cast them into the fire; and in like manner al Sâmeri also cast in what he had collected, and he produced unto them a corporeal calf, which lowed And al Sâmeri and his companions said, This is your god, and the god of Moses; but he hath forgotten him, and is gone to seek some other. Did they not therefore see that their idol returned them no answer, and was no. able to cause them either hurt or profit? And Aaron had said unto them before, O my people, verily ye are only proved by this calf; for your LORD is the Mercifu!: wherefore, follow me, and obey my command. They an swered, We will by no means cease to be devoted to its worship, until Moses return unto us. And when Moses was returned, he said, O Aaron, what hindered thee, when thou sawest that they went astray, that thou didst not follow me? Hast thou, therefore, been disobedient to my command? Aaron answered, O son of my mother, drag me not by the beard, nor by the hair of my head. Verily I feared lest thou shouldest say, Thou hast made a division among the children of Israel, and thou hast not observed my saying. Moses said unto al Sâmeri, What was thy design, O Sâmeri? He answered, I saw that which they saw not; wherefore I took a handful of dust from the footsteps of the messenger of God, and I cast it into the molten calf; for so did my mind direct me. Moses said, Get thee gone; for thy punishment in this life shall be, that thou shalt say unto those who shall meet thee, Touch me not; and a threat is denounced against thee of more terrible pains, in the life to come, which thou shalt by no means escape. And behold now thy god, to whose worship thou hasi continued assiduously devoted; verily we will burn it; and we will re

k

m

of that figure and that when Aaron excuses himself to his brother, in the pentateuch he seems as if he would persuade him it was an accident.

f See chap. 7, p. 132, note k.

By these words Moses reprehends Aaron for not seconding his zeal in taking arms against the idolaters; or for not coming after him to the mountain, to acquaint him with their rebellion.

i. e. Lest, if I had taken arms against the worshippers of the calf, thou shouldest say that I had raised a sedition; or if I had gone after thee, thou shouldest blame me for abandoning my charge, and not waiting thy return to rectify what was amiss.

viz. That the messenger sent to thee from God was a pure spirit, and that his footsteps gave life to whatever they touched; being no other than the angel Gabriel, mounted on the horse of life; and therefore I made use of the dust of his feet to animate the molten calf. It is said, al Sàmeri knew the angel, because he had saved and taken care of him when a child, and exposed by his mother for fear of Pharaoh."

* See chap. 2, p. 7.

1 Lest they infect thee with a burning fever: for that was the consequence of any man's touching him, and the same happened to the persons he touched; for which reason he was obliged to avoid all communication with others, and was also shunned by them, wandering in the desert like a wild beast.1

Hence it is concluded that a tribe of Samaritan Jews, said to inhabit a certain isle in the Red Sea, are the descendants of our al Sameri; because it is their peculiar mark of distinction, at this day, to use the same words, viz. La Mesâs, i. e. Touch me not, to those they meet. It is not improbable that this story may owe its rise to the known hatred borne by the Samaritans to the Jews, and their superstitious avoiding to have any com. merce with them or any other strangers."

Or, as the word may also be translated, We will file it down; but the other is the more received interpretation. • Vide Geogr.

Al Beidawi, Jallalo'ddin.
Vide Selden. ubi sup.

1 Iidem.

See Exod. xxxii. 24. Nub. p. 45.

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duce it to powder, and scatter it in the sea. Your God is the true God, besides whom there is no other god: he comprehendeth all things by his knowledge. Thus do we recite unto thee, O Mohammed, relations of what hath passed heretofore; and we have given thee an admonition from us. He who shall turn aside from it shall surely carry a load of guilt on the day of resurrection: they shall continue thereunder for ever; and a grievous burden shall it be unto them on the day of resurrection." On that day the trumpet shall be sounded; and we will gather the wicked together on that day, having grey eyes. They shall speak with a low voice to one another, saying, Ye have not tarried above ten days. We well know what they will say; when the most conspicuous among them for behaviour shall say, Ye have not tarried above one day. They will ask thee concerning the mountains: Answer, My LORD will reduce them to dust, and scatter them abroad; and he will leave them a plain equally extended: thou shalt see no part of them higher or lower than another. On that day mankind shall follow the angel who will call them to judgment, none shall have power to turn aside from him; and their voices shall be low before the Merciful, neither shalt thou hear any more than the hollow gound of their feet. On that day, the intercession of none shall be of advantage unto another, except the intercession of him to whom the Merciful shall grant permission, and who shall be acceptable unto him .n what he saith.† God knoweth that which is before them, and that which is behind them; but they comprehend not the same by their knowledge and their faces shall be humbled before the living, the self-subsisting God; and he shall be wretched who shall bear his iniquity. But whosoever shall do good works, being a true believer, shall not fear any injustice, or any diminution of his reward from God. And thus have we sent down this book, being a Korân in the Arabic tongue; and we have inserted various threats and promises therein, that men may fear God, or that it may awaken some consideration in them: wherefore, let God be

See chap. 6, p. 101.

