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the apostle of GOD may ask pardon for you; they turn away their heads, and thou seest them retire big with disdain. It shall be equal unto them. whether thou ask pardon for them, or do not ask pardon for them: GoD will by no means forgive them; for GOD directeth not the prevaricating people. These are the men who say to the inhabitants of Medina, Do not bestow any thing on the refugees who are with the apostle of God, that they may be obliged to separate from him. Whereas unto God belong the stores of heaven and earth: but the hypocrites do not understand. They say, Verily, if we return to Medina, the worthier shall expel thence the meaner.' Whereas superior worth belongeth unto God and his apostle, and the true believers but the hypocrites know it not. O true believers, let not your riches or your children divert you from the remembrance of God: for who soever doth this, they will surely be losers. And give alms out of tha which we have bestowed on you; before death come unto one of you, and he say, O LORD, wilt thou not grant me respite for a short term: that I may give alms, and become one of the righteous? For GoD will by no means grant further respite to a soul, when its determined time is come: and God is fully apprized of that which ye do.

CHAPTER LXIV.

INTITLED, MUTUAL DECEIT; REVEALED AT MECCA.

. IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD.

WHATEVER is in heaven and earth celebrateth the praises of GOD: his 18 the kingdom, and unto him is the praise due; for he is almighty. It is he who hath created you;† and one of you is predestined to be an unbeliever, and another of you is predestined to be a believer: and God beholdeth that which ye do. He hath created the heavens and the earth with truth; and he hath fashioned you, and given you beautiful forms: and unto him must ye all go. He knoweth whatever is in heaven and earth: and he knoweth that which ye conceal, and that which ye discover; for God knoweth the innermost part of men's breasts. Have ye not been acquainted with the story of those who disbelieved heretofore, and tasted the evil consequence of their behaviour? And for them is prepared in the life to come a tormenting beware of their perfidy. The Almighty shall fight against them, because that they have abandoned the faith."-Savary.

These, as well as the preceding, were the words of Ebn Obba to one of Medina, who in a certain expedition, quarrelling with an Arab of the desert about water, received a blow on the head with a stick, and made his complaint thereof to him.10

"Power belongeth unto God. He imparteth it to his prophet, and to the faithful; and the impious know it not."-Savary.

The commentators are not agreed whether this chapter was revealed at Mecca, ɔr at Medina; or partly at the one place, and partly at the other.

"He hath created all men from nothing."-Savary.

"Al Beidâwi.

punishment. This shall they suffer, because their apostles came unto thein with evident proofs of their mission, and they said, Shall men direct us? Wherefore they believed not, and turned their backs. But GoD standeth in need of no person for God is self-sufficient, and worthy to be praised The unbelievers imagine that they shall not be raised again. Say, Yea, by my LORD, ye shall surely be raised again; then shall ye be told that which ye have wrought; and this is easy with God. Wherefore believe in Gon and his apostle, and the light which we have sent down: for GoD is well acquainted with that which ye do. On a certain day he shall assemble you, at the day of the general assembly: that will be the day of mutual deceit. And whoso shall believe in God, and shall do that which is right, from him will he expiate his evil deeds, and he will lead him into gardens beneath which rivers flow, to remain therein for ever. This will be great felicity. But they who shall not believe, and shall accuse our signs of falsehood, those shall be the inhabitants of hell fire, wherein they shall remain for ever; and a wretched journey shall it be thither! No misfortune happeneth but by the permission of God; and whoso believeth in GOD, he will direct his heart: and God knoweth all things. Wherefore obey God, and obey the apostle: but if ye turn back, verily the duty incumbent on our apostle is only public preaching. GOD! there is no God but he: wherefore in God let the faithful put their trust. O true believers, verily of your wives and your children ye have an enemy: wherefore beware of them. But if ye pass over their offences, and pardon, and forgive them; GOD is likewise inclined to forgive, and merciful. Your wealth and your children are only a temptation; but with GoD is a great reward Wherefore fear GoD, as much as ye are able; and hear, and obey ‡ and give alms, for the good of your souls; for whoso is preserved from the covetousness of his own soul, they shall prosper. If ye lend unto God an acceptable loan, he will double the same unto you, and will forgive you : for God is grateful, and long-suffering, knowing both what is hidden, and what is divulged; the Mighty, the Wise.{

When the blessed will deceive the damned, by taking the places which they would have had in paradise, had they been true believers; and contrariwise.'

"On the day of the universal assembling, ye shall all appear before his tribunal. Fraud shall be unmasked."-Savary.

For these are apt to distract a man from his duty, especially in time of distress; a married man caring for the things that are of this world, while the unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord."

Considering that the hindrance they may occasion you proceeds from their affection, and their ill bearing your absence in time of war, &c.

"O believers, your wives and your children are oftentimes your enemies; distrust their caresses; but if the voice of nature, or if condescension should induce you to yield to their wishes, God is indulgent and merciful.”—Savary.

