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and his riches shall not profit him, when he shall fall headlong into hell Verly unto us appertaineth the direction of mankind: and ours is the life to come, and the present life. Wherefore I threaten you with fire which burneth fiercely, which none shall enter to be burned except the most wretched; who shall have disbelieved, and turned back. But he who strictly bewareth idolatry and rebellion shall be removed far from the same; who giveth his substance in alms, and by whom no benefit is bestowed on any, that it may be recompensed, but who bestoweth the same for the sake of his LORD, the most High, and hereafter he shall be well satisfied with his reward.*

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CHAPTER XCIII.

INTITLED, THE BRIGHTNESS; REVEALED AT MECCA.

IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD.

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By the brightness of the morning; and by the night, when it groweth dark†thy LORD hath not forsaken thee, neither doth he hate thee. Verily the life to come shall be better for thee than this present life: and thy LORD shall give thee a reward wherewith thou shalt be well pleased. Did he not find thee an orphan, and hath he not taken care of thee? And did he not find thee wandering in error, and hath he not guided thee into the truth? And did he not find thee needy, and hath he not enriched thee? Wherefore oppress not the orphan: neither repulse the beggar: but declare the goodness of thy LORD.

Jallalo'ddin thinks this whole description belongs peculiarly to Aba Beer: for when he had purchased Belâl, the Ethiopian (afterwards the prophet's Muedhdhin, or crier to prayers), who had been put to the rack on account of his faith, the infidels said he did it only out of a view of interest; upon which this passage was revealed.

The pious man shall dwell in a far different abode. He made the sacrifice of that which he possessed, that he might become more pure. He never allowed a benefit to remain unrecompensed. To please God was his sole desire. The enjoyment of paradise shall constitute his felicity."-Savary.

The original word properly signifies the bright part of the day, when the sun shines full out, three or four hours after it is risen.

"By the sun in his meridian splendour, by the shades of night."-Savarg.

It is related, that no revelation having been vouchsafed to Mohammed for severa. days in answer to some questions put to him by the Koreish, because he had confidently promised to resolve them the next day, without adding the exception, If it please God, or because he had repulsed an importunate beggar, or else because a dead puppy ay under his seat, or for some other reason; his enemies said that God had left him: wherun this chapter was sent down for his consolation."

See chap. 18, p. 240

'Al Beidâwi, Jallalo'ddin.

CHAPTER XCIV.

INTITLED, HAVE WE NOT OPENED; REVEALED AT MECCA.

IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD.

HAVE we not opened thy breast;*1 and eased thee of thy burden, which galled thy back; and raised thy reputation for thee? Verily a difficulty shall be attended with ease. Verily a difficulty shall be attended with ease When thou shalt have ended thy preaching; labour to serve God in return for his favours; and make thy supplication unto thy LORD.

CHAPTER XCV.

INTITLED, THE FIG; WHERE IT WAS REVEALED IS DISPUTED

IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD.

By the fig, and the olive;

and by mount Sinai, and this territory of security; " verily we created man of a most excellent fabric; afterwards we rendered him the vilest of the vile: except those who believe, and work

* "Have we not expanded thy heart!"-Savary.

By disposing and enlarging it to receive the truth, and wisdom, and prophecy; or, by freeing thee from uneasiness and ignorance? This passage is thought to intimate the opening of Mohammed's heart, in his infancy, or when he took his journey to heaven, by the angel Gabriel; who, having wrung out the black drop, or seed of original sin, washed and cleansed the same, and filled it with wisdom and faith: but some think it relates to the occasion of the preceding chapter.

* i. e. Of thy sins committed before thy mission; or of thy ignorance, or trouble of mind.

"By the side of pain is pleasure; by the side of misfortune is happiness."-Savary. 'Or, When thou shalt have finished thy prayer, labour in preaching the faith.

God, say the commentators, swears by these two fruits, because of their great uses and virtues: for the fig is wholesome and easy of digestion, and physically good to carry off phlegm, and gravel in the kidneys or bladder, and to remove obstructions of the liver and spleen, and also cures the piles, and the gout, &c.; the olive produces oil, which is not only excellent to eat, but otherwise useful for the compounding of ointments; the wood of the olive-tree, moreover, is good for cleansing the teeth, preventing their growing otten, and giving a good odour to the mouth; for which reason the prophets, and Mohammed in particular, made use of no other for toothpicks."

