giveth life, and he causeth to die: and unto him shall ye all return. O men, now hath an admonition come unto you from your LORD, and a remedy for the doubts which are in your breasts; and a direction, and mercy unto the true believers. Say, Through the grace of God, and His mercy therein therefore let them rejoice; this will be better than what they heap together of worldly riches. Say, Tell me; of that which God hath sent down unto you for food, have ye declared part to be lawful, and other part to be unlawful?" Say, Hath GoD permitted you to make this distinction? or do ye devise a lie concerning GOD? But what will be the opinion of those who devise a lie concerning GOD,* on the day of the resurrection? Verily GoD is indued with beneficence towards mankind; but the greater part of them do not give thanks. Thou shalt be engaged in no business, neither shalt thou be employed in meditating on any passage of the Korân; nor shall ye do any action, but we will be witnesses over you, when ye are employed therein. Nor is so much as the weight of an ant hidden from thy LORD, in earth or in heaven: neither is there any thing lesser than that, or greater, but it is written in the perspicuous book. Are not the friends of God the persons on whom no fear shall come, and who shall not be grieved? They who believe and fear God shall receive good tidings in this life, and in that which is to come. There is no change in the words of GOD. This shall be great felicity. Let not their discourse grieve thee; for all might belongeth unto God: he both heareth and knoweth. Is not whoever dwelleth in heaven and on earth subject unto GOD? What therefore do they follow, who invoke idols, besides GOD? They follow nothing but a vain opinion; and they only utter lies. It is he who hath ordained the night for you, that ye may take your rest therein, and the clear day for labour: verily herein are signs unto people who hearken. They say, God hath begotten children: GOD forbid! He is self-sufficient. Unto him belongeth whatsoever is in heaven and on earth: ye have no demonstrative proof of this. Do ye speak of God that which ye know not? Say, Verily they who imagine a lie concerning GoD shall nc prosper. They may enjoy a provision in this world; but afterwards unto us shall they return, and we will then cause them to taste a grievous punishment, for that they were unbelievers. Rehearse unto them the history of Noah: when he said unto his people, O my people, if my standing forth among you, and my warning you of the signs of GOD, be grievous unto you; in GoD do I put my trust. Therefore lay your design against me, and assemble your false gods; but let not your design be carried on by you in the dark then come forth against me, and delay not. And if ye turn aside from my admonitions, I ask not any reward of you for the same;

See chap. 6, p. 113, &c.

Of what does the blasphemer think who denies the resurrection?"—Savary.

* See chap. 4, p. 65, note x.

The preserved table; wherein God's decrees are recorded.

viz. The impious and rebellious talk of the infidels.

See chap. 7, p. 121, &c.

Therefore ye cannot excuse yourselves by saying that I am burdensome to you.

b

*

I expect my reward from GoD alone, and I am commanded to be one of those who are resigned unto him. But they accused him of imposture, wherefore we delivered him, and those who were with him in the ark, and we caused them to survive the flood, but we drowned those who charged our signs with falsehood. Behold therefore, what was the end of those who were warned by Noah. Then did we send, after him, apostles unto their respective people, and they came unto them with evident demonstrations: yet they were not disposed to believe in that which they had before rejected as false. Thus do we seal up the hearts of the transgressors. Then did we send, after them, Moses and Aaron unto Pharaoh and his princes with our signs: but they behaved proudly, and were a wicked people. And when the truth from us had come unto them, they said, Verily this is manifest sorcery. Moses said unto them, Do ye speak this of the truth, after it hath come unto you? Is this sorcery? but sorcerers shall not prosper. They said, Art thou come unto us to turn us aside from that religion, which we found our fathers practise; and that ye two may have the command in the land? But we do not believe you. And Pharaoh said, Bring unto me every expert magician. And when the magicians were come, Moses said unto them, Cast down that which ye are about to cast down. And when they had cast down their rods and cords, Moses said unto them, The enchantment which ye have performed shall God surely render vain; for GoD prospereth not the work of the wicked doers, and God will verify the truth of his words, although the wicked be averse thereto. And there believed not any on Moses, except a generation of his people, for fear of Pharaoh and of his princes, lest he should afflict them. And Pharaoh was lifted up with pride in the earth, and was surely one of the transgressors. And Moses said, O my people, if ye believe in GoD, put your trust in him, if ye be resigned to his will. They answered, We put our trust in God: O LORD, suffer us not to be afflicted by unjust people; but deliver us, through thy mercy, from the unbelieving people. And we spake by inspiration unto Moses and his brother, saying, Provide habitations for your people in Egypt, and make your houses a place of worship, and be constant at prayer: and bear good news unto the true believers. And Moses said, O Lord, verily thou hast given unto Pharaoh and his people pompous ornaments,” As Hûd, Sâleh, Abraham, Lot, and Shoaib, to those of Ad, Thamûd, Babel, Sodcm. and Midian.

e

See chap. 7, p. 127, &c.

