threatened come upon them, (207) what will that which they have enjoyed profit them? (208) We have destroyed no city, but preachers were first sent unto it (209) to admonish the inhabitants thereof; neither did we treat them unjustly. (210) The devils did not descend with the Qurán, as the infidels give out; (211) it is not for their purpose, neither are they able to produce such a book, (212) for they are far removed from hearing the discourse of the angels in heaven. (213) Invoke no other god with the true GOD, lest thou become one of those who are doomed to punishment. (214) And admonish thy more near relations. (215) And behave thyself with meekness towards the true believers who follow thee, (216) and if they be disobedient unto thee, say, Verily I am clear of that which ye do. (217) And trust in the most mighty, the merciful God, (218) who seeth thee when thou risest up, (219) and thy behaviour among those who worship, (220) for he both (212) Fear removed from hearing, &c. See chap. xv. 17. (214) Admonish, &c. "The commentators suppose the same command to have been virtually contained in the seventy-fourth chapter, which is prior to this in point of time (Prelim. Disc., p. 76). It is said that Muhammad, on receiving the passage before us, went up immediately to Mount Safá, and having called the several families to him, one by one, when they were all assembled, asked them whether if he should tell them that mountain would bring forth a smaller mountain they would believe him, to which they answering in the affirmative, 'Verily,' says he, 'I am a warner sent unto you before a severe chastisement."-Sale, Baidhawi. Muir says the tradition that this passage was the first call to preach appears entirely erroneous, being contained in a late sura, in which there is evidence of persecutor and numerous disciples. He also says the stories related above by Sale are apocryphal, and owe their origin to this or other similar passages of the Quran which it was desired to illustrate. See Life of Mohamet, vol. ii. pp. 113 and 114, note. (215) Behave thyself with meekness, &c. "Literally, lower thy wings.'"-Sale. See the same expression in chap. xv. 88. The passage belongs to the time when Muhammad was shut up with his followers in the Sheb. See Muir's Life of Mohamet, vol. ii. p. 180. (219) Thy behaviour, &c., i.e., "who seeth thee when thou risest up to watch and spend the night in religious exercises, and observeth thy anxious care for the Muslims' exact performance of their duty. It is said that the night on which the precept of watching was abrogated Muhammad went privately from one house to another to see heareth and knoweth. (221) Shall I declare unto you upon whom the devils descend? (222) They descend upon every lying and wicked person; (223) they learn what is heard, but the greater part of them are liars. (224) And those who err follow the steps of the poets; (225) dost thou not see that they rove as bereft of their senses through every valley, (226) and that they say that which they do not? (227) except those who believe, and do good works, and remember GOD frequently, (228) and who defend themselves after they have been unjustly how his companions spent the time, and that he found them so intent in reading the Qurán and repeating their prayers that their houses, by reason of the humming noise they made, seemed to be so many nests of hornets. Some commentators, however, suppose that by the Prophet's behaviour in this place is meant the various postures he used in praying at the head of his companions, as standing, bowing, prostration, and sitting."-Sale, Baidhawi, Jalaluddin. (222) Every lying and wicked person. "The Prophet, having vindicated himself from the charge of having communication with the devils, by the opposition between his doctrine and their designs, and their inability to compose so consistent a book as the Qurán, proceeds to show that the persons most likely to a correspondence with those evil spirits were liars and slanderers, that is, his enemies and opposers.""-Sale. But Muhammad confessed that Satan could suggest errors to him, and declared that all prophets were open to this influence. See chap. xxii. 53 and notes there. (223) Learn what is heard, i.e., "they are taught by the secret inspiration of the devils, and receive their idle and inconsistent suggestions for truth. It being uncertain whether the slanderers or the devils be the nominative case to the verb, the words may also be rendered, 'They impart what they hear; that is, the devils acquaint their correspondents on earth with such incoherent scraps of the angels' discourse as they can hear by stealth."-Sale, Baidhawi, &c. (224, 225) The poets. . . rove, &c. "Their compositions being as wild as the actions of a distracted man, for most of the ancient poetry was full of vain imaginations, as fabulous stories and descriptions, love verses, flattery, excessive commendations of their patrons, and as excessive reproaches of their enemies, incitements to vicious actions, vainglorious vauntings, and the like."