9 See cap. 24. 1 See cap. 28, p. 295. 2 Jallalo'ddin, al Beidâwi. 3 Al Bokhari.
70 O true believers, fear GOD, and speak words well directed: that God may correct your works for you, and may forgive you your sins: and whoever shall obey GOD and his apostle shall enjoy great felicity. We proposed the faith unto the heavens, and the earth, and the mountains: and they refused to undertake the same, and were afraid thereof; but man undertook it:l verily he was unjust to himself, and foolish;m that GOD may punish the hypocritical men, and the hypocritical women, and the idolaters, and the idolatresses; and that GOD may be turned unto the true believers, both men and women; for GOD is gracious and merciful.
________
ENTITLED, SABA;n REVEALED AT MECCA.
PRAISE be unto GOD, unto whom belongeth whatever is in the heavens and on earth: and unto him be praise in the world to come; for he is wise and intelligent. He knoweth whatsoever entereth into the earth,o and whatsoever cometh out of the same,p and whatsoever descendeth from heaven,q and whatsoever ascendeth thereto:r and he is merciful and ready to forgive. The unbelievers say, The hour of judgment will not come unto us. Answer, Yea, by my LORD, it will surely come unto you; it is he who knoweth the hidden secret: the weight of an ant, either in heaven or in earth, is not absent from him, nor anything lesser than this or greater, but the same is written in the perspicuous book of his decrees;
l By faith is here understood entire obedience to the law of GOD, which is represented to be of so high concern (no less than eternal happiness or misery depending on the observance or neglect thereof), and so difficult in the performance, that if GOD should propose the same on the conditions annexed, to the vaster parts of the creation, and they had understanding to comprehend the offer, they would decline it, and not dare to take on them a duty, the failing wherein must be attended with so terrible a consequence; and yet man is said to have undertaken it, notwithstanding his weakness and the infirmities of his nature. Some imagine this proposal is not hypothetical, but was actually made to the heavens, earth, and mountains, which at their first creation were endued with reason, and that GOD told them he had made a law, and had created paradise for the recompense of such as were obedient to it, and hell for the punishment of the disobedient; to which they answered they were content to be obliged to perform the services for which they were created, but would not undertake to fulfil the divine law on those conditions, and therefore desired neither reward nor punishment; they add that when Adam was created, the same offer was made to him, and he accepted it.4 The commentators have other explications of this passage, which it would be too prolix to transcribe. m Unjust to himself in not fulfilling his engagements and obeying the law he had accepted; and foolish in not considering the consequence of his disobedience and neglect. n Mention is made of the people of Saba in the fifteenth verse. o As the rain, hidden treasures, the dead, &c. p As animals, plants, metals, spring-water, &c. q As the angels, scriptures, decrees of GOD, rain, thunder and lightning, &c. r As the angels, men's works, vapours, smoke, &c.5
4 Jallalo'ddin, al Beidâwi. 5 Al Beidâwi.
that he may recompense those who shall have believed, and wrought righteousness: they shall receive pardon, and an honourable provision. But they who endeavor to render our signs of none effect shall receive a punishment of painful torment. Those unto whom knowledge hath been given, see that the book which hath been revealed unto thee from thy LORD is the truth, and directeth into the glorious and laudable way. The unbelievers say to one another, Shall we show you a man who shall prophesy unto you, that when ye shall have been dispersed with a total dispersion, ye shall be raised a new creature? He hath forged a lie concerning GOD, or rather he is distracted. But they who believe not in the life to come shall fall into punishment and a wide error. Have they not therefore considered what is before them, and what is behind them, of the heaven and the earth? If we please, we will cause the earth to open and swallow them up, or will cause a piece of the heaven to fall upon them: verily herein is a sign unto every servant, who turneth unto God. 10 We heretofore bestowed on David excellence from us: and we said, O mountains, sing alternate praises with him; and we obliged the birds also to join therein.s And we softened the iron for him, saying, Make thereof complete coats of mail,t and rightly dispose the small plates which compose the same: and work ye righteousness, O family of David; for I see that which ye do. And we made the wind subject unto Solomon:u it blew in the morning for a month, and in the evening for a month. And we made a fountain of molten brass to flow for him.x And some of the genii were obliged to work in his presence, by the will of his LORD; and whoever of them turned aside from our command, we will cause him to taste the pain of hell fire.y They made for him whatever he pleased of palaces, and statues,z and large dishes like fishponds,a and caldrons standing firm on their trevets;b and we said, Work righteousness, O family of David, with thanksgiving; for few of my servants are thankful.
s See chapter 21, p. 247 t See ibid. u See ibid. and chapter 27, p. 284. x This fountain they say was in Yaman, and flowed three days in a month.1 y Or, as some expound the words, We caused him to taste the pain of burning; by which they understand the correction the disobedient genii received at the hands of the angel set over them, who whipped them with a whip of fire. z Some suppose these were images of the angels and prophets, and that the making of them was not then forbidden; or else that they were not such images as were forbidden by the law. Some say these spirits made him two lions, which were placed at the foot of his throne, and two eagles, which were set above it; and that when he mounted it the lions stretched out their paws, and when he sat down the eagles shaded him with their wings.2 a Being so monstrously large that a thousand men might eat out of each of them at once. b These cauldrons, they say, were cut out of the mountains of Yaman, and were so vastly big that they could not be moved; and people went up to them by steps.3
1 Idem, Jallalo'ddin. 2 Idem. 3 Jallalo'ddin.
And when we had decreed that Solomon should die, nothing discovered his death unto them, except the creeping thing of the earth, which gnawed his staff.c And when his body fell down, the genii plainly perceived that if they had known that which is secret, they had not continued in a vile punishment.d The descendants of Sabae had heretofore a sign in their dwelling; namely, two gardens on the right hand and on the left,f and it was said unto them, Eat ye of the provision of your LORD, and give thanks unto him; ye have a good country, and a gracious LORD. But they turned aside from what we had commanded them; wherefore we sent against them the inundation of al Arem,g and we changed their two gardens for them into two gardens producing bitter fruit, and tamarisks,h and some little fruit of the lote-tree. This we gave them in reward, because they were ungrateful: is any thus rewarded except the ungrateful? And we placed between them and the cities which we have blessed,i cities situated near each other; and we made the journey easy between them,k saying, Travel through the same by night and by day, in security. But they said, O LORD, put a greater distance between our journeys:l and they were unjust unto themselves; and we made them the subject of discourse, and dispersed them with a total dispersion.m Verily, herein are signs unto every patient, grateful person.
