be two witnesses, just men, from among you; or two others of a different tribe or faith from yourselves, if ye be journeying in the earth, and the accident of death befall you. Ye shall shut them both up, after the afternoon prayer, and they shall swear by GoD, if ye doubt them, and they shall say, We will not sell our evidence for a bribe, although the person concerned be one who is related to us, neither will we conceal the testimony of God, for then should we certainly be of the number of the wicked. But if it appear that both have been guilty of iniquity, two others shall stand up in their place, of those who have convicted them of falsehood, the two nearest in blood, and they shall swear by God, saying, Verily our testimony is more true than the testimony of these two, neither have we prevaricated; for then should we become of the number of the unjust. This will be easier, that men may give testimony according to the plain intention thereof, or fear lest a different oath be given, after their oath. Therefore fear GoD, and hearken; for GOD directeth not the unjust people." On a certain day ↳ shall GoD assemble the apostles, and shall say unto them, What answer was returned you, when ye preached unto the people to whom ye were sent? They shall answer, We have no knowledge, but thou art the knower of secrets. When GoD shall say, O Jesus son of Mary, remember my favour towards thee, and towards thy mother; when I strengthened thce with the

* That is, of your kindred, or religion.

b

They who interpret these words of persons of another religion say they are abrogated, and that the testimony of such ought not to be received against a Moslem.1

In case there was any doubt, the witnesses were to be kept apart from company, lest they should be corrupted, till they gave their evidence, which they generally did when the afternoon prayer was over; because that was the time of people's assembling in public, or, say some, because the guardian angels then relieve each other, so that there would be four angels to witness against them if they gave false evidence. But others suppose they might be examined after the hour of any other prayer, when there was a sufficient assembly.2

a

The occasion of the preceding passage is said to have been this. Tamîm al Dâri and Addi Ebn Yazîd, both Christians, took a journey into Syria to trade, in company with Bodeil, the freedman of Amru Ebn al As, who was a Moslem. When they came to Damascus, Bodeil fell sick, and died; having first wrote down a list of his effects on a piece of paper, which he hid in his baggage, without acquainting his companions with it, and desired them only to deliver what he had to his friends of the tribe of Sahm. The survivors however searching among his goods, found a vessel of silver of considerable weight, and inlaid with gold, which they concealed, and on their return delivered the rest to the deceased's relations; who finding the list of Bodeil's writing, demanded the vessel of silver of them, but they denied it; and the affair being brought before Mohammed, these words, viz. O true believers take witnesses, &c., were revealed, and he ordered them to be sworn at the pulpit in the mosque, just as afternoon prayer was over, and on their making oath that they knew nothing of the plate demanded, dismissed them. But afterwards the vessel being found in their hands, the Sahmites, suspecting it was Bodeil's, charged them with it, and they confessed it was his, but insisted that they had bought it of him, and that they had not produced it, because they had no proof of the bargain. Upon this they went again before Mohammed, to whom these words, And if it appear, &c., were revealed; and thereupon Amru Ebn al As and al Motalleb Ebn Abi Refâa, both of the tribe of Sahm, stood up, and were sworn against them; and judgment was given accordingly. That is, on the day of judgment.

That is, We are ignorant whether our proselytes were sincere, or whether they apostatized after our deaths; but thou well knowest not only what answer they gave us, but the secrets of their hearts, and whether they have since continued firm in their religion

or not.

holy spirit, that thou shouldest speak unto men in the cradle, and when thou wast grown up; and when I taught thee the scripture, and wisdom and the law, and the gospel: and when thou didst create of clay as it were the figure of a bird, by my permission, and didst breathe thereon, and it became a bird, by my permission, and thou didst heal one blind from his birth, and the leper, by my permission; and when thou didst bring forth. the dead from their graves by my permission; and when I withheld the children of Israel from killing thee, when thou hadst come unto them with evident miracles, and such of them as believed not said, This is nothing but manifest sorcery. And when I commanded the apostles of Jesus saying, Believe in me, and in my messenger; they answered, We do believe; and do thou bear witness that we are resigned unto thee. Remember when the apostles said, O Jesus son of Mary, is thy LORD able to cause a table to descend unto us from heaven? He answered, Fear God, if ye be true believers. They said, We desire to eat thereof, and that our hearts may rest at ease, and that we may know that thou hast told us the truth, and that we may be witnesses thereof. Jesus the son of Mary said, O GOD our LORD, cause a table to descend unto us from heaven, that the day of its descent may become a festival day unto us, unto the first of us, and unto the last of us, and a sign from thee; and do thou provide food for us, for thou art the best provider. God said, Verily I will cause it to descend unto you; but whoever among you shall disbelieve hereafter, I

See chap. iii. p. 41.

See ibid.

