prostrate yourselves, and worship your LORD: and work righteousness, that ye may be happy and fight in defence of God's true religion, as is behoveth you to fight for the same. He hath chosen you, and hath not imposed on you any difficulty in the religion which he hath given you, the religion of your father Abraham: he hath named you Moslems heretofore, and in this book; that our apostle may be a witness against you at the day of judgment, and that ye may be witnesses against the rest of mankind. Wherefore be ye constant at prayer; and give alms: and adhere firmly unto God. He is your master; and he is the best master, and the best protector.

CHAPTER XXIII.

INTITLED, THE TRUE BELIEVERS; REVEALED AT MECCA.

IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD.

* [XVIII.] Now are the true believers happy: who humble themselves in their prayer, and who eschew all vain discourse, and who are doers of alms-deeds; and who keep themselves from carnal knowledge of any women except their wives, or the captives which their right hands possess (for as to them they shall be blameless: but whosoever coveteth any woman beyond these, they are transgressors): and who acquit themselves faithfully of their trust, and justly perform their covenant; and who observe their appointed times of prayer: these shall be the heirs, who shall inherit paradise; they shall continue therein for ever. We formerly created man in a finer sort of clay; afterwards we placed him in the form of seed in a sure receptacle: ↳ afterwards we made the seed coagulated blood; and we formed the coagulated blood into a piece of flesh: then we formed the piece of flesh into bones: and we clothed those bones with flesh: then we produced the same by another creation. Wherefore blessed be God, the most excellent Creator! After this shall ye die: and afterwards shall ye be restored to life, on the day of resurrection. And we have created over you seven heavens and we are not negligent of what we have created. And we send down rain from heaven, by measure; and we cause it to remain on the earth we are also certainly able to deprive you of the same. And we cause gardens of palm-trees, and vineyards, to spring forth for you by means thereof; wherein ye have many fruits, and whereof ye eat. And

"Be immovable in the faith. God is your master. Courage unto the servant, and praise unto the patron!"-Savary.

b viz. The womb.

i. e. Producing a perfect man, composed of soul and body.

We accomplished our creation by animating it with life."-Savary.

See cap. 6, p. 108, note c.

Literally, seven paths; by which the heavens are meant, because, according to some expositors, they are the paths of the angels and of the celestial bodies: though the original word also signifies things which are folded or placed like stories one above another, as the Mohammedans suppose the heavens to be."

we also raise for you a tree springing from Mount Sinai; which produceth oil, and a sauce for those who eat. Ye have likewise an instruction in the cattle; we give you to drink of the milk which is in their bellies, and ye receive many advantages from them; and of them do ye eat: and on them, and on ships, are ye carried. We sent Noah heretofore unto his people, and he said, O my people, serve GOD: ye have no God besides him; will ye therefore not fear the consequence of your worshipping other gods? And the chiefs of his people, who believed not, said, This is no other than a man, as ye are he seeketh to raise himself to a superiority over you. If GOD had pleased to have sent a messenger unto you, he would surely have sent angels: we have not heard this of our forefathers. Verily he is no other than a man disturbed with frenzy: wherefore wait concerning him for a time. Noah said, O LORD, do thou protect me; for that they accuse me of falsehood. And we revealed our orders unto him, saying, Make the ark in our sight; and according to our revelation. And when our decree cometh to be executed, and the oven shall boil and pour forth water, carry into it of every species of animals one pair; and also thy family, except such of them on whom a previous sentence of destruction hath passed and speak not unto me in behalf of those who have been unjust; for they shall be drowned. And when thou and they who shall be with thee shall go up into the ark, say, Praise be unto God, who hath delivered us from the ungodly people! And say, O LORD, cause me to come down from this ark with a blessed descent; for thou art the best able to bring me down from the same with safety. Verily herein were signs of our omnipotence; and we proved mankind thereby. Afterwards we raised up another generation' after them; and we sent unto them an apostle from among them, who said, Worship GoD: ye have no God besides him; will ye therefore not fear his vengeance? And the chiefs of his people, who believed not, and who denied the meeting of the life to come, and on whom we had bestowed affluence in this present life, said, This is no other than a man, as ye are; he cateth of that whereof ye eat, and he drinketh of that whereof ye drink and if ye obey a man like unto yourselves, ye will surely be sufferers. Doth he threaten you that after ye shall be dead, and shall become dust and bones, ye shall be brought forth alive from your graves? Away, away with that ye are threatened with! There is no other life besides our present life: we die, and we live; and we shall not be raised

viz. The olive. The gardens near this mountain are yet famous for the excellent fruittrees, of almost all sorts, which grow there.'

