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are brought, as a provision for our bounty? but the greater part of them do not understand. How many cities have we destroyed, whose inhabitants lived in ease and plenty? and these their dwellings are not inhabited after them, unless for a little while; and we were the inheritors of their wealth.P But thy LORD did not destroy those cities, until he had sent unto their capital an apostle, to rehearse our signs unto them: neither did we destroy those cities, unless their inhabitants were injurious to their apostle. The things which are given you are the provisions of this present life, and the pomp thereof; but that which is with GoD is better and more durable will ye not therefore understand? Shall he then, unto whom we have promised an excellent promise of future happiness, and who shall attain the same, be as he on whom we have bestowed the provision of this present life, and who, on the day of resurrection, shall be one of those who are delivered up to eternal punishment? On that day God shall call unto them, and shall say, Where are my partners, which ye imagined to be so? And they upon whom the sentence of damnation shall be justly pronounced shall answer, These, O LORD, are those whom we seduced; we seduced them as we also had been seduced: but now we clearly quit them, and turn unto thee. They did not worship us, but their own lusts. And it shall be said unto the idolaters, Call now upon those whom ye associated with God: and they shall call upom them, but they shall not answer them; and they shall see the punishment prepared for them, and shall wish that they had submitted to be directed. that day, God shall call unto them, and shall say, What answer did ye return to our messengers? But they shall not be able to give an account thereof on that day; neither shall they ask one another for information. Howbeit whoso shall repent and believe, and shall do that which is right, may expect to be happy. Thy LORD createth what he pleaseth; and chooseth freely but they have no free choice. Praise be unto God; and far be he removed from the idols which they associate with him! Thy LORD knoweth both the secret malice which their breasts conceal, and the open hatred which they discover. He is God; there is no God but he Unto him is the praise due, both in this life and in that which is to come: unto him doth judgment belong; and before him shall ye be assembled at the last day. Say, What think ye? If GoD should cover you with perpetual night, until the day of resurrection; what god, besides GoD, would bring you light? Will ye not therefore hearken? Say, What think ye?

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That is, for a day, or a few hours only, while travellers stay there to rest and refresh themselves; or, as the original may also signify, unless by a few inhabitants: some of those ancient cities and dwellings being utterly desolate, and others thinly inhabited. There being none left to enjoy it after them.

*How many cities have we destroyed, which were devoted to lust and debauchery { The greatest number of these cities have not again been inhabited, and we retain the inheritance of them."-Savary.

God overthrew no empire before he sent unto the capital of it a prophet to preach his commandments: and the cities of which the inhabitants were impious are those alone which were destroyed."-Savary.

See chap. 10. p. 169.

Literally, The account thereof shall be dark unto them; for the consternation they sall then be under will render them stupid, and unable to return an answer.

If God should give you continual day, until the day of resurrection; what god, besides GoD, would bring you night, that ye might rest therein? Will ye not therefore consider? Of his mercy he hath made for you the night and the day, that ye may rest in the one, and may seek to obtain provision for yourselves of his abundance, by your industry, in the other; and that ye may give thanks. On a certain day God shall call unto them, and shall say, Where are my partners, which ye imagined to share the divine power with me? And we will produce a witness out of every nation, and will say, Bring hither your proof of what ye have asserted. And they shall know that the right is God's alone; and the deities which they have devised shall abandon them. Karûn was of the people of Moses; but he behaved insolently towards them: for we had given him so much treasure, that his keys would have loaled several strong men." When his people said unto him, Rejoice not immoderately; for God loveth not those who rejoice in their riches immoderately: but seek to attain, by means of the wealth which God hath given thee, the future mansion of paradise. And forget not thy portion in this world; but be thou bounteous unto others, as God hath been bounteous unto thee; and seek not to act corruptly in the earth; for GOD loveth not the corrupt doers. He answered, I have received these riches, only because of the knowledge which is with me.

viz. The prophet who shall have been sent to each nation.

The commentators say, Karûn was the son of Yeshar (or Izhar) the uncle of Moses, and consequently make him the same with the Korah of the scriptures. This person is represented by them as the most beautiful of the Israelites, and so far surpassing them all in opulency, that the riches of Karun have become a proverb. The Mohammedans are indebted to the Jews for this last circumstance, to which they have added several other fables: for they tell us that he built a large palace overlaid with gold, the doors whereof were of massy gold; that he became so insolent, because of his immense riches, as to raise a sedition against Moses; though some pretend the occasion of his rebellion to have been his unwillingness to give alms, as Moses had commanded; that one day when that prophet was preaching to the people, and, among other laws which he published, declared that adulterers should be stoned, Karûn asked him, What if he should be found guilty of the same crime? to which Moses answered, That in such case he would suffer the same punishment; and thereupon Karûn produced a harlot, whom he had hired to swear that Moses had lain with her, and charged him publicly with it; but on Moses's abjuring the woman to speak the truth, her resolution failed her, and she confessed that she was suborned by Karûn to accuse him wrongfully; that then God directed Moses, who had complained to him of this usage, to command the earth what he pleased, and it should obey him; whereupon he said, O earth, swallow them up! and that immediately the earth opened under Karun and his confederates, and swallowed them up, with his palace and all his riches. There goes a tradition, that as Karûn sunk gradually into the ground, first to his knees, then to his waist, then to his neck, he cried out four several times, O Moses, hare mercy on me! but that Moses continued to say. O earth. swallow them up, till at last he wholly disappeared: upon which God said to Moses, Thou hadst no mercy on Karûn, though he asked pardon of thee four times; but I would have had compassion on him, if he had asked pardon of me but once."

