companion: (and the devils shall turn them aside from the way of truth; yet they shall imagine themselves to be rightly directed :) until, when he shall appear before us at the last day, he shall say unto the devil, Would to GOD that between me and thee there was the distance of the east from the west! Oh how wretched a companion art thou! But wishes shall not avail you on this day, since ye have been unjust; for ye shall be partakers of the same punishment. Canst thou, O prophet, make the deaf to hear, or canst thou direct the blind, and him who is in a manifest error? Whether we take thee away, we will surely take vengeance on them; or whether we cause thee to see the punishment with which we have threatened them executed, we will certainly prevail over them. Wherefore hold fast the doctrine which hath been revealed unto thee; for thou art in a right way and it is a memorial unto thee and thy people, and hereafter shall ye be examined concerning your observance thereof. And ask our apostles whom we have sent before thee, whether we have appointed gods for them to worship, besides the Merciful. We formerly sent Moses with our signs unto Pharaoh and his princes, and he said, Verily I am the apostle of the LORD of all creatures. And when he came unto them with our signs, behold, they laughed him to scorn; although we showed them no sign, but it was greater than the other : and we inflicted a punishment on them,a that peradventure they might be converted. And they said unto Moses, O magician, pray unto thy LORD for us, according to the covenant which he hath made with thee; for we will certainly be directed. But when we took the plague from off them, behold, they brake their promise. And Pharaoh made proclamation among his people, saying, O my people, is not the kingdom of Egypt mine, and these rivers, which flow beneath me? Do ye not see?* Am not I better than this Moses, who is a contemptible person, and can scarce express himself intelligibly?! Have bracelets of gold, therefore, been put upon him ; or do the angels attend him in orderly procession? And Pharaoh persuaded his people to light behaviour; and they obeyed him: for they were a wicked people. And when they had provoked us to wrath, we took vengeance on them: and we drowned them See chap. 19, p. 253. That is, Ask those who profess the religions which they taught, and their learned men.8 Literally, Than its sister. The meaning is, that the miracles were all very great end considerable, or as the French may express it, by a phrase nearly the same, les uns plus grands que les autres. Viz. the successive plagues which they suffered, previous to their final destruction in the Red Sea. To wit, the Nile and its branches." "Pharaoh, having assembled his people, said unto them, Doth not the empire of Egypt belong unto me? This river, these canals, do they not flow under my laws? Think ye not thus ?". "-Savary. See chap. 20, p. 256, note 4. Such bracelets were some of the insignia of royalty: for when the Egyptians raised a person to the dignity of a prince, they put a collar or chain of gold about his neck, and bracelets of gold on his wrists. * Al Beidâwi, Jallalo'ddin, &c. 'Al Beidâwi. Jallalo'ddin. 9 Al Beidawi. 1 See Gen. xli. 42. : all and we made them a precedent, and an example unto others. And when the son of Mary was proposed for an example, behold, thy people cried out through excess of joy thereat;h and they said, Are our gods better, or he? They have proposed this instance unto thee no otherwise than for an occasion of dispute: yea, they are contentious men. Jesus is no other than a servant, whom we favoured with the gift of prophecy; and we appointed him for an example unto the children of Israel: (if we pleased, verily we could from yourselves produce angels, to succeed you in the earth :) and he shall be a sign of the approach of the last hour; wherefore And let not doubt not thereof. And follow me: this is the right way. Satan cause you to turn aside; for he is your open enemy. And when Jesus came with evident miracles, he said, Now am I come unto you with wisdom, and to explain unto you part of those things concerning which ye Verily GOD is my LORD, and disagree; wherefore fear GOD, and obey me. your LORD; wherefore worship him; this is the right way. And the confederated sects among them fell to variance :" but woe unto those who have acted unjustly, because of the punishment of a grievous day. Do the unbelievers wait for any other than the hour of judgment; that it may come upon them suddenly, while they foresee it not? The intimate friends, on that day, shall be enemies unto one another; except the pious. O my servants, there shall no fear come on you this day, neither shall ye be grieved; who had believed in our signs, and have been Moslems: enter ye into paradise, ye and your wives, with great joy. Dishes of gold shall m This passage is generally supposed to have been revealed on occasion of an objection made by one Ebn al Zabári, to those words in the twenty-first chapter, by which all in general, who were worshipped as deities, besides God, are doomed to hell: whereupon the infidels cried out, We are contented that our gods should be with Jesus; for he also is worshipped as God. Some, however, are of opinion it might have been revealed in answer to certain idolaters, who said that the Christians, who received the scriptures, worshipped Jesus, supposing him to be the son of God; whereas the angels were more worthy of that honour than he.5 "The example of Jesus, the son of Mary, was proposed to the idolaters, and they started back thereat."