c The commentators, to explain this passage, tell us that David, having laid the foundations of the temple of Jerusalem, which was to be in lieu of the tabernacle of Moses, when he died, left it to be finished by his son Solomon, who employed the genii in the work: that Solomon, before the edifice was quite completed, perceiving his end drew nigh, begged of GOD that his death might be concealed from the genii till they had entirely finished it; that GOD therefore so ordered it, that Solomon died as he stood at his prayers, leaning on his staff, which supported the body in that posture a full year; and the genii, supposing him to be alive, continued their work during that term, at the expiration whereof the temple being perfectly completed, a worm, which had gotten into the staff, ate it through, and the corpse fell to the ground and discovered the king's death.4 Possibly this fable of the temple's being built by genii, and not by men, might take its rise from what is mentioned in scripture, that the house was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither; so that there was neither hammer, nor axe, nor any tool of iron heard in the house while it was building;5 the Rabbins indeed, tell us of a worm, which might assist the workmen, its virtue being such as to cause the rocks and stones to fly in sunder.6 Whether the worm which gnawed Solomon's staff were of the same breed with this other, I know not; but the story has perfectly the air of a Jewish invention. d i.e., They had not continued in servile subjection to the command of Solomon, nor had gone on with the work of the temple. e Saba was the son of Yashhab, the son of Yárab, the son of Kahtân, whose posterity dwelt in Yaman, in the city of Mâreb, called also Saba, about three days' journey from Sanaa. f That is, two tracts of land, one on this side of their city, and the other on that, planted with trees, and made into gardens, which lay so thick and close together, that each tract seemed to be one continued garden: or, it may be, every house had a garden on each hand of it.1 g The commentators set down several significations of the word al Arem, which are scarce worth mentioning: it most properly signifies mounds or dams for the stopping or containing of water, and is here used for that stupendous mound or building which formed the vast reservoir above the city of Saba, described in another place,2 and which, for the great impiety, pride, and insolence of the inhabitants, was broken down in the night by a mighty flood, and occasioned a terrible destruction.3 Al Beidâwi supposes this mound was the work of queen Balkîs, and that the above-mentioned catastrophe happened after the time of Jesus Christ; wherein he seems to be mistaken. h A low shrub bearing no fruit, and delighting in saltish and barren ground. i viz., The cities of Syria. k By reason of their near distance, so that during the whole journey a traveller might rest in one town during the heat of the day, and in another at night; nor was he obliged to carry provisions with him.4 l This petition they made out of covetousness, that the poor being obliged to be longer on the road, they might make greater advantages in letting out their cattle, and furnishing the travellers with provision: and GOD was pleased to punish them by granting them their wish, and permitting most of the cities, which were between Saba and Syria, to be ruined and abandoned.5 m For the neighbouring nations justly wondered at so sudden and unforeseen a revolution in the affairs of this once flourishing people: whence it became a proverbial saying, to express a total dispersion, that they were gone and scattered like Saba.6 Of the descendants of Saba, who quitted their country and sought new settlements on this inundation, the tribe of Ghassân went into Syria, the tribe of Anmâr to Yathreb, the tribe of Jodhâm to Tehâmah, the tribe of al Azd to Omân,1 the tribe of Tay to Najd, the tribe of Khozaah to Batan Marr near Mecca, Banu Amela to a mountain, thence called the Mountain of Amela, near Damascus, and others went to Hira in Irâk,2 &c.
4 Al Beidâwi, Jallalo'ddin. 5 I Kings vi. 7. 6 VideKimhi, in loc. Buxt. Lex. Talm. p. 2456, et Schickardi Tarich reg. Pers. p.62. 1 Al Beidâwi. 2 See the Prelim. Disc. Sect. I. p. 8.3 See ibid. 4 Jallal., al Beidâwi. 5 Idem.6 Al Beidâwi. Vide Gol. not. in Alfrag. p. 87
And Eblis found his opinion of them to be true:n and they followed him, except a party of the true believers:o 20 and he had no power over them, unless to tempt them, that we might know him who believed in the life to come, from him who doubted thereof. Thy LORD observeth all things. Say unto the idolaters, Call upon those whom ye imagine to be gods, besides GOD: they are not masters of the weight of an ant in heaven or on earth, neither have they any share in the creation or government of the same; nor is any of them assistant to him therein. No intercession will be of service in his presence, except the intercession of him to whom he shall grant permission to intercede for others:p and they shall wait in suspense until, when the terror shall be taken off from their hearts,q they shall say to one another: What doth your LORD say? They shall answer, That which is just: and he is the high, the great God. Say, Who provideth food for you from heaven and earth? Answer, GOD: and either we, or ye, follow the true direction, or are in a manifest error. Say, Ye shall not be examined concerning what we shall have committed: neither shall we be examined concerning what ye shall have done. Say, Our LORD will assemble us together at the last day: then he will judge between us with truth; and he is the judge, the knowing. Say, Show me those whom ye have joined as partners with him? Nay; rather he is the mighty, the wise GOD. We have not sent thee otherwise than unto mankind in general, a bearer of good tidings, and a denouncer of threats; but the greater part of men do not understand. And they say, When will this threat be fulfilled, if ye speak truth? Answer, A threat is denounced unto you of a day which ye shall not retard one hour, neither shall ye hasten. 30 The unbelievers say, We will by no means believe in this Koran, nor in that which hath been revealed before it.r But if thou couldest see when the unjust doers shall be set before their LORD! They will iterate discourse with one another: those who were esteemed weak shall say unto those who behaved themselves arrogantly,s Had it not been for you, verily we had been true believers. They who behaved themselves arrogantly shall say unto those who were esteemed weak, Did we turn you aside from the true direction, after it had come unto you? On the contrary, ye acted wickedly of your own free choice.
n Either his opinion of the Sabeans, when he saw them addicted to pride and ingratitude, and the satisfying their lusts; or else the opinion he entertained of all mankind at the fall of Adam, or at his creation, when he heard the angels say, Wilt thou place in the earth one who will do evil therein, and shed blood?3 o Who were saved from the common destruction. p See chapter 19, p. 232. q i.e., From the hearts of the intercessors, and of those for whom GOD shall allow them to intercede, by the permission which he shall then grant them; for no angel or prophet shall dare to speak at the last day without the divine leave. r It is said that the infidels of Mecca, having inquired of the Jews and Christians concerning the mission of Mohammed, were assured by them that they found him described as the prophet who should come, both in the Pentateuch and in the Gospel; at which they were very angry, and broke out into the words here recorded.4 s See chapter 14, p. 187, note
1 Al Beidâwi. 2 Vide Poc. Spec. p. 42, 45, and 66.3 See cap. 2, p. 4; cap. 7, p. 106; and cap. 15, p. 192, &c.4 Al Beidâwi
And they who were esteemed weak shall say unto those who behaved with arrogance, Nay, but the crafty plot which ye devised by night and by day, occasioned our ruin: when ye commanded us that we should not believe in GOD, and that we should set up other gods as equals unto him. And they shall conceal their repentance,t after they shall have seen the punishment prepared for them. And we will put yokes on the necks of those who shall have disbelieved: shall they be rewarded any otherwise than according to what they shall have wrought? We have sent no warner unto any city, but the inhabitants thereof who lived in affluence said, Verily we believe not that with which ye are sent. And those of Mecca also say, We abound in riches and children, more than ye; and we shall not be punished hereafter. Answer, Verily my LORD will bestow provision in abundance unto whom he pleaseth, and will be sparing unto whom he pleaseth: but the greater part of men know not this. Neither your riches nor your children are the things which shall cause you to draw nigh unto us with a near approach: only whoever believeth, and worketh righteousness, they shall receive a double reward for that which they shall have wrought: and they shall dwell in security, in the upper apartments of paradise. But they who shall endeavor to render our signs of none effect shall be delivered up to punishment. Say, Verily my LORD will bestow provision in abundance unto whom he pleaseth of his servants, and will be sparing unto whom he pleaseth: and whatever thing ye shall give in alms, he will return it; and he is the best provider of food. On a certain day he shall gather them altogether: then shall he say unto the angels, Did these worship you? 40 And the angels shall answer, GOD forbid! thou art our friend, and not these: but they worshipped devils; the greater part of them believed in them. On this day the one of you shall not be able either to profit or to hurt the other. And we will say unto those who have acted unjustly, Taste ye the pain of hell fire, which ye rejected as a falsehood. When our evident signs are read unto them, they say of thee, O Mohammed, This is no other than a man who seeketh to turn you aside from the gods which your fathers worshipped. And they say of the Koran, This is no other than a lie blasphemously forged. And the unbelievers say of the truth, when it is come unto them, This is no other than manifest sorcery: yet we have given them no books of scripture wherein to exercise themselves, nor have we sent unto them any warner before thee. They who were before them in like manner accused their prophets of imposture: but these have not arrived unto the tenth part of the riches and strength which we had bestowed on the former: and they accused my apostles of imposture; and how severe was my vengeance! Say, Verily I advise you unto one thing, namely, that ye stand before GOD by two and two, and singly;u and then consider seriously and you will find that there is no madness in your companion Mohammed: he is no other than a warner unto you, sent before a severe punishment.
