of the ancients. (85) Say, Whose is the earth, and whoever therein is, if ye know? (86) They will answer, GOD'S. Say, Will ye not therefore consider? (87) Say, Who is the LORD of the seven heavens and the LORD of the magnificent throne? (88) They will answer, They are GOD's. Say, Will ye not therefore fear him? (89) Say, In whose hand is the kingdom of all things, who protecteth whom he pleaseth, but is himself protected of none; if ye know? (90) They will answer, In GOD's. Say, How therefore are ye bewitched? (91) Yea, we have brought them the truth; and they are certainly liars in denying the same. (92) GOD hath not begotten issue, neither is there any other god with him, otherwise every god had surely taken away that which he had created and some of them had exalted themselves above the others. Far be that from GOD which they affirm of him! (93) He knoweth that which is concealed, and that which is made public; wherefore far be it from him to have those sharers in his honour which they attribute to him!

|| 94 Say, O LORD, if thou wilt surely cause me to see the vengeance with which they have been threatened; (95) O LORD, set me not among the ungodly people, (96) for we are surely able to make thee see that with which we have threatened them. (97) Turn aside evil with that which is better: we well know the calumnies which

(85-91) The argument in these verses is that idolaters, in admitting the existence of a Supreme Being, who is Creator, Preserver, and Lord of all, thereby condemn themselves when they worship other gods.

(92) God hath not begotten issue. These words are here directed against the angel-worship of the Quraish, who called the angels daughters of God. See notes on chap. ii. 116, and vi. 101.

Otherwise every god, &c., i.e., each would "set up a distinct creation and kingdom of his own."-Sale.

Some .. exalted themselves. Comp. chap. xvii. 42-44.

(97) Turn aside evil with that which is better. "That is, by forgiving injuries and returning of good for them; which rule is to be qualified, however, with this proviso, that the true religion receive no prejudice by such mildness and clemency." - Sale, Baidhawi.

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they utter against thee. (98) And say, O LORD, I fly unto thee for refuge, against the suggestions of the devils, (99) and I have recourse unto thee, O LORD, to drive them away, that they be not present with me. (100) The gainsaying of the unbelievers ceaseth not until, when death overtaketh any of them, he saith, O LORD, suffer me to return to life, (101) that I may do that which is right, in professing the true faith which I have neglected. By no means. Verily these are the words which ye shall speak: but behind them there shall be a bar until the day of resurrection. (102) When therefore the trumpet shall be

The circumstances of the Prophet were not such as to justify the spirited policy adopted in Madína, and now acted upon by Muslims wherever they have the power. "The practice of these noble precepts (of the Qurán) does not lie enshrined in the limbo of false sentimentalism."-Syed Amir Ali's Life of Mohammed, p. 191.

(98) I fly to thee, &c. "Contrast to Messiah, who does not need to fly for protection from Satan; did not fly when faint in the wilderness, but vanquished Satan by his Word."-Brinckman.

The original word should be translated satans or devils, the beings who ever cried out in dismay at the presence of Jesus. See notes on chap. iv. 116, and vii. 200.

(99) That they be not present with me. "To besiege me; or, as it may also be translated, that they hurt me not."--Sale.

(101) In . . . which I have neglected. "Or, as the word may also import, in the world which I have left; that is, during the further term of life which shall be granted me, and from which I have been cut off."-Sale, Baidhawi.

A bar. "The original word, barzakh, here translated bar,' primarily signifies any partition or interstice which divides one thing from another; but is used by the Arabs not always in the same, and sometimes in an obscure sense. They seem generally to express by it what the Greeks did by the word 'hades;' one while using it for the place of the dead, another while for the time of their continuance in that state, and another while for the state itself. It is defined by their critics to be the interval of space between this world and the next, or between death and the resurrection, every person who dies being said to enter into al barzakh, or, as the Greek expresses it, κaтaßñvai els adov. One lexicographer (Ibn Márúf) tells us that in the Qurán it denotes the grave, but the commentators on this passage expound it 'a bar' or 'invincible obstacle,' cutting off all possibility of return into the world after death. See chap. xxv. 55, where the word again occurs.

