creates a form of Hell, a place where people who have been bad in life (and all vampires), will be punished until their souls are able to understand the joy of creation and the light of God enough to be ready for Heaven.
• Memnoch doesn't like this work, and is constantly asking God to appoint someone else to the job (as David Talbot witnesses in the previous Vampire Chronicles novel).

[edit] Controversy

Not surprisingly, Memnoch the Devil came under severe criticism from Christians, especially fundamentalist Christian denominations, as being heretical. The reasons included, but were not limited to:

• Rice's portrayal of God as a flawed being.
• The idea of Hell as purgatory, and therefore not eternal.
• The idea that Jesus' sacrifice was insufficient.
• The acceptance of evolution in a theological context.
• The complete absence of dogma needed for Heaven or Hell.

In particular, several scenes were considered downright blasphemous, such as when Lestat drinks Jesus' blood (he was given the offer by Jesus himself), to confirm that he is truly divine.

On the other hand, Rice's cosmology has precedents. Her concept of a sphere of souls can be (roughly) compared with the noosphere hypothesis of Roman Catholic theologian Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, whose book appears briefly in the Tale of the Body Thief.

According to some Christian theology, many Pagan deities are demons. So, when names of demons are spoken, one must consider that they were incorporated to Christian demonology, as were Jewish demons, Pagan deities, folkloric supernatural beings, and sometimes imaginary names given by people interrogated under torture during the witch trials, by mentally ill persons (energumens) that were considered possessed, imaginative priests, etc.

In this way, we have Jewish names like Asmodai (Book of Tobit), Azazel (Leviticus 16:8-10), or Belial (Deuteronomy 13:13, Book of Judges 19:22, Books of Samuel, part 1, 1:16, 2:12 10:27 and 25:17, and part 2 16:7 and 22:5, Books of Kings part 1, 21:10-13, Books of Chronicles, part 1, 13:7); Semitic deities like Adramelech, Baal (see Baal (demon), Baal was also a general Jewish name for a false god), Ashtaroth (derived from Astarte); Greek, Roman and Egyptian names like Bifrons (See Bifrons (demon)), Lamia, Phoenix (see Phenex); and so on. All biblical references were taken from the Vulgate.

Lilith, a female demon important in Judaism, does not count in Christian demonology. However, the newer generation of demonologists (and some modern exorcists/deliverance counsellors) recognize Lilith as a general demon, the argument being that if other Judaic demons exist in Christian demonology, so should Lilith as well, introducing her as the wife of Samael, and as a princess and queen of Hell. Also, from the aforementioned 'everything other than God and His angels, if spirit, is demon' vein of reasoning - we find valid logical reasoning for there being a 'Lilith demon' - if simply to create confusion and add validity to the following of Lilith as deity.

Some grimoires like The Great Book of Saint Cyprian, Le Dragon Rouge, Pseudomonarchia Daemonum and The Lesser Key of Solomon (see Ars Goetia) among others provide us of more of these names.

Sebastien Michaelis in his classification of demons (see Michaelis' classification of demons) gives more names.

Abaddon, an angel of destruction extracted from the Bible (Book of Revelation 9:11) was also incorporated as a different demon.

Lucifer, Beelzebub and Satan, were originally one Devil who was transmogrified into three different characters by demonology and the Devil remained as such. Beelzebub was a separate entity in Judaism, later appearing as a fallen angel, and Satan is the leader of fallen angels: while Lucifer was originally an unnamed angel, the one who talked Satan into joining him in the rebellion. Whether all three (as well as other names such as Baal) are considered the same being or different depends on opinion.

Goblins, drudes, Familiars and other folkloric creatures became part of Christian demonology.

Thus there is little agreement on who is whom, for many names that originally were only one being have been separated into several entities. Others have been "created" by people, like Sonnilon, Olivier (demon), Raum, etc. Many demons have several spellings of their names, not all of them with a valid fundament.

Some of these demons are mentioned in the bible, but have no official names, such as the Raging Demon, or some of the demons that were cast out by Christians during the time of the New Testament, or by Jesus Christ.

Oni in pilgrim's clothing. Tokugawa period. Hanging scroll, ink and color on paper. 59.2 cm x 22.1 cm

Oni (鬼^?) are creatures from Japanese folklore, variously translated as demons, devils, ogres or trolls. They are popular characters in Japanese art, literature and theatre.

Depictions of oni vary widely but usually portray them as hideous, gigantic, creatures with sharp claws, wild hair, and two long horns growing from their heads. They are humanoid for the most part, but occasionally, they are shown with unnatural features such as odd numbers of eyes or extra fingers and toes. Their skin may be any number of colors, but red and blue are particularly common.

They are often depicted wearing tiger-skin loincloths and carrying iron clubs, called kanabō (金棒^?). This image leads to the expression "oni with an iron club" (鬼に金棒, oni-ni-kanabō^?), that is, to be invincible or undefeatable. It can also be used in the sense of "strong beyond strong", or having one's natural quality enhanced or supplemented by the use of some tool.

Origins

The word "oni" is sometimes speculated to be derived from on, the on'yomi reading of a character (隠) meaning to hide or conceal, as oni were originally invisible spirits or gods which caused disasters, disease, and other unpleasant things. These nebulous beings could also take on a variety of forms to deceive (and often devour) humans. Thus a Chinese character (鬼) meaning "ghost" came to be used for these formless creatures.

The invisible oni eventually became anthropomorphized and took on its modern, ogre-like form, partly via syncretism with creatures imported by Buddhism, such as the Indian rakshasa and yaksha, the hungry ghosts called gaki, and the devilish underlings of Enma-Ō who punish sinners in Jigoku (Hell).

[edit] The Demon Gate

A statue of a red oni wielding a kanabō.

Another source for the oni's image is a concept from China and Onmyōdō. The northeast direction was once termed the kimon (鬼門, "demon gate"), and was considered an unlucky direction through which evil spirits passed. Based on the assignment of the twelve zodiac animals to the cardinal directions, the kimon was also known as the ushitora (丑寅), or "ox tiger" direction, and the oni's bovine horns and cat-like fangs, claws, and tiger-skin loincloth developed as a visual depiction of this term.

Temples are often built facing that direction, and Japanese buildings sometimes have L-shaped indentions at the northeast to ward oni away. Enryakuji, on Mount Hiei northeast of the center of Kyoto, and Kaneiji, in that direction from Edo Castle, are examples. The Japanese capital itself moved northeast from Nagaoka to Kyoto in the 8th century.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Traditional culture

Some villages hold yearly ceremonies to drive away oni, particularly at the beginning of Spring. During the Setsubun festival, people throw soybeans outside their homes and shout "Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!" ("鬼は外！福は内！"^?, "Demons out! Luck in!"). Monkey statues are also thought to guard against oni, since the Japanese word for monkey, saru, is a homophone for the word for "leaving". In Japanese versions of the game tag, the player who is "it" is instead called the "oni".

In more recent times, oni have lost some of their original wickedness and sometimes take on a more protective function. Men in oni costumes often lead Japanese parades to ward off any bad luck, for example. Japanese buildings sometimes include oni-faced roof tiles called onigawara (鬼瓦^?), which are thought to ward away bad luck, much as gargoyles in Western tradition.

Oni are prominently featured in the Japanese children's story Momotaro (Peach Boy), and the book The Funny Little Woman.

Many Japanese idioms and proverbs also make reference to oni. For example, the expression oya-ni ninu ko-wa oni-no ko (親に似ぬ子は鬼の子^?) means literally "a child that does not resemble its parents is the child of an oni," but it is used idiomatically to refer to the fact that all children naturally take after their parents, and in the odd case that a child appears not to do so, it might be because the child's true biological parents are not the ones who are raising the child. Depending on the context in which it is used, it can have connotations of "children who do not act like their parents are not true human beings," and may be used by a parent to chastise a misbehaving child. Variants of this expression include oya-ni ninu ko-wa onigo (親に似ぬ子は鬼子^?) and oya-ni ninu ko-wa onikko (親に似ぬ子は鬼っ子^?).

[edit] Popular Culture

Some popular manga and anime series also make references to oni, most notably Rumiko Takahashi's Urusei Yatsura, in which the female lead, Lum Invader, is an oni alien, and is depicted wearing a two-piece tiger-skin bikini. Shinohara Chie's manga Ao no Fuuin uses oni as a main theme when the female protagonist is a descendant of a beautiful oni queen who wants to resurrect her kind. Takahashi's Ranma 1/2 also features a story in which one of the characters, Kasumi Tendo, is possessed by an oni, causing her to behave in uncharacteristically "evil" (yet humorous) ways.

Michael (archangel)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Guido Reni's archangel Michael (in the Capuchin church of Santa Maria della Concezione, Rome) tramples Satan.

Michael (Hebrew: מִיכָאֵל‎, Micha'el or Mîkhā'ēl; Greek: Μιχαήλ, Mikhaíl; Latin: Michael or Míchaël; Arabic: میکائیل‎, Mikā'īl) is an archangel, one of the principal 50 angels in Christian and Islamic tradition. He is viewed as the field commander of the Army of God. He is mentioned by name in the Book of Daniel^[1] and the Book of Revelation.^[2] In the book of Daniel, Michael appears as "one of the chief princes"^[3] who in Daniel's vision comes to the angel Gabriel's aid in his contest with the angel of Persia (Dobiel), and is also described there as the advocate of Israel and "great prince who stands up for the children of your [Daniel's] people".^[4]

The Talmudic tradition rendered Michael's name as meaning "who is like El?". In recent years, a popular mistake has become to translate the name as "One who is like God." It is, however, meant as a question: "Who is like the Lord?" The name was said to have been the battle cry of the angels in the war in heaven against Satan and his followers.

Much of the late Midrashic detail about Michael was transmitted to Christianity through the Book of Enoch, whence it was taken up and further elaborated. In late medieval Christianity, Michael, together with Saint George, became the patron saint of chivalry, and of the first chivalric order of France, the Order of Saint Michael of 1469. In the British honours system, a chivalric order founded in 1818 is also named for these two saints, the Order of St Michael and St George. St Michael is also considered in many Christian circles as the patron saint of the warrior. Police officers and soldiers, particularly paratroopers, regard him as their patron. He is also a patron of Germany^[5] and of the city of Brussels.^[6]

Roman Catholics refer to him as "Saint Michael the Archangel" and also simply as "Saint Michael". Orthodox Christians refer to him as the "Taxiarch Archangel Michael" or simply "Archangel Michael". The Urantia Book often refers to Michael as "Michael of Nebadon",or Christ Michael.^{[citation needed]}

Islam

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article contains Arabic text, written from right to left in a cursive style with some letters joined. Without proper rendering support, you may see unjoined Arabic letters written left-to-right, instead of right-to-left or other symbols instead of Arabic script.

Islam's basic creed (shahadah) written on a plaque in the Great Mosque of Xi'an, China

For other meanings, including people named 'Islam', see Islam (disambiguation).

