The Koran

ARAF;z REVEAL

OF THE MOST

no other than that they said, Verily we have been unjust. We will surely call those to an account, unto whom a prophet hath been sent; and we will also call those to account who have been sent unto them. And we will declare their actions unto them with knowledge; for we are not absent from them. The weighing of men's actions on that day shall be just;e and they whose balances laden with their good works shall be heavy, are those who shall be happy; but they whose balances shall be light, are those who have lost

in answer to the pre

take the crime upon them

to their

partition between para

in this

five or eight verses,

ncerning th

those letters the more

however, imagine they s

on whom

tants of Sodom and Gom

e

e Midianites, to wh

lim. Disc. Se

apter 2,

the Prelim. Disc

and thy wife in paradise; and eat of the fruit thereof wherever ye will; but approach not this tree, lest ye become of the number of the unjust. And Satan suggested to them both, that he would discover unto them their nakedness, which was hidden from them; and he said, Your LORD hath not forbidden you this tree, for any other reason but lest ye should become angels, or lest ye become immortal. 20 And he sware unto them, saying, Verily I am one of those who counsel you aright. And he caused them to fall through deceit.i And when they had tasted of the tree, their nakedness appeared unto them;k and they began to join together the leaves of paradise,l to cover themselves. And their LORD called to them, saying, Did I

rned out of paradise, but that he should have his legs cut off by the angel Michael, with the sword of GOD; and that the devil himself, since he had rendered our first parents unclean, was condemned to eat the excrements of them and all their posterity; which two last circumstances I do not remember to have read elsewhere. The words of the manuscript are these: Y llamó [Dios] a la serpiente, y a Michael, aquel que tiene la espada de Dios, y le dixo; Aquesta sierpe es acelerada, echala la primera del parayso, y cortale las piernas, y si quisiere caminar, arrastrara la vida por tierra. Y llamó à Satanas, el qual

Prelim. Disc. Sect. IV

Art. Eblis.

to cap. 2, p. 5.

Id

imagine they are rightly directed. O children of Adam, take your decent apparel at every place of worship,o and eat and drink,p but be not guilty of excess; for he loveth not those who are guilty of excess. 30 Say, Who hath forbidden the decent apparel of GOD, which he hath produced for his servants, and the good things which he hath provided for food? Say, these things are for those who believe, in this present life, but peculiarly on the day of resurrection.q Thus do we distinctly explain our signs unto people who understand. Say, Verily my LORD hath forbidden filthy actions, both that which is discovered thereof, and that which is concealed, and also iniquity, and unjust violence; and hath forbidden you to associate with GOD that concerning which he hath sent you down no authority, or to speak of GOD that which ye know not. Unto every nation there is a prefixed term; therefore when their term is expired, they

esty before whom he is to appear. But as the Mohammedans think it indecent, on the one hand, to come into GOD'S presence in a slovenly manner, so they imagine, on the other, that they ought not to appear before him in habits too rich or sumptuous, and particularly in clothes adorned with gold or silver, lest they should seem proud. p The sons of Amer, it is said, when they performed the pi

n. 1 idem, al

proudly reject them, the gates of heaven shall not be opened unto them,u neither shall they enter into paradise, until a camel pass through the eye of a needle,x and thus will we reward the wicked doers. Their couch shall be in hell, and over them shall be coverings of fire; and thus will we reward the unjust. 40 But they who believe, and do that which is right (we will not load any soul but according to its ability,) they shall be the companions of paradise; they shall remain therein forever. And we will remove all grudges from their minds;y rivers shall run at their feet, and they shall say, Praised be GOD, who hath directed us unto this felicity, for we should not have been r

xample.1 u That is, when their souls shall, after death, ascend to heaven, they shall not be admitted, but shall be thrown down into the dungeon under the seventh earth.2 x This expression was probably taken from our Saviour's words in the gospel,3 though it be proverbial in the east. y So that, whatever differences or an

e Prelim. Disc. ubi sup. p. 61.