"Fear God with all your hearts. Listen! Obey!"-Savary.

"If ye enter into a glorious covenant with God, he will multiply his favours, he will pardon your offences: he is gratefu: and beneficent. He knoweth that which is unveiled and that which is hidden in the shades of mystery: he is mighty and wise."-Savary.

'Al Beidâwi, Jallalo'ddin, Yahya.

⚫ fidem

See 1 Cor. vii. 25, &c.

CHAPTER LXV.

INTITLED, Divorce; revEALED AT MEDINA.

IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD.

PROPHET, when ye divorce women, put them away at their appointed term; and compute the term exactly: and fear GOD, your LORD. Oblige them not to go out of their apartments, neither let them go out, until the term be expired, unless they be guilty of manifest uncleanness. These are the statutes of GoD: and whoever transgresseth the statutes of GOD assuredly injureth his own soul. Thou knowest not whether GoD will bring something new to pass,* which may reconcile them after this. And when they shall have fulfilled their term, either retain them with kindness, or part from them honourably and take witnesses from among you, men of integrity; and give your testimony as in the presence of GOD. This admonition is given unto him who believeth in God and the last day and whoso feareth GOD, unto him will he grant a happy issue out of all his afflictions, and he will bestow on him an ample provision from whence he expecteth it not: and whoso trusteth in God, he will be his sufficient support; for GOD will surely attain his purpose. Now hath GOD appointed unto every thing a determined period.† As to such of your wives as shall despair having their courses, by reason of their age; if ye be in doubt thereof, let their term be three months: and let the same be the term of those who have not yet had their courses. But as to those who are pregnant, their term shall be, until they be delivered of their burden. And whoso feareth GoD, unto him will he make his command easy. This is the command of God, which he hath sent down unto you. And whoso feareth GoD, he will expiate his evil deeds from him, and will increase his reward. Suffer the women whom ye divorce to dwell in some part of the houses wherein ye dwell; according to the room and conveniences of the habitations which ye possess: and make them not uneasy, that ye may reduce them to straits. And if they be with child, expend on them

That is, when they shall have had their courses thrice, after the time of their divorce, if they prove not to be with child; or, if they prove with child, when they shall have been delivered. Al Beidawi supposes husbands are hereby commanded to divorce their wives while they are clean; and says that the passage was revealed on account of Ebn Omar, who divorced his wife when she had her courses upon her, and was therefore obliged to take her again.-(When a Mohammedan has sworn that he will divorce his wife, he ceases to have intercourse with her. As soon as she hears of the oath, she covers herself with a veil, retires to her apartment, and ceases to let her husband see her. When the four months allowed for reconciliation are expired, all ties are dissolved, the wife recovers her liberty, and receives at her departure the dowry which was fixed by the marriage conThe daughters go with the mother, the sons remain with the father.-Savary,) * "Thou knowest not what are the designs of God with respect to the future."— Savary. "His will shall infallibly be executed. He has assigned to each cause a certai effect."-Savury.

tract.

▸ See chap. 2, p. 27.

See chap. 2, p. 27.

what shall be needful, until they be delivered of their burden. And if they suckle their children for you, give them their hire; and consult among yourselves, according to what shall be just and reasonable. And if ye be put to a difficulty herein, and another woman shall suckle the child for him, let him who hath plenty expend proportionably in the maintenance of the mother and the nurse, out of his plenty and let him whose income is scanty expend in proportion out of that which God hath given him. GOD obligeth no man to more than he hath given him ability to perform: GoD will cause ease to succeed hardship.* How many cities have turned aside from the command of the LORD and his apostles! Wherefore we brought them to a severe account; and we chastised them with a grievous chastisement and they tasted the evil consequence of their business; and the end of their business was perdition. God hath prepared for them a severe punishment wherefore fear GoD, O ye who are endued with understanding. True believers, now hath God sent down unto you an admonition, an apostle who may rehearse unto you the perspicuous signs of God; that he may bring forth those who believe and do good works, from darkness into light. And whoso believeth in God, and doth that which is right, him will he lead into gardens beneath which rivers flow, to remain therein for ever: now hath God made an excellent provision for him. It is God who hath created seven heavens, and as many different stories of the earth:† the divine command descendeth between them; that ye may know that God is omnipotent, and that GoD comprehendeth all things by his knowledge.

r

CHAPTER LXVI.

INTITLED, PROHIBITION; REVEALED AT MEDINA.

IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD.

OPROPHET, Why holdest thou that to be prohibited which God hath allowed thee, seeking to please thy wives; since GOD is inclined to forgive, and

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Which ought at least to be sufficient to maintain and clothe them during the time of Buckling. See chap. 2, p. 28.

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He will cause competence to succeed unto poverty."-Savary.

It is God who hath created the seven heavens, and the seven earths: he causeth them to obey his voice, to the end that ye may know that his power is boundless, and that the universe is filled with his wisdom."-Savary.