Islam (Arabic: الإسلام; al-'islām (help·info); pronounced [ɪs.ˈlæːm]^{[note 1]}) is a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion originating with the teachings of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, a 7th century Arab religious and political figure. The word Islam means "submission", or the total surrender of oneself to God (Arabic: الله‎, Allāh).^[1] An adherent of Islam is known as a Muslim, meaning "one who submits [to God]".^[2][3] The word Muslim is the participle of the same verb of which Islām is the infinitive. There are between 1 billion and 1.8 billion Muslims, making Islam the second-largest religion in the world, after Christianity.^[4]

Muslims believe that God revealed the Qur'an to Muhammad, God's final prophet, through the angel Gabriel, and regard the Qur'an and the Sunnah (words and deeds of Muhammad) as the fundamental sources of Islam.^[5] They do not regard Muhammad as the founder of a new religion, but as the restorer of the original monotheistic faith of Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and other prophets. Islamic tradition holds that Jews and Christians distorted the revelations God gave to these prophets by either altering the text, introducing a false interpretation, or both.^[6]

Islam includes many religious practices. Adherents are generally required to observe the Five Pillars of Islam, which are five duties that unite Muslims into a community.^[7] In addition to the Five Pillars, Islamic law (sharia) has developed a tradition of rulings that touch on virtually all aspects of life and society. This tradition encompasses everything from practical matters like dietary laws and banking to warfare and welfare.^[8] Almost all Muslims belong to one of two major denominations, the Sunni (85%) and Shi'a (15%). The schism developed in the late 7th century following disagreements over the religious and political leadership of the Muslim community. Islam is the predominant religion in much of Africa and the Middle East, as well as in major parts of Asia.^[9] Large communities are also found in China, the Balkan Peninsula in Eastern Europe and Russia. There are also large Muslim immigrant communities in other parts of the world, such as Western Europe. About 20% of Muslims live in Arab countries,^[10] 30% in the Indian subcontinent and 15.6% in Indonesia, the largest Muslim country by population.^[11]

*****Masajid in the Paterson, NJ Vicinity, Google Maps Link*****

Currently Featured Mosques

Kalon Mosque Bukhara, Uzbekistan		Mezquita de Cordoba Cordoba, Spain		The Prophet's Mosque Medina, Saudi Arabia
Blue Mosque Istanbul, Turkey		Niu Jie Mosque Beijing, China		Ibn Tulun Mosque Cairo, Egypt

Mosques Index China Beijing: Niu Jie Mosque Xi'an: Great Mosque Egypt Alexandria: Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi Cairo: Ibn Tulun Mosque Cairo: Sultan Hassan Mosque England London: Finsbury Park Mosque London: Regent's Park Mosque France Lyon: Grand Mosque Paris: Mosquée de Paris Iraq Karbala: Mosques of Husayn, Abbas Najaf: Mosque of Imam Ali Israel & West Bank Jerusalem: Al-Aqsa Mosque Jerusalem: Dome of the Rock Jerusalem: Mosque of the Ascension Jerusalem: Mosque of Omar Mali Great Mosque of Djenné Morocco Casablanca: Hassan II Mosque Fes: Kairaouine Mosque Pakistan Islamabad: Faisal Mosque Lahore: Badshahi Mosque Saudi Arabia Mecca: Al Masjid Al-Haram Medina: The Prophet's Mosque Spain Córdoba: Mezquita-Catedral Madrid: Mezquita Toledo: Mezquita del Cristo de la Luz Seville: La Giralda (minaret only) Syria Aleppo: Great Mosque Bosra: Historic Mosques Damascus: Umayyad (Great) Mosque Damascus: Shrine of Sayidda Zeinab   Damascus: Tekkiye Mosque Switzerland Geneva: Centre Islamique Geneva: Fondation Culturelle Islamique Turkey Istanbul: Beyazit MosqueIstanbul: Blue Mosque Istanbul: Eyüp Sultan Mosque Istanbul: Fatih Mosque Istanbul: Fethiye Mosque Istanbul: Hagia Sophia Istanbul: Küçük Ayasofya Istanbul: New Mosque (Yeni Camii) Istanbul: Süleymaniye Mosque Istanbul: Zeyrek Mosque Konya: Alaeddin Mosque Selçuk (Ephesus): Isabey Mosque USA Islamic Center of Washington Uzbekistan Bukhara: Kalon Mosque and Minaret Bukhara: Maghoki-Attar MosqueMosque Arabic: masjid (small)  jamā¢a (large) CONTENT 1. History and Development a. Conversion from churches b. The first 80 years c. Introduction of the minaret d. Extended functions 2. Administration 3. Rules for mosque House of prayer in Islam. The English word, "mosque", comes from the Egyptian Arabic "masgid", while in common Arabic it is "masjid." A mosque is symbolically very important to Muslims, being a humble way for humans to recreate pure divine presence on earth. But mosques are not built according to divine patterns (as is alleged by many other religions) — they are simply divinely guided. The main religious texts provide no clear rules as to what a mosque should look like. Mandatory elements for a mosque include that it should point the direction to Mecca (this direction is called qibla). This indication in most mosques is a mihrab, a niche in the wall. The area in front of the mihrab must be roofed. In the wall of the mihrab there can be no doors. As for the other walls, there can be as many doors as the builders want. There are 2 types of mosques: the main mosque is called jama'a, and is the one where the Friday prayer is recited. The jama'as are often richly adorned. In English, the term jama'a is rarely used, "Friday Mosque" or "Great Mosque" being the common term. The other type of mosque is called masjid, and is the local and smaller mosque. While these can be richly adorned, they can seldom be compared to the jama'as. Masjid is a word meaning 'place for prostration' and they were used by the early Muslims for houses of worship, even at times for other religions. Today the Arabic 'masjid', and the English 'mosque', are used exclusively for the religious houses of Islam. With the significant increase in jama¢as (main mosques) after the 9th century, the term 'masjid' came more and more to be used for small and insignificant mosques. Mosques form centres in cities, or in neighbourhoods of cities. This function does not always have to be structured, but it can be connected to mentality, so that the establishment of a new mosque often facilitates the emergence of a city centre. This characteristic was typical in older days, but is becoming more and more unusual. Very few mosques lie in open areas, and very few mosques do not have shops and commercial activities in the streets around it. People's houses are often lying in a second "circle" around the mosque and the shops. Other social functions that have often been connected to mosques, include schools, law courts, hospitals and lodging for travellers. This pattern is based upon the Madina mosque, but is of less importance today, since city planning more and more uses Western models. History and Development The original mosque is the one in Mecca. It is built around the area that surrounded the Ka'ba in pre-Islamic times. This mosque, and the Ka'ba, are the holiest shrines of Islam. The basic model for early mosques, however, was the courtyard of Muhammad's house in Madina, which was constructed in 622 CE. This was organized with a qibla, which at first faced in the direction of Jerusalem. To the left of this qibla, houses for Muhammad's wives, were erected. There were three entrances to the courtyard. An area of the courtyard was roofed, and here prayer was offered. After 1.5 years the direction of the qibla was changed, in order to face Mecca. This Madina mosque had social, political, and judicial functions, in addition to housing Muhammad's family. The religious functions were mixed with other functions. Rules on how prayers should be offered seem not to have been defined during this first period, much because this was the period during which the Koran was revealed to Muhammad: the rules had not yet been given. In addition to the early mosques of Mecca and Madina, there are sources indicating other contemporary mosques in other towns. Mosques soon evolved more complex and uniform shapes. A minbar, the pulpit, from where the Friday prayer is held, was placed next to the mihrab. Within a few years after the death of Muhammad, mosques became such important symbols, that when Muslim conquerors established themselves somewhere, a mosque erected first, and then the military camp was built around it. This building process was inspired by the Madina example. But in the cases where the Muslims conquered principal cities, they constructed the mosque in the place that was the centre of the religion of the conquered people. As Islam began, tribes and sects often marked their independence or their purity by erecting mosques of their own or by defining a certain part of the mosque as their part. This approach has changed down through history, but the situation today is not as tolerant as it might appear. Muslims of all creeds are in theory free to enter all mosques, but a Muslim of one orientation will in reality find mosques used by Muslims of other orientations inappropriate. A travelling Muslim will try to find a mosque which is used by people belonging to his own creed, usually defined by one's Sunni, Shi'i and Ibadi adherence. Mosques under control of the government or dominated by Islamists are considered inappropriate by many. But as for the jama'as, the largest mosques, these are considered neutral, and are used by Muslims of all creeds. Conversion from churches Many mosques of the first centuries, were originally churches. When churches were converted into mosques, this was naturally against the will of the Christians, but this wasn't always a big problem. In many regions, Christianity had lost its position, so the churches were simply turned into mosques over time. Muslims could actually use the churches since they were religious buildings and since Christianity was considered as a kin religion to Islam. This typically meant that both Christianity and Christians were regarded with respect by Muslims. Over time, many Christians gradually converted to Islam, and eventually, the building's use was more appropriate as a mosque than as a church. Most mosques today are closed to non-Muslims, but this was a regulation that was developed in the first century of Islam. There was an increase in the emphasis on the sanctity of the mosque, more and more elements of the mosque were regarded as sacred, and any mosque was commonly regarded as "bayt allah," the "House of God." The first 80 years The design of the mosques developed in a short time from being very simple to becoming complex structures. In the first mosques in Hijaz minimal attention was paid to the form of the mosques. The time during which the mosque assumed the current pattern was only 80 years. The form taken by mosques was often the product of a mix of architectural styles from the conquered territories and of the original pattern of Muhammad's mosque. Introduction of the minaret The first minaret (the tower from which the call to prayer is made) was probably erected in 703, in Kairouan, Tunisia, almost 80 years after the Madina mosque. But there are written materials suggesting that minarets were erected as early as 665 CE. The minaret was absent in the early mosques, and its addition was inspired by religious buildings of other religions. The main influence probably came from the churches of Syria. The implementation of minarets was both for embellishment of the mosques, and for functionality. High up in the minaret, the muezzin calls to prayer (adhan) could be heard much further away than if it were performed from the roof of the mosque. Nevertheless, for some time after the introduction of the minaret, the adhan would be performed with the muezzin walking through the streets while calling to prayer. The addition of adornments to the mosques was hotly debated, and many Muslims opposed this process, thinking of it as a way to jeopardize the purity of Islam, by introducing foreign and Christian elements. Extended functions Over time, many rooms were added to the mosque, rooms used by people of different social classes, used to carry out various professional responsibilities, and offered to travellers, sick and old. Devout and ascetics often lived in the mosque, perhaps even in the minaret. Other elements inside a mosque include: Dakka; a platform, from where the muezzin calls to prayer, after he has done this from the minaret. Kursi; a desk and a seat, for the Koran and for the reader. Reliquaries, where bodies, parts of bodies, or belongings of deceased religious personalities are kept. Carpets covering the floor of mosques Lights, both candles and lamps, used for illumination, but not ritually Incense, used especially in conjunction with festivals Water, in the courtyard, both for ablutions, and for drinking Administration The mosques have often been built by rulers, and the administration of the mosques has been financed by waqfs, endowments bringing in revenues. These waqfs were normally agricultural land, often administered by the donor, or members of his family, and could in some cases have a location far away from the mosque it financed. There could be more than one waqf for each mosque. Mosques with economic problems, often sought donors. While mosques officially have been administered by the rulers, direct control has been difficult, largely because of the economic independence (provided by the waqfs), as well as the mosque's status in popular opinion. The primary donor, and his family, was in many cases legally considered the owner of the mosque. In other cases it was the qadi, the judge of Sharia, who acted as the main administrator, nazir, of the mosque. The power of the nazir was considerable, and the position of the nazir have often given place to intense conflicts between individuals and groups. The factual leader of salat in the mosques, was the ruler, who held the title, imam. Local administrators, had a parallel position, with the title ala salat. The actual main leader of the mosque was the khatib. His role was to perform the salat on Fridays, since the imam could not attend. This salat is called khutba. The khatib could be a qadi, and in larger mosques, several khatibs could be appointed. Rules for mosque When entering the mosque, a person should take off his shoes or sandals. Entering the mosque is done with the right foot first, while pronouncing blessings upon Muhammad and his family. Once inside the mosque, two rak'a (part of the salat) are to be performed. A person inside the mosque speaks softly, not loudly, so that he or she does not disturb people praying. For the Friday prayer, nice clothes and perfumes are recommended. Women are not prevented by either the Koran or the Sunna from entering mosques, but there are regulations as to how a woman in a mosque should behave. Mosques can be segregated, either in time, or in space. But through most of Muslim history, women entering mosques have not been welcomed by men. Mosques have in many cases been closed to women, a tradition either regulated by local rules or by habit. Women have, therefore, resorted to pray in their homes. While the salat can be performed anywhere, it is considered more meritorious when performed in the mosque, i.e. together with other people. The Sunna states that salat in the mosque is 20 or 25 times more valuable than the one performed in the home. The Friday prayer or sermon, khutba, is considered to be compulsory for all male Muslims. The regulations for the khutba developed over a long period, approximately 2 centuries.

