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formeth the more excellent assembly ?k But how many generations have we destroyed before them, which excelled them in wealth, and in outward appearance? Say, Whosoever is in error, the Merciful will grant him a long and prosperous life, until they see that with which they are threatened, whether it be the punishment of this life, or that of the last hour; and hereafter they shall know who is in the worse condition, and the weaker in forces.* GOD shall more fully direct those who receive direction; and the good works which remain for ever are better in the sight of thy LORD than worldly possessions, in respect to the reward, and more eligible in respect to the future recompense. Hast thou seen him who believeth not in our signs, and saith, I shall surely have riches and children bestowed on me? Is he acquainted with the secrets of futurity; or hath he received a covenant from the Merciful that it shall be so? By no means. We will surely write down that which he saith; and increasing we will increase his punishment;† and we will be his heir as to that which he speaketh of;" and on the last day he shall appear before us alone and naked. They have taken other gods, besides GOD, that they may be a glory unto them. By no means. Hereafter shall they deny their worship;" and they shall become adversaries unto them. Dost thou not see that we send the devils against the infidels, to incite them to sin by their instigations ? Wherefore be not in haste to call down destruction upon them: for we number unto them a determined number of days of respite. On a certain day we will assemble the pious before the Merciful in an honourable manner, as ambassadors come into the presence of a prince: but we will drive the wicked into hell, as cattle are driven to water: they shall obtain no intercession, except he only who hath received a covenant from the Merciful. They say,

The

Viz., of us or of you. When the Koreish were unable to produce a composition to equal the Korân, they began to glory in their wealth and nobility, valuing themselves highly on that account, and despising the followers of Mohammed.

"May the Merciful lengthen the days of those who are plunged into error! to the end that they may see the fulfilment of our threats, whether in this world or in the other. Then will they know who are the most unhappy, and the most devoid of succour."-Savary.

1 This passage was revealed on account of al As Ebn Wayel, who being indebted to Khabbab, when he demanded the money, refused to pay it, unless he would deny Mohammed; to which proposal Khabbâb answered, that he would never deny that prophet, neither alive, nor dead, nor when he should be raised to life at the last day; therefore replied al As, When thou art raised again, come to me, for I shall then have abundance of riches, and children, and I will pay you.7

"He flattereth himself vainly. We will write down his ostentation, and will increase his punishment."- Savary.

mi. e He shall be obliged to leave all his wealth and his children behind him at his death.

Viz. at the resurrection, when the idolaters shall disclaim their idols and the idols their worshippers, and shall mutually accuse one another.s

• Or, the contrary; that is to say, a disgrace instead of an honour.

P That is, except he who shall be a subject properly disposed to receive that favour, by having professed Islâm. Or, the words may also be translated, according to another exposition, They shall not obtain the intercession of any, except the intercession of him, &c. Or else, None shall be able to make intercession for others, except they who shall have received a covenant (or permission) from God; i. e. who shall be qualified for that office by faith, and good works, according to God's promise, or shall have special leave given him by God for that purpose.9

7 Al Beidâwi, Jallalo'ddin. dawi. See chap. 2, pp. 30, 31, &c.

See chap. 6, p. 100, chap. 10, p.

169.

Al Bei

Merciful hath begotten issue. Now have ye uttered an impious thing: it wanteth little but that on occasion thereof the heavens be rent, and the earth cleave in sunder, and the mountains be overthrown and fall, for that they attribute children unto the Merciful; whereas it becometh not God to beget children. Verily there is none in heaven or on earth but shall approach the Merciful as his servant. He com passeth them by his knowledge and power, and numbereth them with an exact computation: and they shall all come unto him on the day of resurrection, destitute both of helpers and followers. But as for those who believe and do good works, the Merciful will bestow on them love. Verily we have rendered the Korán easy for thy tongue, that thou mayest thereby declare our promises unto the pious, and mayest thereby denounce threats unto contentious people. And how many generations have we destroyed before them? Dost thou find one of them remaining? Or dost thou hear so much as a whisper concerning them *

CHAPTER XX.

INTITLED, T. H.;' REVEALED AT MECCA.

IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD.

T. H. WE have not sent down the Korân unto thee, that thou shouldest be unhappy; but for an admonition unto him who feareth God: being sent down from him who created the earth, and the lofty heavens. The Merciful sitteth on his throne: unto him belongeth whatsoever is in heaven and on earth, and whatsoever is between them, and whatsoever is under the earth. If thou pronounce thy prayers with a loud voice, know that it is not necessary in respect to God; for he knoweth that which is secret, and what is yet more hidden.+ GOD!

Viz., the love of God and all the inhabitants of heaven. Some suppose this verse was revealed to comfort the Moslems who were despised and hated at Mecca, on account of their faith, by the promise of their gaining the love and esteem of mankind in a short time.

"Of so many generations which we have annihilated, canst thou call back even one man? Do they make the slightest murmur heard?"-Savary.