Some, however, suppose that these words do not mean the fruits or trees above-mer Lioned, but two mountains in the Holy Land, where they grow in plenty; or else the temple of Damascus and that at Jerusalem.'

"And this faithful land."-Savary.

viz. The territory of Mecca. These words seem to argue the chapter to have been "evealed there.

i. e. As the commentators generally expound this passage, We created man of comely proportion of body, and great perfection of mind; and yet we have doomed him, in case of disobedience, to be an inhabitant of hell. Some, however, understand the words of the vigorous constitution of man in the prime and strength of his age, and of his miserable decay when he becomes old and decrepit: but they seem rather to intimate the perfect

• Al Beidâwi, Yahya. Vide Abulf. vit. Moh. p. 9, and 33. Prid. Life of Moh. p. 105, &c. • Al Beidawi. 10 Idem. ' Idem, Yahya, al Beidâwi, Jallalo'ddin.

Idem, al Zamakh. 2 Al Zamakh See the Prelim. Disc. sect. iv

righteousness; for they shall receive an endless reward. shall cause thee to deny the day of judgment after this? most wise judge?*

What, therefore,
Is not God the

CHAPTER XCVI.

INTITLED, CONGEALED BLOOD; REVEALED AT MECCA

IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD.

READ, in the name of thy LORD, who hath created all things; who hatlı created man of congealed blood.'† Read, by thy most beneficent LORD;' who taught the use of the pen; who teacheth man that which he knoweth not. Assuredly. Verily man becometh insolent, because he seeth himself abound in riches. Verily unto thy LORD shall be the return of all. What thinkest thou as to him who forbiddeth our servant, when he prayeth ? a What thinkest thou; if he follow the right direction; or command piety?‡ What thinkest thou; if he accuse the divine revelations of falsehood, and turn his back? Doth he not know that God seeth? Assuredly. Verily, if he forbear not, we will drag him by the forelock, the lying, sinful forelock. And let him call his council to his assistance: we also will call the infernal guards to cast him into hell. Assuredly. Obey him not: but con tinue to adore God; and draw nigh unto him.

state of happiness wherein man was originally created, and his fall from thence, in conse. quence of Adam's disobedience, to a state of misery in this world, and becoming liable to one infinitely more miserable in the next.'

P Some suppose these words directed to Mohammed, and others to man in general, by way of apostrophe.

"Is not the Eternal the most equitable of judges!"-Savary.

The first five verses of this chapter, ending with the words, Who taught man that which he knew not, are generally allowed to be the first passage of the Korân which was revealed, though some give this honour to the seventy-fourth chapter, and others to the first, the next, they say, being the sixty-eighth.

All men being created of thick or concreted blood, except only Adam, Eve and Jesus.' "He formed man by the union of the sexes."-Savary.

These words, containing a repetition of the command, are supposed to be a reply to Mohammed, who in answer to the former words spoken by the angel had declared that he could not read, being perfectly illiterate; and intimate a promise that God, who had inspired man with the art of writing, would graciously remedy this defect in him.

The commentators agree the remaining part of the chapter to have been revealed against Abu Jahl, Mohammed's great adversary.

"For Abu Jahl threatened that if he catched Mohammed in the act of adoration he would set his foot on his neck; but when he came and saw him in that posture, he suddenly turned back as in a fright; and being asked what was the matter, said there was a ditch of fire between himself and Mohammed, and a terrible appearance of troops, to de fend him."

"What thinkest thou of him who disturbeth the servant of the Lord when he prayeth, when he accomplisheth the command of Heaven, when he exhorteth to piety ?”—Savary. See chap. 11, p. 181.

i. e. The council or assembly of the principal Meccans, the far greater part of whom adhered to Abu Jahl.

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CHAPTER XCVII.

INTITLED, AL KADR; WHERE IT WAS REVEALED IS DISPUTED.

IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD.

VERILY we sent down the Korân in the night of al Kadr. And what shall make thee understand how excellent the night of al Kadr is? The night of al Kadr is better than a thousand months. Therein do the angels descend, and the spirit of Gabriel also, by the permission of their LORD, with his decrees concerning every matter.* It is peace until the rising of

the morn.

CHAPTER XCVIII.

INTITLED, THE EVIDENCE; WHERE IT WAS REVEALED IS DISPUTED.

IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD.

THE unbelievers among those to whom the scriptures were given, and among the idolaters, did not stagger, until the clear evidence had come unto them: an apostle from God, rehearsing unto them pure books of revelations; wherein are contained right discourses. Neither were they unto whom the scriptures were given divided among themselves, until after the

The word al Kadr signifies power, and honour, or dignity, and also the divine decree ; and the night is so named, either from its excellence above all other nights in the year, or because, as the Mohanimedans believe, the divine decrees for the ensuing year are annu. ally on this night fixed and settled, or taken from the preserved table by God's throne, and given to the angels to be executed. On this night Mohammed received his first revelations; when the Korân, say the commentators, was sent down from the aforesaid table, entire and in one volume, to the lowest heaven, from whence Gabriel revealed it to Mohammed by parcels, as occasion required.

The Moslem doctors are not agreed where to fix the night al Kadr: the greater part are of opinion that it is one of the ten last nights of Ramadan, and, as is commonly believed, the seventh of those nights, reckoning backwards; by which means it will fall between the twenty-third and twenty-fourth days of that month.

. See the preceding note, and chap. 44, p. 402.

"It was consecrated by the coming of angels and of the spirit (Gabriel). They obeyed the orders of the Eternal, and brought laws concerning every matter."-Savary.

"The virtuous Mohammedans (say the Mussulman theologians), who shall read the chapter of the Evidence, shall, at the day of the resurrection, be placed among the most excellent of the creatures which have been pardoned by the hand of the Eternal."-Savary, • Some intitle this chapter from the first words, Did not.

i. e. Did not waver in their religion, or in their promises to follow the truth, when an apostle should come unto them. For the commentators pretend that before the appearance of Mohammed, the Jews and Christians, as well as the worshippers of idols, unani. mously believed and expected the coming of that prophet, until which time they declared 'hey would persevere in their respective religions, and then would follow him: but when he came, they rejected him through envy.'

• viz. Mohammed, or the Korân.

1 See chap. 44, p. 402.

⚫ Al Zamakh., al Jallalo'ddin.

⚫ lidem.

clear evidence had come unto them. And they were commanded no other in the scriptures than to worship GoD, exhibiting unto him the pure religion, and being orthodox; and to be constant at prayer, and to give alms; and this is the right religion. Verily those who believe not, among those who have received the scriptures, and among the idolators, shall be cast into the fire of hell, to remain therein for ever. These are the worst of creatures. But they who believe, and do good works; these are the best of creatures their reward with their LORD shall be gardens of perpetual abode, through which rivers flow; they shall remain therein for ever. GOD will be well pleased in them; and they shall be well pleased in him. This is prepared for him who shall fear his LORD.

CHAPTER XCIX.

INTITLED, THE EARTHQUAKE; WHERE IT WAS REVEALED IS

DISPUTED.

IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD.

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WHEN the earth shall be shaken by an earthquake; and the earth shall ast forth her burdens; and a man shall say, What aileth her?† On that day the earth shall declare her tidings, for that thy LORD will inspire her. On that day men shall go forward in distinct classes, that they may behold their works. And whoever shall have wrought good of the weight of an ant,' shall behold the same. And whoever shall have wrought evil of the weight of an ant, shall behold the same.

'But when the promised apostle was sent, and the truth became manifest to them, they withstood the clearest conviction, differing from one another in their opinions; some believing and acknowledging Mohammed to be the prophet foretold in the scriptures, and others denying it."

But these divine precepts in the law and the gospel have they corrupted, changed, and violated.'

"They are the most perverse of mankind.”—Savary.

This earthquake will happen at the first, or, as others say, at the second blast of the trumpet.

1 viz. The treasures and dead bodies within it."

"Man shall say, What a spectacle!"-Savary.

i. e. Will inform all creatures of the occasion of her trembling, and casting forth her treasures and her dead, by the circumstances which shall iminediately attend them. Some say the earth will, at the last day, be miraculously enabled to speak, and will give evidence of the actions of her inhabitants.*

See chap. 4, p. 65, note x.

Al Zamakh, al Beidâwi, Jallalo'ddin.

See the Prelim. Disc. sect. iv. p. 59. he Preli a. Disc. sect. iv. p. 63.

• Iidem. • Al Zamakh., al Beidâwi. 'See chap. 84, p. 484. Al Beiduwi. See

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