Mosque Photo Galleries Aleppo: Great Mosque 31 photos Cairo: Muhammad Ali Mosque 33 photos Córdoba: The Mezquita 106 photos Damascus: Sayidda Zeinab 18 photos Damascus: Umayyad Mosque 92 photos Islamabad: Faisal Mosque 29 photos Istanbul: Blue Mosque 65 photos Istanbul: Suleymaniye 34 photos Jerusalem: Al-Aqsa Mosque 22 photos Jerusalem: Dome of the Rock 64 photos Lahore: Badshahi Mosque 67 photos Mecca: Al-Haram Mosque 34 photos Medina: The Prophet's Mosque 34 photos

Translations of the Qur'an

The Chapters of the Qur'an:

1. AL-FATIHA (THE OPENING)
2. AL-BAQARA (THE COW)
3. AAL-E-IMRAN (THE FAMILY OF 'IMRAN, THE HOUSE OF 'IMRAN)
4. AN-NISA (WOMEN)
5. AL-MAEDA (THE TABLE, THE TABLE SPREAD)
6. AL-ANAAM (CATTLE, LIVESTOCK)
7. AL-ARAF (THE HEIGHTS)
8. AL-ANFAL (SPOILS OF WAR, BOOTY)
9. AT-TAWBA (REPENTANCE, DISPENSATION)
10. YUNUS (JONAH)
11. HUD (HUD)
12. YUSUF (JOSEPH)
13. AR-RAD (THE THUNDER)
14. IBRAHIM (ABRAHAM)
15. AL-HIJR (AL-HIJR, STONELAND, ROCK CITY)
16. AN-NAHL (THE BEE)
17. AL-ISRA (ISRA', THE NIGHT JOURNEY, CHILDREN OF ISRAEL)
18. AL-KAHF (THE CAVE)
19. MARYAM (MARY)
20. TA-HA (TA-HA)
21. AL-ANBIYA (THE PROPHETS)
22. AL-HAJJ (THE PILGRIMAGE)
23. AL-MUMENOON (THE BELIEVERS)
24. AN-NOOR (THE LIGHT)
25. AL-FURQAN (THE CRITERION, THE STANDARD)
26. ASH-SHUARA (THE POETS)
27. AN-NAML (THE ANT, THE ANTS)
28. AL-QASAS (THE STORY, STORIES)
29. AL-ANKABOOT (THE SPIDER)
30. AR-ROOM (THE ROMANS, THE BYZANTINES)
31. LUQMAN (LUQMAN)
32. AS-SAJDA (THE PROSTRATION,WORSHIP, ADORATION)
33. AL-AHZAB (THE CLANS, THE COALITION,THE COMBINED FORCES)
34. SABA (SABA, SHEBA)
35. FATIR (THE ANGELS, ORIGNATOR)
36. YA-SEEN (YA-SEEN)
37. AS-SAAFFAT (THOSE WHO SET THE RANKS,DRAWN UP IN RANKS)
38. SAD (THE LETTER SAD)
39. AZ-ZUMAR (THE TROOPS, THRONGS)
40. AL-GHAFIR (THE FORGIVER (GOD) )
41. FUSSILAT (EXPLAINED IN DETAIL)
42. ASH-SHURA (COUNCIL, CONSULTATION)
43. AZ-ZUKHRUF (ORNAMENTS OF GOLD, LUXURY)
44. AD-DUKHAN (SMOKE)
45. AL-JATHIYA (CROUCHING)
46. AL-AHQAF (THE WIND-CURVED SANDHILLS, THE DUNES)
47. MUHAMMAD (MUHAMMAD)
48. AL-FATH (VICTORY, CONQUEST)
49. AL-HUJRAAT (THE PRIVATE APARTMENTS, THE INNER APARTMENTS)
50. QAF (THE LETTER QAF)
51. ADH-DHARIYAT (THE WINNOWING WINDS)
52. AT-TUR (THE MOUNT)
53. AN-NAJM (THE STAR)
54. AL-QAMAR (THE MOON)
55. AR-RAHMAN (THE BENEFICENT, THE MERCY GIVING)
56. AL-WAQIA (THE EVENT, THE INEVITABLE)
57. AL-HADID (THE IRON)
58. AL-MUJADILA (SHE THAT DISPUTETH, THE PLEADING WOMAN)
59. AL-HASHR (EXILE, BANISHMENT)
60. AL-MUMTAHINA (SHE THAT IS TO BE EXAMINED, EXAMINING HER)
61. AS-SAFF (THE RANKS, BATTLE ARRAY)
62. AL-JUMUA (THE CONGREGATION, FRIDAY)
63. AL-MUNAFIQOON (THE HYPOCRITES)
64. AT-TAGHABUN (MUTUAL DISILLUSION, HAGGLING)
65. AT-TALAQ (DIVORCE)
66. AT-TAHRIM (BANNING, PROHIBITION)
67. AL-MULK (THE SOVEREIGNTY, CONTROL)
68. AL-QALAM (THE PEN)
69. AL-HAAQQA (THE REALITY)
70. AL-MAARIJ (THE ASCENDING STAIRWAYS)
71. NOOH (NOOH)
72. AL-JINN (THE JINN)
73. AL-MUZZAMMIL (THE ENSHROUDED ONE, BUNDLED UP)
74. AL-MUDDATHTHIR (THE CLOAKED ONE, THE MAN WEARING A CLOAK)
75. AL-QIYAMA (THE RISING OF THE DEAD, RESURRECTION)
76. AL-INSAN (MAN)
77. AL-MURSALAT (THE EMISSARIES, WINDS SENT FORTH)
78. AN-NABA (THE TIDINGS, THE ANNOUNCEMENT)
79. AN-NAZIAT (THOSE WHO DRAG FORTH, SOUL-SNATCHERS)
80. ABASA (HE FROWNED)
81. AT-TAKWIR (THE OVERTHROWING)
82. AL-INFITAR (THE CLEAVING, BURSTING APART)
83. AL-MUTAFFIFIN (DEFRAUDING, THE CHEATS, CHEATING)
84. AL-INSHIQAQ (THE SUNDERING, SPLITTING OPEN)
85. AL-BUROOJ (THE MANSIONS OF THE STARS, CONSTELLATIONS)
86. AT-TARIQ (THE MORNING STAR, THE NIGHTCOMER)
87. AL-ALA (THE MOST HIGH, GLORY TO YOUR LORD IN THE HIGHEST)
88. AL-GHASHIYA (THE OVERWHELMING, THE PALL)
89. AL-FAJR (THE DAWN, DAYBREAK)
90. AL-BALAD (THE CITY, THIS COUNTRYSIDE)
91. ASH-SHAMS (THE SUN)
92. AL-LAIL (THE NIGHT)
93. AD-DHUHA (THE MORNING HOURS, MORNING BRIGHT)
94. AL-INSHIRAH (SOLACE, CONSOLATION, RELIEF)
95. AT-TIN (THE FIG, THE FIGTREE)
96. AL-ALAQ (THE CLOT, READ)
97. AL-QADR (POWER, FATE)
98. AL-BAYYINA (THE CLEAR PROOF, EVIDENCE)
99. AZ-ZALZALA (THE EARTHQUAKE)
100. AL-ADIYAT (THE COURSER, THE CHARGERS)
101. AL-QARIA (THE CALAMITY, THE STUNNING BLOW, THE DISASTER
102. AT-TAKATHUR (RIVALRY IN WORLD INCREASE, COMPETITION
103. AL-ASR (THE DECLINING DAY, EVENTIDE, THE EPOCH)
104. AL-HUMAZA (THE TRADUCER, THE GOSSIPMONGER)
105. AL-FIL (THE ELEPHANT)
106. QURAISH (WINTER, QURAYSH)
107. AL-MAUN (SMALL KINDNESSES, ALMSGIVING, HAVE YOU SEEN)
108. AL-KAUTHER (ABUNDANCE, PLENTY)
109. AL-KAFIROON (THE DISBELIEVERS, ATHEISTS)
110. AN-NASR (SUCCOUR, DIVINE SUPPORT)
111. AL-MASADD (PALM FIBRE, THE FLAME)
112. AL-IKHLAS (SINCERITY)
113. AL-FALAQ (THE DAYBREAK, DAWN)
114. AN-NAS (MANKIND)

AL-FATIHA (THE OPENING)

Total Verses: 7
Revealed At: MAKKA

001.001
YUSUFALI: In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
PICKTHAL: In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
SHAKIR: In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.

001.002
YUSUFALI: Praise be to Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds;
PICKTHAL: Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds,
SHAKIR: All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.

001.003
YUSUFALI: Most Gracious, Most Merciful;
PICKTHAL: The Beneficent, the Merciful.
SHAKIR: The Beneficent, the Merciful.

001.004
YUSUFALI: Master of the Day of Judgment.
PICKTHAL: Master of the Day of Judgment,
SHAKIR: Master of the Day of Judgment.

001.005
YUSUFALI: Thee do we worship, and Thine aid we seek.
PICKTHAL: Thee (alone) we worship; Thee (alone) we ask for help.
SHAKIR: Thee do we serve and Thee do we beseech for help.

001.006
YUSUFALI: Show us the straight way,
PICKTHAL: Show us the straight path,
SHAKIR: Keep us on the right path.

001.007
YUSUFALI: The way of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy Grace, those whose (portion) is not wrath, and who go not astray.
PICKTHAL: The path of those whom Thou hast favoured; Not the (path) of those who earn Thine anger nor of those who go astray.
SHAKIR: The path of those upon whom Thou hast bestowed favors. Not (the path) of those upon whom Thy wrath is brought down, nor of those who go astray

AL-BAQARA (THE COW)

Total Verses: 286
Revealed At: MADINA

002.001
YUSUFALI: A.L.M.
PICKTHAL: Alif. Lam. Mim.
SHAKIR: Alif Lam Mim.

002.002
YUSUFALI: This is the Book; in it is guidance sure, without doubt, to those who fear Allah;
PICKTHAL: This is the Scripture whereof there is no doubt, a guidance unto those who ward off (evil).
SHAKIR: This Book, there is no doubt in it, is a guide to those who guard (against evil).

002.003
YUSUFALI: Who believe in the Unseen, are steadfast in prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them;
PICKTHAL: Who believe in the Unseen, and establish worship, and spend of that We have bestowed upon them;
SHAKIR: Those who believe in the unseen and keep up prayer and spend out of what We have given them.

002.004
YUSUFALI: And who believe in the Revelation sent to thee, and sent before thy time, and (in their hearts) have the assurance of the Hereafter.
PICKTHAL: And who believe in that which is revealed unto thee (Muhammad) and that which was revealed before thee, and are certain of the Hereafter.
SHAKIR: And who believe in that which has been revealed to you and that which was revealed before you and they are sure of the hereafter.

002.005
YUSUFALI: They are on (true) guidance, from their Lord, and it is these who will prosper.
PICKTHAL: These depend on guidance from their Lord. These are the successful.
SHAKIR: These are on a right course from their Lord and these it is that shall be successful.

002.006
YUSUFALI: As to those who reject Faith, it is the same to them whether thou warn them or do not warn them; they will not believe.
PICKTHAL: As for the Disbelievers, Whether thou warn them or thou warn them not it is all one for them; they believe not.
SHAKIR: Surely those who disbelieve, it being alike to them whether you warn them, or do not warn them, will not believe.

002.007
YUSUFALI: Allah hath set a seal on their hearts and on their hearing, and on their eyes is a veil; great is the penalty they (incur).
PICKTHAL: Allah hath sealed their hearing and their hearts, and on their eyes there is a covering. Theirs will be an awful doom.
SHAKIR: Allah has set a seal upon their hearts and upon their hearing and there is a covering over their eyes, and there is a great punishment for them.

002.008
YUSUFALI: Of the people there are some who say: "We believe in Allah and the Last Day;" but they do not (really) believe.
PICKTHAL: And of mankind are some who say: We believe in Allah and the Last Day, when they believe not.
SHAKIR: And there are some people who say: We believe in Allah and the last day; and they are not at all believers.

002.009
YUSUFALI: Fain would they deceive Allah and those who believe, but they only deceive themselves, and realise (it) not!
PICKTHAL: They think to beguile Allah and those who believe, and they beguile none save themselves; but they perceive not.
SHAKIR: They desire to deceive Allah and those who believe, and they deceive only themselves and they do not perceive.