t See chapter 10, p. 154, note y. u i.e., That ye set yourselves to deliberate and judge of me and my pretensions coolly and sincerely, as in the sight of GOD, without passion or prejudice. The reason why they are ordered to consider either alone, or by two and two at most together, is because in larger assembles, where noise, passion, and prejudice generally prevail, men have not that freedom of judgment which they have in private.1
1 Al Beidâwi.
Say, I ask not of you any reward for my preaching;x it is your own, either to give or not:y my reward is to be expected from GOD alone; and he is witness over all things. Say, Verily my LORD sendeth down the truth to his prophets: he is the knower of secrets. Say, Truth is come, and falsehood is vanished, and shall not return any more. Say, If I err, verily I shall err only against my own soul: but if I be rightly directed, it will be by that which my LORD revealeth unto me; for he is ready to hear, and nigh unto those who call upon him. 50 If thou couldest see, when the unbelievers shall tremble,z and shall find no refuge, and shall be taken from a near place,a and shall say, We believe in him! But how shall they receive the faith from a distant place:b since they had before denied him, and reviled the mysteries of faith, from a distant place? And a bar shall be placed between them and that which they shall desire; as it hath been done with those who behaved like them heretofore: because they have been in a doubt which hath caused scandal.
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ENTITLED, THE CREATOR;c REVEALED AT MECCA.
PRAISE be unto GOD the Creator of heaven and earth; who maketh the angels his messengers, furnished with two, and three, and four pair of wings:d GOD maketh what addition he pleaseth unto his creatures; for GOD is almighty. The mercy which GOD shall freely bestow on mankind, there is none who can withhold; and what he shall withhold, there is none who can bestow, besides him; and he is the mighty, the wise. O men, remember the favor of GOD towards you: is there any creator, besides GOD, who provideth food for you from heaven and earth? There is no GOD but he: how therefore are ye turned aside from acknowledging his unity?
x Mohammed, having in the preceding words answered the imputation of madness or vain enthusiasm, by appealing to their cooler thoughts of him and his actions, endeavours by these to clear himself of the suspicion of any worldly view or interest, declaring that he desired no salary or support from them for executing his commission, but expected his wages from GOD alone. y See chapter 25, p. 275. z viz., At their death, or the day of judgment, or the battle of Bedr.2 a That is, from the outside of the earth to the inside thereof; or, from before GOD'S tribunal to hell fire; or, from the plain of Bedr to the well into which the dead bodies of the slain were thrown.3 b i.e., When they are in the other world; whereas faith is to be received in this. c Some entitle this chapter The Angels: both words occur in the first verse. d That is, some angels have a greater and some a lesser number of wings, according to their different orders, the words not being designed to express the particular number. Gabriel is said to have appeared to Mohammed, on the night he made his journey to heaven, with no less than six hundred wings.4
2 Al Beidâwi. 3 Idem. 4 Idem.
If they accuse thee of imposture, apostles before thee have also been accused of imposture: and unto GOD shall all things return. O men, verily the promise of GOD is true: let not therefore the present life deceive you, neither let the deceiver deceive you concerning GOD: for Satan is an enemy unto you; wherefore hold him for an enemy: he only inviteth his confederates to be the inhabitants of hell. For those who believe not there is prepared a severe torment: but for those who shall believe and do that which is right, is prepared mercy and a great reward. Shall he therefore for whom his evil work hath been prepared, and who imagineth it to be good, be as he who is rightly disposed, and discerneth the truth? Verily GOD will cause to err whom he pleaseth, and will direct whom he pleaseth. Let not thy soul therefore be spent in sighs for their sakes, on account of their obstinacy; for GOD well knoweth that which they do. 10 It is God who sendeth the winds, and raiseth a cloud; and we drive the same unto a dead country, and thereby quicken the earth after it hath been dead; so shall the resurrection be.e Whoever desireth excellence; unto GOD doth all excellence belong: unto him ascendeth the good speech; and the righteous work will he exalt. But as for them who devise wicked plots,f they shall suffer a severe punishment; and the device of those men shall be rendered vain. GOD created you first of the dust, and afterwards of seed;g and he hath made you man and wife. No female conceiveth, or bringeth forth, but with his knowledge. Nor is anything added unto the age of him whose life is prolonged, neither is anything diminished from his age, but the same is written in the book of God's decrees. Verily this is easy with GOD. The two seas are not to be held in comparison: this is fresh and sweet, pleasant to drink: but that is salt and bitter:h yet out of each of them ye eat fish,i and take ornamentsk for you to wear. Thou seest the ships also ploughing the waves thereof, that ye may seek to enrich yourselves by commerce, of the abundance of God: peradventure ye will be thankful. He causeth the night to succeed the day, and he causeth the day to succeed the night; and he obligeth the sun and the moon to perform their services: each of them runneth an appointed course. This is GOD, your LORD: his is the kingdom. But the idols which ye invoke besides him have not the power even over the skin of a date-stone: if ye invoke them, they will not hear your calling; and although they should hear, yet they would not answer you. On the day of resurrection they shall disclaim your having associated them with God: and none shall declare unto thee the truth, like one who is well acquainted therewith. O men, ye have need of GOD; but GOD is self-sufficient, and to be praised. If he pleaseth, he can take you away, and produce a new creature in your stead: neither will this be difficult with GOD. A burdened soul shall not bear the burden of another: and if a heavy- burdened soul call on another to bear part of its burden, no part thereof shall be borne by the person who shall be called on, although he be ever so nearly related. Thou shalt admonish those who fear their LORD in secret and are constant at prayer: and whoever cleanseth himself from the guilt of disobedience, cleanseth himself to the advantage of his own soul; for all shall be assembled before GOD at the last day.
e See chapter 29, p. 298, notef As the Koreish did against Mohammed. See chapter 8, p. 128, note n.g See chapter 22, p. 250.h That is, the two collective bodies of salt water and fresh. Seechapter 25, p. 274i See chapter 16, p. 196, note u.k As pearls and coral.
