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you of the meeting of this your day? They shall answer, We bear witness gainst ourselves: the present life deceived them: and they shall bear witness against themselves that they were unbelievers. This hath been the method of God's dealing with his creatures, because thy LORD would not destroy the cities in their iniquity, while their inhabitants were careless.1 Every one shall have degrees of recompense of that which they shall do; for thy LORD is not regardless of that which they do, and thy LORD is selfsufficient and endued with mercy. If he pleaseth he can destroy you, and cause such as he pleaseth to succeed you, in like manner as he produced you from the posterity of other people. Verily that which is threatened you, shall surely come to pass; neither shall ye cause it to fail. Say unto those of Mecca, O my people, act according to your power; verily I will act according to my duty and hereafter shall ye know whose will be the reward of paradise. The ungodly shall not prosper. Those of Mecca set apart unto God a portion: of that which he hath produced of the fruits of the earth, and of cattle, and say, This belongeth unto God (according to their imagination), and this unto our companions." And that which is destined for their companions cometh not unto God; yet that which is set apart unto God cometh unto their companions. How ill do they judge! In like manner have their companions induced many of the idolaters to slay their children, that they might bring them to perdition, and that they might render their religion obscure and confused unto them. But if God had pleased, they had not done this: therefore leave them and that which they falsely imagine. They also say, These cattle and fruits of the earth are sacred; none shall eat thereof but who we please (according to their imagination); and there are cattle whose backs are forbidden to be rode on,

pretended to have a commission to preach to both kinds); according to this passage, it seems there must have been prophets of the race of genii also, though their mission be

a secret to us.

Or considered not their danger; but God first sent some prophet to them to warn them of it, and to invite them to repentance.

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Say unto man, Labour according unto thy strength; I will proportion my benefits unto my power.”—Savary.

That is, Ye may proceed in your rebellion against God and your malice towards me, and be confirmed in your infidelity; but I will persevere to bear your insults with patience, and to publish those revelations which God has commanded me."

A

i. e. Our idols. In which sense this word is to be taken through the whole passage. As to this custom of the pagan Arabs, see the Prelim. Disc. sect. i. To what is there said we may add, that the share set apart for God was employed chiefly in relieving the poor, and strangers; and the share of the idols, for paying their priests, and providing sacrifices for them.10

Either by that inhuman custom, which prevailed among those of Kendah and some other tribes, of burying their daughters alive, so soon as they were born, if they apprehended they could not maintain them; or else by offering them to their idols, at the instigation of those who had the custody of their temples."

By corrupting with horrid superstitions that religion which Ismael had left to his posterity."

T

That is, Those who serve our idols, and are of the male sex; for the women were not allowed to eat of them."

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reward of their attributing They are utterly lost whe

or loaden with burdens; and there are cattle on which they commemorate not the name of GOD when they slay them; devising a lie against him: God shall reward them for that which they falsely devise. And they say, That which is in the bellies of these cattle is allowed our males to eat, and is forbidden to our wives: but if it prove abortive, then they are both partakers thereof. God shall give them the these things to him: he is knowing and wise. have slain their children foolishly, without knowledge; and have forbidden that which God hath given them for food, devising a lie against God. They have erred, and were not rightly directed. He it is who produceth gardens of vines, both those which are supported on trails of wood, and those which are not supported, and palm-trees, and the corn affording various food, and olives, and pomegranates, alike and unlike unto one another. Eat of their fruit, when they bear fruit, and pay the due thereof on the day whereon ye shall gather it; but be not profuse, for God loveth not those who are too profuse. And God hath given you some cattle fit for bearing of burdens, and some fit for slaughter only. Eat of what God hath given you for food; and follow not the steps of Satan, for he is your declared enemy. Four pair of cattle hath God given you; of sheep one pair, and of goats one pair. Say unto them, Hath God forbidden the two males, of sheep and of goals, or the two females; or that which the wombs of the two females contain? Tell me with certainty, if ye speak truth. And of camels hath God given you one pair, and of oxen one pair. Say, Hath he forbidden the two males of these, or the two females; or that which the wombs of the two females contain? Were ye present when God commanded you this? And who is more unjust than he who deviseth a lie against GoD,' that he may seduce men without understanding? Verily God directeth not unjust

d

Which they superstitiously exempted from such services, in some particular cases; as they did the Bahîra, the Sâïba, and the Hâmi.'

See chap. 5.

That is, the fatus or embryos of the Bahîra and the Sâïba, which shall be brought forth alive.

x For if those cattle cast their young, the women might eat thereof as well as the men. 7 See p. 112, note p.