(According to Zamakshari, God created seven heavens and seven earths, at the distance of five hundred days' journey from each other. The whole of them are inhabited. The Supreme Being governs this universe.-Savary.)

Penetrating and pervading them all, with absolute efficacy.

• There are some who suppose this passage to have been occasioned by Mohammed's protesting never to eat honey any more, because, having once eaten some in the apartment of Hafsa, or of Zeinab, three other of his wives, namely, Ayesha, Sawda, and Safia, all told him they smelt he had been eating of the juice which distils from certain shrubs in those parts, and resembles honey in taste and consistence, but is of a very strong savour, and which the prophet had a great aversion to. But the more received opinion is, that the

Al Zamakh, al Beidâwi.

merciful?

God hath allowed you the dissolution of your oaths: and GoD is your master; and he is knowing and wise. When the prophet entrusted as a secret unto one of his wives a certain accident; and when she disclosed the same, and God made it known unto him; he acquainted her with part of what she had done, and forbore to upbraid her with the other part thereof.* And when he had acquainted her therewith, she said, Who hath discovered this unto thee? He answered, The knowing, the sagacious God hath dis

chapter was revealed on the following occasion. Mohammed having lain with a slave of his, named Mary, of Coptic extract (who had been sent him as a present by al Mokawkas, governor of Egypt), on the day which was due to Ayesha, or to Hafsa, and, as some say, on Hafsa's own bed, while she was absent; and this coming to Hafsa's knowledge, she took it extremely ill, and reproached her husband so sharply, that, to pacify her, he promised, with an oath, never to touch the maid again; and to free him from the obligation of this promise, was the design of the chapter.

I cannot here avoid observing, as a learned writer' has done before me, that Dr. Prideaux has strangely misrepresented this passage. For having given the story of the prophet's amour with his maid Mary, a little embellished, he proceeds to tell us. that in this chapter Mohammed brings in God allowing him, and all his Moslems, to lie with their maids when they will, notwithstanding their wives; (whereas the words relate to the prophet only, who wanted not any new permission for that purpose, because it was a privilege already granted him, though to none else:) and then, to show what ground he had for his assertion, adds, that the first words of the chapter are, O prophet, why dost thou forbid what God hath allowed thee, that thou mayest please thy wives? God hath granted unto you to lie with your maid servants. Which last words are not to be found here, or elsewhere in the Koran, and contain an allowance of what is expressly forbidden therein: though the doctor has thence taken occasion to make some reflections which might as well have been spared. I shall say nothing to aggravate the matter; but leave the reader to imagine what this reverend divine would have said of a Mohammedan, if he had caught him tripping in the like

manner.

Having digressed so far, I will venture to add a word or two, in order to account for one circumstance which Dr. Prideaux relates concerning Mohammed's concubine Mary; viz. that after her master's death, no account was had of her or the son which she had borne him, but both were sent away into Egypt, and no mention made of either ever after among them; and then he supposes (for he seldom is at a loss for a supposition) that Ayesha, out of the hatred which she bore her, procured of her father, who succeeded the impostor in the government, to have her thus disposed of. But it being certain, by the general consent of all the eastern writers, that Mary continued in Arabia till her death, which happened at Medina, about five years after that of her master, and was buried in the usual burying-place there, called al Baki. and that her son died before his father. it has been asked, whence the doctor had this?" I answer, That I guess he had it partly from Abu'lfaragius. according to the printed edition of whose work, the Mary we are speaking of is said to have been sent with her sister Shirin (not with her son) to Alexandria by al Mokawkas: though I make no doubt but we ought in that passage to read min, from, instead of ila, to; (notwithstanding the manuscript copies of this author used by Dr. Pocock, the editor, and also a very fair one in my own possession, agree in the latter reading;) and that the sentence ought to run thus, quam (viz. Mariam) unà cum sorore Shirina ab Alexandria miserat al Mokawkas.

By having appointed an expiation for that purpose: or, as the words may be trans lated, God hath allowed you to use an exception in your oaths, that is, to add the words if it please God; in which case a man is excused from guilt if he perform not his oath. The passage though directed to all the Moslems in general, seems to be particularly designed for quieting the prophet's conscience in regard to the oath above-mentioned: but al Beidâwi approves not this opinion, because such an oath was to be looked upon as an inconsiderate one, and required no expiation.

* "At first he mildly admonished her, and then he declared unto her the whole of that which she had divulged."-Savary.

• Prid. Life

• Al Zamakh., al Beidâwi, Jallalo'ddin. Yahya. Moh. p. 150. See chap. 33, p. 347, 348. chap. 17, p. 230; chap. 4, p. 63; and chap. 24, p. 287, &c. Abu'lfarag. Hist. Dyn. p. 165.

Gagnier, ubi supra.

Al Beidawi.

Gagnier, not. ad Abulf. Vit.
of Moh. p. 113.
· See
Prid. Life of Moh. p. 114.
See chap. 5, p. 93

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