20 The blind and the seeing shall not be held equal; neither darkness and light; nor the cool shade and the scorching wind: neither shall the living and the dead be held equal.l GOD shall cause him to hear whom he pleaseth; but thou shalt not make those to hear who are in their graves.m Thou art no other than a preacher: verily we have sent thee with truth, a bearer of good tidings, and a denouncer of threats. There hath been no nation, but a preacher hath in past times been conversant among them: if they charge thee with imposture, they who were before them likewise charged their apostles with imposture. Their apostles came unto them with evident miracles, and with divine writings,n and with the enlightening book:o afterwards I chastised those who were unbelievers; and how severe was my vengeance! Dost thou not see that GOD sendeth down rain from heaven, and that we thereby produce fruits of various colours?q In the mountain also there are some tracts white and red, of various colours;q and others are of a deep black: and of men, and beasts, and cattle there are whose colours are in like manner various. Such only of his servants fear GOD as are endued with understanding: verily GOD is mighty and ready to forgive. Verily they who read the book of GOD, and are constant at prayer, and give alms out of what we have bestowed on them, both in secret and openly, hope for a merchandise which shall not perish: that God may fully pay them their wages, and make them a superabundant addition of his liberality; for he is ready to forgive the faults of his servants, and to requite their endeavors. That which we have revealed unto thee of the book of the Koran is the truth, confirming the scriptures which were revealed before it: for GOD knoweth and regardeth his servants. And we have given the book of the Koran in heritage unto such of our servants as we have chosen: of them there is one who injureth his own soul;r and there is another of them who keepeth the middle way;s and there is another of them who outstrippeth others in good works, by the permission of GOD. This is the great excellence. 30 They shall be introduced into gardens of perpetual abode; they shall be adorned therein with bracelets of gold and pearls, and their clothing therein shall be of silk: and they shall say, Praise be unto GOD, who hath taken away sorrow from us! verily our LORD is ready to forgive the sinners, and to reward the obedient;
l This passage expresses the great difference between a true believerand an infidel, truth and vanity, and their future reward and punishment.m i.e., Those who obstinately persist in their unbelief, who arecompared to the dead.n As the volumes delivered to Abraham, and to other prophets beforeMoses.o viz., The law or the gospel.p That is, of different kinds. See chapter 16, p. 196.q Being more or less intense.1r By not practising what he is taught and commanded in the Korân.s That is, who meaneth well, and performeth his duty for the most part,but not perfectly
1 Al Beidâwi.
who hath caused us to take up our rest in a dwelling of eternal stability, through his bounty, wherein no labor shall touch us, neither shall any weariness affect us. But for the unbelievers is prepared the fire of hell: it shall not be decreed them to die a second time; neither shall any part of the punishment thereof be made lighter unto them. Thus shall every infidel be rewarded. And they shall cry out aloud in hell, saying, LORD, take us hence, and we will work righteousness, and not what we have formerly wrought. But it shall be answered them, Did we not grant you lives of length sufficient, that whoever would be warned might be warned therein; and did not the preachert come unto you? taste therefore the pains of hell. And the unjust shall have no protector. Verily GOD knoweth the secrets both of heaven and earth, for he knoweth the innermost parts of the breasts of men. It is he who hath made you to succeed in the earth. Whoever shall disbelieve, on him be his unbelief; and their unbelief shall only gain the unbelievers greater indignation in the sight of their LORD; and their unbelief shall only increase the perdition of the unbelievers. Say, What think ye of your deities which ye invoke besides GOD? Show me what part of the earth they have created. Or had they any share in the creation of the heavens? Have we given unto the idolaters any book of revelations, so that they may rely on any proof therefrom to authorize their practice? Nay; but the ungodly make unto one another only deceitful promises. Verily GOD sustaineth the heavens and the earth, lest they fail: and if they should fail, none could support the same besides him; he is gracious and merciful. 40 The Koreish swore by GOD, with a most solemn oath, that if a preacher had come unto them, they would surely have been more willingly directed than any nation: but now a preacher is come unto them, it hath only increased in them their aversion from the truth, their arrogance in the earth, and their contriving of evil; but the contrivance of evil shall only encompass the authors thereof. Do they expect any other than the punishment awarded against the unbelievers of former times? For thou shalt not find any change in the ordinance of GOD; neither shalt thou find any variation in the ordinance of GOD. Have they not gone through the earth, and seen what hath been the end of those who were before them; although they were more mighty in strength than they? GOD is not to be frustrated by anything either in heaven or on earth; for he is wise and powerful. If GOD should punish men according to what they deserve, he would not leave on the back of the earth so much as a beast: but he respiteth them to a determined time; and when their time shall come, verily GOD will regard his servants.
t viz., Mohammed.
Y. S.u I SWEAR by the instructive Koran,that thou art one of the messengers of God,sent to show the right way.This is a revelation of the most mighty, the merciful God:that thou mayest warn a people whose fathers were not warned, and wholive in negligence.Our sentencex hath justly been pronounced against the greater part ofthem; wherefore they shall not believe.We have put yokesy on their necks, which come up to their chins; and theyare forced to hold up their heads;and we have set a bar before them, and a bar behind them;z and we havecovered them with darkness; wherefore they shall not see.aIt shall be equal unto them whether thou preach unto them, or do notpreach unto them; they shall not believe.10 But thou shalt preach with effect unto him only who followeth theadmonition of the Koran, and feareth the Merciful in secret. Wherefore beargood tidings unto him, of mercy, and an honourable reward.Verily we will restore the dead to life, and will write down their workswhich they shall have sent before them, and their footsteps which they shallhave left behind them: b and everything do we set down in a plain register.Propound unto them as an example the inhabitants of the city of Antioch,when the apostles of Jesus came thereto:c
u The meaning of these letters is unknown:1 some, however, from a tradition of Ebn Abbas, pretend they stand for Ya insân, i.e., O man. This chapter, it is said, had several other titles given it by Mohammed himself, and particularly that of The heart of the Korân. The Mohammedans read it to dying persons in their last agony.2 x viz., The sentence of damnation, which GOD pronounced against the greater part of genii and men at the fall of Adam.3 y Or collars, such as are described p. 181, note t. z That is, we have placed obstacles to prevent their looking either forwards or backwards. The whole passage represents the blindness and invincible obstinacy, with which GOD justly curses perverse and reprobate men. a It is said that when the Koreish, in pursuance of a resolution they had taken, had sent a select number to beset Mohammed's house, and to kill him,4 the prophet, having caused Ali to lie down on his bed to deceive the assassins, went out and threw a handful of dust at them, repeating the nine first verses of this chapter, which end here; and they were thereupon stricken with blindness, so that they could not see him.5 b As their good or evil example, doctrine, &c. c To explain this passage, the commentators tell the following story:- The people of Antioch being idolaters, Jesus sent two of his disciples thither to preach to them; and when they drew near the city they found Habîb, surnamed al Najjâr, or the carpenter, feeding sheep, and acqainted him with their errand; whereupon he asked them what proof they had of their veracity, and they told him they could cure the sick, and the blind, and the lepers; and to demonstrate the truth of what they said, they laid their hands on a child of his who was sick, and immediately restored him to health. Habîb was convinced by this miracle, and believed; after which they went into the city and preached the worship of one true GOD, curing a great number of people of several infirmities; but at length, the affair coming to the prince's ear, he ordered them to be imprisoned for endeavouring to seduce the people. When Jesus heard of this, he sent another of his disciples, generally supposed to have been Simon Peter, who, coming to Antioch, and appearing as a zealous idolater, soon insinuated
1 See the Prelim. Disc. Sec. III. p. 46, &c. 2 Vide Bobov. DeVisit. Ægrot. p. 17. 3 See cap. 7, p. 106; c. II, p. 169, &c.4 See the Prelim. Disc. p. 39. 5 Vide Abulf. Vit Moh. p. 50.