-Savary. Or an instance of our power, by his miraculous birth. As easily as we produced Jesus without a father. The intent of the words is to show how just and reasonable it is to think, that the angels should bear the relation of children to men, rather than to God; they being his creatures, as well a men, and equally in his power. 1 For some time before the resurrection Jesus is to descend on earth, according to the Mohammedans, near Damascus, or, as some say, near a rock in the holy land named Afik, with a lance in his hand, wherewith he is to kill Antichrist, whom he will encounter at Ludd, or Lydda, a small town not far from Joppa. They add, that he will arrive at Jerusalem at the time of morning prayer, that he shall perform his devotions after the Mohammedan institution, and officiate instead of the Imâm, who shall give place to him; that he will break down the cross, and destroy the churches of the Christians, of whom he will also make a general slaughter, excepting only such as shall profess Islâm, &c.9 That is, with a book of revelations, and an excellent system of religion. This may be understood either of the Jews in the time of Jesus, who opposed his doctrine, or of the Christians since, who have fallen into various opinions concerning him; some making him to be God, others the son of God, and others one of the persons of the Trinity, &c.10 (Savary applies it to the Christians.) See p. 272. 'Jallalo'ddin, al Beidâwi. Prelim. Disc. sect. iv. p. 57, 58. Jallalo'ddin. 5 Iidem. 8 See ibid. p. 57. • Iidem. • Al Beidawi. 7 See the 10 Idem, be carried round unto them, and cups without handles; and therein shall they enjoy whatever their souls shall desire, and whatever their eyes shall delight in and ye shall remain therein for ever. This is paradise, which ye have inherited as a reward for that which ye have wrought. Therein shall ye have fruits in abundance, of which ye shall eat. But the wicked shall remain for ever in the torment of hell: it shall not be made lighter unto them; and they shall despair therein.* We deal not unjustly with them, but they deal unjustly with their own souls. And they shall call aloud, saying, O Malec,° intercede for us that thy LORD would end us by annihilation. He shall answer,P Verily ye shall remain here for ever. We brought you the truth heretofore, but the greater part of you abhorred the truth. Have the infidels fixed on a method to circumvent our apostle? Verily we will fix on a method to circumvent them. Do they imagine that we hear not their secrets, and their private discourse? Yea; and our messengers who attend them write down the same. Say, If the Merciful had a son, verily I would be the first of those who should worship him. Far be the LORD of heaven and earth, the LORD of the throne, from that which they affirm of him! Wherefore let them wade in their vanity, and divert themselves until they arrive at their day with which they have been threatened. He who is GOD in heaven, is GOD on earth also: and he is the wise, the knowing. And blessed be he unto whom appertaineth the kingdom of heaven and earth, and of whatever is between them; with whom is the knowledge of the last hour; and before whom ye shall be assembled. They whom they invoke besides him have not the privilege to intercede for others; except those who bear witness to the truth, and know the same. If thou ask them who hath created them, they will surely answer, GOD. How therefore are they turned away to the worship of others? God also heareth the saying of the prophet, O LORD, verily these are people who believe not: and he answereth, Therefore turn aside from them; and say, Peace: hereafter shall they know their folly. *Their rigour shall never be mitigated. The guilty shall preserve a melancholy silence."-Savary. • This the Mohammedans suppose to be the name of the principal angel who has the charge of hell. P Some say that this answer will not be given till a thousand years after. i. e. The guardian angels. "Let them waste their time in vain disputes. The day which is promised unto them shall come upon them by surprise."-Savary. That is, to the doctrine of God's unity. The exception comprehends Jesus, Ezra, and the angels; who will be admitted as intercessors, though they have been worshipped as gods.1 See chap. 25, p. 300, note P. 1 Al Beidawi, Jallalo'ddin. CHAPTER XLIV. INTITLED, SMOKE; REVEALED AT MECCA." IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD. H. M. By the perspicuous book of the Korân; verily we have sent down the same on a blessed night (for we had engaged so to do), on the night wherein is distinctly sent down the decree of every determined thing, as a command from us.' Verily, we have ever used to send apostles with revelations, at proper intervals, as a mercy from thy LORD; for it is he who heareth and knoweth: the Lord of heaven and earth, and of whatever is between them; if ye are men of sure knowledge. There is no GOD but he: he giveth life, and he causeth to die; he is your LORD, and the LORD of your forefathers. Yet do they amuse themselves with doubt. But observe them, on the day whereon the heaven shall produce a visible smoke, which shall cover mankind:" this will be a tormenting plague. They shall say, O LORD, take this plague from off us: verily we will become true believers, How should an admonition be of avail to them in this condition; when a manifest apostle came unto them, but they retired from him, saying, This man is instructed by others, or is a distracted person? We will take the plague from off you, a little: but ye will certainly return to your infidelity. On the day whereon we shall fiercely assault them with great This word occurs within a few lines from the beginning of the chapter. Some except the verse beginning, We will take the plague off you à