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The original word properly signifies any number of persons from ten to forty. Some pretend these keys were a sufficient load for seventy men; and Abulfeda says forty mules used to be employed to carry them.

This passage is parallel to that in the New Testament, Make to yourselves friend of the mammon of unrighteousness; that when ye fail they may receive you into everlasting habitations..

For some say he was the most learned of all the Israelites, and the best versed in the Al Beidâwi. Vide D'Herbel. Bibl.

'Abu'lfeda, Jallalo'ddin, al Beidâwi, &c. Orient. Art. Carun.

Luke xvi. 9.

Did he not know that God had already destroyed, before him, several generations, who were mightier than he in strength, and had amassed more abundance of riches? And the wicked shall not be asked to discover their crimes. And Karûn went forth unto his people, in his pomp. And they who loved this present life said, Oh that we had the like wealth, as hath been given unto Karûn? verily he is master of a great fortune. But those on whom knowledge had been bestowed answered, Alas for you! the reward of God in the next life will be better unto him who shall believe and do good works: but none shall attain the same, except those who persevere with constancy. And we caused the ground to cleave in sunder, and to swallow up him and his palace and he had no forces to defend him, besides GOD; neither was he rescued from punishment.* And the next morning, those who had coveted his condition the day before said, Aha! verily GOD bestoweth abundant provision on such of his servants as he pleaseth; and he is sparing unto whom he pleaseth. Unless GoD had been gracious unto us, certainly the earth had swallowed us up also. Aha! the unbelievers shall not prosper. As to this future mansion of paradise, we will give it unto them who seek not to exalt themselves in the earth, or to do wrong; for the happy issue shall attend the pious. Whoso doth good shall receive a reward which shall exceed the merit thereof: but as to him who doth evil, they who work evil shall be rewarded according to the merit only of that which they shall have wrought. Verily he who hath given thee the Korân for a rule of faith and practice will certainly bring thee back home unto Mecca. Say, My LORD best knoweth who cometh with a true direction, and who is in a manifest error. Thou didst not expect that the book of the Korân should be delivered unto thee: but thou hast received it through the mercy of thy LORD. Be not therefore assisting to the unbelievers; neither let them turn thee aside from the signs of GOD, after they have been sent down unto thee: and invite men unto thy LORD. And be not thou an idolater; neither invoke any other god, together with the true GoD: there is no god but he. Every thing shall perish, except himself: unto him belongeth judgment: and before him shall ye be assembled at the last day.

law, after Moses and Aaron; others pretend he was skilled in chemistry, or in merchandizing, or other arts of gain; and others suppose (as the Jews also fable) that he found out the treasures of Joseph in Egypt.'

It is said he rode on a white mule adorned with trappings of gold, and that he was clothed in purple, and attended by four thousand men, all well mounted and richly dressed.

*The multitude of his slaves could not defend him against the arm of the Almighty, and he had no avenger."-Savary.

This verse, some say, was revealed to Mohammed when he arrived at Johfa, in his flight from Mecca to Medina, to comfort him, and still his complaints.

• Vide R. Ghedal. Shais. bakkab. p. 13.

'Jallalo'ddin, al Beidâwi.

CHAPTER XXIX.

INTITLED, THE SPIDER; REVEALED AT MECCA.

IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD.

A. L. M. Do men imagine that it shall be sufficient for them to say We believe; will they not be proved? We heretofore proved those who were before them; for God will surely know them who are sincere, and he will surely know the liars. Do they who work evil think that they shall prevent us from taking vengeance on them? An ill judgment do they make. Whoso hopeth to meet GOD, verily GoD's appointed time will cer tainly come; and he both heareth and knoweth. Whoever striveth to promote the true religion, striveth for the advantage of his own soul; for GoD needeth not any of his creatures: and as to those who believe and work righteousness, we will expiate their evil deeds from them; and we will give them a reward according to the utmost merit of their actions. We have commanded man to show kindness towards his parents: but if they endeavour to prevail with thee to associate with me that concerning which thou hast no knowledge, obey them not. Unto me shall ye return; and I will declare unto you what ye have done. Those who shall believe, and shall work righteousness, we will surely introduce into paradise, among the upright. There are some men who say, We believe in GoD: but when such a one is afflicted for God's sake, he esteemeth the persecution of men to be as grievous as the punishment of GOD. Yet if success cometh from thy LORD, they say, Verily we are with you. Doth not GoD well know that which is in the breasts of his creatures? Verily GoD well knoweth the true believers, and he well knoweth the hypocrites. The unbelievers say unto those who believe, Follow our way, and we will bear your sins. Howbeit they shall not bear any part of their sins; for they are liars: but they shall surely bear their own burdens, and other burdens besides their own burdens; and they shall be examined, on the day of resurrection, con

