Page images
PDF
EPUB

GOD shall have mercy; for he is the mighty, the merciful. Verily, the fruit of the tree of al Zakkum shall be the food of the impious;" as the dregs of oil shall it boil in the bellies of the damned,* like the boiling of the hottest water. And it shall be said to the tormentors, Take him, and drag him into the midst of hell: and pour on his head the torture of boiling water, saying, Taste this; for thou art that mighty and honourable person. Verily this is the punishment of which ye doubted. But the pious shall be lodged in a place of security, among gardens and fountains: they shall be clothed in fine silk, and in satin; and they shall sit facing one another.† Thus shall it be and we will espouse them to fair damsels, having large black eyes. In that place shall they call for all kinds of fruits, in full security: they shall not taste death therein, after the first death; and God shall deliver from the pains of hell: through the gracious bounty of thy LORD. This will be great felicity. Moreover we have rendered the Korân easy for thee, by revealing it in thine own tongue; to the end that they may be admonished: wherefore do thou wait the event; for they wait to see some misfortune befall thee.

CHAPTER XLV.

INTITLED, THE KNEELING; REVEALED AT MECCA.

IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD.

H. M. THE revelation of this book is from the mighty, the wise GOD. Verily both in heaven and earth are signs of the divine power unto the true believers; and in the creation of yourselves, and of the beasts which are scattered over the face of the earth, are signs unto people of sound judgment; and also in the vicissitude of night and day, and the rain which GOD sendeth down from heaven, whereby he quickeneth the earth after it hath been dead in the change of the winds also are signs unto people of understanding. These are the signs of GOD; we rehearse them unto thee with truth. In what revelation therefore will they believe, after they have rejected GOD and his signs? Woe unto every lying and impious person; who heareth the signs of GOD, which are read unto him, and afterwards proudly persisteth in infidelity, as though he heard them not: (denounce unto him a painful punishment :) and who, when he cometh to the knowledge of any of our signs, receiveth the same with scorn.§ For these is prepared a shameful punishment: before them lieth hell; and whatever they shall have gained shall not avail them at all, neither shall the idols P Jallalo'ddin supposes this passage to have been particularly levelled against Abu Jahl.

"Like molten metals, it shall devour their entrails."-Savary. "They shall look on each other benevolently."-Savary.

The word from which this chapter is denominated occurs page 406.

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

"Manifest his wisdom unto those who sincerely believe."-Savary.

S"If they know the divine doctrine, it is only to make of it an object of mockery." Savary.

which they have taken for their patrons, besides GOD: and they shall suffer a grievous punishment. This is a true direction: and for those who lisbelieve the signs of their LORD, is prepared the punishment of a painful torment. It is GOD who hath subjected the sea unto you, that the ships may sail therein, at his command; and that ye may seek advantage unto yourselves by commerce, of his bounty; and that ye may give thanks: and he obligeth whatever is in heaven and on earth to serve you; the whole being from him. Verily herein are signs unto people who consider. Speak unto the true believers, that they forgive those who hope not for the days of GOD,** that he may reward people according to what they shall have wrought. Whoso doeth that which is right doth it to the advantage of his own soul; and whoso doeth evil doth it against the same: hereafter shall ye return unto your LORD. We gave unto the children of Israel the book of the law, and wisdom, and prophecy; and we fed them with good things, and preferred them above all nations: and we gave them plain ordinances concerning the business of religion;t neither do they fall to variance, except after that knowledge had come unto them, through envy amongst themselves: but thy LORD will decide the controversy between them, on the day of resurrection, concerning that wherein they disagree. Afterwards we appointed thee, O Mohammed, to promulgate a law concerning the business of religion: wherefore follow the same, and follow not the desires of those who are ignorant. Verily they shall not avail thee against GOD at all; the unjust are the patrons of one another; but GOD is the patron of the pious. This Koran delivereth evident precepts unto mankind; and is a direction, and a mercy, unto people who judge aright. Do the workers of iniquity imagine that we will deal with them as with those who believe and do good works; so that their life and their death shall be equal? An ill judgment do they make. God hath created the heavens and the earth in truth; that he may recompense every soul according to that which it shall have wrought: and they shall not be treated unjustly. What thinkest thou? He who taketh his own lust for his GOD, and whom GOD causeth knowingly to err, and whose ears and whose heart he hath sealed up, and over whose eyes he hath cast a veil; who shall direct him, after GOD shall have forsaken him? Will ye therefore not be admonished? They say, There is no other life, except our present life: we die, and we live; and nothing but time destroyeth us. But they have no knowledge in this matter; they only follow a vain opinion.‡ And when our evident signs are rehearsed unto them,

By the days of God, in this place, are meant the prosperous successes of his people in battle against the infidels. The passage is said to have been revealed on account of Omar, who being reviled by one of the tribe of Ghifar, was thinking to revenge himself by force. Some are of opinion that this verse is abrogated by that of war.