when we sent unto them two of the said apostles;d but they charged them with imposture. Wherefore we strengthened them with a third.e And they said, Verily we are sent unto you by God. The inhabitants answered, Ye are no other than men, as we are; ye only publish a lie. The apostles replied, Our LORD knoweth that we are really sent unto you: and our duty is only public preaching. Those of Antioch said, Verily we presage evil from you: if ye desist not from preaching, we will surely stone you, and a painful punishment shall be inflicted on you by us. The apostles answered, Your evil presage is with yourselves:f although ye be warned, will ye persist in yours errors? Verily ye are a people who transgress exceedingly. And a certain mang came hastily from the farther parts of the city, and said, O my people, follow the messengers of God; 20 follow him who demandeth not any reward of you: for these are rightly directed. What reason have I that I should not worship him who hath created me? for unto him shall ye return. Shall I take other gods besides him? If the Merciful be pleased to afflict me, their intercession will not avail me at all, neither can they deliver me: then should I be in a manifest error. Verily I believe in your LORD; wherefore hearken unto me. But they stoned him: and as he died, it was said unto him, Enter thou into paradise. And he said, O that my people knew how merciful GOD hath been unto me! for he hath highly honoured me. And we sent not down against his people, after they had slain him, an army from heaven, nor the other instruments of destruction which we sent down on unbelievers in former days:h there was only one cry of Gabriel from heaven, and behold, they became utterly extinct. Oh the misery of men! No apostle cometh unto them, but they laugh him to scorn. 30 Do they not consider how many generations we have destroyed before them? Verily they shall not return unto them: but all of them in general shall be assembled before us.
himself into the favour of the inhabitants and of their prince, and at length took an opportunity to desire the prince would order the two persons who, as he was informed, had been put in prison for broaching new opinions, to be brought before him to be examined; and accordingly they were brought: when Peter, having previously warned them to take no notice that they knew him, asked them who sent them, to which they answered, GOD, who had created all things, and had no companion. He then required some convincing proof of their mission, upon which they restored a blind person to his sight and performed some other miracles, with which Peter seemed not to be satisfied, for that, according to some, he did the very same miracles himself, but declared that, if their GOD could enable them to raise the dead, he would believe them; which condition the two apostles accepting, a lad was brought who had been dead seven days, and at their prayers he was raised to life; and thereupon Peter acknowledged himself convinced, and ran and demolished the idols, a great many of the people following him, and embracing the true faith; but those who believed not were destroyed by the cry of the angel Gabriel.1 d Some say these two were John and Paul; but others name different persons. e viz., Simon Peter. f i.e., If any evil befall you, it will be the consequence of your own obstinacy and unbelief. See chapter 27, p. 287, note b. g This was Habîb al Najjâr, whose martyrdom is here described. His tomb is still shown near Antioch, and is much visited by the Mohammedans.2 h As a deluge, or a shower of stones, or a suffocating wind, &c. The words may also be translated, Nor did we determine to send down such executioners of our justice.
1 Al Zamakh., al Beidâwi, &c. Vide etiam Marracc. in Alc. p. 580.2 Vide Schultens, Indic. Geogr. ad calcem Vitæ Saladini, voceAntiochia.
One sign of the resurrection unto them is the dead earth:i we quicken the same by the rain, and produce thereout various sorts of grain, of which they eat. And we make therein gardens of palm-trees, and vines; and we cause springs to gush forth in the same: that they may eat of the fruits thereof, and of the labor of their hands. Will they not therefore give thanks? Praise be unto him who hath created all the different kinds, both of vegetables, which the earth bringeth forth, and of their own species, by forming the two sexes, and also the various sorts of things which they know not. The night also is a sign unto them: we withdraw the day from the same, and behold, they are covered with darkness: and the sun hasteneth to his place of rest.k This is the disposition of the mighty, the wise God. and for the moon have we appointed certain mansions,l until she change and return to be like the old branch of a palm-tree.m 40 It is not expedient that the sun should overtake the moon in her course: neither doth the night outstrip the day: but each of these luminaries moving in a peculiar orbit. It is a sign also unto them, that they carry their offspring in the ship filled with merchandise;n and that we have made for them other conveniences like unto it,o whereon they ride. If we please, we drown them, and there is none to help them; neither are they delivered, unless through our mercy, and that they may enjoy life for a season. When it is said unto them, Fear that which is before you, and that which is behind you,p that ye may obtain mercy: they withdraw from thee: and thou dost not bring them one sign, of the signs of their LORD, but they turn aside from the same. And when it is said unto them, Give alms of that which GOD hath bestowed on you; the unbelievers say unto those who believe, by way of mockery, Shall we feed him whom GOD can feed, if he pleaseth?q Verily ye are in no other than a manifest error. And they say, When will this promise of the resurrection be fulfilled, if ye speak truth? They only wait for one sounding of the trumpet,r which shall overtake them while they are disputing together; 50 and they shall not have time to make any disposition of their effects, neither shall they return to their family. And the trumpet shall be sounded again;s and behold they shall come forth from their graves, and hasten unto their LORD.
i See cap. 29, p. 298, note y. k That is, he hasteneth to run his daily course, the setting of the sun resembling a traveller's going to rest. Some copies vary in this place, and instead of limostakarrin laha, read la mostakarra laha; according to which the sentence should be rendered, The sun runneth his course without ceasing, and hath not a place of rest. l viz., These are twenty-eight constellations, through one of which the moon passes every night, thence called the mansions or houses of the moon.1 m For when a palm-branch grows old, it shrinks, and becomes crooked and yellow, not ill representing the appearance of the new moon. n Some suppose that the deliverance of Noah and his companions in the ark is here intended; and then the words should be translated, That we carried their progeny in the ark filled with living creatures. o As camels, which are the land-ships; or lesser vessels and boats. p i.e., The punishment of this world and of the next. q When the poor Moslems asked alms of the richer Koreish, they told them that if GOD could provide for them, as they imagined, and did not, it was an argument that they deserved not his favour so well as themselves: whereas GOD permits some to be in want, to try the rich and exercise their charity. r See the Prelim. Disc. Sect. IV. p. 64, 65, and the notes to chapter 39 s See ibid.