002.010
YUSUFALI: In their hearts is a disease; and Allah has increased their disease: And grievous is the penalty they (incur), because they are false (to themselves).
PICKTHAL: In their hearts is a disease, and Allah increaseth their disease. A painful doom is theirs because they lie.
SHAKIR: There is a disease in their hearts, so Allah added to their disease and they shall have a painful chastisement because they

002.011
YUSUFALI: When it is said to them: "Make not mischief on the earth," they say: "Why, we only Want to make peace!"
PICKTHAL: And when it is said unto them: Make not mischief in the earth, they say: We are peacemakers only.
SHAKIR: And when it is said to them, Do not make mischief in the land, they say: We are but peace-makers.

002.012
YUSUFALI: Of a surety, they are the ones who make mischief, but they realise (it) not.
PICKTHAL: Are not they indeed the mischief-makers? But they perceive not.
SHAKIR: Now surely they themselves are the mischief makers, but they do not perceive.

002.013
YUSUFALI: When it is said to them: "Believe as the others believe:" They say: "Shall we believe as the fools believe?" Nay, of a surety they are the fools, but they do not know.
PICKTHAL: And when it is said unto them: believe as the people believe, they say: shall we believe as the foolish believe? are not they indeed the foolish? But they know not.
SHAKIR: And when it is said to them: Believe as the people believe they say: Shall we believe as the fools believe? Now surely they themselves are the fools, but they do not know.

002.014
YUSUFALI: When they meet those who believe, they say: "We believe;" but when they are alone with their evil ones, they say: "We are really with you: We (were) only jesting."
PICKTHAL: And when they fall in with those who believe, they say: We believe; but when they go apart to their devils they declare: Lo! we are with you; verily we did but mock.
SHAKIR: And when they meet those who believe, they say: We believe; and when they are alone with their Shaitans, they say: Surely we are with you, we were only mocking.

002.015
YUSUFALI: Allah will throw back their mockery on them, and give them rope in their trespasses; so they will wander like blind ones (To and fro).
PICKTHAL: Allah (Himself) doth mock them, leaving them to wander blindly on in their contumacy.
SHAKIR: Allah shall pay them back their mockery, and He leaves them alone in their inordinacy, blindly wandering on.

002.016
YUSUFALI: These are they who have bartered Guidance for error: But their traffic is profitless, and they have lost true direction,
PICKTHAL: These are they who purchase error at the price of guidance, so their commerce doth not prosper, neither are they guided.
SHAKIR: These are they who buy error for the right direction, so their bargain shall bring no gain, nor are they the followers of the right direction.

002.017
YUSUFALI: Their similitude is that of a man who kindled a fire; when it lighted all around him, Allah took away their light and left them in utter darkness. So they could not see.
PICKTHAL: Their likeness is as the likeness of one who kindleth fire, and when it sheddeth its light around him Allah taketh away their light and leaveth them in darkness, where they cannot see,
SHAKIR: Their parable is like the parable of one who kindled a fire but when it had illumined all around him, Allah took away their light, and left them in utter darkness-- they do not see.

002.018
YUSUFALI: Deaf, dumb, and blind, they will not return (to the path).
PICKTHAL: Deaf, dumb and blind; and they return not.
SHAKIR: Deaf, dumb (and) blind, so they will not turn back.

002.019
YUSUFALI: Or (another similitude) is that of a rain-laden cloud from the sky: In it are zones of darkness, and thunder and lightning: They press their fingers in their ears to keep out the stunning thunder-clap, the while they are in terror of death. But Allah is ever round the rejecters of Faith!
PICKTHAL: Or like a rainstorm from the sky, wherein is darkness, thunder and the flash of lightning. They thrust their fingers in their ears by reason of the thunder-claps, for fear of death, Allah encompasseth the disbelievers (in His guidance, His omniscience and His omnipotence).
SHAKIR: Or like abundant rain from the cloud in which is utter darkness and thunder and lightning; they put their fingers into their ears because of the thunder peal, for fear of death, and Allah encompasses the unbelievers.

002.020
YUSUFALI: The lightning all but snatches away their sight; every time the light (Helps) them, they walk therein, and when the darkness grows on them, they stand still. And if Allah willed, He could take away their faculty of hearing and seeing; for Allah hath power over all things.
PICKTHAL: The lightning almost snatcheth away their sight from them. As often as it flasheth forth for them they walk therein, and when it darkeneth against them they stand still. If Allah willed, He could destroy their hearing and their sight. Lo! Allah is able to do all things.
SHAKIR: The lightning almost takes away their sight; whenever it shines on them they walk in it, and when it becomes dark to them they stand still; and if Allah had pleased He would certainly have taken away their hearing and their sight; surely Allah has power over all things.

002.021
YUSUFALI: O ye people! Adore your Guardian-Lord, who created you and those who came before you, that ye may have the chance to learn righteousness;
PICKTHAL: O mankind! worship your Lord, Who hath created you and those before you, so that ye may ward off (evil).
SHAKIR: O men! serve your Lord Who created you and those before you so that you may guard (against evil).

002.022
YUSUFALI: Who has made the earth your couch, and the heavens your canopy; and sent down rain from the heavens; and brought forth therewith Fruits for your sustenance; then set not up rivals unto Allah when ye know (the truth).
PICKTHAL: Who hath appointed the earth a resting-place for you, and the sky a canopy; and causeth water to pour down from the sky, thereby producing fruits as food for you. And do not set up rivals to Allah when ye know (better).
SHAKIR: Who made the earth a resting place for you and the heaven a canopy and (Who) sends down rain from the cloud then brings forth with it subsistence for you of the fruits; therefore do not set up rivals to Allah while you know.

002.023
YUSUFALI: And if ye are in doubt as to what We have revealed from time to time to Our servant, then produce a Sura like thereunto; and call your witnesses or helpers (If there are any) besides Allah, if your (doubts) are true.
PICKTHAL: And if ye are in doubt concerning that which We reveal unto Our slave (Muhammad), then produce a surah of the like thereof, and call your witness beside Allah if ye are truthful.
SHAKIR: And if you are in doubt as to that which We have revealed to Our servant, then produce a chapter like it and call on your witnesses besides Allah if you are truthful.

002.024
YUSUFALI: But if ye cannot- and of a surety ye cannot- then fear the Fire whose fuel is men and stones,- which is prepared for those who reject Faith.
PICKTHAL: And if ye do it not - and ye can never do it - then guard yourselves against the Fire prepared for disbelievers, whose fuel is of men and stones.
SHAKIR: But if you do (it) not and never shall you do (it), then be on your guard against the fire of which men and stones are the fuel; it is prepared for the unbelievers.

002.025
YUSUFALI: But give glad tidings to those who believe and work righteousness, that their portion is Gardens, beneath which rivers flow. Every time they are fed with fruits therefrom, they say: "Why, this is what we were fed with before," for they are given things in similitude; and they have therein companions pure (and holy); and they abide therein (for ever).
PICKTHAL: And give glad tidings (O Muhammad) unto those who believe and do good works; that theirs are Gardens underneath which rivers flow; as often as they are regaled with food of the fruit thereof, they say: this is what was given us aforetime; and it is given to them in resemblance. There for them are pure companions; there for ever they abide.
SHAKIR: And convey good news to those who believe and do good deeds, that they shall have gardens in which rivers flow; whenever they shall be given a portion of the fruit thereof, they shall say: This is what was given to us before; and they shall be given the like of it, and they shall have pure mates in them, and in them, they shall abide.

002.026
YUSUFALI: Allah disdains not to use the similitude of things, lowest as well as highest. Those who believe know that it is truth from their Lord; but those who reject Faith say: "What means Allah by this similitude?" By it He causes many to stray, and many He leads into the right path; but He causes not to stray, except those who forsake (the path),-
PICKTHAL: Lo! Allah disdaineth not to coin the similitude even of a gnat. Those who believe know that it is the truth from their Lord; but those who disbelieve say: What doth Allah wish (to teach) by such a similitude? He misleadeth many thereby, and He guideth many thereby; and He misleadeth thereby only miscreants;
SHAKIR: Surely Allah is not ashamed to set forth any parable-- (that of) a gnat or any thing above that; then as for those who believe, they know that it is the truth from their Lord, and as for those who disbelieve, they say: What is it that Allah means by this parable: He causes many to err by it and many He leads aright by it! but He does not cause to err by it (any) except the transgressors,

002.027
YUSUFALI: Those who break Allah's Covenant after it is ratified, and who sunder what Allah Has ordered to be joined, and do mischief on earth: These cause loss (only) to themselves.
PICKTHAL: Those who break the covenant of Allah after ratifying it, and sever that which Allah ordered to be joined, and (who) make mischief in the earth: Those are they who are the losers.
SHAKIR: Who break the covenant of Allah after its confirmation and cut asunder what Allah has ordered to be joined, and make mischief in the land; these it is that are the losers.

002.028
YUSUFALI: How can ye reject the faith in Allah?- seeing that ye were without life, and He gave you life; then will He cause you to die, and will again bring you to life; and again to Him will ye return.
PICKTHAL: How disbelieve ye in Allah when ye were dead and He gave life to you! Then He will give you death, then life again, and then unto Him ye will return.
SHAKIR: How do you deny Allah and you were dead and He gave you life? Again He will cause you to die and again bring you to life, then you shall be brought back to Him.

002.029
YUSUFALI: It is He Who hath created for you all things that are on earth; Moreover His design comprehended the heavens, for He gave order and perfection to the seven firmaments; and of all things He hath perfect knowledge.
PICKTHAL: He it is Who created for you all that is in the earth. Then turned He to the heaven, and fashioned it as seven heavens. And He is knower of all things.
SHAKIR: He it is Who created for you all that is in the earth, and He directed Himself to the heaven, so He made them complete seven heavens, and He knows all things.

002.030
YUSUFALI: Behold, thy Lord said to the angels: "I will create a vicegerent on earth." They said: "Wilt Thou place therein one who will make mischief therein and shed blood?- whilst we do celebrate Thy praises and glorify Thy holy (name)?" He said: "I know what ye know not."
PICKTHAL: And when thy Lord said unto the angels: Lo! I am about to place a viceroy in the earth, they said: Wilt thou place therein one who will do harm therein and will shed blood, while we, we hymn Thy praise and sanctify Thee? He said: Surely I know that which ye know not.
SHAKIR: And when your Lord said to the angels, I am going to place in the earth a khalif, they said: What! wilt Thou place in it such as shall make mischief in it and shed blood, and we celebrate Thy praise and extol Thy holiness? He said: Surely I know what you do not know.

002.031
YUSUFALI: And He taught Adam the names of all things; then He placed them before the angels, and said: "Tell me the names of these if ye are right."
PICKTHAL: And He taught Adam all the names, then showed them to the angels, saying: Inform Me of the names of these, if ye are truthful.
SHAKIR: And He taught Adam all the names, then presented them to the angels; then He said: Tell me the names of those if you are right.

002.032
YUSUFALI: They said: "Glory to Thee, of knowledge We have none, save what Thou Hast taught us: In truth it is Thou Who art perfect in knowledge and wisdom."
PICKTHAL: They said: Be glorified! We have no knowledge saving that which Thou hast taught us. Lo! Thou, only Thou, art the Knower, the Wise.
SHAKIR: They said: Glory be to Thee! we have no knowledge but that which Thou hast taught us; surely Thou art the Knowing, the Wise.

002.033
YUSUFALI: He said: "O Adam! Tell them their names." When he had told them, Allah said: "Did I not tell you that I know the secrets of heaven and earth, and I know what ye reveal and what ye conceal?"
PICKTHAL: He said: O Adam! Inform them of their names, and when he had informed them of their names, He said: Did I not tell you that I know the secret of the heavens and the earth? And I know that which ye disclose and which ye hide.
SHAKIR: He said: O Adam! inform them of their names. Then when he had informed them of their names, He said: Did I not say to you that I surely know what is ghaib in the heavens and the earth and (that) I know what you manifest and what you hide?