nd the inhabitants of hell fire shall call unto the inhabitants of paradise, saying, Pour upon us some water, or of those refreshments which GOD hath bestowed on you.h They shall answer, Verily GOD hath forbidden them unto the unbelievers; who made a laughing-stock and a sport of their religion, and whom the life of the world hath deceived: therefore this day will we forget them, as they did forget the meeting of this day, and for that they denied our signs to be from God. 50 And now have we brought unto those of Mecca a book of divine revelations: we have explained it with knowledge; a direction and mercy unto people who shall believe. Do they wait for any other than the interpretation thereof?i On the day whereon the interpretation thereof shall come, they who had

ort of purgatory for those who, though they deserve not to be sent to hell, yet have not merits sufficient to gain them immediate admittance into paradise, and will be tantalized here for a certain time with a bare view of the felicity of that place. e That is, the chiefs and ringleaders of the infidels.2 f These were the inferior and poorer among the believers, whom they despised in their lifetimes as unworthy of God's favour. g These words are directed, by an apostrophe, to the poor and despised believers above mentioned. S

Disc. Sect. IV.

idawi.

Id

orth the dead from their graves;q that peradventure ye may consider. From a good country shall its fruit spring forth abundantly, by the permission of its LORD; but from the land which is bad, it shall not spring forth otherwise than scarcely. Thus do we explain the signs of divine providence unto people who are thankful. We formerly sent Noahr unto his people: and he said, O my people, worship GOD: ye have no other GOD than him.s Verily I fear for you the punishment of the great day.t

iters, was one of the six principal prophets,3 though he had no written revelations delivered to him,4 and the first who appeared after his great-grandfather Edr?s or Enoch. They also say he was by trade a carpenter, which they infer from his building the ark, and that the year of his mission was the fiftieth, or, as others say, the fortieth of his age.5 That Noah was a preacher of righteousness unto the wicked antediluvians is testified by scripture.6 The eastern Christians say that when God ordered Noah to build the ark, he also directed him to make an instrument of wood, such as they make use of at this day in the east, instead of bells, to call the people to church, and named in Arabic Nak?s, and in modern Greek Semandra; on which he was to strike three times every day, not only to call together the wor

3 See the Prel

d. de Relig.

6 2 Pet. ii. 5. 7

bal. Bibl. O

relim. Disc. Sect. I.

replied, O my people, I am not guided by folly; but I am a messenger unto you from the LORD of all creatures: I bring unto you the messages of my LORD; and I am a faithful counsellor unto you. Do ye wonder that an admonition hath come unto you from your LORD, by a man from among you, that he may warn you? Call to mind how he hath appointed you successors unto the people of Noah,b and hath added unto you in stature largely.c Remember the benefits of GOD, that ye may prosper. They said, Art thou

ribe of Arabs,4 and zealous idolaters.5 They chiefly worshipped four deities, Sakia, Hafedha, Razeka and Salema; the first, as they imagined, supplying them with rain, the second preserving them from all dangers abroad, the third providing food for their sustenance, and the fourth restoring them to health when afflicted with sickness,6 according to the signification of the several names. z Generally supposed to be the same person with Heber;7 but others say he was the son of Abda'llah, the son of Ribah, the son of Khol?d, the son of Ad, the son of Aws or Uz, the son of Aram,

llalo'ddin, Ebn Shoh

p. 6. 3 Vide Pocock

relim. Disc. Sect. I

el. Bibl. Ori

Disc. p. 5. 1 A

I

u:h therefore dismiss her freely, that she may feed in GOD's earth; and do her no hurt, lest a painful punishment seize you. And call to mind how he hath appointed you successors unto the tribe of Ad, and hath given you a habitation on earth; ye build yourselves castles on the plains thereof, and cut out the mountains into houses.i Remember therefore the benefits of GOD, and commit not viole