The beast more particularly meant in this place is the camel, which is chiefly used for carriage in the East; being called by the Arabs, the landship, on which they pass those seas of sand, the deserts.

They carry you on the earth, as the ships bear you on the sea."-Savary.

Let us shut him up for a time."-Savary.

See chap. 11, p. 177, &c.

When thou shalt descend from it, put up to him this prayer; Lord! O thou whe art the best of guides, deign to bless our outgoing!"-Savary.

Namely, the tribe of Ad, or of Thamud.

via. The prophet of Hûd, or Sâleh.

Vide Voyages de Thevenot, liv. 2, ch. 9.

again. This is no other than a man, who deviseth a lie concerning GOD: but we will not believe him. Their apostle said, O LORD, defend me; for that they have accused me of imposture. God answered, After a little while they shall surely repent their obstinacy. Wherefore a severe punishment was justly inflicted on them, and we rendered them like the refuse which is carried down by a stream.* Away therefore with the ungodly people! Afterwards we raised up other generations after them. No nation shall be punished before their determined time; neither shall they be respited after. Afterwards we sent our apostles, one after another. So often as their apostle came unto any nation, they charged him with imposture and we caused them successively to follow one another to destruction; and we made them only subjects of traditional stories.† Away therefore with the unbelieving nations! Afterwards we sent Moses, and Aaron his brother, with our signs and manifest power, unto Pharaoh and his princes: but they proudly refused to believe on him; for they were a haughty people. And they said, Shall we believe on two men like unto ourselves; whose people are our servants? And they accused them of imposture: wherefore they became of the number of those who were destroyed. And we heretofore gave the book of the law unto Moses, that the children of Israel might be directed thereby. And we appointed the son of Mary, and his mother, for a sign and we prepared an abode for them in an elevated part of the earth, being a place of quiet and security, and watered with running springs. O apostles, eat of those things which are good; and work righteousness: for I well know that which ye do. This your religion is one religion; and I am your LORD: wherefore fear me. But men have rent the affair of their religion into various sects: every party rejoiceth in that which they follow. Wherefore leave them in their confusion, until a certain time. Do they think that we hasten unto them the wealth and children which we have abundantly bestowed on them, for their good! But they do not understand. Verily they who stand in awe, for fear of their LORD, and who believe in the signs of their LORD, and who

"The cry of the exterminating angel was heard, and, like withered buds, the unbelievers were destroyed."-Savary.

As the Sodomites, Midianites, &c.

"We have brought a new Scripture. Far from us be those who will not believe in it."-Savary.

The commentators tell us the place here intended is Jerusalem, or Damascus, or Ramlah, or Palestine, or Egypt.

But perhaps the passage means the hill to which the virgin Mary retired to be delivered, according to the Mohammedan tradition."

These words are addressed to the apostles in general, to whom it was permitted to eat of all clean and wholesome food; and were spoken to them severally at the time of their respective mission. Some, however, think them directed particularly to the virgin Mary and Jesus, or singly to the latter (in which case the plural number must be used out of respect only), proposing the practice of the prophets for their imitation. Mohammed probably designed in this passage to condemn the abstinence observed by the Christian monks.

See chap. 21, p. 272.

i. e. Till they shall be slain, or shall die a natural death.

• Al Beidâwi, Jallalo'ddin.

See chap. 19, p. 249.

• Al Beidawi.

attribute not companions unto their LORD; and who give that which they give in alms, their hearts being struck with dread, for that they must return unto their LORD: these hasten unto good, and are foremost to obtain the same. We will not impose any difficulty on a soul, except according to its ability; with us is a book, which speaketh the truth; and they shall not be injured. But their hearts are drowned in negligence, as to this matter; and they have works different from those we have mentioned; which they will continue to do, until, when we chastise such of them as enjoy an affluence of fortune, by a severe punishment, behold, they cry aloud for help: but it shall be answered them, Cry not for help to-day: for ye shall not be assisted by us. My signs were read unto you, but ye turned back on your heels: proudly elating yourselves because of your possessing the holy temple; discoursing together by night, and talking foolishly. Do they not therefore attentively consider that which is spoken unto them; whether a revelation is come unto them which came not unto their forefathers? Or do they not know their apostle; and therefore reject him? Or do they say, He is a madman? Nay, he hath come unto them with the truth; but the greater part of them detest the truth. If the truth had followed their desires, verily the heavens and the earth, and whoever therein is, had been corrupted. But we have brought them their admonition; and they turn aside from their admonition. Dost thou ask of them any maintenance for thy preaching? since the maintenance of thy LORD is better; for he is the most bounteous provider. Thou certainly invitest them to the right way: and they who believe not in the life to come, do surely deviate from that way. If we had had compassion on them, and taken off from them the calamity which had befallen them, they would surely have more obstinately persisted in their error, wandering in confusion. We formerly chastised them with a punishment: yet they did not humble themselves before their LORD, neither did they make supplications unto him; until, when we have opened upon them a door, from which a severe punishment hath issued,