002.034
YUSUFALI: And behold, We said to the angels: "Bow down to Adam" and they bowed down. Not so Iblis: he refused and was haughty: He was of those who reject Faith.
PICKTHAL: And when We said unto the angels: Prostrate yourselves before Adam, they fell prostrate, all save Iblis. He demurred through pride, and so became a disbeliever.
SHAKIR: And when We said to the angels: Make obeisance to Adam they did obeisance, but Iblis (did it not). He refused and he was proud, and he was one of the unbelievers.

002.035
YUSUFALI: We said: "O Adam! dwell thou and thy wife in the Garden; and eat of the bountiful things therein as (where and when) ye will; but approach not this tree, or ye run into harm and transgression."
PICKTHAL: And We said: O Adam! Dwell thou and thy wife in the Garden, and eat ye freely (of the fruits) thereof where ye will; but come not nigh this tree lest ye become wrong-doers.
SHAKIR: And We said: O Adam! Dwell you and your wife in the garden and eat from it a plenteous (food) wherever you wish and do not approach this tree, for then you will be of the unjust.

002.036
YUSUFALI: Then did Satan make them slip from the (garden), and get them out of the state (of felicity) in which they had been. We said: "Get ye down, all (ye people), with enmity between yourselves. On earth will be your dwelling-place and your means of livelihood - for a time."
PICKTHAL: But Satan caused them to deflect therefrom and expelled them from the (happy) state in which they were; and We said: Fall down, one of you a foe unto the other! There shall be for you on earth a habitation and provision for a time.
SHAKIR: But the Shaitan made them both fall from it, and caused them to depart from that (state) in which they were; and We said: Get forth, some of you being the enemies of others, and there is for you in the earth an abode and a provision for a time.

002.037
YUSUFALI: Then learnt Adam from his Lord words of inspiration, and his Lord Turned towards him; for He is Oft-Returning, Most Merciful.
PICKTHAL: Then Adam received from his Lord words (of revelation), and He relented toward him. Lo! He is the relenting, the Merciful.
SHAKIR: Then Adam received (some) words from his Lord, so He turned to him mercifully; surely He is Oft-returning (to mercy), the Merciful.

002.038
YUSUFALI: We said: "Get ye down all from here; and if, as is sure, there comes to you Guidance from me, whosoever follows My guidance, on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.
PICKTHAL: We said: Go down, all of you, from hence; but verily there cometh unto you from Me a guidance; and whoso followeth My guidance, there shall no fear come upon them neither shall they grieve.
SHAKIR: We said: Go forth from this (state) all; so surely there will come to you a guidance from Me, then whoever follows My guidance, no fear shall come upon them, nor shall they grieve.

002.039
YUSUFALI: "But those who reject Faith and belie Our Signs, they shall be companions of the Fire; they shall abide therein."
PICKTHAL: But they who disbelieve, and deny Our revelations, such are rightful Peoples of the Fire. They will abide therein.
SHAKIR: And (as to) those who disbelieve in and reject My communications, they are the inmates of the fire, in it they shall abide.

002.040
YUSUFALI: O Children of Israel! call to mind the (special) favour which I bestowed upon you, and fulfil your covenant with Me as I fulfil My Covenant with you, and fear none but Me.
PICKTHAL: O Children of Israel! Remember My favour wherewith I favoured you, and fulfil your (part of the) covenant, I shall fulfil My (part of the) covenant, and fear Me.
SHAKIR: O children of Israel! call to mind My favor which I bestowed on you and be faithful to (your) covenant with Me, I will fulfill (My) covenant with you; and of Me, Me alone, should you be afraid.

002.041
YUSUFALI: And believe in what I reveal, confirming the revelation which is with you, and be not the first to reject Faith therein, nor sell My Signs for a small price; and fear Me, and Me alone.
PICKTHAL: And believe in that which I reveal, confirming that which ye possess already (of the Scripture), and be not first to disbelieve therein, and part not with My revelations for a trifling price, and keep your duty unto Me.
SHAKIR: And believe in what I have revealed, verifying that which is with you, and be not the first to deny it, neither take a mean price in exchange for My communications; and Me, Me alone should you fear.

002.042
YUSUFALI: And cover not Truth with falsehood, nor conceal the Truth when ye know (what it is).
PICKTHAL: Confound not truth with falsehood, nor knowingly conceal the truth.
SHAKIR: And do not mix up the truth with the falsehood, nor hide the truth while you know (it).

002.043
YUSUFALI: And be steadfast in prayer; practise regular charity; and bow down your heads with those who bow down (in worship).
PICKTHAL: Establish worship, pay the poor-due, and bow your heads with those who bow (in worship).
SHAKIR: And keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate and bow down with those who bow down.

002.044
YUSUFALI: Do ye enjoin right conduct on the people, and forget (To practise it) yourselves, and yet ye study the Scripture? Will ye not understand?
PICKTHAL: Enjoin ye righteousness upon mankind while ye yourselves forget (to practise it)? And ye are readers of the Scripture! Have ye then no sense?
SHAKIR: What! do you enjoin men to be good and neglect your own souls while you read the Book; have you then no sense?

002.045
YUSUFALI: Nay, seek (Allah's) help with patient perseverance and prayer: It is indeed hard, except to those who bring a lowly spirit,-
PICKTHAL: Seek help in patience and prayer; and truly it is hard save for the humble-minded,
SHAKIR: And seek assistance through patience and prayer, and most surely it is a hard thing except for the humble ones,

002.046
YUSUFALI: Who bear in mind the certainty that they are to meet their Lord, and that they are to return to Him.
PICKTHAL: Who know that they will have to meet their Lord, and that unto Him they are returning.
SHAKIR: Who know that they shall meet their Lord and that they shall return to Him.

002.047
YUSUFALI: Children of Israel! call to mind the (special) favour which I bestowed upon you, and that I preferred you to all other (for My Message).
PICKTHAL: O Children of Israel! Remember My favour wherewith I favoured you and how I preferred you to (all) creatures.
SHAKIR: O children of Israel! call to mind My favor which I bestowed on you and that I made you excel the nations.

002.048
YUSUFALI: Then guard yourselves against a day when one soul shall not avail another nor shall intercession be accepted for her, nor shall compensation be taken from her, nor shall anyone be helped (from outside).
PICKTHAL: And guard yourselves against a day when no soul will in aught avail another, nor will intercession be accepted from it, nor will compensation be received from it, nor will they be helped.
SHAKIR: And be on your guard against a day when one soul shall not avail another in the least, neither shall intercession on its behalf be accepted, nor shall any compensation be taken from it, nor shall they be helped.

002.049
YUSUFALI: And remember, We delivered you from the people of Pharaoh: They set you hard tasks and punishments, slaughtered your sons and let your women-folk live; therein was a tremendous trial from your Lord.
PICKTHAL: And (remember) when We did deliver you from Pharaoh's folk, who were afflicting you with dreadful torment, slaying your sons and sparing your women: that was a tremendous trial from your Lord.
SHAKIR: And when We delivered you from Firon's people, who subjected you to severe torment, killing your sons and sparing your women, and in this there was a great trial from your Lord.

002.050
YUSUFALI: And remember We divided the sea for you and saved you and drowned Pharaoh's people within your very sight.
PICKTHAL: And when We brought you through the sea and rescued you, and drowned the folk of Pharaoh in your sight.
SHAKIR: And when We parted the sea for you, so We saved you and drowned the followers of Firon and you watched by.

002.051
YUSUFALI: And remember We appointed forty nights for Moses, and in his absence ye took the calf (for worship), and ye did grievous wrong.
PICKTHAL: And when We did appoint for Moses forty nights (of solitude), and then ye chose the calf, when he had gone from you, and were wrong-doers.
SHAKIR: And when We appointed a time of forty nights with Musa, then you took the calf (for a god) after him and you were unjust.

002.052
YUSUFALI: Even then We did forgive you; there was a chance for you to be grateful.
PICKTHAL: Then, even after that, We pardoned you in order that ye might give thanks.
SHAKIR: Then We pardoned you after that so that you might give thanks.

002.053
YUSUFALI: And remember We gave Moses the Scripture and the Criterion (Between right and wrong): There was a chance for you to be guided aright.
PICKTHAL: And when We gave unto Moses the Scripture and the criterion (of right and wrong), that ye might be led aright.
SHAKIR: And when We gave Musa the Book and the distinction that you might walk aright.

002.054
YUSUFALI: And remember Moses said to his people: "O my people! Ye have indeed wronged yourselves by your worship of the calf: So turn (in repentance) to your Maker, and slay yourselves (the wrong-doers); that will be better for you in the sight of your Maker." Then He turned towards you (in forgiveness): For He is Oft-Returning, Most Merciful.
PICKTHAL: And when Moses said unto his people: O my people! Ye have wronged yourselves by your choosing of the calf (for worship) so turn in penitence to your Creator, and kill (the guilty) yourselves. That will be best for you with your Creator and He will relent toward you. Lo! He is the Relenting, the Merciful.
SHAKIR: And when Musa said to his people: O my people! you have surely been unjust to yourselves by taking the calf (for a god), therefore turn to your Creator (penitently), so kill your people, that is best for you with your Creator: so He turned to you (mercifully), for surely He is the Oft-returning (to mercy), the Merciful.

002.055
YUSUFALI: And remember ye said: "O Moses! We shall never believe in thee until we see Allah manifestly," but ye were dazed with thunder and lighting even as ye looked on.
PICKTHAL: And when ye said: O Moses! We will not believe in thee till we see Allah plainly; and even while ye gazed the lightning seized you.
SHAKIR: And when you said: O Musa! we will not believe in you until we see Allah manifestly, so the punishment overtook you while you looked on.

002.056
YUSUFALI: Then We raised you up after your death: Ye had the chance to be grateful.
PICKTHAL: Then We revived you after your extinction, that ye might give thanks.
SHAKIR: Then We raised you up after your death that you may give thanks.

002.057
YUSUFALI: And We gave you the shade of clouds and sent down to you Manna and quails, saying: "Eat of the good things We have provided for you:" (But they rebelled); to us they did no harm, but they harmed their own souls.
PICKTHAL: And We caused the white cloud to overshadow you and sent down on you the manna and the quails, (saying): Eat of the good things wherewith We have provided you - they wronged Us not, but they did wrong themselves.
SHAKIR: And We made the clouds to give shade over you and We sent to you manna and quails: Eat of the good things that We have given you; and they did not do Us any harm, but they made their own souls suffer the loss.

002.058
YUSUFALI: And remember We said: "Enter this town, and eat of the plenty therein as ye wish; but enter the gate with humility, in posture and in words, and We shall forgive you your faults and increase (the portion of) those who do good."
PICKTHAL: And when We said: Go into this township and eat freely of that which is therein, and enter the gate prostrate, and say: "Repentance." We will forgive you your sins and will increase (reward) for the right-doers.
SHAKIR: And when We said: Enter this city, then eat from it a plenteous (food) wherever you wish, and enter the gate making obeisance, and say, forgiveness. We will forgive you your wrongs and give more to those who do good (to others).

002.059
YUSUFALI: But the transgressors changed the word from that which had been given them; so We sent on the transgressors a plague from heaven, for that they infringed (Our command) repeatedly.
PICKTHAL: But those who did wrong changed the word which had been told them for another saying, and We sent down upon the evil-doers wrath from heaven for their evil-doing.
SHAKIR: But those who were unjust changed it for a saying other than that which had been spoken to them, so We sent upon those who were unjust a pestilence from heaven, because they transgressed.

002.060
YUSUFALI: And remember Moses prayed for water for his people; We said: "Strike the rock with thy staff." Then gushed forth therefrom twelve springs. Each group knew its own place for water. So eat and drink of the sustenance provided by Allah, and do no evil nor mischief on the (face of the) earth.
PICKTHAL: And when Moses asked for water for his people, We said: Smite with thy staff the rock. And there gushed out therefrom twelve springs (so that) each tribe knew their drinking-place. Eat and drink of that which Allah hath provided, and do not act corruptly, making mischief in the earth.
SHAKIR: And when Musa prayed for drink for his people, We said: Strike the rock with your staff So there gushed from it twelve springs; each tribe knew its drinking place: Eat and drink of the provisions of Allah and do not act corruptly in the land, making mischief.

