Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
The Mercy of Allah
The Mercy of Allah

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The Mercy of Allah is here in full — 8 sentences across 2 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Mercy of Allah
Context Illustration Reading 1/1 · 8 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 8
Page 185: “4000” replaced by “400”.
Page 204: “Lanknes” replaced by “Laknes”.
Page 204: “Ismaïl” replaced by “Ishmaïl”.
Page 310: “Masawan” replaced by “Misawan”.
* “wells of Ayn-ayoum” (p.
297) and “wells of Ayn-Ayoub” (p.
307) have been kept as distinct even though they probably denote the same location.
* The Arabic as written is not consistent in terms of voweling, some words being fully voweled, some partially, and some not at all.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Mercy of Allah

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The Mercy of Allah is here in full — 8 sentences across 2 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/1 · 8 reading units · Lines 1–8

Line 1
Page 185: “4000” replaced by “400”.
Line 2
Page 204: “Lanknes” replaced by “Laknes”.
Line 3
Page 204: “Ismaïl” replaced by “Ishmaïl”.
Line 4
Page 310: “Masawan” replaced by “Misawan”.
Line 5
* “wells of Ayn-ayoum” (p.
Line 6
297) and “wells of Ayn-Ayoub” (p.
Line 7
307) have been kept as distinct even though they probably denote the same location.
Line 8
* The Arabic as written is not consistent in terms of voweling, some words being fully voweled, some partially, and some not at all.

Learner Dictionary

These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.

Arabic noun US /ˈærəbɪk/

the Semitic language of the Arabs; spoken in a variety of dialects

From this reading “* The Arabic as written is not consistent in terms of voweling, some words being fully voweled, some partially, and some not at all.”

consistent adjective US /kənˈsɪstənt/

(sometimes followed by “with”) in agreement or consistent or reliable

From this reading “* The Arabic as written is not consistent in terms of voweling, some words being fully voweled, some partially, and some not at all.”

denote verb US /dɪˈnoʊt/

be a sign or indication of

From this reading “307) have been kept as distinct even though they probably denote the same location.”

distinct adjective US /dɪˈstɪŋkt/

(often followed by “from”) not alike; different in nature or quality

From this reading “307) have been kept as distinct even though they probably denote the same location.”

location noun US /loʊˈkeɪʃən/

a point or extent in space

From this reading “307) have been kept as distinct even though they probably denote the same location.”

partially adverb US /ˈpɑːrʃəli/

to some extent; in some degree; not wholly

From this reading “* The Arabic as written is not consistent in terms of voweling, some words being fully voweled, some partially, and some not at all.”

replaced verb US /ˌriːˈpleɪst/

past form of “replace” — substitute a person or thing for (another that is broken or inefficient or lost or no longer working or yielding what is expected)

From this reading “Page 185: “4000” replaced by “400”.”

wells noun US /welz/

prolific English writer best known for his science-fiction novels; he also wrote on contemporary social problems and wrote popular accounts of history and science (1866-1946)

From this reading “* “wells of Ayn-ayoum” (p.”

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

replaced by verb + particle counted as “replace by”

In this reading “Page 185: “4000” replaced by “400”.”

All words in this reading · 51

Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.

Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

185

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Page 185: “4000” replaced by “400”.

204

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Page 204: “Lanknes” replaced by “Laknes”.

297

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading 297) and “wells of Ayn-Ayoub” (p.

307

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading 307) have been kept as distinct even though they probably denote the same location.

310

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Page 310: “Masawan” replaced by “Misawan”.

400

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Page 185: “4000” replaced by “400”.

4000

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Page 185: “4000” replaced by “400”.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading * The Arabic as written is not consistent in terms of voweling, some words being fully voweled, some partially, and some not at all.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading 297) and “wells of Ayn-Ayoub” (p.

ArabicnounUS /ˈærəbɪk/

the Semitic language of the Arabs; spoken in a variety of dialects

From this reading * The Arabic as written is not consistent in terms of voweling, some words being fully voweled, some partially, and some not at all.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading 307) have been kept as distinct even though they probably denote the same location.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading * The Arabic as written is not consistent in terms of voweling, some words being fully voweled, some partially, and some not at all.

Ayn-Ayoub

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading 297) and “wells of Ayn-Ayoub” (p.

Ayn-ayoum

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading * “wells of Ayn-ayoum” (p.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading 307) have been kept as distinct even though they probably denote the same location.

beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading * The Arabic as written is not consistent in terms of voweling, some words being fully voweled, some partially, and some not at all.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Page 185: “4000” replaced by “400”.

consistentadjectiveUS /kənˈsɪstənt/

(sometimes followed by “with”) in agreement or consistent or reliable

From this reading * The Arabic as written is not consistent in terms of voweling, some words being fully voweled, some partially, and some not at all.

denoteverbUS /dɪˈnoʊt/

be a sign or indication of

From this reading 307) have been kept as distinct even though they probably denote the same location.

distinctadjectiveUS /dɪˈstɪŋkt/

(often followed by “from”) not alike; different in nature or quality

From this reading 307) have been kept as distinct even though they probably denote the same location.

evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading 307) have been kept as distinct even though they probably denote the same location.

fullyadverbUS /ˈfʊli/

to the greatest degree or extent; completely or entirely; (“full” in this sense is used as a combining form)

From this reading * The Arabic as written is not consistent in terms of voweling, some words being fully voweled, some partially, and some not at all.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading 307) have been kept as distinct even though they probably denote the same location.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading * The Arabic as written is not consistent in terms of voweling, some words being fully voweled, some partially, and some not at all.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading * The Arabic as written is not consistent in terms of voweling, some words being fully voweled, some partially, and some not at all.