"Exhort the believers to extend forgiveness unto the unbelievers."-Savary. "We prescribed unto them the worship of the true God."-Savary.

That is, of the principal Koreish, who were urgent with Mohammed to return to the religion of his forefathers.7

"Ignorance hath given birth to this opinion, and hath converted it into a dogma."-Savary.

Sce p. 205, note ".

Al Beidawi.

* Idem.

x

their argument which they offer against the same, is no other than that they say, Bring to life our fathers who have been dead; if ye speak truth. Say, GOD giveth you life; and afterwards causeth you to die: hereafter will he assemble you together on the day of resurrection; there is no doubt thereof; but the greater part of men do not understand. Unto GOD appertaineth the kingdom of heaven and earth; and the day whereon the hour shall be fixed, on that day shall those who charge the Koran with vanity perish. And thou shalt see every nation" kneeling: every nation shall be called unto its book of account; and it shall be said unto them, This day shall ye be rewarded according to that which ye have wrought. This our book will speak concerning you with truth; therein have we written down whatever ye have done. As to those who shall have believed and done good works, their LORD shall lead them into his mercy: this shall be manifest felicity. But as to the infidels, it shall be said unto them, Were not my signs rehearsed unto you? but ye proudly rejected them, and became a wicked people! And when it was said unto you, Verily the promise of GOD is true and as to the hour of judgment, there is no doubt thereof: ye answered, We know not what the hour of judgment is: we hold an uncertain opinion only; and we are not well assured of this matter. But on that day the evils of that which they have wrought shall appear unto them; and that which they mocked at shall encompass them: and it shall be said unto them, This day will we forget you, as ye did forget the meeting of this your day and your abode shall be hell fire; and ye shall have none to deliver you. This shall ye suffer, because ye turned the signs of GOD to ridicule; and the life of the world deceived you. On this day, therefore, they shall not be taken forth from thence, neither shall they be asked any more to render themselves well-pleasing unto God. Wherefore praise be unto GOD, the LORD of the heavens, and the LORD of the earth; the LORD of all creatures: and unto him be glory in heaven and earth; for he is the mighty, the wise God.

CHAPTER XLVI.

INTITLED, AL AHKAF, REVEALED AT MECCA.

IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD.

[*XXVI.] H.M." THE revelation of this book is from the mighty, the Wise God. We have not created the heavens, and the earth, and whatever

"The original word Ommat properly signifies a people 'who profess one and the same law or religion.

See the Prelim. Disc. sec. iv. p. 63.

"It is a chimerical opinion, which is established among us."-Savary.

▾ Al Ahkâf is the plural of Hekf, and signifies sands which lie in a crooked or winding manner; whence it became the name of a territory in the province ef Hadramaut, where the Adites dwelt. It is mentioned about the middle of the chapter.

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

b

is between them, otherwise than in truth," and for a determined period : but the unbelievers turn away from the warning which is given them. Say, What think ye? Show me what part of the earth the idols which ye invoke, besides GOD, have created? Or, had they any share in the creation of the heavens?† Bring me a book of scripture revealed before this, or some footsteps of ancient knowledge, to countenance your idolatrous practices; if ye are men of veracity. Who is in a wider error than he who invoketh, besides GOD, that which cannot return him an answer, to the day of resurrection; and idols which regard not their calling on them: and which, when men shall be gathered together to judgment, will become their enemies, and will ungratefully deny their worship? When our evident signs are rehearsed unto them, the unbelievers say of the truth, when it cometh unto them, This is a manifest piece of sorcery. Will they say, Mohammed hath forged it? Answer, If I have forged it, verily ye shall not obtain for me any favour from GOD: he well knoweth the injurious language which ye utter concerning it: he is a sufficient witness between me and you; and he is gracious and merciful. Say, I am not singular among the apostles ;d neither do I know what will be done with me or with you hereafter I follow no other than what is revealed unto me; neither am I any more than a public warner. Say, What is your opinion? If this book be from GOD, and ye believe not therein; and a witness of the children of Israel bear witness to its consonancy with the law, and believeth therein; and ye proudly reject the same: are ye not unjust doers? Verily GOD directeth not unjust people. But those who believe not say of the true believers, If the doctrine of the Koran had been good, they had not embraced the same before us.f And when they are not guided thereby, they say, This is an antiquated lie. Whereas the book of Moses was revealed before the Koran, to be a guide and a mercy and this is a book confirming the same, delivered in the Arabic tongue; to denounce threats unto those who act unjustly, and to bear good tidings unto the righteous doers. As to those who say, Our LORD is GOD; and who behave uprightly: on them shall no fear come, neither shall they be grieved. These shall be the inhabitants of paradise, they shall remain therein for ever: in recom

:

See chap. 21, p. 265, and chap. 38, p. 373, &c.