By which is intended either the overthrow at Bedr, where several of the chief Korashites lost their lives; or the famine with which the Meccans were afflicted, at the prayer of the prophet, conceived in these words, O God, set thy foot strongly on Modar (an ancestor of the Koreish), and give them years like the years of Joseph: whereupon so great a dearth ensued, that they were obliged to feed on dogs, carrion, and burnt bones."

"Those who are in ignorance of this doctrine, those who in their works have not virtue for their object, shall remain in their blindness, till the hour when the most powerful of them, feeling our vengeance, shall cry out tumultuously."-Savary.

1

That is, If there had been a plurality of gods as the idolaters contend: or, if the doctrine taught by Mohammed had been agreeable to their inclinations, &c.

viz. The famine. It is said that the Meccans being reduced to eat ilhiz, which is a sort of miserable food, made of blood and camel's hair, used by the Arabs in time of scarcity, Abu Sofiân came to Mohammed, and said, Tell me, I adjure thee by God, and the relation that is between us, dost thou think thou art sent as a mercy unto all creatures; since thou hast slain the fathers with the sword, and the children with hunger?2

"If pity had caused us to predict unto them the calamities which they were about to suffer, they would have been only the more obstinate in their error."-Savary. Namely, the slaughter at Bedr.

viz. Famine; which is more terrible than the calamities of war."

According to these explications, the passage must have been revealed at Medina; unless it be taken in a prophetical sense.

⚫ Al Boidawi.

See chap. 21, p. 266.

Al Beidâwi.

• Idem.

*

again. This is no other than a man, who deviseth a lie concerning GOD: but we will not believe him. Their apostle said, O LORD, defend me; for that they have accused me of imposture. God answered, After a little while they shall surely repent their obstinacy. Wherefore a severe punishment. was justly inflicted on them, and we rendered them like the refuse which is carried down by a stream. Away therefore with the ungodly people! Afterwards we raised up other generations after them. No nation shall be punished before their determined time; neither shall they be respited after. Afterwards we sent our apostles, one after another. So often as their apostle came unto any nation, they charged him with imposture: and we caused them successively to follow one another to destruction; and we made them only subjects of traditional stories.† Away therefore with the unbelieving nations! Afterwards we sent Moses, and Aaron his brother, with our signs and manifest power, unto Pharaoh and his princes: but they proudly refused to believe on him; for they were a haughty people. And they said, Shall we believe on two men like unto ourselves; whose people are our servants? And they accused them of imposture: wherefore they became of the number of those who were destroyed. And we heretofore gave the book of the law unto Moses, that the children of Israel might be directed thereby. And we appointed the son of Mary, and his mother, for a sign and we prepared an abode for them in an elevated part of the earth, being a place of quiet and security, and watered with running springs. O apostles, eat of those things which are good; and work righteousness: for I well know that which ye do. This your religion is one religion; and I am your LORD: wherefore fear me. But men have rent the affair of their religion into various sects: every party rejoiceth in that which they follow. Wherefore leave them in their confusion, until a certain time. Do they think that we hasten unto them the wealth and children which we have abundantly bestowed on them, for their good? But they do not understand. Verily they who stand in awe, for fear of their LORD, and who believe in the signs of their LORD, and who

"The cry of the exterminating angel was heard, and, like withered buds, the unbelievers were destroyed."-Savary.

As the Sodomites, Midianites, &c.

66

We have brought a new Scripture. Far from us be those who will not believe in it."-Savary.

The commentators tell us the place here intended is Jerusalem, or Damascus, or Ramlah, or Palestine, or Egypt.

But perhaps the passage means the hill to which the virgin Mary retired to be delivered, according to the Mohammedan tradition."

These words are addressed to the apostles in general, to whom it was permitted to eat of all clean and wholesome food; and were spoken to them severally at the time of their respective mission. Some, however, think them directed particularly to the virgin Mary and Jesus, or singly to the latter (in which case the plural number must be used out of respect only), proposing the practice of the prophets for their imitation. Mohammed probably designed in this passage to condemn the abstinence observed by the Christian monks.

• See chap. 21, p. 272.

i. e. Till they shall be slain, or shall die a natural death.

Al Beidâwi, Jallalo'ddin.

See chap. 19, p. 249.

Al Beidâwi.