Ishmaïl

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Page 204: “Ismaïl” replaced by “Ishmaïl”.

Ismaïl

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Page 204: “Ismaïl” replaced by “Ishmaïl”.

keptadjectiveUS /kept/

(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded

From this reading 307) have been kept as distinct even though they probably denote the same location.

Laknes

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Page 204: “Lanknes” replaced by “Laknes”.

Lanknes

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Page 204: “Lanknes” replaced by “Laknes”.

locationnounUS /loʊˈkeɪʃən/

a point or extent in space

From this reading 307) have been kept as distinct even though they probably denote the same location.

Masawan

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Page 310: “Masawan” replaced by “Misawan”.

Misawan

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Page 310: “Masawan” replaced by “Misawan”.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading * The Arabic as written is not consistent in terms of voweling, some words being fully voweled, some partially, and some not at all.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading * “wells of Ayn-ayoum” (p.

pnounUS /piː/

a multivalent nonmetallic element of the nitrogen family that occurs commonly in inorganic phosphate rocks and as organic phosphates in all living cells; is highly reactive and occurs in several allotropic forms

From this reading * “wells of Ayn-ayoum” (p.

PagenounUS /peɪdʒ/

one side of one leaf (of a book or magazine or newspaper or letter etc.) or the written or pictorial matter it contains

From this reading Page 185: “4000” replaced by “400”.

partiallyadverbUS /ˈpɑːrʃəli/

to some extent; in some degree; not wholly

From this reading * The Arabic as written is not consistent in terms of voweling, some words being fully voweled, some partially, and some not at all.

probablyadverbUS /ˈprɑːbəbliː/

with considerable certainty; without much doubt

From this reading 307) have been kept as distinct even though they probably denote the same location.

replacedverbUS /ˌriːˈpleɪst/

past form of “replace” — substitute a person or thing for (another that is broken or inefficient or lost or no longer working or yielding what is expected)

From this reading Page 185: “4000” replaced by “400”.

sameadjectiveUS /seɪm/

Identical; not different.

From this reading 307) have been kept as distinct even though they probably denote the same location.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading * The Arabic as written is not consistent in terms of voweling, some words being fully voweled, some partially, and some not at all.

termsnounUS /tɜːrmz/

status with respect to the relations between people or groups

From this reading * The Arabic as written is not consistent in terms of voweling, some words being fully voweled, some partially, and some not at all.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading 307) have been kept as distinct even though they probably denote the same location.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading 307) have been kept as distinct even though they probably denote the same location.

thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading 307) have been kept as distinct even though they probably denote the same location.

voweled

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading * The Arabic as written is not consistent in terms of voweling, some words being fully voweled, some partially, and some not at all.

voweling

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading * The Arabic as written is not consistent in terms of voweling, some words being fully voweled, some partially, and some not at all.

wellsnounUS /welz/

prolific English writer best known for his science-fiction novels; he also wrote on contemporary social problems and wrote popular accounts of history and science (1866-1946)

From this reading * “wells of Ayn-ayoum” (p.

wordsnounUS /wɜːrdz/

the words that are spoken

From this reading * The Arabic as written is not consistent in terms of voweling, some words being fully voweled, some partially, and some not at all.

writtenadjectiveUS /ˈrɪtən/

set down in writing in any of various ways

From this reading * The Arabic as written is not consistent in terms of voweling, some words being fully voweled, some partially, and some not at all.

Chapter 1 of The Mercy of Allah by Hilaire Belloc holds 8 sentences, grouped into 2 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 1 of The Mercy of Allah contain?

Chapter 1 holds 8 sentences of The Mercy of Allah, unabridged, divided into 2 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Mercy of Allah by Hilaire Belloc exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 8 sentences, grouped into 2 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 1 of The Mercy of Allah?

Work through the 2 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 2 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

Can chapter 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 can be played aloud in United States English.

Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.

Questions about reading The Mercy of Allah

Common questions about reading The Mercy of Allah by Hilaire Belloc on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Mercy of Allah?

Yes. All 3421 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #47860 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Mercy of Allah is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #47860, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Mercy of Allah take to read?

About 285 minutes of reading across 685 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Mercy of Allah section by section

How to work through The Mercy of Allah section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 15 chapters of The Mercy of Allah to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Mercy of Allah

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Mercy of Allah, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Replaced
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Mercy of Allah; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Lanknes
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Mercy of Allah; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Laknes
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Mercy of Allah; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Ishma
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Mercy of Allah; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.