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yourselves. I cannot assist you; neither can ye assist me. now renounce your having associated me with God heretofore. punisnment is prepared for the unjust. But they who shall have believed and wrought righteousness shall be introduced into gardens, wherein rivers flow, they shall remain therein for ever, by the permission of their LORD; and their salutation therein shall be, Peace! Dost thou not see how God putteth forth a parable; representing a good word, as a good tree, whose root is firmly fixed in the earth, and whose branches reach unto heaven; which bringeth forth its fruit in all seasons, by the will of its LORD? GOD propoundeth parables unto men, that they may be instructed. And the likeness of an evil word is as an evil tree; which is torn up from the face of the earth, and hath no stability. GoD shall confirm them who believe, by the stedfast word of faith, both in this life and in that which is to come:" but God shall lead the wicked into error; for GoD doth that which he pleaseth. Hast thou not considered those who have changed the grace of GOD to infidelity,' and cause their people to descend into the house of perdition, namely, into hell? They shall be thrown to burn therein; and an unhappy dwelling shall it be. They also set up idols as co-partners with GOD, that they might cause men to stray from his path. Say, unto them, Enjoy the pleasures of this life for a time; but your departure hence shall be into hell fire. Speak unto my servants who have believed, that they be assiduous at prayer, and give alms out of that which we have bestowed on them, both privately and in public; before the day cometh, wherein there shall be no buying nor selling, neither any friendship. It is God who hath created the heavens and the earth; and causeth water to descend from heaven, and by means thereof produceth fruits for your sustenance: and by

Lay not the blame on my temptations, but blame your own folly in obeying and trusting to me, who had openly professed myself your irreconcileable enemy.

Or I do now declare myself clear of your having obeyed me, preferably to God, and worshipped idols at my instigation. Or the words may be translated. I believed not heretofore in that Being with whom ye did associate me; intimating his first disobedience in refusing to worship Adam at God's command.'

See chap. 10, p. 166.

"He compareth the doctrine of the unbelievers to a worthless tree, the roots of which run on the surface of the ground, and which hath no stability."-Savary.

What is particularly intended in this passage by the good word, and the evil word, the expositors differ. But the first seems to mean the profession of God's unity, the inviting others to the true religion, or the Korân itself; and the latter, the acknowledging a plurality of gods, the seducing of others to idolatry, or the obstinate opposition of God's prophets.' Jallalo'ddin supposes the sepulchre to be here understood; in which place, when the true believers come to be examined by the two angels concerning their faith, they will answer properly and without hesitation; which the infidels will not be able to do.

That is, who requite his favours with disobedience and incredulity. Or, whose ingraitude obliged God to deprive them of the blessings he had bestowed on them; as he did the Meccans, who though God had placed them in the sacred territory, and given them the custody of the Caaba, and abundant provision of all necessaries and conveniences of life, and had also honoured them by the mission of Mohammed, yet in return for all this, became obstinate unbelievers, and persecuted his apostles; for which they were not only punished by a famine of seven years, but also by the loss and disgrace they sustained at Bedr; so that they who had before been celebrated for their prosperity were now stripped of that, and become conspicuous only for their infidelity. If this be the drift of the pas.

4 Al Beidâwi.

Idem, Jallalo'ddin.

See the Prelim. Disc. sect. iv. p. 55

Al Beidâwi.

his cor nand he obligeth the ships to sail in the sea for your service; an he also forceth the rivers to supply your uses: he likewise compelleth the sun and the moon, which diligently perforin their courses, to serve you, and hath subjected the day and the night to your service. He giveth you of every thing which ye ask him; and if ye attempt to reckon up the favours of God, ye shall not be able to compute the same. Surely man is unjust and ungrateful. Remember when Abraham said, O LORD, make this land a place of security; and grant that I and my children may avoid the worship of idols; for they, O LORD, have seduced a great number of men. Whoever therefore shall follow me, he shall be of me: and whosoever shall disobey me, verily thou wilt be gracious and merciful. O LORD, I have caused some of my offsprings to settle in an unfruitful valley, near thy holy house, O LORD, that they may be constant at prayer. Grant, therefore, that the hearts of some men may be affected with kindness toward them; and do thou bestow on them all sorts of fruits, that they may give thanks. O LORD, thou knowest whatsoever we conceal, and whatsoever we publish; for nothing is hidden from God, either on earth or in heaven. Praise be unto God, who hath given me, in my old age, Israel and Isaac: for my LORD is the hearer of supplication. O LORD, grant that I may be an observer of prayer, and a part of my posterity also, O LORD, and receive my supplication. O LORD, forgive me, and my parents, and the faithful, on the day whereon an account shall be taken. O prophet, that God is regardless of what the ungodly do. He only deferreth their punishment unto the day whereon men's eyes shall be fixed:

Think not,

sage, it could not have been revealed at Mecca, as the rest of the chapter is agreed to be; wherefore some suppose this verse and the next to have been revealed at Medina.

The word used here, and in the following passages, is sakhkhara, which signifies for cibly to press into any service."

dviz. The territory of Mecca. See the Prelim. Disc. sect. iv.

