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of the infidels. (103) Say, Shall we declare unto you those whose works are vain, (104) whose endeavour in the present life hath been wrongly directed, and who think they do the work which is right? (105) These are they who believe not in the signs of their LORD, or that they shall be assembled before him; wherefore their works are vain, and we will not allow them any weight on the day of resurrection. (106) This shall be their reward, namely, hell: for that they have disbelieved, and have held my signs and apostles in derision. (107) But as for those who believe and do good works, they shall have the gardens of Paradise for their abode: (108) they shall remain therein for ever; they shall wish for no change therein. (109) Say, If the sea were ink to write the words of my LORD, verily the sea would fail, before the words of my LORD would fail; although we added another sea like unto it as a further supply. (110) Say, Verily I am only a man as ye are. It is revealed unto me that your GOD is one only GOD: let him therefore who hopeth to meet his LORD work a righteous work; and let him not make any other to partake in the worship of his LORD.

119, xxxii. 13, 14, and 1. 29. The Scripture statement is that God prepared hell for the devil and his angels; see Matt. xxv. 41; 2 Pet. ii. 4; and Jude 6.

(109) Compare John xxi. 25.

(110) Compare with Christ's teaching as to himself, John x. 31–38, XV. 1-7, &c.

CHAPTER XIX.

ENTITLED SURAT AL MARYAM (MARY).

Revealed at Makkah.

INTRODUCTION.

"SEVERAL circumstances," says Sale, "relating to the Virgin Mary being mentioned in this chapter, her name was pitched upon for the title." It contains the fullest and earliest accounts of gospel history found in the Qurán. According to Muslim authorities, it was recited by Jáfir, Muhammad's uncle, before the Najáshi or king of Ethiopia, in the presence of the Quraishite envoys, sent from Makkah to secure the expulsion of Muslim refugees; whereupon "the king wept until his beard became moist, and the bishops also wept, so that their tears ran down upon their books, saying, 'Verily this revelation and that of Moses proceed from one and the same source (Muir's Life of Mohamet, vol. ii. pp. 172, 173, note).

Rodwell calls attention to the change of style of this chapter, vers. 1-37, and that of chap. iii. vers. 35-57, and suggests that it was due to a desire to avoid the imputation "of being merely a poet, a sorcerer, or person possessed." This does not seem very likely; as these charges were peculiarly Makkan, he would hardly have waited until his arrival in Madína before making the change in his style, if indeed desirous of avoiding these particular charges against his prophetic character. It seems to me the cause of this change of style is to be sought in the change of his surroundings, his habits, and aspirations. The prophet had given place in some measure to the general of armies and the ruler of a people.

The numerous historical errors contained in this chapter prove that Muhanimad had no personal acquaintance with Jewish or Christian records. He seems to have been indebted to Jewish or Christian informants, who were themselves very ignorant of their own traditions.

Probable Date of the Revelations.

Excepting vers. 35-41, the revelations of this chapter belong to an early period of Muhammad's prophetic career at Makkah. Muir (Life of Moh., vol. ii. p. 278) assigns it to a period shortly succeeding Muhammad's return from Tayif, but this period seems to me to be too late to accord with the general spirit of the chapter. The exhortations to the Quraish are earnest and the threatenings against unbelievers are solemn, but there is not a sign of that violent imprecation and bitter enmity against the people of Makkah which characterise the later Makkan chapters. I would therefore fix the date as early as the beginning of the second period of Muhammad's ministry at Makkah.

Vers. 35-41 are more polemic in style than the rest of the chapter, and for this reason should be assigned to a later date, say the end of the second or the beginning of the third Makkan period.

Ver. 74 seq. have been thought to be Madínic, but on insufficient grounds. The change in rhyme belongs to vers. 35-41, though these are confessedly Makkan, while the words "two parties" may refer to infidels and unbelievers in general, and therefore may apply to Makkah as aptly as to Madína.

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Jesus (speaking in infancy) vindicates his mother and de-
scribes his own prophetic character

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God gives him Isaac and Jacob, who were notable prophets 50, 51

VERSES

Moses-an apostle and prophet

Discourses with God privately

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Aaron given him for an assistant .

Ismail was a prophet acceptable to his Lord

Idris was taken up to heaven

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The reward of the faithful in Paradise

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God is the only Lord—no name like his

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IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD.

|| (1) K. H. Y. A. S. A commemoration of the mercy R 4. of thy LORD towards his servant Zacharias. (2) When he called upon his LORD, invoking him in secret, (3) and

(1) K. H. Y. A. S. See Prelim. Disc., pp. 100-102. The conjecture of Golius, that these letters represent Koh Y'as = thus he counselled, or that of Sprenger (Journal As. Soc. Bengal, xx. 280) that they signify, Jesus of the Nazarenes, king of the Jews, may be placed in the same category with that of the commentators, that each letter is the initial of one of the Divine attributes-Ali having sometimes addressed God in prayer, Yá Káhy'as.

Zacharias. See chap. iii. 38, 39, and xxi. 89, 90.

(2) Invoking him in secret, or in a low tone of voice, through fear of ridicule. See chap. iii. 38, note.

said, O LORD, verily my bones are weakened, and my head is become white with hoariness, (4) and I have never been unsuccessful in my prayers to thee, O LORD. (5) But now I fear my nephews, who are to succeed after me, for my wife is barren: wherefore give me a successor of my own body from before thee; (6) who may be my heir, and may be an heir of the family of Jacob; and grant, O LORD, that he may be acceptable unto thee. (7) And the angel answered him, O Zacharias, verily we bring thee tidings of a son, whose name shall be John; (8) we have not caused any to bear the same name before him. (9) Zacharias said, LORD, how shall I have a son, seeing my wife is barren, and I am now arrived at a great age, and am decrepit? (10) The angel said, So shall it be: thy LORD saith, This is easy with me; since I created thee heretofore, when thou wast nothing. (11) Zacharias

(5) My nephews. "These were his brother's sons, who were very wicked men, and Zacharias was apprehensive lest, after his death, instead of confirming the people in the true religion, they should seduce them to idolatry. And some commentators imagine that he made this prayer in private, lest his nephews should overhear him." -Sale, Baidhawi, Jalaluddín.

A successor. See note on chap. iii. 38.

"For he was

(6) An heir of . . . Jacob, viz., "in holiness and knowledge, or in the government and superintendence of the Israelites. There are some who suppose it is not the patriarch who is here meant, but another Jacob, the brother of Zacharias, or of Imrán Ibn Máthán, of the race of Solomon."-Sale, Jalaluddin, Tafsír-i-Raufi. (8) We have not caused any to bear the same name. the first who bore the name of John, or Yahya (as the Arabs pronounce it); which fancy seems to be occasioned by the words of St. Luke misunderstood, that none of Zacharias's kindred was called by that name: for otherwise John, or, as it is written in Hebrew, Johanan, was a common name among the Jews.

"Some expositors avoid this objection by observing that the original word samiyyan signifies, not only one who is actually called by the same name, but also one who, by reason of his possessing the like qualities and privileges, deserves or may pretend to the same name."-Sale, Baidháwi, Jalaluddin.

The only way to reconcile this passage with 2 Kings xxv. 23, I Chron. iii. 16, Ezra viii. 12, &c., is to regard Yahya as the Baptist's name, and not John, as recorded in Luke i. ; but in this case the statement contradicts the former Scriptures.

(9) See note on chap. iii. 40.

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