*And their eyes shall be covered with darkness."-Savary.

For this, with the Arabs, is one mark of an enemy, or a person they abominate; to say a man has a black liver (though I think we express our aversion by the term whitelivered), reddish whiskers, and grey eyes, being a periphrasis for a foe, and particularly a Greek, which nation were the most inveterate enemies of the Arabs, and have usually nair and eyes of those colours. The original word, however, signifies also those who are squint-eyed, or even blind of a suffusion.

P viz. In the world; or in the grave.

See the Prelim. Disc. sect. iv. p. 59.

See ibid.

Or, Except unto him, &c. See chap. 19, p. 104.

Intercession shall benefit none but those to whom God shall grant this favour, and who shall have pronounced the profession of faith which he loveth."-Savary.

"He knoweth the past and the future. Human knowledge extends not thus far."Savary.

The original word properly expresses the humility and dejected looks of captives in the presence of their conqueror.

Al Beidawi, Jawhari, in Lex. 866 This profession of faith consists in the words. There is no God but God, and Mohammed is his prophet. These words ought never to be repeated before Turks, unless the speaker have an inclination to be circumcised."-Savary.

highly exalted, the King, the Truth! Be not overhasty in receiving or repeating the Korân before the revelation thereof be completed unto thee;" and say, LORD, increase my knowledge. We heretofore gave a command unto Adam; but he forgot the same, and ate of the forbidden fruit; and we found not in him a firm resolution. And remember when we said unto the angels, Worship ye Adam; and they worshipped him but Eblis refused. And we said, O Adam, verily this is an enemy unto thee, and thy wife wherefore, beware lest he turn you out of paradise; for then shalt thou be miserable. Verily we have made a provision for thee, that thou shalt not hunger therein, neither shalt thou be naked: and there is also a provision made for thee, that thou shalt not thirst therein, neither shalt thou be incommoded by heat. But Satan whispered evil suggestions unto him, saying, O Adam, shall I guide thee to the tree of eternity, and a kingdom which faileth not? And they both ate thereof: and their nakedness appeared unto them; and they began to sew together the leaves of paradise, to cover themselves. And thus Adam became disobedient unto his LORD, and was seduced. Afterwards his LORD accepted him, on his repentance, and was turned unto him, and directed him. And God said, Get ye down hence, all of you: the one of you shall be an enemy unto the other. But hereafter shall a direction come unto you from me:7 and whosoever shall follow my direction shall not err, neither shall he bo unhappy; but whosoever shall turn aside from my admonition, verily he shall lead a miserable life, and we will cause him to appear before us on the day of resurrection, blind. And he shall say, O LORD, why hast thou brought me before thee blind, whereas before I saw clearly? God shall answer, Thus have we done, because our signs came unto thee, and thou didst forget them; and in the same manner shalt thou be forgotten this day. And thus will we reward him who shall be negligent, and shall not believe in the signs of his LORD: and the punishment of the life to come shall be more severe, and more lasting, than the punishment of this life. Are not the Meccans, therefore, acquainted how many generations we have destroyed before them; in whose dwellings they walk? Verily herein are signs unto those who are endued with understanding. And unless a decree had previously gone forth from thy LORD for their respite, verily

Mohammed is here commanded not to be impatient at any delay in Gabriel's bringing the divine revelations, or not to repeat it too fast after the angel, so as to overtake him before he had finished the passage. But some suppose the prohibition relates to the publishing any verse before the same was perfectly explained to him."

Adam's so soon forgetting the divine command has occasioned some Arab etymolo. gists to derive the word Insân, i. e. man, from nasiya, to forget, and has also given rise to the following proverbial saying, Awwalo nasîn awwallo'nnasi, That is, The first for getful person was the first of men; alluding to the like sound of the words.

See chap. 2, p. 5, &c.; chap. 7, p. 117, &c.

The tree which giveth endless sovereignty."-Savary.

* See chap. 7, pp. 117, 118.

'See chap. 2.

See the Prelim. Disc. sect. iv. p. 61.

Seeing the footsteps of their destruction; as of the tribes of Ad and Thamûd.

• Al Beidâwi, Jallalo'ddin.

their destruction had necessarily followed: but there is a certain time determined by God for their punishment. Wherefore, do thou, O Mohammed patiently bear that which they say; and celebrate the praise of thy LoRD before the rising of the sun, and before the setting thereof, and praise him in the hours of the night, and in the extremities of the day," that thou mayest be well-pleased with the prospect of receiving favour from God. And cast not thine eyes on that which we have granted divers of the unbelievers to enjoy, namely, the splendour of this present life, that we may prove them thereby; for the provision of thy LORD is better, and more permanent. Command thy family to observe prayer; and do thou persevere therein. We require not of thee that thou labour to gain necessary provisions for thyself and family; we will provide for thee; for the prosperous issue shall attend on piety. The unbelievers say, Unless he come unto us with a sign from his LORD, we will not believe on him. Hath not a plain declaration come unto them, of that which is contained in the former volumes of scripture, by the revelation of the Korån? If we had destroyed them by a judgment before the same had been revealed, they would have said, at the resurrection, O LORD, how could we believe since thou didst not send unto us an apostle, that we might follow thy signs, before we were humbled and covered with shame? Say, Each of us wait the issue: wait, therefore; for ye shall surely know hereafter who have been the followers of the even way, and who hath been rightly directed.