002.061
YUSUFALI: And remember ye said: "O Moses! we cannot endure one kind of food (always); so beseech thy Lord for us to produce for us of what the earth groweth, -its pot-herbs, and cucumbers, Its garlic, lentils, and onions." He said: "Will ye exchange the better for the worse? Go ye down to any town, and ye shall find what ye want!" They were covered with humiliation and misery; they drew on themselves the wrath of Allah. This because they went on rejecting the Signs of Allah and slaying His Messengers without just cause. This because they rebelled and went on transgressing.
PICKTHAL: And when ye said: O Moses! We are weary of one kind of food; so call upon thy Lord for us that He bring forth for us of that which the earth groweth - of its herbs and its cucumbers and its corn and its lentils and its onions. He said: Would ye exchange that which is higher for that which is lower? Go down to settled country, thus ye shall get that which ye demand. And humiliation and wretchedness were stamped upon them and they were visited with wrath from Allah. That was because they disbelieved in Allah's revelations and slew the prophets wrongfully. That was for their disobedience and transgression.
SHAKIR: And when you said: O Musa! we cannot bear with one food, therefore pray Lord on our behalf to bring forth for us out of what the earth grows, of its herbs and its cucumbers and its garlic and its lentils and its onions. He said: Will you exchange that which is better for that which is worse? Enter a city, so you will have what you ask for. And abasement and humiliation were brought down upon them, and they became deserving of Allah's wrath; this was so because they disbelieved in the communications of Allah and killed the prophets unjustly; this was so because they disobeyed and exceeded the limits.

002.062
YUSUFALI: Those who believe (in the Qur'an), and those who follow the Jewish (scriptures), and the Christians and the Sabians,- any who believe in Allah and the Last Day, and work righteousness, shall have their reward with their Lord; on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.
PICKTHAL: Lo! Those who believe (in that which is revealed unto thee, Muhammad), and those who are Jews, and Christians, and Sabaeans - whoever believeth in Allah and the Last Day and doeth right - surely their reward is with their Lord, and there shall no fear come upon them neither shall they grieve.
SHAKIR: Surely those who believe, and those who are Jews, and the f Christians, and the Sabians, whoever believes in Allah and the Last day and does good, they shall have their reward from their Lord, and there is no fear for them, nor shall they grieve.

002.063
YUSUFALI: And remember We took your covenant and We raised above you (The towering height) of Mount (Sinai) : (Saying): "Hold firmly to what We have given you and bring (ever) to remembrance what is therein: Perchance ye may fear Allah."
PICKTHAL: And (remember, O Children of Israel) when We made a covenant with you and caused the mount to tower above you, (saying): Hold fast that which We have given you, and remember that which is therein, that ye may ward off (evil).
SHAKIR: And when We took a promise from you and lifted the mountain over you: Take hold of the law (Tavrat) We have given you with firmness and bear in mind what is in it, so that you may guard (against evil).

002.064
YUSUFALI: But ye turned back thereafter: Had it not been for the Grace and Mercy of Allah to you, ye had surely been among the lost.
PICKTHAL: Then, even after that, ye turned away, and if it had not been for the grace of Allah and His mercy ye had been among the losers.
SHAKIR: Then you turned back after that; so were it not for the grace of Allah and His mercy on you, you would certainly have been among the losers.

002.065
YUSUFALI: And well ye knew those amongst you who transgressed in the matter of the Sabbath: We said to them: "Be ye apes, despised and rejected."
PICKTHAL: And ye know of those of you who broke the Sabbath, how We said unto them: Be ye apes, despised and hated!
SHAKIR: And certainly you have known those among you who exceeded the limits of the Sabbath, so We said to them: Be (as) apes, despised and hated.

002.066
YUSUFALI: So We made it an example to their own time and to their posterity, and a lesson to those who fear Allah.
PICKTHAL: And We made it an example to their own and to succeeding generations, and an admonition to the Allah-fearing.
SHAKIR: So We made them an example to those who witnessed it and those who came after it, and an admonition to those who guard (against evil).

002.067
YUSUFALI: And remember Moses said to his people: "Allah commands that ye sacrifice a heifer." They said: "Makest thou a laughing-stock of us?" He said: "Allah save me from being an ignorant (fool)!"
PICKTHAL: And when Moses said unto his people: Lo! Allah commandeth you that ye sacrifice a cow, they said: Dost thou make game of us? He answered: Allah forbid that I should be among the foolish!
SHAKIR: And when Musa said to his people: Surely Allah commands you that you should sacrifice a cow; they said: Do you ridicule us? He said: I seek the protection of Allah from being one of the ignorant.

002.068
YUSUFALI: They said: "Beseech on our behalf Thy Lord to make plain to us what (heifer) it is!" He said; "He says: The heifer should be neither too old nor too young, but of middling age. Now do what ye are commanded!"
PICKTHAL: They said: Pray for us unto thy Lord that He make clear to us what (cow) she is. (Moses) answered: Lo! He saith, Verily she is a cow neither with calf nor immature; (she is) between the two conditions; so do that which ye are commanded.
SHAKIR: They said: Call on your Lord for our sake to make it plain to us what she is. Musa said: He says, Surely she is a cow neither advanced in age nor too young, of middle age between that (and this); do therefore what you are commanded.

002.069
YUSUFALI: They said: "Beseech on our behalf Thy Lord to make plain to us Her colour." He said: "He says: A fawn-coloured heifer, pure and rich in tone, the admiration of beholders!"
PICKTHAL: They said: Pray for us unto thy Lord that He make clear to us of what colour she is. (Moses) answered: Lo! He saith: Verily she is a yellow cow. Bright is her colour, gladdening beholders.
SHAKIR: They said: Call on your Lord for our sake to make it plain to us what her color is. Musa said: He says, Surely she is a yellow cow; her color is intensely yellow, giving delight to the beholders.

002.070
YUSUFALI: They said: "Beseech on our behalf Thy Lord to make plain to us what she is: To us are all heifers alike: We wish indeed for guidance, if Allah wills."
PICKTHAL: They said: Pray for us unto thy Lord that He make clear to us what (cow) she is. Lo! cows are much alike to us; and Lo! if Allah wills, we may be led aright.
SHAKIR: They said: Call on your Lord for our sake to make it plain to us what she is, for surely to us the cows are all alike, and if Allah please we shall surely be guided aright.

002.071
YUSUFALI: He said: "He says: A heifer not trained to till the soil or water the fields; sound and without blemish." They said: "Now hast thou brought the truth." Then they offered her in sacrifice, but not with good-will.
PICKTHAL: (Moses) answered: Lo! He saith: Verily she is a cow unyoked; she plougheth not the soil nor watereth the tilth; whole and without mark. They said: Now thou bringest the truth. So they sacrificed her, though almost they did not.
SHAKIR: Musa said: He says, Surely she is a cow not made submissive that she should plough the land, nor does she irrigate the tilth; sound, without a blemish in her. They said: Now you have brought the truth; so they sacrificed her, though they had not the mind to do (it).

002.072
YUSUFALI: Remember ye slew a man and fell into a dispute among yourselves as to the crime: But Allah was to bring forth what ye did hide.
PICKTHAL: And (remember) when ye slew a man and disagreed concerning it and Allah brought forth that which ye were hiding.
SHAKIR: And when you killed a man, then you disagreed with respect to that, and Allah was to bring forth that which you were going to hide.

002.073
YUSUFALI: So We said: "Strike the (body) with a piece of the (heifer)." Thus Allah bringeth the dead to life and showeth you His Signs: Perchance ye may understand.
PICKTHAL: And We said: Smite him with some of it. Thus Allah bringeth the dead to life and showeth you His portents so that ye may understand.
SHAKIR: So We said: Strike the (dead body) with part of the (Sacrificed cow), thus Allah brings the dead to life, and He shows you His signs so that you may understand.

002.074
YUSUFALI: Thenceforth were your hearts hardened: They became like a rock and even worse in hardness. For among rocks there are some from which rivers gush forth; others there are which when split asunder send forth water; and others which sink for fear of Allah. And Allah is not unmindful of what ye do.
PICKTHAL: Then, even after that, your hearts were hardened and became as rocks, or worse than rocks, for hardness. For indeed there are rocks from out which rivers gush, and indeed there are rocks which split asunder so that water floweth from them. And indeed there are rocks which fall down for the fear of Allah. Allah is not unaware of what ye do.
SHAKIR: Then your hearts hardened after that, so that they were like rocks, rather worse in hardness; and surely there are some rocks from which streams burst forth, and surely there are some of them which split asunder so water issues out of them, and surely there are some of them which fall down for fear of Allah, and Allah is not at all heedless of what you do.

002.075
YUSUFALI: Can ye (o ye men of Faith) entertain the hope that they will believe in you?- Seeing that a party of them heard the Word of Allah, and perverted it knowingly after they understood it.
PICKTHAL: Have ye any hope that they will be true to you when a party of them used to listen to the word of Allah, then used to change it, after they had understood it, knowingly?
SHAKIR: Do you then hope that they would believe in you, and a party from among them indeed used to hear the Word of Allah, then altered it after they had understood it, and they know (this).

002.076
YUSUFALI: Behold! when they meet the men of Faith, they say: "We believe": But when they meet each other in private, they say: "Shall you tell them what Allah hath revealed to you, that they may engage you in argument about it before your Lord?"- Do ye not understand (their aim)?
PICKTHAL: And when they fall in with those who believe, they say: We believe. But when they go apart one with another they say: Prate ye to them of that which Allah hath disclosed to you that they may contend with you before your Lord concerning it? Have ye then no sense?
SHAKIR: And when they meet those who believe they say: We believe, and when they are alone one with another they say: Do you talk to them of what Allah has disclosed to you that they may contend with you by this before your Lord? Do you not then understand?

002.077
YUSUFALI: Know they not that Allah knoweth what they conceal and what they reveal?
PICKTHAL: Are they then unaware that Allah knoweth that which they keep hidden and that which they proclaim?
SHAKIR: Do they not know that Allah knows what they keep secret and what they make known?

002.078
YUSUFALI: And there are among them illiterates, who know not the Book, but (see therein their own) desires, and they do nothing but conjecture.
PICKTHAL: Among them are unlettered folk who know the Scripture not except from hearsay. They but guess.
SHAKIR: And there are among them illiterates who know not the Book but only lies, and they do but conjecture.

002.079
YUSUFALI: Then woe to those who write the Book with their own hands, and then say:"This is from Allah," to traffic with it for miserable price!- Woe to them for what their hands do write, and for the gain they make thereby.
PICKTHAL: Therefore woe be unto those who write the Scripture with their hands and then say, "This is from Allah," that they may purchase a small gain therewith. Woe unto them for that their hands have written, and woe unto them for that they earn thereby.
SHAKIR: Woe, then, to those who write the book with their hands and then say: This is from Allah, so that they may take for it a small price; therefore woe to them for what their hands have written and woe to them for what they earn.

002.080
YUSUFALI: And they say: "The Fire shall not touch us but for a few numbered days:" Say: "Have ye taken a promise from Allah, for He never breaks His promise? or is it that ye say of Allah what ye do not know?"
PICKTHAL: And they say: The Fire (of punishment) will not touch us save for a certain number of days. Say: Have ye received a covenant from Allah - truly Allah will not break His covenant - or tell ye concerning Allah that which ye know not?
SHAKIR: And they say: Fire shall not touch us but for a few days. Say: Have you received a promise from Allah, then Allah will not fail to perform His promise, or do you speak against Allah what you do not know?

002.081
YUSUFALI: Nay, those who seek gain in evil, and are girt round by their sins,- they are companions of the Fire: Therein shall they abide (For ever).
PICKTHAL: Nay, but whosoever hath done evil and his sin surroundeth him; such are rightful owners of the Fire; they will abide therein.
SHAKIR: Yea, whoever earns evil and his sins beset him on every side, these are the inmates of the fire; in it they shall abide.

002.082
YUSUFALI: But those who have faith and work righteousness, they are companions of the Garden: Therein shall they abide (For ever).
PICKTHAL: And those who believe and do good works: such are rightful owners of the Garden. They will abide therein.
SHAKIR: And (as for) those who believe and do good deeds, these are the dwellers of the garden; in it they shall abide.

