A comprehensive commentary on the Qurán, comprising Sale's tr. and prelim ...

the knowledge which is with me. 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. (79) And Qárún 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 Qárún ? verily he is master of a great fortune. (80) 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. (81) 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. (82) 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.

(83) As to this future mansion of Paradise, we will R 12 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. (84) 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. (85) Verily he who hath given thee the Qurán for a rule

(79) Qárún went. . . in his pomp. "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."— Sale.

(85) "This verse, some say, was revealed to Muhammad when he arrived at Juhsa, in his flight from Makkah to Madína, to comfort him and still his complaints."-Sale.

The allusion is most probably to Paradise. Those who consider

of faith and practice will certainly bring thee back home unto Makkah. Say, My LORD best knoweth who cometh with a true direction and who is in a manifest error. (86) Thou didst not expect that the book of the Qurán should be delivered unto thee, but thou hast received it through the mercy of thy LORD. Be not therefore assisting to the unbelievers, (87) 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, (88) neither invoke any other god together with the true GOD: there is no god but he. Everything shall perish except himself: unto him belongeth judgment, and before him shall ye be assembled at the last day.

the verse a prophecy must admit that the most important word of that prophecy is not in the text,

(86) Thou didst not expect, &c. This verse presents Muhammad's claim to inspiration under a new aspect. He is called unexpectedly as Moses was. See notes on vers. 44-46.

(87) Neither let them turn thee aside, &c. This probably refers to the lapse of Muhammad. See note on chap. xxii. 53.

CHAPTER XXIX.

ENTITLED SURAT AL ANQUBÚT (THE SPIDER).

Revealed at Makkah.

INTRODUCTION.

THIS chapter owes its title to the mention of the spider in ver. 40. The matter differs little from that of several other Makkan chapters. There is strong indication of decided antipathy for the Prophet on the part of his Arab hearers. This was probably due to certain Jews having espoused the cause of Muhammad by becoming his disciples. These had said, "We believe in the revelation which hath been sent down unto us, and also in that which hath been sent unto you. Our God and your God is one, and unto him are we resigned." So elated was Muhammad with this confession that he could say, "Of these Arabians also there are who believe therein, and none reject our signs except the obstinate infidels." These he likens to the followers of Noah, Lot, and Moses, who would be destroyed in their sin and unbelief.

Two points are worthy of special mention. First, Muhammad indubitably accepted the Jewish Scriptures as genuine and uncorrupted. His Jewish disciples claimed to believe in their own Scriptures as well as in the Qurán, and their acceptance of the latter seems to have been due to a belief that it was attested by the former. This fact no doubt accounts for the numerous allusions to Scripture history in those chapters of the Qurán enunciated at this period in Muhammad's ministry.

The second point to be noted here is the fact that Muhammad, though challenged by both Jewish and Arab unbelievers to perform miracles like those wrought by the former prophets to whom he likened himself, yet ever declined to do so, alleging that the Qurán was itself a sufficient miracle, which, with his ability to read and write, though taught by no one, should be sufficient to convince any

one. Beyond this he could only say, "Signs are in the power of God alone, and I am no more than a public preacher" (ver. 49).

The latter verses of the chapter teach the folly of idolatry and the certainty of the resurrection and judgment, the final reward of true believers and the awful punishment of the infidels.

Probable Date of the Revelations.

According to Nöeldeke, vers. 1-10 belong to Madína, and were revealed subsequent to the battle of Badr, and perhaps also of Ohod. Their present position he ascribes to Muhammad himself. Vers. 7 and 8 are by some supposed to be Makkan, but this opinion rests upon a misinterpretation of them (see note on ver. 7 below). Nöeldeke also places ver. 45 among the Madínic revelations, but in order to do so he misinterprets the words "Dispute not against those who have the Scriptures unless in the mildest manner," i.e., by the sword. But the passage plainly forbids the sword to be used except in selfdefence.

The remainder of the chapter is generally admitted to belong to Makkah. As to the date, the only verse giving any clue to it is ver. 56, which exhorts to flight. Now as there were several flights of the Muslims, the question as to which is here alluded to must be decided by internal evidence drawn from the style and animus of the revelations themselves. The absence of any allusion to violent treatment of the Muslims would point to a comparatively early date, but the exhortation to flight implies persecution of some kind. Still from the fact that the withdrawal of the Prophet himself does not seem to be intended, we may fix the date with some probability at about the time of the first Abyssinian emigration.

Principal Subjects.

Religious faith is proved by trials

VERSES

I, 2

4-6

9, 10

Evil deeds will surely be punished

The righteous shall be rewarded for their good deeds
Parents not to be obeyed when they oppose God's law.
Salvation by faith and good works

Hypocrites exposed and rebuked.

Unbelievers shall be punished for deceiving others by false

He shows the idolaters how God's power is manifested in

nature

He declares that none shall escape the judgment of God
His people attempt to burn him, but God saves him
He discourses against the idolatry of his people .
Lot believes in Abraham, who determines to fly his country
God gives Abraham descendants who possess the gift of pro-