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47, which allude to the purpose of the Quraish to expel Muhammad and his followers from Makkah.

This would fix the date of the chapter very near the Hijra; with which the spirit of the Prophet's teaching here very well agrees.

Principal Subjects.

The Qurán given to guide men out of darkness into light
A grievous punishment awaits the infidels
Apostles always use the language of their people
Moses sent to Pharaoh and his people.

His message to the children of Israel

Former prophets were rejected in spite of their miracles
Miracles only possible by the will of God.

The prophets suffer persecution with resignation

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The unbelievers determine to expel their prophets out of the land

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VERSES

I

2, 3

4

5

6-8

9-13

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16

God reveals to them the overthrow of the wicked
Infidels fail of success through the prayers of the apostles
The doom of the unbelievers

17

18

19-21

God able to destroy the infidels and to create others in their stead

22, 23

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Parables of the good and evil tree

The idolaters threatened with hell-fire.

True believers exhorted to steadfastness and prayer
Manifold favours of God to mankind
Abraham prays for himself and children that they may be

kept from idolatry

He asks pardon for himself and his parents

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God is not regardless of what infidels do, and will certainly punish them.

The subtle plotting of the unbelievers will be brought to
confusion

The earth and heavens to be changed at the resurrection
The dreadful doom of the wicked.

Warning intended to lead men to the true God

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IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD.

|| (1) A. L. R. This book have we sent down unto R 1'3. thee, that thou mayest lead men forth from darkness into light, by the permission of their LORD, into the glorious and laudable way. (2) GOD is he unto whom belongeth whatsoever is in heaven and on earth: and woe be to the infidels, because a grievous punishment waiteth them; (3) who love the present life above that which is to come, and turn men aside from the way of GOD, and seek to render it crooked: these are in an error far distant from the truth. (4) We have sent no apostle but with the language of his people, that he might declare their duty plainly unto them; for GOD causeth to err whom he pleaseth, and directeth whom he pleaseth; and he is the mighty, the wise. (5) We formerly sent Moses with our signs, and commanded him, saying, Lead forth thy people from darkness into light, and remind them of the favours of God: verily therein are signs unto every patient and grateful person. (6) And call to mind when Moses said. unto his people, Remember the favour of GOD towards you,

(1) A. L. R. See Prelim. Disc., pp. 100-102.

The glorious and laudable way. Rodwell's translation, "Into the path of the mighty, the glorious-of God," is better than that of the

text.

(4) The language of his people. "That so they might not only perfectly and readily understand those revelations themselves, but might also be able to translate and interpret them unto others."— Sale, Baidhawi.

The logical inference from statements like this is that Muhummad regarded himself as merely the prophet of the Arabs. This verse also justifies the translation of the Qurán from the Arabic.

God causeth to err. God is here certainly made the author of sin. The Tafsir-i-Raufi says, "Causing to err and directing aright are the load of his wisdom;" hence the clause, "and he is mighty and wise." (5) Moses. See note in chap. vii. 104.

66

The favours of God. Literally, the days of GOD;' which may also be translated, the battles of God (the Arabs using the word day to signify a remarkable engagement, as the Italians do giornata, and the French journée), or his wonderful acts manifested in the various success of former nations in their wars."-Sale, Baidháwi.

SULS.

when he delivered you from the people of Pharaoh: they grievously oppressed you; and they slew your male children, but let your females live: therein was a great trial from your LORD.

|| (7) And when your LORD declared by the mouth of R14 Moses, saying, If ye be thankful, I will surely increase my favours towards you; but if ye be ungrateful, verily my punishment shall be severe. (8) And Moses said, If ye be ungrateful, and all who are in the earth likewise; verily GOD needeth not your thanks, though he deserveth the highest praise. (9) Hath not the history of the nations your predecessors reached you, namely, of the people of Noah, and of Ád, and of Thamúd, (10) and of those who succeeded them; whose number none knoweth except GOD? Their apostles came unto them with evident miracles; but they clapped their hands to their mouths out of indignation, and said, We do not believe the message with which ye pretend to be sent; and we are in a doubt concerning the religion to which ye invite us, as justly to be suspected. (11) Their apostles answered, Is there any doubt concerning GOD, the creator of heaven and earth? He inviteth you to the true faith, that he may forgive you part of your sins, and may respite your punishment by granting

(6) Your females. See note on chap. vii. 128.

(7) In this and the following verses Moses is made to figure in Egypt as did Muhammad in Arabia. See notes on chaps. xi. 32, 36, and xii. 102.

(9) Noah, Ad, and Thamúd. See notes on chap. vii. 60, 66,

and 74.