002.083
YUSUFALI: And remember We took a covenant from the Children of Israel (to this effect): Worship none but Allah; treat with kindness your parents and kindred, and orphans and those in need; speak fair to the people; be steadfast in prayer; and practise regular charity. Then did ye turn back, except a few among you, and ye backslide (even now).
PICKTHAL: And (remember) when We made a covenant with the Children of Israel, (saying): Worship none save Allah (only), and be good to parents and to kindred and to orphans and the needy, and speak kindly to mankind; and establish worship and pay the poor-due. Then, after that, ye slid back, save a few of you, being averse.
SHAKIR: And when We made a covenant with the children of Israel: You shall not serve any but Allah and (you shall do) good to (your) parents, and to the near of kin and to the orphans and the needy, and you shall speak to men good words and keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate. Then you turned back except a few of you and (now too) you turn aside.

002.084
YUSUFALI: And remember We took your covenant (to this effect): Shed no blood amongst you, nor turn out your own people from your homes: and this ye solemnly ratified, and to this ye can bear witness.
PICKTHAL: And when We made with you a covenant (saying): Shed not the blood of your people nor turn (a party of) your people out of your dwellings. Then ye ratified (Our covenant) and ye were witnesses (thereto).
SHAKIR: And when We made a covenant with you: You shall not shed your blood and you shall not turn your people out of your cities; then you gave a promise while you witnessed.

002.085
YUSUFALI: After this it is ye, the same people, who slay among yourselves, and banish a party of you from their homes; assist (Their enemies) against them, in guilt and rancour; and if they come to you as captives, ye ransom them, though it was not lawful for you to banish them. Then is it only a part of the Book that ye believe in, and do ye reject the rest? but what is the reward for those among you who behave like this but disgrace in this life?- and on the Day of Judgment they shall be consigned to the most grievous penalty. For Allah is not unmindful of what ye do.
PICKTHAL: Yet ye it is who slay each other and drive out a party of your people from their homes, supporting one another against them by sin and transgression? - and if they came to you as captives ye would ransom them, whereas their expulsion was itself unlawful for you - Believe ye in part of the Scripture and disbelieve ye in part thereof? And what is the reward of those who do so save ignominy in the life of the world, and on the Day of Resurrection they will be consigned to the most grievous doom. For Allah is not unaware of what ye do.
SHAKIR: Yet you it is who slay your people and turn a party from among you out of their homes, backing each other up against them unlawfully and exceeding the limits; and if they should come to you, as captives you would ransom them-- while their very turning out was unlawful for you. Do you then believe in a part of the Book and disbelieve in the other? What then is the re ward of such among you as do this but disgrace in the life of this world, and on the day of resurrection they shall be sent back to the most grievous chastisement, and Allah is not at all heedless of what you do.

002.086
YUSUFALI: These are the people who buy the life of this world at the price of the Hereafter: their penalty shall not be lightened nor shall they be helped.
PICKTHAL: Such are those who buy the life of the world at the price of the Hereafter. Their punishment will not be lightened, neither will they have support.
SHAKIR: These are they who buy the life of this world for the hereafter, so their chastisement shall not be lightened nor shall they be helped.

002.087
YUSUFALI: We gave Moses the Book and followed him up with a succession of messengers; We gave Jesus the son of Mary Clear (Signs) and strengthened him with the holy spirit. Is it that whenever there comes to you a messenger with what ye yourselves desire not, ye are puffed up with pride?- Some ye called impostors, and others ye slay!
PICKTHAL: And verily We gave unto Moses the Scripture and We caused a train of messengers to follow after him, and We gave unto Jesus, son of Mary, clear proofs (of Allah's sovereignty), and We supported him with the Holy spirit. Is it ever so, that, when there cometh unto you a messenger (from Allah) with that which ye yourselves desire not, ye grow arrogant, and some ye disbelieve and some ye slay?
SHAKIR: And most certainly We gave Musa the Book and We sent messengers after him one after another; and We gave Isa, the son of Marium, clear arguments and strengthened him with the holy spirit, What! whenever then a messenger came to you with that which your souls did not desire, you were insolent so you called some liars and some you slew.

002.088
YUSUFALI: They say, "Our hearts are the wrappings (which preserve Allah's Word: we need no more)." Nay, Allah's curse is on them for their blasphemy: Little is it they believe.
PICKTHAL: And they say: Our hearts are hardened. Nay, but Allah hath cursed them for their unbelief. Little is that which they believe.
SHAKIR: And they say: Our hearts are covered. Nay, Allah has cursed them on account of their unbelief; so little it is that they believe.

002.089
YUSUFALI: And when there comes to them a Book from Allah, confirming what is with them,- although from of old they had prayed for victory against those without Faith,- when there comes to them that which they (should) have recognised, they refuse to believe in it but the curse of Allah is on those without Faith.
PICKTHAL: And when there cometh unto them a scripture from Allah, confirming that in their possession - though before that they were asking for a signal triumph over those who disbelieved - and when there cometh unto them that which they know (to be the truth) they disbelieve therein. The curse of Allah is on disbelievers.
SHAKIR: And when there came to them a Book from Allah verifying that which they have, and aforetime they used to pray for victory against those who disbelieve, but when there came to them (Prophet) that which they did not recognize, they disbelieved in him; so Allah's curse is on the unbelievers.

002.090
YUSUFALI: Miserable is the price for which they have sold their souls, in that they deny (the revelation) which Allah has sent down, in insolent envy that Allah of His Grace should send it to any of His servants He pleases: Thus have they drawn on themselves Wrath upon Wrath. And humiliating is the punishment of those who reject Faith.
PICKTHAL: Evil is that for which they sell their souls: that they should disbelieve in that which Allah hath revealed, grudging that Allah should reveal of His bounty unto whom He will of His slaves. They have incurred anger upon anger. For disbelievers is a shameful doom.
SHAKIR: Evil is that for which they have sold their souls-- that they should deny what Allah has revealed, out of envy that Allah should send down of His grace on whomsoever of His servants He pleases; so they have made themselves deserving of wrath upon wrath, and there is a disgraceful punishment for the unbelievers.

002.091
YUSUFALI: When it is said to them, "Believe in what Allah Hath sent down, "they say, "We believe in what was sent down to us:" yet they reject all besides, even if it be Truth confirming what is with them. Say: "Why then have ye slain the prophets of Allah in times gone by, if ye did indeed believe?"
PICKTHAL: And when it is said unto them: Believe in that which Allah hath revealed, they say: We believe in that which was revealed unto us. And they disbelieve in that which cometh after it, though it is the truth confirming that which they possess. Say (unto them, O Muhammad): Why then slew ye the prophets of Allah aforetime, if ye are (indeed) believers?
SHAKIR: And when it is said to them, Believe in what Allah has revealed, they say: We believe in that which was revealed to us; and they deny what is besides that, while it is the truth verifying that which they have. Say: Why then did you kill Allah's Prophets before if you were indeed believers?

002.092
YUSUFALI: There came to you Moses with clear (Signs); yet ye worshipped the calf (Even) after that, and ye did behave wrongfully.
PICKTHAL: And Moses came unto you with clear proofs (of Allah's Sovereignty), yet, while he was away, ye chose the calf (for worship) and ye were wrong-doers.
SHAKIR: And most certainly Musa came to you with clear arguments, then you took the calf (for a god) in his absence and you were unjust.

002.093
YUSUFALI: And remember We took your covenant and We raised above you (the towering height) of Mount (Sinai): (Saying): "Hold firmly to what We have given you, and hearken (to the Law)": They said:" We hear, and we disobey:" And they had to drink into their hearts (of the taint) of the calf because of their Faithlessness. Say: "Vile indeed are the behests of your Faith if ye have any faith!"
PICKTHAL: And when We made with you a covenant and caused the Mount to tower above you, (saying): Hold fast by that which We have given you, and hear (Our Word), they said: We hear and we rebel. And (worship of) the calf was made to sink into their hearts because of their rejection (of the covenant). Say (unto them): Evil is that which your belief enjoineth on you, if ye are believers.
SHAKIR: And when We made a covenant with you and raised the mountain over you: Take hold of what We have given you with firmness and be obedient. They said: We hear and disobey. And they were made to imbibe (the love of) the calf into their hearts on account of their unbelief Say: Evil is that which your belief bids you if you are believers.

002.094
YUSUFALI: Say: "If the last Home, with Allah, be for you specially, and not for anyone else, then seek ye for death, if ye are sincere."
PICKTHAL: Say (unto them): If the abode of the Hereafter in the providence of Allah is indeed for you alone and not for others of mankind (as ye pretend), then long for death (for ye must long for death) if ye are truthful.
SHAKIR: Say: If the future abode with Allah is specially for you to the exclusion of the people, then invoke death if you are truthful.

002.095
YUSUFALI: But they will never seek for death, on account of the (sins) which their hands have sent on before them. and Allah is well-acquainted with the wrong-doers.
PICKTHAL: But they will never long for it, because of that which their own hands have sent before them. Allah is aware of evil-doers.
SHAKIR: And they will never invoke it on account of what their hands have sent before, and Allah knows the unjust.

002.096
YUSUFALI: Thou wilt indeed find them, of all people, most greedy of life,-even more than the idolaters: Each one of them wishes He could be given a life of a thousand years: But the grant of such life will not save him from (due) punishment. For Allah sees well all that they do.
PICKTHAL: And thou wilt find them greediest of mankind for life and (greedier) than the idolaters. (Each) one of them would like to be allowed to live a thousand years. And to live (a thousand years) would be no means remove him from the doom. Allah is Seer of what they do.
SHAKIR: And you will most certainly find them the greediest of men for life (greedier) than even those who are polytheists; every one of them loves that he should be granted a life of a thousand years, and his being granted a long life will in no way remove him further off from the chastisement, and Allah sees what they do.

002.097
YUSUFALI: Say: Whoever is an enemy to Gabriel-for he brings down the (revelation) to thy heart by Allah's will, a confirmation of what went before, and guidance and glad tidings for those who believe,-
PICKTHAL: Say (O Muhammad, to mankind): Who is an enemy to Gabriel! For he it is who hath revealed (this Scripture) to thy heart by Allah's leave, confirming that which was (revealed) before it, and a guidance and glad tidings to believers;
SHAKIR: Say: Whoever is the enemy of Jibreel-- for surely he revealed it to your heart by Allah's command, verifying that which is before it and guidance and good news for the believers.

002.098
YUSUFALI: Whoever is an enemy to Allah and His angels and messengers, to Gabriel and Michael,- Lo! Allah is an enemy to those who reject Faith.
PICKTHAL: Who is an enemy to Allah, and His angels and His messengers, and Gabriel and Michael! Then, lo! Allah (Himself) is an enemy to the disbelievers.
SHAKIR: Whoever is the enemy of Allah and His angels and His messengers and Jibreel and Meekaeel, so surely Allah is the enemy of the unbelievers.

002.099
YUSUFALI: We have sent down to thee Manifest Signs (ayat); and none reject them but those who are perverse.
PICKTHAL: Verily We have revealed unto thee clear tokens, and only miscreants will disbelieve in them.
SHAKIR: And certainly We have revealed to you clear communications and none disbelieve in them except the transgressors.

002.100
YUSUFALI: Is it not (the case) that every time they make a covenant, some party among them throw it aside?- Nay, Most of them are faithless.
PICKTHAL: Is it ever so that when they make a covenant a party of them set it aside? The truth is, most of them believe not.
SHAKIR: What! whenever they make a covenant, a party of them cast it aside? Nay, most of them do not believe.

002.101
YUSUFALI: And when there came to them a messenger from Allah, confirming what was with them, a party of the people of the Book threw away the Book of Allah behind their backs, as if (it had been something) they did not know!
PICKTHAL: And when there cometh unto them a messenger from Allah, confirming that which they possess, a party of those who have received the Scripture fling the Scripture of Allah behind their backs as if they knew not,
SHAKIR: And when there came to them a Messenger from Allah verifying that which they have, a party of those who were given the Book threw the Book of Allah behind their backs as if they knew nothing.