⚫ Transient mention is made of this insect towards the middle of the chapter. Some think the first ten verses, ending with these words, And he well knoweth the hypocrites, were revealed at Medina, and the rest at Mecca; and others believe the reverse. See the Prelim. Disc. sect. iii. p. 42, &c.

Literally, That they shall be let alone, &c.

This passage reprehends the impatience of some of the prophet's companions, under the hardships which they sustained in defence of their religion, and the losses which they suffered from the infidels; representing to them that such trials and afflictions were neces sary to distinguish the sincere person from the hypocrite, and the steady from the wavering. Some suppose it to have been occasioned by the death of Mahja, Omar's slave, killed by an arrow at the battle of Bedr, which was deeply lamented and laid to heart by his wife and parents.

That is, if they endeavour to pervert thee to idolatry. The passage is said to have been revealed on account of Saad Ebn Abi Wakkas, and his mother Hamna, who, when she heard that her son had embraced Mohammedism, swore that she would neither eat not drink till he returned to his old religion, and kept her oath for three days.'

vis The guilt of seducing others, which shall be added to the guilt of their owr obstinacy, without diminishing the guilt of such as shall be seduced by them.

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cerning that which they have falsely devised. We heretofore sent Noah unto his people; and he tarried among them one thousand years, save fifty years and the deluge took them away, while they were acting unjustly; but we delivered him and those who were in the ark, and we made the same* a sign unto all creatures. We also sent Abraham; when he said unto his people, Serve God, and fear him; this will be better for you; if ye understand. Ye only worship idols besides GoD, and forge a lie. Verily those which ye worship, besides GOD, are not able to make any provision for you: seek therefore your provision from God; and serve him, and give thanks unto him; unto him shall ye return. If ye charge me with imposture,' verily sundry nations before you likewise charged their prophets with imposture: but public preaching only is incumbent on an apostle. Do they not see how GOD produceth creatures, and afterwards restoreth them? Verily this is easy with God. Say, go through the earth, and see how he originally produceth creatures: afterwards will God reproduce another production; for GoD is almighty. He will punish whom he pleaseth, and he will have mercy on whom he pleaseth. Before him shall ye be brought at the day of judgment and ye shall not escape his reach, either in earth, or in heaven :" neither shall ye have any patron or defender besides GOD. As for those who believe not in the signs of God, or that they shall meet him at the resurrection, they shall despair of my mercy, and for them is a painful punishment prepared. And the answer of his people was no other than that they said, Slay him, or burn him. But GoD saved him from the fire. Verily herein were signs unto people who believed. And Abraham said,

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They shall bear only the burden of their own iniquities, and at the day of resurrection they shall be called on to answer for their falsehood."-Savary.

This is true, if the whole life of Noah be reckoned; and accordingly Abu'lfeda says he was sent to preach in his two hundred and fiftieth year, and that he lived in all nine hundred and fifty: but the text seeming to speak of those years only which he spent in preaching to the wicked antediluvians, the commentators suppose him to have lived much longer. Some say the whole length of his life was a thousand and fifty years; that his mission happened in the fortieth year of his age, and that he lived after the flood sixty years and others give different numbers; one, in particular, pretending that Noah lived near sixteen hundred years.

8

This circumstance, says al Beidâwi, was mentioned to encourage Mohammed, and to assure him that God, who supported Noah so many years against the opposition and plots of the antediluvian infidels, would not fail to defend him against all attempts of the lolatrous Meccans and their partisans.

i e. The ark.

This seems to be part of Abraham's speech to his people: but some suppose that God here speaks, by way of apostrophe, first to the Koreish, and afterwards to Mohammed; and that the parenthesis is continued to these words, And the answer of his people was no other, &c. In which case we should have said, If ye charge Mohammed your apostle with imposture, &c.

The infidels are bid to consider how God causeth the fruits of the earth to spring forth, and reneweth them every year, as in the preceding; which is an argument of his power to raise man, whom he created at first, to life again after death, at his own appointed

time.

"Have they not seen how God produceth a creature? It is thus that he will call r to life again. This miracle is easy unto his power."-Savary

Sce Psalın cxxxix. 7, &c.

See chap. 21, p. 269.

Al Beidawi, Al Zamakh.

Caab, apud Vahyam.

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