little, &c. * See the Prelim. Disc. sect. iii. p. 42, &c. Generally supposed to be that between the 23rd and 24th of Ramadân. Sce ibid. p. 46, and chap. 97, and the notes there. For annually on the night, as the Mohammedans are taught, all the events of the ensuing year, with respect to life and death, and the other affairs of this world, are disposed and settled.2 Some, however, suppose that these words refer only to that particular night on which the Korân, wherein are completely contained the divine determinations in respect to religion and morality, was sent down; and according to this exposition the passage may be rendered, The night whereon every determined or adjudged matter was sent down. "I swear it by the book of evidence: we sent it down unto thee on the blessed night, for the instruction of mortals. On the same night eternal wisdom put the seal unto its laws."-Savary. The commentators differ in their expositions of this passage. Some think it spoken of a smoke which seemed to fill the air, during the famine which was inflicted on the Meccans in Mohammed's time, and was so thick, that though they could hear, yet they could not see one another. But according to a tradition of Ali, the smoke here meant is that which is to be one of the previous signs of the day of judgment, and will fill the whole space from east to west, and last for forty days. This smoke, they say, will intoxicate the infidels, and issue at their nose, ears, and posteriors; but will very little incommode the true believers.7 See chap. 16, p. 223. • If we follow the former exposition, the words are to be understood of the ceasing of the famine, upon the intercession of Mohammed, at the desire of the Koreish, and on their promise of believing on him; notwithstanding which they fell back to their old incredulity: but if we follow the latter exposition, they are to be under stood of God's taking away the plague of the smoke, after the expiration of forty days, at the prayer of the infidels, and on their promise of receiving the true faith; which being done, they will immediately return to their wonted obstinacy. 'Jallalo'ddin, al Beidâwi. 3 Iidem. Al Zamakh., al Beidawi, Yahya, Jallalo'ddin. iv. p. 58. See chap. 23, p. 284, note a. : power,d verily we will take vengeance on them. We made trial of the people of Pharaoh before them, and an honourable messenger came unto them, saying, Send unto me the servants of GOD; verily I am a faithful messenger unto you: and lift not yourselves up against GOD; for I come unto you with manifest power. And I fly for protection unto my LORD, and your LORD, that ye stone me not. If ye do not believe me, at least depart from me. And when they accused him of imposture, he called upon his LORD, saying, These are a wicked people. And God said unto him, March forth with my servants by night; for ye will be pursued and leave the sea divided, that the Egyptians may enter the same; for they are a host doomed to be drowned. How many gardens, and fountains, and fields of corn, and fair dwellings, and advantages which they enjoyed, did they leave behind them! Thus we dispossessed them thereof; and we gave the same for an inheritance unto another people. Neither heaven nor earth wept for them; neither were they respited any longer. And we delivered the children of Israel from a shameful affliction; from Pharaoh ; for he was haughty, and a transgressor: and we chose them, knowingly, above all people; and we showed them several signs, wherein was an evident trial. Verily these Meccans say, Assuredly our final end will be no other than our first natural death; neither shall we be raised again: bring now our forefathers back to life, if ye speak truth. Are they better, or the people of Tobba," and those who were before them? we destroyed them, because they wrought wickedness. We have not created the heavens and the earth, and whatever is between them, by way of sport: we have created them no otherwise than in truth;"* but the greater part of them do not understand. Verily the day of separation shall be the appointed term of them all: a day, whereon the master and the servant shall be of no advantage to one another, neither shall they be helped; excepting those on whom * Some expound this of the slaughter at Bedr, and others of the day of judgment. • i. e. Let the Israelites go with me to worship their God. you. Or, that ye injure me not, either by word or deed. Without opposing me, or offering me any injury, which I have not deserved from See chap. 26, p. 204. That is, None pitied their destruction. i. e. Knowing that they were worthy of our choice; or notwithstanding we knew they would, in time to come, fall into idolatry, &c. As the dividing of the Red Sea; the cloud which shaded them; the raining on them manna and quails, &c.1 Viz., the Hamyarites whose kings had the title of Tobba. The commentators tell us that the Tobba here meant was very potent, and built Samarcand, or, as others say, demolished it; and that he was a true believer, but his subjects were infidels.3 This prince seems to have been Abu Carb Asaad, who flourished about seven hundred years before Mohammed, and embraced Judaism, which religion he first introduced into Yaman (being the true religion at that time, inasmuch as Christianity was not then promulgated), and was, for that cause probably, slain by his own people. See chap. 21, p. 265, and chap. 38, p. 373. "The heavens, the earth, and the whole universe, are not the effect of chance. Out of nothing have we created them."-Savary. i. e. The day of judgment, when the wicked shall be separated from the righteous, &c. Al Beidawi. Jallalo'ddin. 1 Idem. ? See the Prelim. Disc. sect. i. p. 7. Al Beidâwi, |