on him, lest he should go with them; which being done, Kail with the rest entering Mecca, begged of GOD that he would send rain to the people of Ad. Whereupon three clouds appeared, a white one, a red one, and a black one; and a voice from heaven ordered Kail to choose which he would. Kail failed not to make choice of the last, thinking it to be laden with the most rain; but when this cloud came over them, it proved to be fraught with the divine vengeance, and a tempest broke forth from it which destroyed them all.3 f Tham?d was another tribe of the ancient Arabs who fell into idolatry. See the Prelim. Disc. Sect. I. p. 5. g Al Beidawi deduces his genealogy thus: Saleh, the son of Obeid, the son of Asaf, the son of Masekh, the son of Obeid, the son of Hadher, the son of Tham?d.4 h The Tham?dites, insisting on a miracle, proposed to Saleh that he should go with them to their festival, and that they should call on their gods, and he on his, promising to follow that deity which should answer. But after they had called on their idols a long time to no purpose, Jonda Ebn Amru, their prince, pointed to a rock standing by itself, and bade Saleh cause a s

5. 2 Al Beidawi. V

d. 3 See the Pr

hari. Vide D'Herbel. B

Prelim.

parted from them, and said,o O my people, now have I delivered unto you the message of my LORD and I advised you well, but ye love not those who advise you well. And remember Lot,p when he said unto his people, Do ye commit a wickedness, wherein no creature hath set you an example? Do ye approach lustfully unto men, leaving the women? Certainly ye are people who transgress all modes

sufficient strength.3 m Like violent and repeated claps of thunder, which some say was no other than the voice of the angel Gabriel,4 and which rent their hearts.5 It is said that after they had killed the camel, Saleh told them that on the morrow their faces should become yellow, the next day red, and the third day black, and that on the fourth GOD'S vengeance should light on them; and that the first three signs happening accordingly, they sought to put him to death, but GOD delivered him by sending him into Palestine.6 n Mohammed, in the expedition of Tab?c, which he undertook against the Greeks in the ninth year of the Hejra, passing by Hejr, where this ancient tribe had dwelt, forbade his army, though much distressed with heat and thirst, to draw any water there, but ordered them if they had drunk of that water to bring it up again, or if they had kneaded any meal with it, to give it to their camels;7 and wrapping up his face in his garment, he set spurs to his mule, crying out, Enter not the houses of those wicked men, but rather weep, lest that happen unto you which befell them; and havin

Disc. p. 6. 5 Abulfeda, al Beidawi. 6 Al Beidawi. 7 Abulfed. Vit. Moh. p. 124. 8 Al

e best judge. The chiefs of his people, who were elated with pride, answered, We will surely cast thee, O Shoaib, and those who believe with thee, out of our city: or else thou shalt certainly return unto our religion. He said, What, though we be averse thereto? We shall surely imagine a lie against GOD, if we return unto your religion, after that GOD hath delivered us from the same: and we have no reason to return unto it, unless GOD our LORD shall please to abandon us. Our LORD comprehendeth every thing by his knowledge. In GOD do we put our trust. O LORD do thou judge between us and our nation with truth; for thou art the best judge. And the chiefs of his people who believed not said, If ye follow Shoaib, ye shall surely perish. Therefore a storm from heavenb assailed them, an

the same person with the father-in-law of Moses, who is named in scripture Reuel or Raguel, and Jethro.7 But Ahmed Ebn Abd'alhalim charges those who entertain this opinion with ignorance. Al Kessai says that his father's name was San?n, and that he was first called Boy?n, and afterwards Shoaib: and adds that he was a comely person, but spare and lean, very thoughtful and of few words. Doctor Prideaux writes this name, after the French translation, Chaib.8 x This demonstration the commentators suppose to have been a power of working miracles, though the Koran mentions none in particular. However, they say (after the Jews) that he gave his son-in-law that wonder-working rod,9 with which he performed all those miracles in Egypt and the desert, and also excellent advice and instructio