The signification of these letters, which being prefixed to the chapter are therefore taken for the title, is uncertain1. Some, however, imagine they stand for Ya rajol, i. e. O man! which interpretation, seeming not easily to be accounted for from the Arabic, is by a certain tradition deduced from the Ethiopic:2 or for Ta, i. e. tread; telling us that Mohammed, being employed in watching and prayer the night this passage was revealed, stood on one foot only, but was hereby commanded to ease himself by setting both feet to the ground. Others fancy the first letter stands for Tuba, beatitude; and the latter for Hawiyat, the name of the lower apartment of hell. Tah is also an interjection commanding silence, and may properly enough be used in this place.

Either by reason of thy zealous solicitude for the conversion of the infidels, or thy fatiguing thyself by watching and other religious exercises; for it seems the Koreish urged the extraordinary fatigues he underwent in those respects, as the consequence of his having left their religion,3

"The deed which thou dost in open day, and that which thou veilest in the shades of mystery, are equally known to him."-Savary.

1 See the Prelim. Disc. sect. ii. p. 42, &c. * Moham. Ebn Abd al Baki, ex trad. Acrema Ebn Abi Sofian. 3 Al Beidâwi.

there is no God but he, he hath most excellent names. Hast thou been informed of the history of Moses?" When he saw fire, and said unto his family, Tarry ye here; for I perceive fire: peradventure I may bring you a brand thereout, or may find a direction in our way by the fire.* And when he was come near unto it, a voice called unto him, saying, O Moses, verily I am thy LORD: wherefore put off thy shoes; for thou art in the sacred valley Towa. And I have chosen thee; therefore hearken with attention unto that which is revealed unto thee. Verily I am GOD; there is no god besides me; wherefore worship me, and perform thy prayer in remembrance of me. Verily the hour cometh I will surely manifest the same, that every soul may receive its reward for that which it hath deliberately done. Let not him who believeth not therein, and who followeth his lust, prevent thee from believing in the same, lest thou perish. Now what is that in thy right hand, O Moses? He answered, It is my rod whereon I lean, and with which I beat down leaves for my flock; and I have other uses for it. God said unto him, Cast it down, O Moses. And he cast it down, and behold, it became a serpent," which ran about. God said, Take hold on it, and fear not we will reduce it to its former condition. And put thy right hand under thy left arm : it shall come forth white, without This shall be another sign: that we may show thee some of our greatest signs. Go unto Pharaoh: for he is exceedingly impious. Moses answered, LORD enlarge my breast,* and make what thou hast commanded me easy unto me: and loose the knot of my tongue, that they may under stand my speech.d And give me a counsellor of my family, namely Aaron

See chap. 7, p. 136, and chap. 18, p. 238.

any

hurt.

"The relation of the story of Moses, which takes up the greatest part of this chapter, was designed to encourage Mohammed, by his example, to discharge the prophetic office with firmness of mind, as being assured of receiving the like assistance from God: for it is said this chapter was one of the first that were revealed.

The commentators say, that Moses, having obtained leave of Shoaib, or Jethro, his father-in-law, to visit his mother, departed with his family from Midian towards Egypt; but coming to the valley of Towa, wherein Mount Sinai stands, his wife fell in labour, and was delivered of a son, in a very dark and snowy night; he had also lost his way, and his cattle were scattered from him, when on a sudden he saw a fire by the side of a mountain, which, on his nearer approach, he found burning in a green bush.5

This was a mark of humility and respect: though some fancy there was some uncleanness in the shoes themselves, because they were made of the skiu of an ass not dressed."

As to drive away wild beasts from my flock, to carry my bottle of water on, to stick up and hang my upper garment on, to shade me from the sun; and several other uses enumerated by the commentators.

Which was at first no bigger than the rod, but afterwards swelled to a prodi gious size.7

b When Moses saw the serpent move about with great nimbleness, and swallow stones and trees, he was greatly terrified, and fled from it; but recovering his courage at these words of God, he had the boldness to take the serpent by the jaws See chap. 7. p. 127. (His hand was covered with a white leprosy, says Gelaleddin, from which he felt no pain -Savary.)

"Lord, replied Moses, expand my heart."-Savary.

For Moses had an impediment in his speech, which was occasioned by the following accident. Pharaoh one day carrying him in his arms, when a child, he suddenly laid

• Al Beidâwi.

$ Idem.

• Idem.

7 Idem.

• Idem.

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my brother. Gird up my loins by him, and make him my colleague in the business that we may praise thee greatly, and may remember thee often; for thou regardest us. God replied, now hast thou obtained thy request, Ü Moses and we have heretofore been gracious unto thee, another time; when we revealed unto thy mother that which was revealed unto her, saying, Put him into the ark, and cast him into the river, and the river shall throw him on the shore; and my enemy and his enemy shall take him and bring him up; and I bestowed on thee love from me, that thou mightest be bred up under my eye. When thy sister went and said, Shall I bring unto you one who will nurse the child? So we returned thee unto thy mother, that her mind might be set at ease, and that she might not be afflicted. And thou slewest a soul, and we delivered thee from trouble;k and we proved thee by several trials:1 and afterwards thou didst dwell some years among the inhabitants of Madian. Then thou camest hither according to our decree, O Moses; and I have chosen thee for myself; wherefore go thou and thy brother" with my signs; and be not negligent in remembering me. Go ye unto Pharaoh, for he is excessively impious:

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hold of his beard, and plucked it in a very rough manner, which put Pharaoh into such a passion, that he ordered him to be put to death: but Asia, his wife, representing to him that he was but a child, who could not distinguish between a burning coal and a ruby, he ordered the experiment to be made; and a live coal and a ruby being set before Moses, he took the coal and put it into his mouth, and burnt his tongue: and thereupon he was pardoned. This is a Jewish story a little altered.

