leave of you, before they come into your presence, three times in the day, namely, before the morning prayer, and when you lay aside your garments at noon, and after the evening prayer. These are the three times for you to be private: it shall be no crime in you, or in them, if they go into you without asking permission after these times, while ye are in frequent attendance, the one of you on the other. Thus GOD declareth his signs unto you; for GOD is knowing and wise. (58) And when your children attain the age of puberty, let them ask leave to come into your presence at all times, in the same manner as those who have attained that age before them ask leave. Thus GOD declareth his signs unto you; and GOD is knowing and wise. (59) As to such women as are past child-bearing, who hope

to come in to one without notice. It is said that this passage was revealed on account of Asma Bint Murthad, whose servant entered suddenly upon her at an improper time; but others say it was occasioned by Mudráj Ibn Amru, then a boy, who being sent by Muhammad to call Omar to him, went directly into the room where he was, without giving notice, and found him taking his noon's nap, and in no very decent posture; at which Omar was so ruffled that he wished God would forbid even their fathers and children to come in to them abruptly at such times."- Sale, Baidhawi.

The

"The ancient authority of the father of a family, the first which was known to man, is still preserved entire in the East. Qurán did not establish it. It only rendered it more sacred. There a father of a family still enjoys all the rights conferred on him by nature. He is the judge and high priest. His servants, his children, do not come into his presence without his permission. They are bound to go at morning, noon, and at evening to offer their services to him and receive his blessing. He decides on the disputes which arise between them, and sacrifices the victims of the Bairam (the festival of the Turks). It is there that objects capable of exciting affecting emotions may be seen. Under the same roof often reside four generations. Extreme old age, robust manhood, and tender infancy may there be seen united together by sacred and cherished ties."-Savary.

Three times in the day, i.e., "morning prayer, which is the time of people's rising from their beds;' noon, when ye take off your upper garments to sleep, which is a custom common in the East and all warm countries; and evening prayer, 'when ye undress yourselves to prepare for bed.' Al Baidhawi adds a fourth season when permission to enter must be asked, viz., at night: but this follows of course."-Sale.

(59) See above on vers. 27-31.

not to marry again because of their advanced age, it shall be no crime in them if they lay aside their outer garments, not showing their ornaments; but if they abstain from this, it will be better for them. GOD both heareth and knoweth. (60) It shall be no crime in the blind, nor shall it be any crime in the lame, neither shall it be any crime in the sick, or in yourselves, that ye eat in your houses, or in the houses of your fathers, or the houses of your mothers, or in the houses of your brothers, or the houses of your sisters, or the houses of your uncles on the father's side, or the houses of your aunts on the father's side, or the houses of your uncles on the mother's side, the houses of your aunts on the mother's side, or in those houses the keys whereof ye have in your possession, or in the house of your friend. It shall not be any crime in you whether ye eat together or separately. (61) And when ye enter any houses, salute one another

(60) That they eat in your houses, i.e., "where your wives or families are; or in the houses of your sons, which may be looked on as your

own.

"This passage was designed to remove some scruples or superstitions of the Arabs in Muhammad's time, some of whom thought their eating with maimed or sick people defiled them; others imagined they ought not to eat in the house of another, though ever so nearly related to them, or though they were intrusted with the key and care of the house in the master's absence, and might therefore conclude it would be no offence; and others declined eating with their friends though invited, lest they should be burthensome. The whole passage seems to be no more than a declaration that the things scrupled were perfectly innocent. However, the commentators say it is now abrogated, and that it related only to the old Arabs in the infancy of Muhammadanism."-Sale, Baidúhwi, Jaláluddin.

Muir interprets this passage as simply exempting these classes from the prohibition of dining familiarly in each other's apartments (see Life of Mahomet, vol. iii. p. 234).

Eat together or separately. "As the tribe of Laith thought it unlawful for a man to eat alone, and some of the Ansárs, if they had a guest with them, never ate but in his company, so there were others who refused to eat with any, out of a superstitious caution lest they should be defiled, or out of a hoggish greediness."-Sale, Baidhawi.