3 Gen. xxxvii. 36.

Abulfed Desc. Arab. p.

kh Montakhab. 7 E

of Mah.

lshel hakkab. p. 12.

lot. Bibl. Orie

idawi. See Deut. xx

of GOD, except the people who perish. And hath it not manifestly appeared unto those who have inherited the earth after the former inhabitants thereof, that if we please, we can afflict them for their sins? But we will seal up their hearts; and they shall not hearken. We will relate unto thee some stories of these cities. Their apostles had come unto them with evident miracles, but they were not disposed to believe in that which they had before gainsaid. Thus will GOD seal up the hearts of the unbelievers. 100 And we found not in the greater part of them any observance of their covenant; but we found the greater

ers, the son of Masáb, the son of Riyan, the son of Wal?d,2 the Amalekite.3 There are historians, however, who suppose Kab?s, the brother and predecessor of al Wal?d, was the prince we are speaking of; and pretend he lived six hundred and twenty years, and reigned four hundred. Which is more reasonable, at least, than the opinion of those who imagine it was his father Masáb, or grand-father Riyan.4 Abulfeda says that Masáb being one hundred and seventy years old, and having no child, while he kept the herds saw a cow calve, and heard her say, at the same time, O Masáb, be not grieved, for thou shalt have a wicked son, who will be at length cast into hell. And he accordingly had this Wal?d, who afterwards coming to be king of Egypt, proved an impious tyrant. e By not believing therein. f

2 See the Preli

Kitab tafsir leba

hand out of his bosom;

o the spe

of Pharaoh said, This m

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him and his brother b

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thee every ex

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down

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the eyes of the men who

performed a gre

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the rods which they had

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believe in the LOR

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h a great number of thick ropes and long pieces of wood, which they contrived, by some means, to move, and make them twist themselves one over the other, and so imposed on the beholders, who at a distance took them to be true serpents.1 k The expositors add, that when this serpent had swallowed up all the rods and cords, he made directly towards the assembly, and put them into so great a terror that they fled, and a considerable number were killed in the crowd; then Moses took it up, and it became a rod in his hand as before. Whereupon the magicians declared that it could be no enchantment, because in such case their rods and cords would not have disappeared.2 l It seems probable that all the magicians were not converted by this miracle, for some writers introduce Sad?r and Ghad?r only, acknowledging Moses's miracle to be wrought by the power of GOD. These two, they say, we

6 Idem. 7

d. iv

l. Orient. Art. Mousa.

D'Herbelot, ubi s

3 Vide D'He

his people go, that they may act corruptly in the earth, and leave thee and thy gods?q Pharaoh answered, We will cause their male children to be slain, and we will suffer their females to live;r and by that means we shall prevail over them. Moses said unto his people, Ask assistance of GOD, and suffer patiently: for the earth is God's, he giveth it for an inheritance unto such of his servants as he pleaseth; and the prosperous end shall be unto those who fear him. They answered, We have been afflicted by having our male children slain, before thou camest unto us, and also since thou hast come unto us. Moses said, Peradventure it may happen that our LORD will destroy your enemy, and will c

god of his subjects, suppose that he was the object of their worship, and therefore instead of alihataca, thy gods, read ilahataca, thy worship.2 r That is, we will continue to make use of the same cruel policy to keep the Israelites in subjection, as we have hitherto done. The commentators say that Pharaoh came to this resolution because he had either been admonished in a dream, or by the astrologers or diviners, that one of that nation should subvert his kingdom.3 s Looking on him and his followers as the occasion of those calamities. The original word properly signifies to take an ominous and sinister presage of any future event, from the flight of birds, or the like. t By whose will and decree they were so afflicted, as a punishment for their wickedn