See chap. ii. p. 12. See ibid. p. 42. This miracle is thus related by the commentators. Jesus having, at the request of his followers, asked it of God, a red table immediately descended, in their sight, between two clouds, and was set before them; whereupon he rose up, and having made the ablution, prayed, and then took off the cloth which covered the table, saying, In the name of God, the best provider of food. What the provisions were, with which this table was furnished, is a matter wherein the expositors are not agreed. One will have them to be nine cakes of bread and nine fishes; another, bread and flesh; another, all sorts of food except flesh; another, all sorts of food, except bread and flesh; another, all except bread and fish; another, one fish, which had the taste of all manner of food; and another, fruits of paradise: but the most received tradition is, that when the table was uncovered, there appeared a fish ready dressed, without scales or prickly fins, dropping with fat, having salt placed at its head, and vinegar at its tail, and round it all sorts of herbs, except leeks, and five loaves of bread, on one of which there were olives, on the second honey, on the third butter, on the fourth cheese, and on the fifth dried flesh. They add, that Jesus, at the request of the apostles, showed them another miracle, by restoring the fish to life, and causing its scales and fins to return to it; at which the standers-by being affrighted, he caused it to become as it was before: that one thousand three hundred men and women, all afflicted with bodily infirmities or poverty, ate of these provisions, and were satisfied; the fish remaining whole as it was at first: that then the table flew up to heaven in the sight of all; and every one who had partaken of this food were delivered from their in firmities and misfortunes: and that it continued to descend for forty days together, at dinner-time, and stood on the ground till the sun declined, and was then taken up into the clouds. Some of the Mohammedan writers are of opinion that this table did not really descend, but that it was only a parable; but most think the words of the Korân are plain to the contrary. A further tradition is, that several men were changed into swine for disbelieving this miracle and attributing it to magic art; or, as others pretend, for stealing some of the victuals from off it. Several other fabulous circumstances are also told, which are scarce worth transcribing.

Some say the table descended on a Sunday, which was the reason of the Christians observing that day as sacred. Others pretend that this day is still kept among them as a very great festival; and it seems as if the story had its rise from an imperfect notic. Christ's last supper, and the institution of the Eucharist.

Al Beidâwi, at Thalabi.

Vide Marracc. in Alc. p. 238, &c.

will surely punish him with a punishment, wherewith I will not punish any other creature. And when God shall say unto Jesus, at the last day, O Jesus son of Mary, hast thou said unto men, Take me and my mother for two gods, beside Gon? He shall answer, Praise be unto thee! it is not for me to say that which I ought not; if I had said so, thou wouldest surely have known it: thou knowest what is in me, but I know not what is in thee; for thou art the knower of secrets. I have not spoken to them any other than what thou didst command me; namely, Worship GOD, my LORD and your LORD and I was a witness of their actions while I staid among them; but since thou hast taken me to thyself, thou hast been the watcher over them; for thou art witness of all things. If thou punish them, they are surely thy servants; and if thou forgive them, thou art mighty and wise. GOD will say, This day shall their veracity be of advantage unto those who speak truth; they shall have gardens wherein rivers flow, they shall remain therein for ever: GoD hath been well pleased in them, and they have been well pleased in him. This shall be great felicity. Unto GOD belongeth the kingdom of heaven and of earth, and of whatever therein is; and he is almighty.

CHAPTER VI.

INTITLED, CATTLE:' REVEALED AT MECCA.

IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD.

Praise be unto God, who hath created the heavens and the earth, and hath ordained the darkness and the light; nevertheless they who believe not in the LORD equalize other gods with him. It is he who hath created you of clay; and then decreed the term of your lives; and the prefixed term is with him: yet do ye doubt thereof. He is God in heaven and in earth; he knoweth what ye keep secret, and what ye publish, and knoweth what ye deserve. There came not unto them any sign, of the signs of their LORD, but they retired from the same; and they have gainsaid the truth, after that it hath come unto them: but a message shall come unto them,

*Or, since thou hast caused me to die; but as it is a dispute among Mohammedans whether Christ actually died or not, before his assumption, and the original may be translated either way, I have chosen the former expression, which leaves the matter undecided. 1 This chapter is so intitled, because some superstitious customs of the Meccans, as to certain cattle, are therein incidentally mentioned.

m

Except only six verses, or, say others, three verses, which are taken notice of in the

notes.

D

By the last term some understand the time of the resurrection. Others think that by the first term is intended the space between creation and death, and by the latter, that between death and the resurrection.