This prayer, it seems, was not heard as to all his posterity, particularly as to the descendants of Ismael; though some pretend that these latter did not worship images, but only paid a superstitious veneration to certain stones, which they set up and compassed, as representations of the Caaba.'

That is, by disposing him to repentance. But Jallalo'ddin supposes these words were spoken by Abraham before he knew that God would not pardon idolatry.

i. e. Ismael and his posterity. The Mohammedans say that Hagar, his mother, belonged to Sarah, who gave her to Abraham; and that, on her bearing him this son, Sarah became so jealous of her, that she prevailed on her husband to turn them both out of doors; whereupon he sent them to the territory of Mecca, where God caused the fountain of Zemzem to spring forth for their relief, in consideration of which the Jorhamites, who were the masters of the country, permitted them to settle among them.'

Had he said the hearts of men, absolutely, the Persians and the Romans would also have treated them as friends; and both the Jews and Christians would have made their pilgrimages to Mecca."

This part of the prayer was granted; Mecca being so plentifully supplied, that the fruits of spring, summer, and autumn, are to be found there at one and the same time." For he knew by revelation that some of them would be infidels.

Abraham put up this petition to God, before he knew that his parents were the ene nies of God. Some suppose his mother was a true believer, and therefore read it in the singular, and my father. Others fancy, that by his parents the patriarch here mean Adam and Eve.

See chap. 2, p. 19, note c. 1 Al Beidâwi. See the Prelim. Disc. sect... p. 14, 15. Idem. Idem, Jallalo'ddin. • Idem. See chap. 9, p. 163. • Jallalo'ddin, Al Beidâwi, &c.

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they shall hasten forward, at the voice of the angel calling to judgment, and shall lift up their heads; they shall n... be able to turn their sight from the object whereon it shall be fixed, and their hearts shall be void of sense. through excessive terror. Wherefore do thou threaten men with the day whereon their punishment shall be inflicted on them, and whereon those who haye acted unjustly shall say, O LORD, give us respite unto a term near at hand; and we will obey thy call, and we will follow thy apostles. But it shall be answered unto them, Did ye not swear heretofore, that no reverse should befall you? yet ye dwelt in the dwellings of those who had treated their own souls unjustly ;" and it appeared plainly unto you how we had dealt with them; and we propounded their destruction as examples unte you. They employ their utmost subtlety to oppose the truth; but their subtlety is apparent unto God, who is able to frustrate their designs; although their subtlety were so great, that the mountains might be moved thereby. Think not, therefore, O prophet, that God will be contrary to his promise of assistance, made unto his apostles; for God is mighty, able to avenge. The day will come, when the earth shall be changed into another earth, and the heavens into other heavens; and men shall come forth from their graves to appear before the only, the mighty GoD. And thou shalt see the wicked on that day bound together in fetters: their inner garments shall be of pitch, and fire shall cover their faces; that God may reward every soul according to what it shall have deserved; for God is swift in taking an account. This is a sufficient admonition unto men, that they may be warned thereby, and that they may know that there is but one God; and that those who are endued with understanding may consider.

CHAPTER XV.

INTITLED, AL HEJR; REVEALED AT MECCA.

IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD.

AL R. These are the signs of the book, and of the perspicuous Korân. *[XIV.] The time may come when the unbelievers shall wish that

That is, that ye should not taste of death, but continue in this world for ever; or that ye should not after death be raised to judgment.'

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viz. Of the Adites and the Thamudites.

Not only by the histories of those people revealed in the Korân, but also by the monuments remaining of them (as those of Thamudites), and the traditions preserved among you of the terrible judgments which befell them.

This the Mohammedans suppose will come to pass at the last day; the earth becom ing white and even, or, as some will have it, of silver; and the heavens of gold.

Al Hejr is a territory in the province of Hejaz, between Medina and Syria, where th ribe of Thamûd dwelt; and is mentioned towards the end of the chapter. See the Prelim. Disc. sect. iii. p. 42, &c.

'Jallalo'ddin, Al Beidâwi, Al Zamakhshari, Yahya.

sect. iv. p. 61.

See the Prelim. Disc. p. 4.

• Idem. Vide Prelim. Disc.

they had been Moslems. Suffer them to eat, and to enjoy themselves in this world; and let hope entertain them, but they shall hereafter know their folly. We have not destroyed any city, but a fixed term of repentance was appointed them. No nation shall be punished before their time shali be come; neither shall they be respited after. The Meccans say, O thou to whom the admonitions hath been sent down, thou art certainly possessed with a devil: wouldest thou not have come unto us with an attendance of angels, if thou hadst spoken truth? Answer, We send not down the angels, unless on a just occasion; nor should they be then respited any longer. We have surely sent down the Korân; and we will certainly preserve the same from corruption." We have heretofore sent apostles before thee among the ancient sects: and there came no apostle unto them, but they laughed him to scorn. In the same manner will we put it into the hearts of the wicked Meccans to scoff at their prophet: they shall not believe on him; and the sentence of the nations of old hath been executed heretofore. If we should open a gate in the heaven above them, and they should ascend thereto all the day long, they should rather say, Our eyes are only dazzled; or rather we are a people deluded by enchantments. We have placed the twelve signs in the heaven, and have set them out in various figures, for the observation of spectators: and we guard them from every devil driven away with stones, except him who listeneth by stealth, at whom a visible flame is darted. We have also spread forth the earth, and thrown thereon stable mountains; and we have caused every kind of vegetable to spring forth in the same, according to a determinate weight :‡ and we have provided therein necessaries of life for you, and for him whom ye do not sustain.❜

viz. When they shall see the success and the prosperity of the true believers; or when they shall come to die; or at the resurrection.