1 See the Prelim. Disc. Sect. I. p. 24.
They shall say, Alas for us! who hath awakened us from our bed?t This is what the Merciful promised us; and his apostles spoke the truth. It shall be but one sound of the trumpet, and behold, they shall be all assembled before us. On this day no soul shall be unjustly treated in the least; neither shall ye be rewarded, but according to what ye shall have wrought. On this day the inhabitants of paradise shall be wholly taken up with joy: they and their wives shall rest in shady groves, leaning on magnificent couches. There shall they have fruit, and they shall obtain whatever they shall desire. Peace shall be the word spoken unto the righteous, by a merciful LORD: but he shall say unto the wicked, Be ye separated this day, O ye wicked, from the righteous. 60 Did I not command you, O sons of Adam, that ye should not worship Satan; because he was an open enemy unto you? And did I not say, Worship me; this is the right way? But now hath he seduced a great multitude of you: did ye not therefore understand? This is hell, with which ye were threatened: be ye cast into the same this day to be burned; for that ye have been unbelievers. On this day we will seal up their mouths, that they shall not open them in their own defence; and their hands shall speak unto us, and their feet shall bear witness of that which they have committed.u If we pleased we could put out their eyes, and they might run with emulation in the way they use to take; and how should they see their error? And if we pleased we could transform them into other shapes, in their places when they should be found; and they should not be able to depart; neither should they repent.x Unto whomsoever we grant a long life, him do we cause to bow down his body through age. Will they not therefore understand? We have not taught Mohammed the art of poetry;y nor is it expedient for him to be a poet. This book is no other than an admonition from God, and a perspicuous Korân; 70 that he may warn him who is living:z and the sentence of condemnation will be justly executed on the unbelievers. Do they not consider that we have created for them, among the things which our hands have wrought, cattle of several kinds, of which they are possessors; and that we have put the same in subjection under them? Some of them are for their riding; and on some of them do they feed: and they receive other advantages therefrom; and of their milk do they drink. Will they not, therefore, be thankful? They have taken other gods, besides GOD, in hopes that they may be assisted by them; but they are not able to give them any assistance: yet are they a party of troops ready to defend them. Let not their speech, therefore, grieve thee: we know that which they privately conceal, and that which they publicly discover. Doth not man know that we have created him of seed? yet behold, he is an open disputer against the resurrection;
t For they shall sleep during the interval between these two blasts ofthe trumpet, and shall feel no pain.1u See the Prelim. Disc. Sect. IV. p. 69.x That is, They deserve to be thus treated for their infidelity anddisobedience; but we bear with them out of mercy, and grant them respite.y That is in answer to the infidels, who pretended the Korân was only apoetical composition.z i.e., Endued with understanding; the stupid and careless being likedead persons.2
1 Jallalo'ddin. 2 Al Beidâwi.
and he propoundeth unto us a comparison, and forgetteth his creation. He saith, Who shall restore bones to life, when they are rotten?a Answer, He shall restore them to life, who produced them the first time: for he is skilled in every kind of creation: 80 who giveth you fire out of the green tree,b and behold, ye kindle your fuel from thence. Is not he who hath created the heavens and the earth able to create new creatures like unto them? Yea certainly: for he is the wise Creator. His command, when he willeth a thing, is only that he saith unto it, Be; and it is. Wherefore praise be unto him, in whose hand is the kingdom of all things, and unto whom ye shall return at the last day.
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BY the angels who rank themselves in order;cand by those who drive forward and dispel the clouds;dand by those who read the Koran for an admonition;verily your GOD is one:the LORD of heaven and earth, and of whatever is between them, and theLORD of the east.eWe have adorned the lower heaven with the ornament of the stars:and we have placed therein a guard against every rebellious devil;that they may not listen to the discourse of the exalted princes (forthey are darted at from every side,to repel them, and a lasting torment is prepared for them);10 except him who catcheth a word by stealth, and is pursued by a shiningflame.fAsk the Meccans, therefore, whether they be stronger by nature, or theangels, whom we have created? We have surely created them of stiff clay.Thou wonderest at God's power and their obstinacy; but they mock at thearguments urged to convince them:
a See chapter 16, p. 195, note b The usual way of striking fire in the east is by rubbing together two pieces of wood, one of which is commonly of the tree called Markh, and the other of that called Afâr: and it will succeed even though the wood be green and wet.1 c Some understand by these words the souls of men who range themselves in obedience to GOD'S laws, and put away from them all infidelity and corrupt doings; or the souls of those who rank themselves in battle array, to fight for the true religion, and push on their horses to charge the infidels, &c.2 d Or, who put in motion all bodies, in the upper and lower world, according to the divine command; or, who keep off men from disobedience to GOD, by inspiring them with good thoughts and inclinations; or, who drive away the devils from them, &c.3 e The original word, being in the plural number, is supposed to signify the different points of the horizon from whence the sun rises in the course of the year, which are in number 360 (equal to the number of days in the old civil year), and have as many corresponding points where it successively sets, during that space.4 Marracci groundlessly imagines this interpretation to be built on the error of the plurality of worlds.5 f See chapter 15, p. 192.
1 Vide Hyde, de Rel. Vet. Pers. c. 25, p. 333, &c. 2 Al Beidâwi. 3 Idem. 4 Idem, Yahya. 5 Marracc. in Alc. p. 589.
when they are warned, they do not take warning;and when they see any sign, they scoff thereat,and say, This is no other than manifest sorcery:after we shall be dead, and become dust and bones, shall we really beraised to life,and our forefathers also?Answer, Yea: and ye shall then be despicable.There shall be but one blast of the trumpet, and they shall seethemselves raised:20 and they shall say, Alas for us! this is the day of judgment,this is the day of distinction between the righteous and the wicked,which ye rejected as a falsehood.Gather together those who have acted unjustly, and their comrades, andthe idols which they worshippedbesides GOD, and direct them in the way to hell;and set them before God's tribunal; for they shall be called to account.What aileth you that ye defend not one another?But on this day they shall submit themselves to the judgment of God:and they shall draw nigh unto one another, and shall dispute amongthemselves.And the seduced shall say unto those who seduced them, Verily ye cameunto us with presages of prosperity;gand the seducers shall answer, Nay, rather ye were not true believers:for we had no power over you to compel you; but ye were people who voluntarilytransgressed:30 wherefore the sentence of our LORD hath been justly pronounced againstus, and we shall surely taste his vengeance.We seduced you; but we also erred ourselves.They shall both therefore be made partakers of the same punishment onthat day.Thus will we deal with the wicked:because, when it is said unto them, There is no god besides the true GOD,they swell with arrogance,and say, Shall we abandon our gods for a distracted poet?Nay: he cometh with the truth, and beareth witness to the formerapostles.Ye shall surely taste the painful torment of hell;and ye shall not be rewarded, but according to your works.But as for the sincere servants of GOD,40 they shall have a certain provision in paradise,namely, delicious fruits: and they shall be honoured:they shall be placed in gardens of pleasure,leaning on couches, opposite to one another:ha cup shall be carried round unto them, filled from a limpid fountain,for the delight of those who drink:it shall not oppress the understanding, neither shall they be inebriatedtherewith.And near them shall lie the virgins of paradise, refraining their looksfrom beholding any besides their spouses, having large black eyes, andresembling the eggs of an ostrich covered with feathers from the dust.iAnd they shall turn the one unto the other, and shall ask one anotherquestions.And one of them shall say, Verily I had an intimate friend while I livedin the world,50 who said unto me, Art thou one of those who assertest the truth of theresurrection?After we shall be dead, and reduced to dust and bones, shall we surely bejudged?Then he shall say to his companions, Will ye look down?And he shall look down, and shall see him in the midst of hell:and he shall say unto him, By GOD, it wanted little but thou hadst drawnme into ruin:and had it not been for the grace of my LORD, I had surely been one ofthose who have been delivered up to eternal torment.
g Literally, from the right hand. The words may also be rendered, withforce, to compel us; or with an oath, swearing that ye were in the right.h See chapter 15, p. 193, notei This may seem an odd comparison to an European; but the orientalsthink nothing comes so near the colour of a fine woman's skin as that of anostrich's egg when kept perfectly clean.