See chap. iii. p. 4.

concerning that which they have mocked at. Do they not consider how many generations we have destroyed before them? We had established them in the earth in a manner wherein we have not established you; we sent the heaven to rain abundantly upon them, and we gave them rivers which flowed under their feet: yet we destroyed them in their sins, and raised up other generations after them. Although we had caused to descend unto thee a book written on paper, and they had handled it with their hands, the unbelievers had surely said, This is no other than manifest sorcery. They said, Unless an angel be sent down unto him, we will not believe. But if we had sent down an angel, verily the matter had been decreed, and they should not have been borne with, by having time granted them to repent. And if we had appointed an angel for our messenger, we should have sent him in the form of a man," and have clothed him before them, as they are clothed. Other apostles have been laughed to scorn, before thee, but the judgment which they made a jest of encompassed those who laughed them to scorn. Say, Go through the earth, and behold what hath been the end of those, who accused our prophets of imposture. Say, Unto whom belongeth whatsoever is in heaven and earth? Say, Unto God, He hath prescribed unto himself mercy. He will surely gather you together on the day of resurrection; there is no doubt of it. They who destroy their own souls are those who will not believe. Unto him is owing whatsoever happeneth by night or by day ;† it is he who heareth and knoweth. Say, Shall I take any other protector than GOD, the creator of heaven and earth, who feedeth all and is not fed by any? Say, Verily I am commanded to be the first who professeth Islam,' and it was said unto me, Thou shalt by no means be one of the idolaters. Say, Verily I fear, if I should rebel against my LORD, the punishment of the great day: from whomsoever it shall be averted on that day, God will have been merciful unto him; this will be manifest salvation. If GoD afflict thee with any hurt, there is none who can take it off from thee, except himself; but if he cause good to befall thee, he is almighty; he is the supreme Lord over his servants; and he is

That is, they shall be convinced of the truth which they have made a jest of, when they see the punishment which they shall suffer for so doing, both in this world and the next; or when they shall see the glorious success of Mohammedism.

Pi. e. We had blessed them with greater power and length of prosperity than we have granted you, O men of Mecca, Mohammed seems here to mean the ancient and potert tribes of Ad and Thamud, &c.

"It is an imposture."-Savary.

That is to say, As they would not have believed, even if an angel had descended t them from heaven, God has shown his mercy in not complying with their demands; for if he had, they would have suffered immediate condemnation, and would have been allowed no time for repentance.

As Gabriel generally appeared to Mohammed; who, though a prophet, was not able to bear the sight of him when he appeared in his proper form, much less would others be able to support it.

"He possesseth all that night veileth, all that day enlighteneth. He knoweth and neareth all things."-Savary.

That is, the first of my nation.'

* Al Beidâwi.

See the Prelim. Disc. sect. i.

• Al Beidâwi.

wise and knowing. Say, What thing is the strongest in bearing testimony?' Say, GoD; he is witness between me and you. And this Korân was revealed unto me, that I should admonish you thereby, and also those unto whom it shall reach. Do ye really profess that there are other gods together with GOD? Say, I do not profess this. Say, Verily he is one God; and I am guiltless of what ye associate with him. They unto whom we have given the scripture know our apostle, even as they know their own children; but they who destroy their own souls will not believe. Who is more unjust than he who inventeth a lie against GoD, or chargeth his signs with imposture? Surely the unjust shall not prosper. And on the day of resurrection we will assemble them all; then will we say unto those who associated others with God, Where are your companions, whom ye imagined to be those of God? But they shall have no other excuse, than that they shall say, by GoD our LORD, we have not been idolaters. Behold, how they lie against themselves, and what they have blasphemously imagined to be the companion of God flieth from them. There is of them who hearkeneth unto thee when thou readest the Koran ; but we have cast veils over their hearts, that they should not understand it, and a deafness in their ears: and though they should see all kinds of signs, they will not believe therein; and their infidelity will arrive to that height that they will even come unto thee, to dispute with thee. The unbelievers will say, This is nothing but silly fables of ancient times. And they will forbid others from believing therein, and will retire afar off from it; but they will destroy their own souls only, and they are not sensible thereof. If thou didst see when they shall be set over the fire of hell! and they shall say, Would to GoD we might be sent back into the world; we would not charge the signs of our LORD with imposture, and we would become true believers: nay, but that is become manifest unto them, which they formerly concealed ; * and though they should be sent back into the world, they would surely return to that which was forbidden them; and they are surely liars. And they said, There is no other life than our present life; neither shall we be raised again. But if thou couldest see, when they shall be set before their LORD! He shall say unto them, Is not this in truth come to pass? They

This passage was revealed when the Koreish told Mohammed that they had asked the Jews and Christians concerning him, who assured them they found no mention or description of him in their books of scripture; Therefore, said they, who bears witness to thee, that thou art the apostle of God?

"See chap. ii. p. 18.

Saying the angels are the daughters of God, and intercessors for us with him, &c. i. e. Your idols and false gods.

That is, their imaginary deities prove to be nothing, and disappear like vain phantoms and chimeras.

The persons here meant were Abu Sofiân al Walîd, al Nodar, Otba, Abu Jahl, and their comrades, who went to hear Mohammed repeat some of the Korân; and Nodar being asked what he said, answered, with an oath, that he knew not, only that he moved his tongue, and told a parcel of foolish stories, as he had done to them."

viz. Their hypocrisy and vile actions: nor does their promise proceed from any su sere intention of amendment, but from the anguish and misery of their condition. • viz. In order for judgment.

1 Al Beidâwi, Jallalo'ddin.

"Al Beidâwi. * Idem. • Idem.