THE QURAN. CHAPTER III. ENTITLED SURAT ÁL IMRÁN (THE FAMILY OF IMRÁN). Revealed at Madína. INTRODUCTION. THIS chapter contains a variety of passages belonging to different periods. The revelations are, however, all of Madína origin, excepting verses 26 and 27, which seem to be the remnant of a lost Makkan Sura. As to matter, the chapter may be divided into two portions. The first, extending to verse 120, relates to various matters of instruction and warning, suited to the circumstances of the Muslims during the period of prosperity intervening between the victory at Badr and the defeat at Ohod. The remainder of the chapter was intended to counteract the evils consequent upon the misfortunes of the Muslims at Ohod. Probable Date of the Revelations. Verses 1-25, 28–57, 66–94, and 98-120, belong to the period intervening between Ramadhan of A.H. 2 (Badr) and Shawwál of A.H. 3 (Ohod). Verses 26 and 27 are Makkan, but their date cannot be ascertained. Verses 58-65 allude to the visit of the Christians of Najrán to Madína in A.H. 9. They probably belong to that year. Verses 95-97, referring to the rites of pilgrimage as fully established, must be referred to the later years of Muhammad's life, say A.H. 10. VOL. II. A The remaining verses, 121-200, belong to a period immediately succeeding the battle of Ohod, and must therefore be referred to the latter part of A.H. 3 or the beginning of A.H. 4. God's curse on infidels Almsgiving enjoined Muhammad's dispute with the Christians of Najrán Prophets not to be worshipped The Jews unlawfully forbid certain meats The Kaabah founded Muslims are warned against the friendship of Jews, &c. 42-57 The lot of infidels and believers contrasted Certain believing Jews commended for their faith Usury forbidden The doom of calumniators of the apostles Islám not dependent on Muhammad for success Certain Muslims disobedient at Ohod Certain believing Jews and Christians commended. The miser's doom with imposture Meditations and prayers of the pious God's answer to the prayers of the pious. IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD. || (1) A. L. M. (2) There is no GOD but GOD, the living, R. the self-subsisting: (3) he hath sent down unto thee the (1) A. L. M. p. 100. See note on chap. ii. ver. 1, and Prelim. Disc., (2) There is no God but God, &c. These words express one half of the Muslim creed; they are said to have been delivered on the occasion of a visit to the Prophet by certain Christians from Najrán. On being invited to join Islám, they professed their faith in Jesus the Son of God. To this Muhammad replied that they were unable to receive the true religion because of their having attributed to the Deity the human relationships of wife and son. The Christians declared their belief in the Sonship of Jesus, saying, "If God were not his father, who was?" To this Muhammad replied, that, according to their own religion, God was immortal, and yet they believed that Jesus would taste of death; that he ate and drank, slept and awoke, went and came, &c. This, he averred, could not be predicated of divinity. See Tafsir-i-Husaini in loco. According to the Tafsir-i-Raufi, this verse contains a distinct rejection of the Christian doctrine of the Divinity of Christ as well as of the Trinity. The tradition handed down to the present generation by these commentators, and, so far as I know, by all commentators of the Qurán, confirms our interpretation of chap. ii. vers. 86, 116. Muhammad knew of no Trinity save that of God, Mary, and Jesus, and Muhammadan commentators know of no other Trinity, unless it be that of God, Jesus, and Gabriel-see Tafsir-i-Raufi in loco-probably a modern gloss of the Bible language, "Father, Son, and Holy Ghost," the term Holy Spirit, as found in the Qurán, being book of the Qurán with truth, confirming that which was revealed before it; for he had formerly sent down the law, and the gospel a direction unto men; and he had also sent down the distinction between good and evil. (4) Verily those who believe not the signs of GOD shall suffer a grievous punishment; for GOD is mighty, able to revenge. (5) Surely nothing is hidden from GOD, of that which is on 66 always understood to refer to the Angel Gabriel: see chap. ii. 253. No Christian would object to the statement upon which we are now commenting. It is a statement clearly set forth in our Scriptures. But if this statement is intended to refute the Christian doctrine concerning the person of Christ and the Trinity, what becomes of the claims set up for the Qurán in this same verse as confirming that which was revealed before it"? What are we to say of the inspiration of a prophet who seems to have been ignorant of the teaching of the Scriptures he professed to confirm ? If he were not ignorant of these doctrines, then what becomes of his character for integrity? How he could be so ignorant of them, after personal intercourse with Christians as testified by tradition, as to attribute to them views never held by any sect however heretical, I confess myself unable to show. (3) He had formerly sent down the law, &c. The Muslim commentators understand the reference to be to all the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament, and that these were "a direction" unto the Jews that they should not call Ezra the Son of God, and " direction" to the Christians that they should not call Christ "God, the Son of God, or one of three persons of a Trinity."-Tafsir-i-Raufi. a The distinction. The original word is Al Furqán, a word usually translated in the Persian and Urdú versions of the Qurán, "miracles." It is applied to the Qurán in the sense of the text, as the distinguisher "between good and evil," especially between the false and true in religion. This name, say the Muslims, is intended to point to the miraculous character of the Qurán. But if so, the same character must be credited to the Christian and Jewish Scriptures, for the commentators admit that what is referred to in the first part of this verse in detail is here referred to in general (Tafsir-i-Raufi in loco). The word therefore probably points to the seal of miracles which God set upon all his prophets and his word as revealed by them. In the case of the Qurán, the verses (Ayát signs) are the miraculous seal of inspiration. (4) Those who believe not the signs, i.e., who reject the teaching of the Quran. If our view of the latter clause of the preceding verse be correct, allusion may be had to the teaching of former Scriptures as well. (5) Nothing is hidden from God, &c. A distinct recognition of the omniscience of God. The commentators see in this statement a refutation of the Christian doctrine of the Divinity of Christ. The Son |