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commanded thou shalt find me, if GoD please, a patient person. And when they had submitted themselves to the divine will, and Abraham had laid his son prostrate on his face, we 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." And we left the following salutation to be bestowed on him by the latest posterity, namely, Peace be on Abraham! Thus do we reward the righteous: for he was one of our faithful servants. And we rejoiced him with the promise of Isaac, a righteous prophet; and we blessed him and Isaac: and of their offspring were some righteous doers, and others who manifestly 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 the conquerors. 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 latest posterity, namely, Peace be on Thus do we reward the righteous; for they were two of our faithful servants. And Elias was also one of those who were sent by us. 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 up to eternal punishment; except the sincere servants of GOD. And we left the following salutation to be bestowed on him by the latest posterity, namely, Peace be on Ilyasin!* Thus 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

Moses and Aaron!

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.10

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 up on the spout of the Caaba, where they remained till they were burnt, together with that building, in the days of Abd'allah Ebn Zobeir; though others assure us that they had been before taken down by Mohammed himself, to remove all occasion of idolatry.2 This prophet the Mohammedans generally suppose to have been the same with al Khedr, and confound him with Phineas, 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.*

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 al Yasin 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 Koran, or some other book of scripture. But the most probable conjecture is, that Ilyas or Ilyasin 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.

1 Al Beidâwi, Jallalo'ddin. See chap. 18, p. 244, note x.

1 lidem. 2 Vide D'Herb. Bibl. Orient. Art. Ismail Jallalo'ddin, al Beidâwi.

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him and his whole family, except an old woman, his wife, who perished among those that remained behind: afterwards we destroyed the others." And ye, O people of Mecca, pass by the places where they once dwelt, as ye journey in the morning, and by night; will ye not therefore understand? Jonas was also one of those who were sent by us.* When he fled into the loaded ship; and those who were on board cast lots among themselves, and he was condemned: and the fish swallowed him; for he was worthy of reprehension. And if he had not been one of those who praised GOD,* verily he had remained in the belly thereof until the day of resurrection. And we cast him on the naked shore, and he was sick:1* and we caused a plant of a gourd to grow up over him; and we sent him to an hundred thousand persons, or they were a greater number, and they believed: wherefore we granted them to enjoy this life for a season. Inquire of the Meccans whether thy LORD hath daughters, and they sons? Have we created the angels of the female sex? and were they witnesses thereof? 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; whereas the genii know that they who affirm such things

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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.

i. e. He was taken by the lot.

When the lot fell on Jonas, he cried out, I am the fugitive; and immediately threw himself into the sea."

The words seem to relate particularly to Jonas's supplication while in the whale's belly.

By reason of what he had suffered; his body becoming like that of a new-born child.* 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 a part of a day; others three days, others seven, others twenty, and others forty."

*

The fish which had swallowed him threw him upon the sand, overwhelmed with sufferings."-Savary.

The original word properly signifies a plant which spreads itself upon the ground, having no erect stalk or stem to support it, and particularly u gourd; though some imagine Jonas's plant to have been a fig, and others the small tree or shrub called Mauz, which bears very large leaves, and excellent fruit.' 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 Ninevites, agreeable to what is recorded in scripture. See chap. 16, p. 218.

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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; which blasphemous expression may have been occasioned by the magian notions.

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2

Jallalo'ddin, al Beidâwi.

See chap. 21, p. 271.

Al Beidâwi.

• Idem. • Idem. 1 Vide J. Leon. Descr. Afric. lib. 9. Gab. Sionit. de Urb. Orient. ad calcem. Geogr. Nub. p. 32, et Hottinger, Hist. Orient. p. 78, &c. 2 Al Beidâwi.

shall be delivered up to eternal punishment; (far be that from GOD, which they affirm of him!) except the sincere servants of GOD.* Moreover ye and that which ye worship shall 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. The infidels said, If we had been favoured with a book of divine revelations, of those which were delivered to the ancients, we had surely been sincere servants of GOD: yet now the Koran is revealed, they believe not therein; but hereafter shall 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 thy future success and prosperity. Do they therefore seek to hasten our vengeance? Verily when it shall descend into their courts, an evil morning shall it be 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. Praise be unto thy LORD, the LORD who is far exalted above what they affirm of him! And peace be on his apostles! And praise be unto God, the LORD of all creatures!

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

INTITLED, S.; REVEALED AT MECCA.

IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD.

S. By the Korân full of admonition." Verily the unbelievers are addicted to pride and contention. How many generations have we destroyed before them; and they cried for mercy, but it was not a time to escape.

* "The impious pretend that God hath had intercourse with the angels; and the angels know that the impious shall be the prey of flames. Praise be to the Eternal! Far be their blasphemies from him. His faithful servants alone are entitled to speak of him.”— Savary.

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.

"Shun the infidels until the time. Look on them: one day their eyes shall be opened. Do they desire to hasten our vengeance? When the hour shall knock at their gate, terrible shall be their awakening. Fly them until the appointed hour."-Savary.

The meaning of this letter is unknown: 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.

Something must be understood to answer this oath, which the commentators variously supply.

'See the Prelim. Disc. sect. iii. p. 42, &c.