They saw the truth, and they accused it of falsehood."-Savary.

For when he first began to preach, a few of the younger Israelites only believed in him; the others not giving ear to him, for fear of the king. But some suppose the pronoun his refers to Pharaoh, and that these were certain Egyptians, who, together with his wife Asia, believed in Moses.

So Jallalo'ddin expounds the original word Kebla, which properly signifies that place or quarter towards which one prays. Wherefore al Zamakshari supposes, that the Israelites are here ordered to dispose their oratories in such a manner, that, when they prayed, their faces might be turned towards Mecca; which he imagines was the Kebla of Moses, as it is that of the Mohammedans. The former commentator adds, that Pharaoh had forbidden the Israelites to pray to God; for which reason they were obliged to perform that duty privately in their houses.

As magnificent apparel, chariots, and the like.

• Al Beidâwi.

and riches in this present life, O LORD, that they may be seduced from thy way: O LORD, bring their riches to nought, and harden their hearts; that they may not believe, until they see their grievous punishment. God said, Your petition is heard: be ye upright therefore, and follow not the way of those who are ignorant. And we caused the children of Israel to pass through the sea; and Pharaoh and his army followed them in a violent and hostile manner; until, when he was drowning, he said, I believe that there is no God but he, on whom the children of Israel believe; and I am one of the resigned.* Now dost thou believe; when thou hast been hitherto rebellicus, and one of the wicked doers? This day will we raise thy body1 from the bottom of the sea, that thou mayest be a sign unto those who shall be after thee; and verily a great number of men are negligent of our signs. And we prepared for the children of Israel an established dwelling in the land of Canaan, and we provided good things for their sustenance; and they differed not in point of religion, until knowledge had come unto them; verily thy LORD will judge between them on the day of resurrection, concerning that wherein they disagreed. If thou art in a doubt concerning any part of that which we have sent down unto thee," ask them who have read the book of the law before thee. Now hath the truth come unto thee from thy LoRD; be not therefore one of those who doubt; neither be thou one of those who charge the signs of GoD with falsehood, lest thou become one of those who perish. Verily those against whom the word of thy LORD is decreed, shall not believe, although there come unto them every kind of miracle, until they see the grievous punishment prepared for them. And if it were not so, some city, among the many which have been destroyed, would have believed; and the faith of its inhabitants would have been of advantage unto them; but none of them believed, before the execution of their sentence, except the people of Jonas."

m

The pronoun is in the dual number; the antecedent being Moses and Aaron. The commentators say that, in consequence of this prayer, all the treasures of Egypt were turned into stones."

'Or, as al Beidâwi interprets it, Be ye constant and steady in preaching to the people, The Mohammedans pretend that Moses continued in Egypt no less than forty years, after he had first published his mission: which cannot be reconciled to scripture.

These words, it is said, Pharaoh repeated often in his extremity, that he might be heard. But his repentance came too late; for Gabriel soon stopped his mouth with mud, lest he should obtain mercy; reproaching him at the same time in the words which follow. Some of the children of Israel doubting whether Pharaoh was really drowned, Gabriel by God's command, caused his naked corpse to swim to shore, that they might see it.' The word here translated body, signifying also a coat of mail, some imagine the meaning to be, that his corpse floated armed with his coat of mail, which they tell us was of gold, by which they knew that it was he.

i. e. After the law had been revealed, and published by Moses.

That is, concerning the truth of the histories which are here related. The commenators doubt whether the person here spoken to be Mohammed himself, or his auditor. • viz. The inhabitants of Nineveh, which stood on or near the place where al Mawsel now stands. This people having corrupted themselves with idolatry, Jonas the son of Mattai (or Amittai, which the Mohammedans suppose to be the name of his mother), an Israelite of the tribe of Benjamin, was sent by GoD to preach to, and reclaim them. When he first began to exhort them to repentance, instead of hearkening to him, they used him very ill, so that he was obliged to leave the city; threatening them, at his departure, that See Exod. xiv. 30.