31
Shall we dieany other than our first death; or do we suffer any punishment?Verily this is great felicity:for the obtaining a felicity like this let the laborers labor.60 Is this a better entertainment, or the tree of al Zakkum?kVerily we have designed the same for an occasion of dispute unto theunjust.lIt is a tree which issueth from the bottom of hell:the fruit thereof resembleth the heads of devils;mand the damned shall eat of the same, and shall fill their belliestherewith;and there shall be given them thereon a mixture of filthy and boilingwater to drink:afterwards shall they return into hell.nThey found their fathers going astray,and they trod hastily in their footsteps:for the greater part of the ancients erred before them.70 And we sent warners unto them heretofore:and see how miserable was the end of those who were warned;except the sincere servants of GOD.Noah called on us in former days: and we heard him graciously:and we delivered him and his family out of the great distress;and we caused his offspring to be those who survived to people the earth:and we left the following salutation to be bestowed on him by the latestposterity,namely, Peace be on Noah among all creatures!Thus do we reward the righteous;for he was one of our servants the true believers.80 Afterwards we drowned the others.Abraham also was of his religion:owhen he came unto his LORD with a perfect heart.When he said unto his father and his people, What do ye worship?Do ye choose false gods preferably to the true GOD?What therefore is your opinion of the LORD of all creatures?And he looked and observed the stars,and said, Verily I shall be sick,p and shall not assist at yoursacrifices:and they turned their backs and departed from him.qAnd Abraham went privately to their gods, and said, scoffingly unto them,Do ye not eat of the meat which is set before you?90 What aileth you that ye speak not?And he turned upon them, and struck them with his right hand, anddemolished them.And the people came hastily unto him:and he said, Do ye worship the images which ye carve?whereas GOD hath created you, and also that which ye make.They said, Build a pile for him, and cast him into the glowing fire.And they devised a plot against him; but we made them the inferior, anddelivered him.rAnd Abraham said, Verily I am going unto my LORD,s who will direct me.O LORD, grant me a righteous issue.Wherefore we acquainted him that he should have a son, who should be ameek youth.
k There is a thorny tree so called, which grows in Tehâma, and bears fruit like an almond, but extremely bitter; and therefore the same name is given to this infernal tree. l The infidels not conceiving how a tree could grow in hell, where the stones themselves serve for fuel. m Or of serpents ugly to behold; the original word signifies both. n Some suppose that the entertainment mentioned will be the welcome given the damned before they enter that place; and others, that they will be suffered to come out of hell from time to time, to drink their scalding liquor. o For Noah and he agreed in the fundamental points both of faith and practice; though the space between them was no less than 2640 years.1 p He made as if he gathered so much from the aspect of the heavens-the people being greatly addicted to the superstitions of astrology-and made it his excuse for being absent from their festival, to which they had invited him. q Fearing he had some contagious distemper.2 r See chapter 21, p. 246, &c. s Whither he hath commanded me.
1 Al Beidâwi. 2 Idem.
100 And when he had attained to years of discretion,t and could join in actsof religion with him,Abraham said unto him, O my son, verily I saw in a dream that I shouldoffer thee in sacrifice:u consider therefore what thou art of opinion I shoulddo.He answered, O my father, do what thou art commanded: thou shalt find me,if GOD please, a patient person.And when they had submitted themselves to the divine will, and Abrahamhad laid his son prostrate on his face,xwe cried unto him, O Abraham,now hast thou verified the vision. Thus do we reward the righteous.Verily this was a manifest trial.And we ransomed him with a noble victim.yAnd we left the following salutation to be bestowed on him by the latestposterity,namely, Peace be on Abraham!110 Thus do we reward the righteous:for he was one of our faithful servants.And we rejoiced him with the promise of Isaac:and of their offspring were some righteous doers, and others whomanifestly injured their own souls.We were also gracious unto Moses and Aaron, heretofore:and we delivered them and their people from a great distress.And we assisted them against the Egyptians; and they became theconquerors.And we gave them the perspicuous book of the law,and we directed them into the right way,and we left the following salutation to be bestowed on them by the latestposterity,120 namely, Peace be on Moses and Aaron!Thus do we reward the righteous;for they were two of our faithful servants.And Eliasz was also one of those who were sent by us.
t He was then thirteen years old.3 u The commentators say, that Abraham was ordered in a vision, which he saw on the eighth night of the month Dhu'lhajja, to sacrifice his son; and to assure him that this was not from the devil, as he was inclined to suspect, the same vision was repeated a second time the next night, when he knew it to be from GOD, and also a third time the night following, when he resolved to obey it, and to sacrifice his son; and hence some think the eighth, ninth, and tenth days of Dhu'lhajja are called Yawm altarwiya, yawm ar afat, and yawm alnehr, that is, the day of the vision, the day of knowledge, and the day of the sacrifice. It is the most received opinion among the Mohammedans that the son whom Abraham offered was Ismael, and not Isaac, Ismael being his only son at that time: for the promise of Isaac's birth is mentioned lower, as subsequent in time to this transaction. They also allege the testimony of their prophet, who is reported to have said, I am the son of the two who were offered in sacrifice; meaning his great ancestor, Ismael, and his own father Abd'allah: for Abd'almotalleb had made a vow that if GOD would permit him to find out and open the well Zemzem, and should give him ten sons, he would sacrifice one of them. Accordingly, when he had obtained his desire in both respects, he cast lots on his sons, and the lot falling on Abd'allah, he redeemed him by offering a hundred camels, which was therefore ordered to be the price of a man's blood in the Sonna.1 x The commentators add, that Abraham went so far as to draw the knife with all his strength across the lad's throat, but was miraculously hindered from hurting him.2 y The epithet of great or noble is here added, either because it was large and fat, or because it was accepted as the ransom of a prophet. Some suppose this victim was a ram, and, if we may believe a common tradition, the very same which Abel sacrificed, having been brought to Abraham out of paradise; others fancy it was a wild goat, which came down from Mount Thabîr, near Mecca, for the Mohammedans lay the scene of this transaction in the valley of Mina; as a proof of which they tell us that the horns of the victim were hung upon the spout of the Caaba, where they remained till they were burnt, together with that building, in the days of Abda'llah Ebn Zobeir;3 though others assure us that they had been before taken down by Mohammed himself, to remove all occasion of idolatry.4 z This prophet the Mohammedans generally suppose to be the same with al Khedr, and confound him with Phineas,5 and sometimes with Edris, or Enoch. Some say he was the son of Yasin, and nearly related to Aaron; and others suppose him to have been a different person. He was sent to the inhabitants of Baalbec, in Syria, the Heliopolis of the Greeks, to reclaim them from the worship of their idol Baal, or the sun, whose name makes part of that of the city, which was anciently called Becc.6
3 Idem. 1 Idem, Jallalo'ddin, al Zamakh. 2 Idem,Jallalo'ddin. 3 Idem. 4 Vide D'Herbel. Bibl. Orient. Art.Ismail. 5 See cap. 18, p. 223, note 6 Jallalo'ddin, alBeidâwi.