002.102
YUSUFALI: They followed what the evil ones gave out (falsely) against the power of Solomon: the blasphemers Were, not Solomon, but the evil ones, teaching men Magic, and such things as came down at babylon to the angels Harut and Marut. But neither of these taught anyone (Such things) without saying: "We are only for trial; so do not blaspheme." They learned from them the means to sow discord between man and wife. But they could not thus harm anyone except by Allah's permission. And they learned what harmed them, not what profited them. And they knew that the buyers of (magic) would have no share in the happiness of the Hereafter. And vile was the price for which they did sell their souls, if they but knew!
PICKTHAL: And follow that which the devils falsely related against the kingdom of Solomon. Solomon disbelieved not; but the devils disbelieved, teaching mankind magic and that which was revealed to the two angels in Babel, Harut and Marut. Nor did they (the two angels) teach it to anyone till they had said: We are only a temptation, therefore disbelieve not (in the guidance of Allah). And from these two (angles) people learn that by which they cause division between man and wife; but they injure thereby no-one save by Allah's leave. And they learn that which harmeth them and profiteth them not. And surely they do know that he who trafficketh therein will have no (happy) portion in the Hereafter; and surely evil is the price for which they sell their souls, if they but knew.
SHAKIR: And they followed what the Shaitans chanted of sorcery in the reign of Sulaiman, and Sulaiman was not an unbeliever, but the Shaitans disbelieved, they taught men sorcery and that was sent down to the two angels at Babel, Harut and Marut, yet these two taught no man until they had said, "Surely we are only a trial, therefore do not be a disbeliever." Even then men learned from these two, magic by which they might cause a separation between a man and his wife; and they cannot hurt with it any one except with Allah's permission, and they learned what harmed them and did not profit them, and certainly they know that he who bought it should have no share of good in the hereafter and evil was the price for which they sold their souls, had they but known this.

002.103
YUSUFALI: If they had kept their Faith and guarded themselves from evil, far better had been the reward from their Lord, if they but knew!
PICKTHAL: And if they had believed and kept from evil, a recompense from Allah would be better, if they only knew.
SHAKIR: And if they had believed and guarded themselves (against evil), reward from Allah would certainly have been better; had they but known (this).

002.104
YUSUFALI: O ye of Faith! Say not (to the Messenger) words of ambiguous import, but words of respect; and hearken (to him): To those without Faith is a grievous punishment.
PICKTHAL: O ye who believe, say not (unto the Prophet): "Listen to us" but say "Look upon us," and be ye listeners. For disbelievers is a painful doom.
SHAKIR: O you who believe! do not say Raina and say Unzurna and listen, and for the unbelievers there is a painful chastisement.

002.105
YUSUFALI: It is never the wish of those without Faith among the People of the Book, nor of the Pagans, that anything good should come down to you from your Lord. But Allah will choose for His special Mercy whom He will - for Allah is Lord of grace abounding.
PICKTHAL: Neither those who disbelieve among the people of the Scripture nor the idolaters love that there should be sent down unto you any good thing from your Lord. But Allah chooseth for His mercy whom He will, and Allah is of Infinite Bounty.
SHAKIR: Those who disbelieve from among the followers of the Book do not like, nor do the polytheists, that the good should be sent down to you from your Lord, and Allah chooses especially whom He pleases for His mercy, and Allah is the Lord of mighty grace.

002.106
YUSUFALI: None of Our revelations do We abrogate or cause to be forgotten, but We substitute something better or similar: Knowest thou not that Allah Hath power over all things?
PICKTHAL: Nothing of our revelation (even a single verse) do we abrogate or cause be forgotten, but we bring (in place) one better or the like thereof. Knowest thou not that Allah is Able to do all things?
SHAKIR: Whatever communications We abrogate or cause to be forgotten, We bring one better than it or like it. Do you not know that Allah has power over all things?

002.107
YUSUFALI: Knowest thou not that to Allah belongeth the dominion of the heavens and the earth? And besides Him ye have neither patron nor helper.
PICKTHAL: Knowest thou not that it is Allah unto Whom belongeth the Sovereignty of the heavens and the earth; and ye have not, beside Allah, any guardian or helper?
SHAKIR: Do you not know that Allah's is the kingdom of the heavens and the earth, and that besides Allah you have no guardian or helper?

002.108
YUSUFALI: Would ye question your Messenger as Moses was questioned of old? but whoever changeth from Faith to Unbelief, Hath strayed without doubt from the even way.
PICKTHAL: Or would ye question your messenger as Moses was questioned aforetime? He who chooseth disbelief instead of faith, verily he hath gone astray from a plain road.
SHAKIR: Rather you wish to put questions to your Messenger, as Musa was questioned before; and whoever adopts unbelief instead of faith, he indeed has lost the right direction of the way.

002.109
YUSUFALI: Quite a number of the People of the Book wish they could Turn you (people) back to infidelity after ye have believed, from selfish envy, after the Truth hath become Manifest unto them: But forgive and overlook, Till Allah accomplish His purpose; for Allah Hath power over all things.
PICKTHAL: Many of the people of the Scripture long to make you disbelievers after your belief, through envy on their own account, after the truth hath become manifest unto them. Forgive and be indulgent (toward them) until Allah give command. Lo! Allah is Able to do all things.
SHAKIR: Many of the followers of the Book wish that they could turn you back into unbelievers after your faith, out of envy from themselves, (even) after the truth has become manifest to them; but pardon and forgive, so that Allah should bring about His command; surely Allah has power over all things.

002.110
YUSUFALI: And be steadfast in prayer and regular in charity: And whatever good ye send forth for your souls before you, ye shall find it with Allah: for Allah sees Well all that ye do.
PICKTHAL: Establish worship, and pay the poor-due; and whatever of good ye send before (you) for your souls, ye will find it with Allah. Lo! Allah is Seer of what ye do.
SHAKIR: And keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate and whatever good you send before for yourselves, you shall find it with Allah; surely Allah sees what you do.

002.111
YUSUFALI: And they say: "None shall enter Paradise unless he be a Jew or a Christian." Those are their (vain) desires. Say: "Produce your proof if ye are truthful."
PICKTHAL: And they say: None entereth paradise unless he be a Jew or a Christian. These are their own desires. Say: Bring your proof (of what ye state) if ye are truthful.
SHAKIR: And they say: None shall enter the garden (or paradise) except he who is a Jew or a Christian. These are their vain desires. Say: Bring your proof if you are truthful.

002.112
YUSUFALI: Nay,-whoever submits His whole self to Allah and is a doer of good,- He will get his reward with his Lord; on such shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.
PICKTHAL: Nay, but whosoever surrendereth his purpose to Allah while doing good, his reward is with his Lord; and there shall no fear come upon them neither shall they grieve.
SHAKIR: Yes! whoever submits himself entirely to Allah and he is the doer of good (to others) he has his reward from his Lord, and there is no fear for him nor shall he grieve.

002.113
YUSUFALI: The Jews say: "The Christians have naught (to stand) upon; and the Christians say: "The Jews have naught (To stand) upon." Yet they (Profess to) study the (same) Book. Like unto their word is what those say who know not; but Allah will judge between them in their quarrel on the Day of Judgment.
PICKTHAL: And the Jews say the Christians follow nothing (true), and the Christians say the Jews follow nothing (true); yet both are readers of the Scripture. Even thus speak those who know not. Allah will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection concerning that wherein they differ.
SHAKIR: And the Jews say: The Christians do not follow anything (good) and the Christians say: The Jews do not follow anything (good) while they recite the (same) Book. Even thus say those who have no knowledge, like to what they say; so Allah shall judge between them on the day of resurrection in what they differ.

002.114
YUSUFALI: And who is more unjust than he who forbids that in places for the worship of Allah, Allah's name should be celebrated?-whose zeal is (in fact) to ruin them? It was not fitting that such should themselves enter them except in fear. For them there is nothing but disgrace in this world, and in the world to come, an exceeding torment.
PICKTHAL: And who doth greater wrong than he who forbiddeth the approach to the sanctuaries of Allah lest His name should be mentioned therein, and striveth for their ruin. As for such, it was never meant that they should enter them except in fear. Theirs in the world is ignominy and theirs in the Hereafter is an awful doom.
SHAKIR: And who is more unjust than he who prevents (men) from the masjids of Allah, that His name should be remembered in them, and strives to ruin them? (As for) these, it was not proper for them that they should have entered them except in fear; they shall meet with disgrace in this world, and they shall have great chastisement in the hereafter.

002.115
YUSUFALI: To Allah belong the east and the West: Whithersoever ye turn, there is the presence of Allah. For Allah is all-Pervading, all-Knowing.
PICKTHAL: Unto Allah belong the East and the West, and whithersoever ye turn, there is Allah's Countenance. Lo! Allah is All-Embracing, All-Knowing.
SHAKIR: And Allah's is the East and the West, therefore, whither you turn, thither is Allah's purpose; surely Allah is Amplegiving, Knowing.

002.116
YUSUFALI: They say: "Allah hath begotten a son" :Glory be to Him.-Nay, to Him belongs all that is in the heavens and on earth: everything renders worship to Him.
PICKTHAL: And they say: Allah hath taken unto Himself a son. Be He glorified! Nay, but whatsoever is in the heavens and the earth is His. All are subservient unto Him.
SHAKIR: And they say: Allah has taken to himself a son. Glory be to Him; rather, whatever is in the heavens and the earth is His; all are obedient to Him.

002.117
YUSUFALI: To Him is due the primal origin of the heavens and the earth: When He decreeth a matter, He saith to it: "Be," and it is.
PICKTHAL: The Originator of the heavens and the earth! When He decreeth a thing, He saith unto it only: Be! and it is.
SHAKIR: Wonderful Originator of the heavens and the earth, and when He decrees an affair, He only says to it, Be, so there it is.

002.118
YUSUFALI: Say those without knowledge: "Why speaketh not Allah unto us? or why cometh not unto us a Sign?" So said the people before them words of similar import. Their hearts are alike. We have indeed made clear the Signs unto any people who hold firmly to Faith (in their hearts).
PICKTHAL: And those who have no knowledge say: Why doth not Allah speak unto us, or some sign come unto us? Even thus, as they now speak, spake those (who were) before them. Their hearts are all alike. We have made clear the revelations for people who are sure.
SHAKIR: And those who have no knowledge say: Why does not Allah speak to us or a sign come to us? Even thus said those before them, the like of what they say; their hearts are all alike. Indeed We have made the communications clear for a people who are sure.

002.119
YUSUFALI: Verily We have sent thee in truth as a bearer of glad tidings and a warner: But of thee no question shall be asked of the Companions of the Blazing Fire.
PICKTHAL: Lo! We have sent thee (O Muhammad) with the truth, a bringer of glad tidings and a warner. And thou wilt not be asked about the owners of hell-fire.
SHAKIR: Surely We have sent you with the truth as a bearer of good news and as a warner, and you shall not be called upon to answer for the companions of the flaming fire.

002.120
YUSUFALI: Never will the Jews or the Christians be satisfied with thee unless thou follow their form of religion. Say: "The Guidance of Allah,-that is the (only) Guidance." Wert thou to follow their desires after the knowledge which hath reached thee, then wouldst thou find neither Protector nor helper against Allah.
PICKTHAL: And the Jews will not be pleased with thee, nor will the Christians, till thou follow their creed. Say: Lo! the guidance of Allah (Himself) is Guidance. And if thou shouldst follow their desires after the knowledge which hath come unto thee, then wouldst thou have from Allah no protecting guardian nor helper.
SHAKIR: And the Jews will not be pleased with you, nor the Christians until you follow their religion. Say: Surely Allah's guidance, that is the (true) guidance. And if you follow their desires after the knowledge that has come to you, you shall have no guardian from Allah, nor any helper.

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YUSUFALI: Those to whom We have sent the Book study it as it should be studied: They are the ones that believe therein: Those who reject faith therein,- the loss is their own.
PICKTHAL: Those unto whom We have given the Scripture, who read it with the right reading, those believe in it. And whoso disbelieveth in it, those are they who are the losers.
SHAKIR: Those to whom We have given the Book read it as it ought to be read. These believe in it; and whoever disbelieves in it, these it is that are the losers.