• Jallalo'ddin

When they believed, we delivered them from the punishment of shame in this world, and suffered them to enjoy their lives and possessions for a time.P But if thy LORD had pleased, verily all who are in the earth would have believed in general. Wilt thou therefore forcibly compel men to be true believers? No soul can believe, but by the permission of GoD: and he shall pour out his indignation on those who will not understand. Say, Consider whatever is in heaven and on earth: but signs are of no avail, neither preachers, unto people who will not believe. Do they therefore expect any other than some terrible judgment, like unto the judgments which have fallen on those who have gone before them? Say, Wait ye the issue; and I also will wait with you; then will we deliver our apostles and those who believe. Thus is it a justice due from us, that we should deliver the true believers. Say, O men of Mecca, if ye be in doubt concerning my religion, verily I worship not the idols which ye worship, besides God; but I worship God, who will cause you to die: and I am commanded to be one of the true believers. And it was said unto me, Set thy face towards the true religion, and be orthodox; and by no means be one of those who attribute companions unto God; neither invoke, besides GoD, that which can neither profit thee nor hurt thee: for if thou do, thou wilt then certainly become one of the unjust. If GoD afflict thee with hurt, there is none who can relieve thee from it, except he; and if he willeth thee any good, there is none who can keep back his bounty: he will confer it on such of his servants as he pleaseth; and he is gracious and merciful. Say, O men, now hath the truth come unto you from your LORD. He therefore who shall be directed, will be directed to the advantage of his own soul: but he who shall err, will err only against the same. I am no guardian over you. Do thou, O prophet, follow that which is revealed unto thee and persevere with patience, until GoD shall judge; for he is the best judge.

2

they should be destroyed within three days, or, as others say, within forty. But when the time drew near, and they saw the heavens overcast with a black cloud, which shot forth fire, and filled the air with smoke, and hung directly over their city, they were in a terrible consternation, and getting into the fields, with their families and cattle, they put on sackcloth, and humbled themselves before God, calling aloud for pardon, and sincerely repenting of their past wickedness. Whereupon GOD was pleased to forgive them, and the storm blew over."

i. e. Until they died according to the ordinary course of nature.

See Jonah iii. 4.

Al Beidâwi, Jallalo'ddin, Abulfed. See chap. 21, and 37.

CHAPTER XI.

INTITLED, HUD; REVEALED AT MECCA.

IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD.

AL. R. THIS book, the verses whereof are guarded against corrupt, >, and are also distinctly explained,' is a revelation from the wise, the know. ing God that ye serve not any other GOD;* (verily I am a denouncer of threats, and a bearer of good tidings unto you from him ;) and that ye ask pardon of your LORD, and then be turned unto him. He will cause you to enjoy a plentiful provision, until a prefixed time: and unto every one that hath merit by good works will he give his abundant reward. But if ye turn back, verily I fear for you the punishment of the great day: unto God shall ye return; and he is almighty. Do they not double the folds of thei breasts," that they may conceal their designs from him? When they cover themselves with their garments, doth not he know that which they conceal, and that which they discover? For he knoweth the innermost parts of the breasts of men. *[XII.] There is no creature which creepeth on the earth, but God provideth its food; and he knoweth the place of its retreat, and where it is laid up. The whole is written in the perspicuous book of

The story of which prophet is repeated in this chapter. (Savary's translation adds, "Peace be with him.")

See the Prelim. Disc. p. 42, &c.

• According to the various senses which the verb ohkimat, in the original, may bear, the commentators suggest as many different interpretations. Some suppose the meaning to be, according to our version, that the Koran is not liable to be corrupted, as the law and the gospel have been, in the opinion of the Mohammedans: others, that every verse in this particular chapter is in full force, and not one of them abrogated: others, that the verses of the Korán are disposed in a clear and perspicuous method, or contain evident and demonstrative arguments: and others, that they comprise judicial declarations, to regulate both faith and practice."

The signification of the verb fossilat, which is here used, being also ambiguous, the meaning of this passage is supposed to be, either that the verses are distinctly proposed or expressed in a clear manner; or that the subject matter of the whole may be distinguished or divided into laws, monitions, and examples; or else that the verses were revealed by parcels.

"A judicious method is observed in this book. It is the work of one who possesseth wisdom and knowledge. The unity of God is enjoined to you therein."-Savary. "Or. as it may be translated, Do they not turn away their breasts, &c.

"Do they not wrap their hearts in a two-fold veil, that they may escape the glance of the Most High ?"-Savary.

This passage was occasioned by the words of the idolaters, who said to one another, When we let down our curtains, (such as the women use in the East to screen themselves from the sight of the men, when they happen to be in the room,) and wrap ourselves up in our garments, and fold up our breasts, to conceal our malice against Mohammed, how should he come to the knowledge of it? Some suppose this passage relates to certain hypocritical Moslems; but this opinion is generally rejected, because this verse was revealed at Mecca, and the birth of hypocrisy among the Mohammedans happened not till after the Hejra. i. e. Both during its life, and after its death; or the repository of every animal, before its birth, in the loins and wombs of the parents.

See the Prelim. Disc. p. 53.

Al Beidâwi, Jallalo'ddin, Al Zamakshari, &c.