"Some interpreters understand the words we have rendered 'behind them' to mean before them (it being one of those words, of which there are several in the Arabic tongue, that have direct con

sounded, there shall be no relation between them which shall be regarded on that day; neither shall they ask assistance of each other. (103) They whose balances shall be heavy with good works shall be happy; (104) but they whose balances shall be light are those who shall lose their souls, and shall remain in hell for ever. (105) The

fire shall scorch their faces, and they shall writhe their mouths therein for anguish: (106) and it shall be said unto them, Were not my signs rehearsed unto you; and did ye not charge them with falsehood? (107) They shall answer, O LORD, our unhappiness prevailed over us, and we were people who went astray. (108) O LORD, take us forth from this fire: if we return to our former wickedness, we shall surely be unjust. (109) God will say unto them, Be ye driven away with ignominy thereinto: and speak not unto me to deliver you. (110) Verily there were a party of my servants, who said, O LORD, we believe; wherefore forgive us, and be merciful unto us; for thou art the best of those who show mercy. (111) But ye received them with scoffs, so that they suffered you to forget my admonition, and ye laughed them to scorn. (112) I have this day rewarded them, for that they suffered the injuries ye offered them with patience: verily they enjoy great felicity. (113) God will say, What number of years have ye continued on earth? (114)

trary significations), considering al Barzakh as a future space, and lying before and not behind them."-Sale.

See also Prelim. Disc., p. 128.

(103) Whose balances, &c. See Prelim. Disc., pp. 144, 145; also note on chap. vii. 8.

(105) They shall writhe, &c. Rodwell translates "their lips shall quiver therein." Abdul Qadir renders it, "their countenances shall be disfigured therein," and comments thus, "The lower lips shall hang down to the navel, while the upper lips will stretch up to the top of the skull. The tongue will drag along on the ground and be trodden under foot."

(111) They suffered you to forget, &c. "Being unable to prevail on you by their remonstrances, because of the contempt wherein ye held them."-Sale.

They will answer, We have continued there a day, or part of a day but ask those who keep account. (115) God will say, Ye have tarried but a while, if ye knew it. (116) Did ye think that we had created you in sport, and that ye should not be brought again before us? (117) Wherefore let GOD be exalted, the King, the Truth: There is no GOD besides him, the LORD of the honourable throne. (118) Whoever together with the true GOD shall invoke another god, concerning whom he hath no demonstrative proof, shall surely be brought to an account for the same before his LORD. Verily the infidels shall not prosper. (119) Say, O LORD, pardon, and show mercy: for thou art the best of those who show mercy.

(114) Part of a day. "The time will seem thus short to them in comparison to the eternal duration of their torments, or because the time of their living in the world was the time of their joy and pleasure; it being usual for the Arabs to describe what they like as of short, and what they dislike as of long continuance.”—Sale.

Those who keep account. "That is, the angels, who keep account of the length of men's lives and of their works, or any other who may have leisure to compute, and not us, whose torments distract our thoughts and attention."-Sale.

(115) Ye have tarried but a while, i.e., a very short time compared with the eternity before you.

(116) Did ye think, &c., i.e., God did not create you for nothing, but that you might worship and serve him, and he had determined to reward you according to your works.—Tafsir-i-Raufi.

CHAPTER XXIV.

ENTITLED SURAT-UN-NÚR (THE LIGHT).

Revealed at Madína.

INTRODUCTION.

THE principal point of interest in this chapter is the reference to the adventure of Ayesha during the return of the Muslim army from the expedition against the Bani Mustaliq (for a full account of which see Muir's Life of Mahomet, vol. iii. pp. 244-254). This event is alluded to in vers. 4, 5, 11-26, revealed to clear Ayesha of the calumnies raised against her by her enemies.

Connected with this same event is the milder law relating to adultery, which abrogates the stern requirements of chap. iv. 14. This scandal seems to have made clear the need of stricter laws to regulate the social intercourse of the Muslims, which should have for their end the preservation of good morals. These laws occupy a considerable portion of the chapter. They relate principally to proprieties in calling upon friends and neighbours at their homes, proprieties of dress and personal adornment, and proprieties to be observed by larger children, and domestic servants, and slaves. One remarkable rule is laid down in ver. 32, which requires all marriageable women to be married if possible Closely connected with this is the requirement that women should only appear in public when closely veiled, while at home they must remain in seclusion.

Degrading as most of these regulations to Muslim women are, none can fail to see their necessity. The low state of morality among Muslims consequent upon the system of polygamy and concubinage, sanctioned by the Qurán and the example of Muhammad, and that facility of divorce which enables men to put away their wives whenever they please, renders that freedom of social intercourse among men and women prevalent in Christian countries an impossibility.