Not having a due sense of God's providence.

Or, as some choose to interpret the words, trees or plants which are planted by the labour of man, and those which grow naturally in the deserts and on mountains.

That is, give alms thereof to the poor. And these alms, as al Beidâwi observes, were what they used to give before the Zacât, or legal alms, was instituted; which was done after Mohammed had retired from Mecca, where this verse was revealed. Yet some are of another opinion, and for this very reason will have the verse to have been revealed at Medina.

1. e. Give not so much thereof in alms as to leave your own families in want; for charity begins at home.

Or, literally, eight males and females paired together; that is, four of each sex, and two of every distinct kind.

In this passage Mohammed endeavours to convince the Arabs of their superstitious folly in making it unlawful, one while, to eat the males of these four kinds of cattle; another while, the females; and at another time, their young.

The person particularly intended here, some say, was Amru Ebn Lohai, king of Hajâz, a great introducer of idolatry and superstition among the Arabs."

See chap. 5. p. 95, and Prelima. Disc. sect. v. Prelim. Disc. p. 14, and Pocock, Spec. p. 80.

Al Beidâwi.

* Idem. See

people. Say, I find not in that which hath been revealed unto me any thing forbidden unto the eater, that he eat it not, except it be that which dieth of itself, or blood poured forth, or swine's flesh for this is an abomination or that which is profane, having been slain in the name of some other than of GOD. But whoso shall be compelled by necessity to eat of these things, not lusting, nor wilfully transgressing, verily thy Lord will be gracious unto him and merciful. Unto the Jews did we forbid every beast having an undivided hoof; and of bullocks and sheep, we forbade them the fat of both; except that which should be on their backs, or their inwards, or which should be intermixed with the bone.i This have we rewarded them with, because of their iniquity; and we are surely speakers of truth. If they accuse thee of imposture, say, Your LORD is endued with extensive mercy; but his severity shall not be averted from wicked people. The idolaters will say, If GoD had pleased, we had not been guilty of idolatry, neither our fathers; and pretend that we have not forbidden them any thing. Thus did they who were before them accuse the prophets of inposture, until they tasted our severe punishment. Say, Is there with you any certain knowledge of what ye allege, that ye may produce it unto us? Ye follow only a false imagination; and ye utter only lies. Say, therefore, Unto GOD belongeth the most evident demonstration; for if he had pleased, he had directed you all. Say, Produce your witnesses, who can bear testimony that God hath forbidden this. But if they bear testimony of this, do not thou bear testimony with them, nor do thou follow the desires of those who accuse our signs of falsehood, and who believe not in the life to come, and equalize idols with their LORD. Say, Come; I will rehearse that which your LORD hath forbidden you; that is to say, that ye be not guilty of idolatry, and that ye show kindness to your parents, and that ye murder not your children for fear lest ye be reduced to poverty: we will provide for you and them; and draw not near unto heinous crimes,' neither openly nor in secret; and slay not the soul which God hath forbidden you to slay, unless for a just cause. This hath he enjoined you that ye may understand. And meddle not with the substance of the orphan, otherwise than for the improving thereof, until he attain his age of strength and use a full measure, and a just balance. We will not impose a task on any soul beyond its ability. And when ye pronounce judgment observe justice, although it be for or against one who is near of kin, and fulfil the covenant of GOD. This hath God commanded you, that ye may be admonished; and That is, fluid blood; in opposition to what the Arabs suppose to be also blood, but not fluid; as the liver and the spleen."

See Levit. vii. 23, and iii. 16.

:

I viz. The fat of the rumps or tails of sheep, which are very large in the east a small one weighing ten or twelve pounds, and some no less than threescore.

This and the two following verses Jallalo'ddin supposes to have been revealed at Medina.

The original word signifies peculiarly fornication and avarice.

As for murder, apostasy, or adultery."

• Al Beidâwi. Jallalo'ddin.