CHAPTER XXI.

INTITLED, THE PROPHETS;' REVEALED AT MECCA.

IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD.

*[XVII.] The time of giving up their account draweth nigh unto the people of Mecca; while they are sunk in negligence, turning aside from the consideration thereof. No admonition cometh unto them from their LoRd,

i. e. Evening and morning; which times are repeated as the principal hours of prayer. But some suppose these words intend the prayer of noon; the first half of the day ending, and the second half beginning, at that time."

e That is, Do not envy or covet their pomp and prosperity in this world.

viz. The reward laid up for thee in the next life: or the gift of prophecy, and the revelations with which God has favoured thee.

It is said, that when Mohammed's family were in any strait or affliction, he used to order them to go to prayers, and to repeat this verse."

"The unbelievers have said, We will not believe on him, unless he work miracles Have they not heard the history of the nations which came before them ?”—Savary. The chapter bears this title, because some particulars relating to several of the ancient prophets are here recited.

Savary adds, after the word prophets, "Peace be with them."

(He who shall read this chapter, says Zamakhshari, shall be favourably judged on the day of resurrection. The prophets who are mentioned in the Korân shall stretch out their hands to him, and salute him.-Savary.)

Al Beidâwi, Jallalo'ddin.

See chap. 15, p. 213.

• Al Beidawi.

being lately revealed in the Korân, but when they hear it, they turn it to sport their hearts are taken up with delights. And they who act unjustly discourse privately together, saying, Is this Mohammed any more than a man like yourselves? Will ye therefore come to hear a piece of sorcery, when ye plainly perceive it to be so ?* Say, My LORD knoweth whatever is spoken in heaven and on earth: it is he who heareth and knoweth. But they say, The Korûn is a confused heap of dreams: nay, he hath forged it; nay, he is a poet: let him come unto us therefore with some miracle, in like manner as the former prophets were sent. None of the cities which we nave destroyed believed the miracles which they saw performed before them: will these therefore believe, if they see a miracle? We sent none as our apostles before them, other than men, unto whom we revealed our wil!. Ask those who are acquainted with the scripture, if ye know not this. We gave them not a body which could be supported without their eating food; neither were they immortal. But we made good our promise unto them: wherefore we delivered them, and those whom we pleased; but we destroyed the exorbitant transgressors. Now have we sent down unto you, O Koreish, the book of the Korán; wherein there is honourable mention of you will ye not therefore understand? And how many cities have we overthrown, which were ungodly; and caused other nations to rise up after them? And when they felt our severe vengeance, behold, they fled swiftly from those cities. And the angels said scoffingly unto them, Do not fly; but return to that wherein ye delighted, and to your habitations; peradventure ye will be asked. They answered, Alas for us! verily we have been unjust. And this their lamentation ceased not, until we had rendere l them like corn which is mowen down and utterly extinct. We created not the heavens and the earth, and that which is between them, by way of sport. If we had pleased to take diversion, verily we had taken it with that which beseemeth us; if we had resolved to have done this. But we will oppose truth to vanity, and it shall confound the same; and behold, it

* "Will you listen unto an impostor? You will know him soon."-Savary. i. e. Concerning the present posture of affairs, by way of consultation: or, that yo may be examined as to your deeds, that ye may receive the reward thereof.1

Whither fly you? the angels will exclaim. Return to enjoy your pleasures. Return to the abode in which you dwelt. You are about to be questioned."-Savary.

It is related that a prophet was sent to the inhabitants of certain towns in Yaman, but instead of hearkening to his remonstrances, they killed him: upon which God delivered them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, who put them to the sword; a voice at the same time crying from heaven, Vengeance for the blood of the prophets! Upon which they repented, and used the words of this passage..

But for the manifestation of our power and wisdom to people of understanding, that hey may seriously consider the wonders of the creation, and direct their actions to the attainment of future happiness, neglecting the vain pomp and fleeting pleasures of this world. "If we had formed the universe for a sport, we should have been the first objects of mockery."-Savary.

viz. We had sought our pleasure in our own perfections; or, in the spiritual beings which are in our immediate presence; and not in raising of material buildings, with painted roofs, and fine floors, which is the diversion of man.

Some think the original word, translated diversion, signifies in this place a wife, or a child; and that the passage is particularly levelled against the Christians."