They wonder that a warner from among themselves hath come unto them. And the unbelievers said, This man is a sorcerer, and a liar: doth he affirm the gods to be but one GOD. Surely this is a wonderful thing. And the chief men among them departed," saying to one another, Go, and persevere in the worship of your gods: verily this is the thing which is designed.* We have not heard any thing like this in the last religion:" 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. 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, and the tribe of Thamud, and the people of Lot, and the inhabitants of the wood near Madian, 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; for he was one who seriously turned himself unto God. We compelled the mountains to

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On the conversion of Omar, the Koreish being greatly irritated, the most considerable of them went in a body to Abu Taleb to complain to him of his nephew Mohammed's proceedings; but being confounded and put to silence by the prophet's arguments, they left the assembly, and encouraged one another in their obstinacy.

Namely, To draw us from their worship.

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Their chiefs arose and said, Keep your religion: be faithful to your God. We know his designs."-Savary.

i. e. In the religion which we received from our fathers; or, in the religion of Jesus, which was the last before the mission of Mohammed."

"Let them essay to ascend into the heavens. Their armies, how numerous soever they be, shall be put to flight."-Savary.

"Pharaoh, environed by his courtiers."-Savary.

For they say Pharaoh used to tie those he had a mind to punish by the hands and feet to four stakes fixed in the ground, and so tormented them. Some interpret the words, which may also be translated the lord or master of the stakes, figuratively, of the firm establishment of Pharaoh's kingdom; because the Arabs fix their tents with stakes: but they may possibly intend that prince's obstinacy and hardness of heart.

Sce chap. 15, p. 213.

The commentators suppose that ability to undergo the frequent practice of religious exercises is here meant. They say David used to fast every other day, and to spend one half of the night in prayer.1

• Al Beidâwi.

. Idem.

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Pharaoh is mentioned, in several parts of the Korân, with the epithet zou elaoutad, contriver of the stakes. So the phrase has hitherto been translated. Zou signifies possessor. Aoutad does not merely mean stakes. It means also, the chief men of a city. It has, therefore, appeared to me to be more natural to translate the Arabic words by Pharaoh, environed by his courtiers," than by " Pharaoh, contriver of the stakes." Besides, Mohammed uniformly represents that prince surrounded by his courtiers.)-Savary. i lidem, Interp.

Jallalo'ddin.

• Al Beidâwi.

celebrate our praise with him, in the evening and at sunrise, and also the birds, which gathered themselves together unto him: all of them returned frequently unto him for this purpose. And we established his kingdom, and gave him wisdom and eloquence of speech. Hath the story of the two adversaries come to thy knowledge;* when they ascended over the wall into the upper apartment, when they went in unto David, and he was afraid of them. They said, Fear not: we are two adversaries who have a controversy to be decided. The one of us hath wronged the other: wherefore judge between us with truth, and be not unjust; and direct us into the even way. This my brother had ninety and nine sheep: and I had only one ewe and he said, Give her me to keep; and he prevailed against me in the discourse which we had together. David answered, Verily he hath wronged thee in demanding thine ewe as an addition to his own sheep: and many of them who are concerned together in business wrong one another, except those who believe and do that which is right; but how few are they! And David perceived that we had tried him by this parable, and he asked pardon of his LORD: and he fell down and bowed himself, and repented. Wherefore we forgave him this fault; and he shall be admitted to approach near unto us, and shall have an excellent place of abode in paradise. O David, verily we have appointed thee a sovereign prince in the earth judge therefore between men with truth; and follow not thy own lust, lest it cause thee to err from the way of GoD: for those who err from the way of GoD shall suffer a severe punishment, because they have forgotten the day of account. We have not created the heavens and the earth, and whatever is between them, in vain. This is the opinion of the unbelievers: but woe unto those who believe not, because of the fire of hell. Shall we deal with those who believe and do good works, as with those who act corruptly in the earth? Shall we deal with the pious as with the wicked? A blessed book have we sent down unto thee, O Mohammed, that they may attentively meditate on the signs thereof, and

See chap. 21, p. 270.

These were two angels, who came unto David in the shape of men, to demand judg ment in the feigned controversy after-mentioned. It is no other than Nathan's parable to David, a little disguised.

2

"Knowest thou the dispute of the two brothers ?"-Savary.

Because they came suddenly upon him, on a day of privacy; when the doors were guarded, and no person admitted to disturb his devotions. For David, they say, divided his time regularly, setting apart one day for the service of God, another day for rendering justice to his people, another day for preaching to them, and another day for his own affairs.3

d

"I yielded unto his solicitations, and he hath wrested her from me."-Savary.

The crime of which David had been guilty was the taking the wife of Uriah, and ordering her husband to be set in the front of the battle to be slain."

Some suppose this story was told to serve as an admonition to Mohammed, who, it seems, was apt to covet what was another's.

•So as to permit injustice to go unpunished, and righteousness unrewarded.

"The creation of the heavens, the earth, and the whole universe, is our work. It is not the sport of chance, as the unbelievers imagine. Woe be to the unbelievers. They shall be the prey of the flames."-Savary.

22 Sam. xii.

3 Al Beidâwi, Jallalo'ddin.

• Iidem.

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