• Al Beidawi.

that ye may know that this is my right way. therefore follow it, and follow not the path of others, lest ye be scattered from the path of Gca. This hath he commanded you that ye may take heed. We gave also unt Moses the book of the law; a perfect rule unto him who should do righɩ, and a determination concerning all things needful, and a direction, and mercy; that the children of Israel might believe the meeting of their LORD And this book which we have now sent down is blessed; therefore follow it, and fear God that ye may obtain mercy: lest ye should say, The scrip tures were only sent down unto two people before us; and we neglected to peruse them with attention: or lest ye should say, If a book of divine revelations had been sent down unto us, we would surely have been better directed than they. And now hath a manifest declaration come unto you from your LORD, and a direction and mercy: and who is more unjust than he who deviseth lies against the signs of GoD, and turneth aside from them? We will reward those who turn aside from our signs with a grievous punishment, because they have turned aside. Do they wait for any other than that the angels should come unto them, to part their souls from their bodies; or that thy LORD should come to punish them; or that some of the signs of thy LORD should come to pass, showing the day of judgment to be at hand? On the day whereon some of thy LORD's signs shall come to pass, its faith shall not profit a soul which believed not before, or wrought not good in its faith. Say, Wait ye for this day; we surely do wait for it. They who make a division in their religion, and become sectaries, have thou nothing to do with them; their affair belongeth only unto God. Hereafter shall he declare unto them that which they have done. He who shall appear with good works, shall receive a tenfold recompense for the same; but he who shall appear with evil works, shall receive only an equal punishment for the same; and they shall not be treated unjustly. Say, Verily my LORD hath directed me into a right way, a true religion, the sect of Abraham the orthodox; and he was no idolater. Say, Verily my prayers, and my worship, and my life, and my death are dedicated untc GOD, the LORD of all creatures: he hath no companion. This have I been

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* That is, the Jews and Christians.

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⚫ Either because we knew nothing of them, or did not understand the language wherein they were written.

Because of the acuteness of our wit, the clearness of our understanding, and our facility of learning sciences; as appears from our excelling in history, poetry, and oratory, notwithstanding we are an illiterate people.'

Al Beidâwi, from a tradition of Mohammed, says that ten signs will precede the last day; viz. the smoke, the beast of the earth, an eclipse in the east, another in the west, and a third in the peninsula of Arabia, the appearance of Antichrist, the sun's rising in the west, the irruption of Gog and Magog, the descent of Jesus on the earth, and fire which shall break forth from Aden."

For faith in the next life will be of no advantage to those who have not believed in this, nor yet faith in this life, without good works.

That is, who believe in part of it, and disbelieve other part of it; or who form schisms herein. Mohammed is reported to have declared, that the Jews were divided into seventyone sects, and the Christians into seventy-two: and that his own followers would be split into seventy-three sects; and that all of them would be damned, except only one of each'

141 Beidâwi.

See the Prelim. Disc. sect. iv.

"Al Beidâwi.

commanded: I am the first Moslem.' Say, shall I desire any other LORD besides God? since he is the LORD of all things; and no soul shall acquire any merits or demerits but for itself; and no burdened soul shall bear the burden of another." Moreover unto your LORD shall ye return; and he shall declare unto you that concerning which ye now dispute. It is he who hath appointed you to succeed your predecessors in the earth, and hath raised some of you above others by various degrees of worldly advantages, that he might prove you by that which he hath bestowed on you. Thy LORD is swift in punishing; and he is also gracious and merciful.

CHAPTER VII.

INTITLED, AL ARAF; REVEALED AT MECCA'

IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD.

AL. M. S. A book hath been sent down unto thee: and therefore iet there be no doubt in thy breast concerning it; that thou mayest preach the same, and that it may be an admonition unto the faithful. Follow that which hath been sent down unto you from your LORD; and follow no guides besides him: how little will ye be warned! How many cities have we destroyed; which our vengeance overtook by night," or while they were reposing themselves at noon-day! And their supplication, when our punishment came upon them, was no other than that they said, Verily we have been unjust. We will surely call those to an account, unto whom a prophet hath been sent; and we will also call those to account who have been sent unto them. And we will declare their actions unto them with knowledge; for we are not absent from them. The weighing of men's actions on that day shall be just; and they whose balances laden with their good works shall be heavy, are those who shall be happy; but they whose balances shall be light, are those who have lost their souls, because they injured our signs. And now have we placed you on the earth, and have

See before, p. 99

This was revealed in answer to the pressing instances of the idolaters, who offered .c take the crime upon themselves, if Mohammed would conform to their worship."

Al Arâf signifies the partition between paradise and hell, which is mentioned in this chapter.'

Some however except five or eight verses, beginning at these words, And ask then concerning the city, &c.

The signification of those letters the more sober Mohammedans confess God alone knows. Some however imagine they stand for Allah, Gabriel, Mohammed, on whom be

peace.

Fea, not to use it for the purpose of threatening the wicked, and exhorting the ue elievers."-Savary.

As it did the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah, to whom Lot was sent.

As happened to the Midianites, to whom Shoaib preached.

See the Prelim. Disc. sect. iv.

• Al Beidâwi.

See the Prelim. Disc. sect. iv.

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