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i. e. The revelations which compose the Korân.

When the divine wisdom shall judge it proper to use their ministry, as in bearing his revelations to the prophets, and the executing his sentence on wicked people; but not to humour you with their appearance in visible shapes, which, should your demand be complied with, would only increase your confusion, and bring God's vengeance on you the sooner.

See the Prelim. Disc. sect. iv. p. 53.

i. e. The incredulous Meccans themselves; or, as others rather think, the angels in visible forms.

"Were we to open the gate of heaven, and they were about to enter therein, they would exclaim, Our eyes are clouded by intoxication, or we labour under an illusion."Savary.

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For the Mohammedans imagine that the devils endeavour to ascend to the constellations, to pry into the actions, and overhear the discourse of the inhabitants of heaven, and to tempt them. They also pretend that these evil spirits had the liberty of entering any of the heavens till the birth of Jesus. when they were excluded three of them but that on the birth of Mohammed they were forbidden the other four.'

See chap. 3, p. 39, note a.

"We defend them against the attacks of the devils, who are pierced with shafts — Savary.

For when a star seems to fall or shoot, the Mohammedans suppose the angels, who zeep guard in the constellations, dart them at the devils who approach too near.

We Lave caused all the plants to spring therefrom in an admirable order.”—Savary 'viz. Your family, servants, and slaves, whom ye wrongly imagine that ye feed your

' Al Beidâwi.

There is no one thing but the storehouses thereof are in our nands; and we distribute not the same otherwise than in a determinate measure. We also send the winds driving the pregnant clouds, and we send down from heaven water, whercof we give you to drink, and which ye keep not in store. Verily we give life, and we put to death: and we are the heirs of all things. We know those among you who go before; and we know those who stay behind. And thy LoRD shall gather them together at the last day: for he is knowing and wise. We created man of dried clay, of black mud, formed into shape: and we had before created the devil of subtle fire. And remember when thy LORD said unto the angels, Verily I am about to create man of dried clay, of black mud, wrought into shape; when, therefore, I shall have completely formed him, and shall have breathed of my spirit into him; do ye fall down and worship him. And all the angels worshipped Adam together, except Eblis, who refused to be with those who worshipped him. And God said unto him, O Eblis, what hindered thee from being with those who worshipped Adam? He answered, It is not fit that I should worship man, whom thou hast created of dried clay, of black mud, wrought into shape. God said, Get thee therefore hence: for thou shalt be driven away with stones: and a curse shall be on thee, until the day of judgment. The devil said, O LORD, Give me respite until the day of resurrection. God answered, Verily thou shalt be one of those who are respited until the day of the appointed time. The devil replied, O LORD, because thou hast seduced me,† I will surely tempt them to disobedience in the earth; and I will seduce such of them as shall be thy chosen servants. God said, This is the right way with me. Verily as to my servants, thou shalt have no power over them; but over those only who shall be seduced, and who shall follow thee. And hell is surely denounced unto them all it hath seven gates; unto every gate a distinct company of them shall be assigned. But those who fear God shall dwell in gardens, amidst fountains. The angels shall say unto them, Enter ye therein in peace

selves; though it is God who provides for them as well as you: or, as some rather think, the animals, of whom men take no care.3

i. e. Alone surviving, when all creatures shall be dead and annihilated.

What these words particularly drive at is uncertain. Some think them spoken of the different times of men's several entrance into this world, and their departure out of it; others of the respective forwardness and backwardness of Mohammed's men in battle; and a third says, the passage was occasioned by the different behaviour of Mohammed's followers, on seeing a very beautiful woman at prayers behind the prophet: some of them going out of the Mosque before her, to avoid looking on her more nearly, and others staying behind, on purpose to view her.*

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We know those who have gone before you, as we do those who will come after vou."-Savary.

See chap. 2, p. 4, &c.

See ibid. and chap. 7, p. 117.

↑ "Because thou hast cast me down, added the rebel spirit, I will render evil pleasing into man, and will seduce them all. Thy sincere servants alone shall be spared

sa!, I am the way of salvation "-Savary.

God

viz. The saving of the elect, and the utter reprobation of the wicked, according to my eternal decree.

See the Prelim. Disc. sect. iv. p. 65.

* Al Beidâwi.

3

• Jallalo'ddin.

Al Beidâwi.

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