When he said unto his people, Do ye not fear God?Do ye invoke Baal, and forsake the most excellent Creator?GOD is your LORD, and the LORD of your forefathers.But they accused him of imposture: wherefore they shall be delivered upto eternal punishment;except the sincere servants of GOD.And we left the following salutation to be bestowed on him by the latestposterity,130 namely, Peace be on Ilyâsin!aThus do we reward the righteous:for he was one of our faithful servants.And Lot was also one of those who were sent by us.When we delivered him and his whole family,except an old woman, his wife, who perished, among those that remainedbehind:afterwards we destroyed the others.bAnd ye, O people of Mecca, pass by the places where they once dwelt, asye journey in the morning,and by night; will ye not therefore understand?Jonas was also one of those who were sent by us.c140 When he fledd into the loaded ship;and those who were on board cast lots among themselves,e and he wascondemned:fand the fish swallowed him;g for he was worthy of reprehension.And if he had not been one those who praised GOD,hverily he had remained in the belly thereof until the day ofresurrection.And we cast him on the naked shore, and he was sick:iand we caused a plant of a gourdk to grow up over him;and we went him to an hundred thousand persons, or they were a greaternumber,and they believed: wherefore we granted them to enjoy this life for aseason.Inquire of the Meccans whether thy LORD hath daughters, and they sons?l150 Have we created the angels of the female sex? and were they witnessesthereof?
a The commentators do not well know what to make of this word. Some think it is the plural of Elias, or, as the Arabs write it, Ilyâs, and that both that prophet and his followers, or those who resembled him, are meant thereby; others divide the word, and read âl Yasîn, i.e., the family of Yasin, who was the father of Elias according to an opinion mentioned above; and others imagine it signifies Mohammed, or the Korân, or some other book of scripture. But the most probable conjecture is that Ilyâs and Ilyâsin are the same name, or design one and the same person, as Sinai and Sinin denote one and the same mountain; the last syllable being added here, to keep up the rhyme or cadence, at the close of the verse. b See chapter 7, p. 113, &c., and chapter 11, p. 166, &c. c See chapter 10, p. 157. d See chapter 21, p. 248. e Al Beidâwi says the ship stood stock-still, wherefore they concluded that they had a fugitive servant on board, and cast lots to find him out. f i.e., He was taken by the lot. g When the lot fell on Jonas he cried out, I am the fugitive; and immediately threw himself into the sea.7 h The words seem to relate particularly to Jonas's supplication while in the whale's belly.8 i By reason of what he had suffered; his body becoming like that of a new-born child.9 It is said that the fish, after it had swallowed Jonas, swam after the ship with its head above water, that the prophet might breathe, who continued to praise GOD till the fish came to land and vomited him out. The opinions of the Mohammedan writers as to the time Jonas continued in the fish's belly differ very much: some suppose it was part of a day, others three days, others seven, others twenty, and others forty.10 k The original word signifies a plant which spreads itself upon the ground, having no erect stalk or stem to support it, and particularly a gourd; though some imagine Jonas's plant to have been a fig, and others the small tree or shrub called Mauz,1 which bears very large leaves, and excellent fruit.2 The commentators add, that this plant withered the next morning, and that Jonas being much concerned at it, GOD made a remonstrance to him in behalf of the Ninivites, agreeable to what is recorded in scripture. l See chapter 16, p. 199.
7 Idem. 8 See cap. 21, p. 248. 9 Al Beidâwi.10 Idem. 1 Idem.2 Vide J Leon. Descr. Afric. lib. 9. Gab. Sionit. de Urb. Orient. ad calcemGeogr. Nub. p. 32, et Hottinger. Hist. Orient. p. 78, &c.
Do they not say of their own false invention,GOD hath begotten issue? and are they not really liars?Hath he chosen daughters preferably to sons?Ye have no reason to judge thus.Will ye therefore not be admonished?Or have ye a manifest proof of what ye say?Produce now your book of revelations, if ye speak truth.And they make him to be of kin unto the genii;m whereas the genii knowthat they who affirm such things shall be delivered up to eternal punishment;(far be that from GOD, which they affirm of him!)160 except the sincere servants of GOD.Moreover ye and that which ye worshipshall not seduce any concerning God,except him who is destined to be burned in hell.There is none of us but hath an appointed place:we range ourselves in order, attending the commands of God;and we celebrate the divine praise.nThe infidels said,If we had been favored with a book of divine revelations, of those whichwere delivered to the ancients,we had surely been sincere servants of GOD:170 yet now the Koran is revealed, they believe not therein; but hereaftershall they know the consequence of their unbelief.Our word hath formerly been given unto our servants the apostles;that they shall certainly be assisted against the infidels,and that our armies should surely be the conquerors.Turn aside therefore from them, for a season:and see the calamities which shall afflict them; for they shall see thyfuture success and prosperity.Do they therefore seek to hasten our vengeance?Verily when it shall descend into their courts, an evil morning shall itbe unto those who were warned in vain.Turn aside from them therefore for a season,and see: hereafter shall they see thy success and their punishment.180 Praise be unto thy LORD, the LORD who is far exalted above what theyaffirm of him!And peace be on his apostles!And praise be unto GOD, the LORD of all creatures!
m That is, the angels, who are also comprehended under the name of genii, being a species of them. Some say that the infidels went so far as to assert that GOD and the devil were brothers,3 which blasphemous expression may have been occasioned by the magian notions. n These words are supposed to be spoken by the angels, disclaiming the worship paid to them by the idolaters, and declaring that they have each their station and office appointed them by GOD, whose commands they are at all times ready to execute, and whose praises they continually sing. There are some expositors, however, who think they are the words of Mohammed and his followers; the meaning being, that each of them has a place destined for him in paradise, and that they are the men who range themselves in order before GOD, to worship and pray to him, and who celebrate his praise by rejecting every false notion derogatory to the divine wisdom and power.
3 Al Beidâwi.
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S.o BY the Korân full of admonition.p Verily the unbelievers areaddicted to pride and contention.How many generations have we destroyed before them; and they cried formercy, but it was not a time to escape.They wonder that a warner from among themselves hath come unto them. Andthe unbelievers said, This man is a sorcerer, and a liar:doth he affirm the gods to be but one GOD. Surely this is a wonderfulthing.
o The meaning of this letter is unknown:1 some guess it stands for Sidk, i.e., Truth; or for Sadaka, i.e., He (viz., Mohammed) speaketh the truth; and others propose different conjectures, all equally uncertain. p Something must be understood to answer this oath, which the commentators variously supply.
1 See the Prelim. Disc. Sect. III. p. 46, &c.
And the chief men among them departed,q saying to one another, Go, and persevere in the worship of your gods: verily this is the thing which is designed.r We have not heard anything like this in the last religion:s this is no other than a false contrivance. Hath an admonition been sent unto him preferable to any other among us? Verily they are in a doubt concerning my admonition: but they have not yet tasted my vengeance. Are the treasures of the mercy of thy LORD, the mighty, the munificent God, in their hands? Is the kingdom of the heavens, and the earth, and of whatever is between them, in their possession? If it be so, let them ascend by steps unto heaven. 10 But any army of the confederates shall even here be put to flight. The people of Noah, and the tribe of Ad, and Pharaoh the contriver of the stakes,t and the tribe of Thamud, and the people of Lot, and the inhabitants of the wood near Madian,u accused the prophets of imposture before them; these were the confederates against the messengers of God. All of them did no other than accuse their apostles of falsehood: wherefore my vengeance hath been justly executed upon them. And these wait only for one sounding of the trumpet; which there shall be no deferring. And they scoffingly say, O LORD, hasten our sentence unto us, before the day of account. Do thou patiently bear that which they utter: and remind them of our servant David, endued with strength;x for he was one who seriously turned himself unto God. We compelled the mountains to celebrate our praise with him, in the evening and at sunrise, and also the birds, which gathered themselves together unto him:y all of them returned frequently unto him for this purpose. And we established his kingdom, and gave him wisdom and eloquence of speech. 20 Hath the story of the two adversariesz come to thy knowledge; when they ascended over the wall into the upper apartment,