-Sale, Baidhawi, &c. (228) Who defend themselves, &c. "That is, such poets as had embraced Muhammadism, whose works, free from the profaneness of the former, run chiefly on the praises of God and the establishing his unity, and contain exhortations to obedience and other religious and moral virtues, without any satirical invectives, unless against such as have given just provocations, by having first attacked them treated. And they who act unjustly shall know hereafter with what treatment they shall be treated. or some others of the true believers with the same weapons. In this last case Muhammad saw it was necessary for him to borrow assistance from the poets of his party to defend himself and religion from the insults and ridicule of the others, for which purpose he employed the pens of Lábíd Ibn Rábia, Abdullah Ibn Rawália, Hassan Ibn Thabit, and the two Qábs. It is related that Muhammad once said to Qáb Ibn Málik, Ply them with satires, for. by him in whose hand my soul is, they wound more deeply than arrows.' Sale, Baidhawi. In Muhammad's mind the poets who wrote satires against him were mad, while those who defended him by their satire were not only in their right mind but eminently pious Muslims. It is worthy of notice that one of the most common charges brought against Muhammad was that he was a poet and a madman. See chap. xxi. 5, and ver. 26 above. CHAPTER XXVII. ENTITLED SURAT-UN-NAMAL (THE ANT). Revealed at Makkah. INTRODUCTION. THIS chapter owes its title to a peculiar story of an ant, found in vers. 18, 19. Nothing could better illustrate the arbitrary character of the names prefixed to the chapters of the Qurán. The revelations of this chapter are distinctively Makkan in style and matter. It contains the usual round of self-assertion of prophetic claims, of invective against the unbelieving Quraish, and of threats of divine judgment, illustrated by reference to the fate of infidels in former ages. Perhaps the most noticeable feature of the chapter is the positiveness of Muhammad's claim that he is a prophet of God, and that the Qurán is God's word revealed to him by Gabriel. We find him ascribing to God the following words :—' "Thou hast certainly received the Qurán from the presence of a wise and knowing God" (ver. 6); " Verily this Qurán . . . is certainly a direction and a mercy unto the true believers," &c. (vers. 78–80); “And I am commanded to be a Muslim, and to rehearse the Qurán” (vers. 93, 94). Notwithstanding this positive assertion of personal inspiration, we find in this very chapter a foolish story of the Rabbins, embellished and clothed in Muslim habiliments, presented as a portion of this revelation. The attitude of the Quraish and of their prophet respectively, as seen in this chapter, is that of persistent opposition on the part of the former and of patient defiance on the part of the latter. Whether the plotting mentioned in ver. 72, which had been alluded to in vers. 46-53, refers to that active opposition of the Quraish which culminated in the final withdrawal from Makkah is doubtful. The general tone of the chapter is against such an opinion. That violent opposition is referred to I think to be indisputable, but would refer it to some of the earlier acts of Quraishite hatred ; perhaps the com bination against the Háshimites. This would also account for the reference to two parties attributed to the people of Sálih, who is here the facsimile of Muhammad, while the Thamúdites or people of Sálih correspond to the Quraish. This explanation would also account for the reference to the family of Sálih (ver. 50), which corresponds to the family and relatives of Muhammad, shut up in the Sheb or quarter of Abu Tálib. Probable Date of the Revelations. All authorities agree that the entire chapter is Makkan. The date, judging from what has already been said above, would be about the eighth year of Muhammad's ministry at Makkah. Principal Subjects. The Qurán is a direction of good tidings to the faithful The Qurán certainly given by God to Muhammad Moses rejected by Pharaoh and the Egyptians as an impostor David and Solomon praise God for their wisdom. Solomon's dominion over genii, men, and birds The wise ant pleases Solomon VERSES I-3 4, 5 6 7-12 13, 14 15 16, 17 18, 19 The story of the Queen of Sabá and her conversion to Islám 20-45 Thamúd rejects Sálih their prophet Nine men plot the destruction of Sálih and his family The story of Lot and the destruction of Sodom God, the creator and preserver, more worthy of praise than The unbelievers scoff at the warnings of Muhammad the prophets of old 46-48 49-51 Judgment on the wicked delayed through the mercy of God 73-77 The Qurán decides the points of controversy among the chil dren of Israel Muhammad comforted by the assurance of his integrity The righteous secure from the terror of judgment The wicked shall be punished Muhammad commanded to worship God, to be a Muslim, and to proclaim the Qurán. God will show his signs to true believers |