Being to last but a certain space of time, and not for ever.

"We have called from nothing the heaven, the earth, and the immensity of space. Truth presided over our work. All beings have their appointed time.”. Savary.

+" "Partake they of the empire of the heavens ?"-Savary.

i. e. Any part of the revelations of the Korân.

4 That is, I do not teach a doctrine different from what the former apostles and prophets have taught: nor am I able to do what they could not; particularly to show the signs which every one shall think fit to demand.8

This witness is generally supposed to have been the Jew Abd'allah Ebn Salâm, who declared that Mohammed was the prophet foretold by Moses. Some, however, suppose the witness here meant to have been Moses himself."

These words were spoken, as some think, by the Jews, when Abd'allah professed Islam; or, according to others, by the Koreish, because the first followers of Mohammed were for the most part poor and mean people; or else by the tribes of Amer, Ghatfan, and Asad, on the conversion of those of Joheinah, Mozeinah, Aslam, and Ghifar.1

8 Al Beidâwi.

Idem, Jallalo'ddin.

1 lidem.

pence for that which they have wrought. We have commanded man to show kindness to his parents: his mother beareth him in her womb with pain, and bringeth him forth with pain: and the space of his being carried in her womb, and of his weaning, is thirty months;8 until, when he attaineth his age of strength, and attaineth the age of forty years, he saith,* O LORD, excite me, by thy inspiration, that I may be grateful for their favours, wherewith thou hast favoured me and my parents; and that I may work righteousness, which may please thee: and be gracious unto me in my issue; for I am turned unto thee, and am a Moslem. These are they from whom we accept the good work which they have wrought, and whose evil works we pass by; and they shall be among the inhabitants of paradise: this is a true promise, which they are promised in this world. He who saith unto his parents, Fie on you! Do ye promise me that I shall be taken forth from the grave, and restored to life; when many generations have passed away before me, and none of them have returned back? And his parents implore God's assistance, and say to their son, Alas for thee! Believe: for the promise of GOD is true. But he answereth, This is no other than silly fables of the ancients. These are they whom the sentence passed on the nations which have been before them, of genii and of men, justly fitteth: they shall surely perish. For every one is prepared a certain degree of happiness or misery, according to that which they shall have wrought that God may recompense them for their works: and they shall not be treated unjustly. On a certain day, the unbelievers shall be exposed before the fire of hell; and it shall be said unto them, Ye received your good things in your lifetime, while ye were in the world; and ye enjoyed yourselves therein: wherefore this day ye shall be rewarded with the punishment of ignominy; for that ye behaved insolently in the earth, without justice, and for that ye transgressed. Remember the brother of Ad,' when he preached unto his people in Al Ahkaf (and there were preachers before him, and after him), saying, Worship none but GOD: verily I fear for you the punishment of a great day. They answered, Art thou come unto us that thou mayest turn us aside from the worship of our gods? Bring on us now the punishment with which thou threatenest us, if thou art a man of veracity. He said, Verily the

:

k

At the least. For if the full time of suckling an infant be two years, or twentyfour months, there remain but six months for the space of his being carried in the womb, which is the least that can be allowed.3

These words, it is said, were revealed on account of Abu Becr, who professed Islam in the fortieth year of his age, two years after Mohammed's mission; and was the only person, either of the Mohajerin or the Ansars, whose father and mother were also converted: his son Abd'alrahmân, and his grandson Abu Atik, likewise embracing the same faith.*

"He is brought up under the paternal roof till he is of mature age. Having attained his fortieth year," &c.- Savary.

The words seem to be general: but it is said they were revealed particularly on occasion of Abd'airahmân, the son of Abu Becr; who used these expressions to his father and mother, before he professed Islam."

Unless they redeem their fault by repentance, and the embracing the true faith; as did Abd'alrahmân.

i. e. The prophet Hud.

See chap. 2, p. 27, 28.

Al Beidâwi. 1 Idem, Jallalo'ddin, &c.

Al Beidawi

« PreviousContinue »