The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics)

2: 135
The Cow 15
125 We made the House a a resort and a sanctuary for people,
saying, ‘Take the spot where Abraham stood as your place of
prayer.’ We commanded Abraham and Ishmael: ‘Purify My House
for those who walk round it, those who stay there, and those who
bow and prostrate themselves in worship.’ 126 Abraham said, ‘My
Lord, make this land secure and provide with produce those of
its people who believe in God and the Last Day.’ God said, ‘As
for those who disbelieve, I will grant them enjoyment for a short
while and then subject them to the torment of the Fire – an evil
destination.’
127 As Abraham and Ishmael built up the foundations of the House
[they prayed], ‘Our Lord, accept [this] from us. You are the All
Hearing, the All Knowing. 128 Our Lord, make us devoted b to You;
make our descendants into a community devoted to You. Show us
how to worship and accept our repentance, for You are the Ever
Relenting, the Most Merciful. 129 Our Lord, make a messenger of
their own rise up from among them, to recite Your revelations to
them, teach them the Scripture and wisdom, and purify them: You
are the Mighty, the Wise.’
130 Who but a fool would forsake the religion of Abraham? We have
chosen him in this world and he will rank among the righteous in
the Hereafter. 131 His Lord said to him, ‘Devote yourself to Me.’
Abraham replied, ‘I devote myself to the Lord of the Universe,’
132 and commanded his sons to do the same, as did Jacob: ‘My sons,
God has chosen [your] religion for you, so make sure you devote
yourselves to Him, to your dying moment.’
133 Were you [Jews] there to see when death came upon Jacob?
When he said to his sons, ‘What will you worship after I am gone?’
they replied, ‘We shall worship your God and the God of your
fathers, Abraham, Ishmael, and Isaac, one single God: we devote
ourselves to Him.’ c 134 That community passed away. What they
earned belongs to them, and what you earn belongs to you: you will
not be answerable for their deeds.
135 They say, ‘Become Jews or Christians, and you will be rightly
a The Kaba at Mecca.
b Aslama here means to devote oneself to the one God alone, so that Abraham will
come to his Lord with his heart totally devoted to Him: 3: 64; 26: 89; 37: 84.
c ‘One single God’ reinforces the interpretation of islam as ‘devotion’, one meaning
of aslama (al-Mujam al-Wasit ).