The Arabic word is Wazîr, which signifies one who has the chief administration of affairs under a prince.

The commentators are not agreed by what means this revelation was made; whether by private inspiration, by a dream, by a prophet, or by an angel.

The commentators say, that his mother accordingly made an ark of the papyrus, and pitched it, and put in some cotton; and having laid the child therein, committed it to the river, a branch of which went into Pharaoh's garden: that the stream carried the ark thither into a fishpond, at the head of which Pharaoh was then sitting with his wife Asia, the daughter of Mozâhem; and that the king, having commanded it to be taken up and opened, and finding in it a beautiful child, took a fancy to it, and ordered it to be brought up.1

Some writers mention a miraculous preservation of Moses before he was put into the ark; and tell us, that his mother having hid him from Pharaoh's officers in an oven, his sister, in her mother's absence, kindled a large fire in the oven to heat it, not knowing the child was there, but that he was afterwards taken out unhurt."

That is, I inspired the love of thee into the hearts of those who saw thee, and particularly into the heart of Pharaoh.

The Mohammedans pretend that several nurses were brought, but the child refused to take the breast of any, till his sister Miriam, who went to learn news of him, told them she would find a nurse, and brought his mother.3

* Moses killed an Egyptian, in defence of an Israelite, and escaped the danger of being punished for it, by flying to Midian, which was eight days' journey distant from Mesr.

The Jews pretend he was actually imprisoned for the fact, and condemned to be beheaded, but that, when he should have suffered, his neck became as hard as ivory, and the sword rebounded on the executioner.

For he was obliged to abandon his country and his friends, and to travel several days, in great terror and want of necessary provisions, to seck a refuge among strangers; and was afterwards forced to serve for hire, to gain a livelihood.

i. e. Ten.

Aaron being by this time come out to meet his brother, either by divine inspiration, or having notice of his design to return to Egypt."

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and speak mildly unto him; peradventure he will consider, or will fear our threats. They answered, O LORD, verily we fear lest he be precipitately violent against us, or lest he transgress more exorbitantly. God replied, Fear not; for I am with you: I will hear and will see. Go ye therefore unto him, and say, Verily we are the messengers of thy LORD: wherefore send the children of Israel with us, and do not afflict them. Now are we come unto thee with a sign from thy LORD: and peace be upon him who shall follow the true direction. Verily it hath been revealed unto us, that a punishment shall be inflicted on him who shall charge us with imposture, and shall turn back. And when they had delivered their message, Pharaoh said, Who is your LORD, O Moses? He answered, Our LORD is he who giveth all things: he hath created them, and directeth them by his providence. Pharaoh said, What therefore is the condition of the former generations?°+ Moses answered, The knowledge thereof is with my LORD, in the book of his decrees: my LORD erreth not, neither doth he forget. It is he who hath spread the earth as a bed for you, and hath made you paths therein; and who sendeth down rain from heaven, whereby we cause various kinds of vegetables to spring forth; saying, Eat of part, and feed your cattle with other part thereof. Verily, herein are signs unto those who are endued with understanding. Out of the ground have we created you; and to the same will we cause you to return, and we will bring you forth from thence another time. And we showed Pharaoh all our signs which we had empowered Moses to perform: but he accused him of imposture, and refused to believe; and he said, Art thou come unto us that thou mayest dispossess us of our land by thy enchantments, O Moses? Verily we will meet thee with the like enchantments; wherefore fix an appointment between us and thee; we will not fail it, neither shalt thou, in an equal place. Moses answered, Let your appointment be on the day of your solemn feast; and let the people be assembled in open day. And Pharaoh turned away from Moses, and gathered together the most expert magicians to execute his stratagem; and then came to the appointment. Moses said unto them, Woe be unto you! do not devise a lie against GOD, lest he utterly destroy you by some judgment: for he shall not prosper who deviseth lies. And the magicians disputed concerning their affair among themselves, and discoursed in private and they said, These two are certainly magicians: they seek to dispossess you of your land by their sorcery; and to lead away with them your chiefest and most considerable men. Wherefore collect all your cunning, and then come in order: for he shall prosper this day, who shall be

"Go unto Pharaoh. His heart is hardened in crime. Speak mildly unto him, that he may open his eyes, and may fear."-Savary.

Viz., as to happiness or misery after death.

"What, then, was the design of the ancient people?* continued the prince."— Savary.

P Which was probably the first day of their new year.

"Let the assemblage take place on a feast day, replied Moses. It will be rendered more solemn by the concourse of the people."-Savary.

१ By saying the miracles performed in his name are the effects of magic.

* In worshipping idols.—Savary.

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