(10) Whose number. The whole number of prophets, according to Muslim tradition, is 144,000; some say 244,000. They only

know the names of half a hundred !

Evident miracles. This is what the Quraish and Jews demanded of Muhammad; but, saving the "signs of the Qurán," none were ever given them. Note that all the prophets are declared to have been rejected for the same reason that Muhammad was.

We are in a doubt, &c. See note on chap. xi. 62.

(11) Part of your sins. "That is, such of them as were committed directly against God, which are immediately cancelled by faith or embracing Islám, but not the crimes of injustice and oppression, which were committed against man; for to obtain remission of these

you space to repent, until an appointed time. (12) They answered, Ye are but men, like unto us: ye seek to turn us aside from the gods which our fathers worshipped: wherefore bring us an evident demonstration by some miracle that ye speak truth.. (13) Their apostles replied unto them, We are no other than men like unto you; but GOD is bountiful unto such of his servants as he pleaseth: and it is not in our power to give you a miraculous demonstration of our mission, (14) unless by the permission of GOD; in GOD therefore let the faithful trust. (15) And what excuse have we to allege, that we should not put our trust in GOD, since he hath directed us our paths? Wherefore we will certainly suffer with patience the persecutions wherewith ye shall afflict us: in GOD therefore let those put their confidence who seek in whom to put their trust.

|| (16) And those who believed not said unto their apostles, We will surely expel you out of our land; or ye shall return unto our religion. And their LORD spake unto them by revelation, saying, We will surely destroy the wicked doers; (17) and we will cause you to dwell in the earth after them. This shall be granted unto him who shall dread the appearance at my tribunal, and shall fear my threatening. (18) And they asked assistance of

last, besides faith, repentance and restitution, according to a man's ability, are also necessary."-Sale, Baidhawi.

(13) It is not in our power, &c. Three things are noteworthy here: (1) Muhammad's picturing the former prophets in the colours in which he figured himself (see above on ver. 7); and (2) his inability to point to any miracle actually wrought by himself. The language here ascribed to other prophets was undoubtedly his own, but see on chap. xiii. 8; (3) the facts of Scripture are contradicted.

(16) We will surely expel, &c. This passage points to the persecution of Muhammad and his followers on the eve of the Hijra. This, however, was the experience of all other apostles.

(18) They asked assistance. "The commentators are uncertain whether these were the prophets who begged assistance against their enemies, or the infidels who called for God's decision between themselves and them, or both. And some suppose this verse has no connection with the preceding, but is spoken of the people of Makkah, who begged rain in a great drought with which they were afflicted at the prayer of their Prophet, but could not obtain it."—Sale, Baidhawi.

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God, and every rebellious perverse person failed of success. (19) Hell lieth unseen before him, and he shall have filthy water given him to drink: (20) he shall sup it up by little and little, and he shall not easily let it pass his throat because of its nauseousness; death also shall come upon him from every quarter, yet he shall not die; and before him shall there stand prepared a grievous torment. (21) This is the likeness of those who believe not in their LORD. Their works are as ashes, which the wind violently scattereth in a stormy day: they shall not be able to obtain any solid advantage from that which they have wrought. This is an error most distant from truth. (22) Dost thou not see that GOD hath created the heavens and the earth in wisdom? If he please he can destroy you, and produce a new creature in your stead: (23) neither will this be difficult with GOD. (24) And they shall all come forth into the presence of GOD at the last day: and the weak among them shall say unto those who behaved themselves arrogantly, Verily we were your followers on earth; will ye not therefore avert from us some part of the divine vengeance? (25) They shall answer, If God had directed us aright, we had certainly directed you. It is

(19) Filthy water. "Which will issue from the bodies of the damned, mixed with purulent matter and blood.”—Sale.

(20) He shall not die. Tafsir-i-Raufi, on the authority of the Ain-ul-Máani, says the souls of the damned will stick in their throats; they will neither come out, that they may die, nor will they return into their bodies, that they may live.

It would seem that the ordinary opinion among Muslims is that suffering must be corporeal. The soul can only suffer in the body, hence the suffering of the grave and changing of the skins of the damned in hell in order to perpetuate their torment. See chap. iv. 54. As with the sufferings of the lost, so with the joys of the saved: they are all carnal. See note on chap. iii. 15.

(24) The weak... shall say, &c., i.e., "the more simple and inferior people shall say to their teachers and princes, who seduced them to idolatry and confirmed them in their obstinate infidelity." -Sale.

(25) If God had directed, &c. "That is, we made the same choice for you as we did for ourselves; and had not God permitted us to fall into error, we had not seduced you."—Sale.

See above on ver. 4.

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