66

(61) Salute one another. 'Literally, yourselves; that is, accord

on the part of GOD with a blessed and a welcome salutation. Thus GOD declareth his signs unto you, that ye may understand.

9

(62) Verily they only are true believers who believe R 1's in GOD and his Apostle, and when they are assembled with him on any affair, depart not until they have obtained leave of him. Verily they who ask leave of thee are those who believe in GoD and his Apostle. When therefore they ask leave of thee to depart, on account of any business of their own, grant leave unto such of them as thou shalt think fit, and ask pardon for them of GOD; for GOD is gracious and merciful. (63) Let not the calling of the Apostle be esteemed among you, as your calling the one to the other. GOD knoweth such of you as privately withdraw themselves from the assembly, taking shelter behind one another. But let those who withstand his command take heed lest some calamity befall them in this world, or a grievous punishment be inflicted on them in the life to come. (64) Doth not what

ing to al Baidhawi, the people of the house, to whom ye are united by the ties of blood, and by the common bond of religion. And if there be nobody in the house,' says Jalaluddín, 'salute yourselves, and say, Peace be on us, and on the righteous servants of God: for the angels will return your salutation.""-Sale.

(62) Any affair. "As at public prayers, or a solemn feast, or at council, or on a military expedition."-Sale.

Ask pardon for them. "Because such departure, though with leave and on a reasonable excuse, is a kind of failure in the exact performance of their duty, seeing they prefer their temporal affairs to the advancement of the true religion."-Sale, Baidhawi.

(63) Let not the calling of the apostles, &c. "These words are variously interpreted: for their meaning may be, either, Make not light of the Apostle's summons, as ye would of another person's of equal condition with yourselves, by not obeying it, or by departing out of, or coming into, his presence without leave first obtained; or, Think not that when the Apostle calls upon God in prayer, it is with him, as with you, when ye prefer a petition to a superior, who sometimes grants, but as often denies, your suit; or, Call not to the Apostle, as ye do to one another, that is, by name, or familiarly and with a loud voice; but make use of some honourable compellation, as, O apostle of God, or, O prophet of God; and speak in an humble, modest manner."-Sale, Baidhawi, Jaláluddín.

ever is in heaven and on earth belong unto God? He well knoweth what ye are about: and on a certain day they shall be assembled before him; and he shall declare unto them that which they have done; for GOD knoweth all things,

CHAPTER X X V.

ENTITLED SURAT AL FURQÁN (THE ILLUMINATION).
Revealed at Makkah.

INTRODUCTION.

THE object of the revelations of this chapter is to rebuke the unbelief of the Quraish. They had charged Muhammad with being an impostor. His Qurán was stigmatised as a jumble of old stories, which he had learned from certain informants during the day, and wrote down in the night. The only reply given to these accusations is a denial, accompanied by a threatening of Divine judgment upon their unbelief. The fate of those who opposed the former prophets is recounted as a warning to the unbelieving people of Makkah, while the rewards of true believers are detailed as a comfort to the Prophet and his followers.

Here, as elsewhere, Muhammad is more successful in his arguments against idolatry than in defence of his prophetic claims. The passages setting forth the reasons why God alone should be worshipped are very noble and beautiful.

This chapter, while showing the stolid indifference and confident opposition of the Quraish, nowhere indicates any violence towards Muhammad or his followers. The idolaters are simply unbelievers, given over to their lusts, and utterly irreligious. The only thing noticeable beyond this in their opposition is their charging Muhammad with being an impostor. It was probably owing to this that Muhammad began to despair of their conversion (ver. 46), when he spoke of the infidels as "brute cattle," though he at the same time expressed himself as earnestly desiring their conversion (ver. 59).

Probable Date of the Revelations.

The most that can be said of the date of the revelations of this chapter is, that they belong to an early period in Muhammad's ministry at Makkah.