26, &c. 2 Al Beidawi. 3 Idem, Jallalo'ddi

n parts thereof,a which we blessed with fertility; and the gracious word of thy LORD was fulfilled on the children of Israel, for that they had endured with patience: and we destroyed the structures which Pharaoh and his people had made, and that which they had erected.b And we caused the children of Israel to pass through the sea, and they came unto a people who gave themselves up to the worship of their idols,c and they said, O Moses, make us a god, in like manner as these people have gods. Moses answered, Verily ye are an ignorant people: for the religion which these follow will be destroyed, and that which they do is vain. He sai

Moses.2 c These people some will have to be of the tribe of Amalek, whom Moses was commanded to destroy, and others of the tribe of Lakhm. Their idols, it is said, were images of oxen, which gave the first hint to the making of the golden calf.3 d The commentators say that GOD, having promised Moses to give him the law, directed him to prepare himself for the high favour of speaking with GOD in person by a fast of thirty days; and that Moses accordingly fasted the whole month of Dhu

Kor. c. 28 and 4

Prelim. Di

awi. Jall

ought thee, and be one of those who give thanks.i And we wrote for him on the tablesk an admonition concerning every matter, and a decision in every case,l and said, Receive this with reverence; and command thy people that they live according to the most excellent precepts thereof. I will show you the dwelling of the wicked.m I will turn aside from my signs those who behave themselves proudly in the earth, without justice: and although they see every sign, yet they shall not believe therein; and although they see the way of righteousness, yet they shall not take that way; but if they see the way of error, they shall take that way. This shall come to pass because they accuse ou

, and according to others ten. Nor are the commentators agreed whether they were cut out of a kind of lote-tree in paradise called al Sedra, or whether they were chrysolites, emeralds, rubies or common stone.1 But they say that they were each ten or twelve cubits long; for they suppose that not only the ten commandments but the whole law was written thereon: and some add that the letters were cut quite through the tables, so that they might be read on both sides2-which is a fable of the Jews. l That is, a perfect law comprehending all necessary instructions, as well in regard to religious and moral duties, as the administration of ju

Al Beidawi. 2 Vide D'Herbel. ubi sup. 3 Al Beidawi. S

l. And when the anger of Moses was appeased, he took the tables;x and in what was written thereon was a direction and mercy, unto those who feared their LORD. And Moses chose out of his people seventy men, to go up with him to the mountain at the time appointed by us: and when a storm of thunder and lightning had taken them away,y he said, O LORD, if thou hadst pleased, thou hadst destroyed them before, and me also; wilt thou destroy us for that which the foolish men among us have committed? This is only thy trial; thou wilt thereby lead into error whom thou pleasest, and thou wilt direct whom thou pleasest. Thou art our protector, therefore forgive us, and be merciful unto us; for thou art the best of those who forgive. And write down for us good in this world, and in the life to come; for unto thee are we directed. God answered, I will inflict my punishment on whom I please; and my mercy extendeth over all things; and I will write down go

cepts, and bringing dow

o

n and taken up to heav

ed the threats and judi

s put int

y, rendere

hapter

ents of that w

2, p. 6, and c

ed. See the Preli

old by name and ce

hapter

od and swine's flesh,

c

hapter

nd in general, and not

er prophets

Vide D'Herbel.

to mind when it was said unto them, Dwell in this city,i and eat of the provisions thereof wherever ye will, and say, Forgiveness; and enter the gate worshipping: we will pardon you your sins, and will give increase unto the well-doers. But they who were ungodly among them changed the expression into another,k which had not been spoken unto them. Wherefore we went down upon them indignation from heaven, because they transgressed. And ask them concerning the city,l which was situate on the sea, when they transgressed on the Sabbath-day: when their fish came unto them on their Sabbath-day, appearin

issued thence by three orifices on each of the four sides of the stone, making twelve in all, and that it ran in so many rivulets to the quarter of each tribe in the camp.2 h See chapter 2, p. 7. i See this passage explained, ibid. k Professor Sike says, that being prone to leave spiritual for worldly matters, instead of Hittaton they said Hintaton, which signifies wheat,3 and comes much nearer the true word than the expression I have in the last place quoted, set down from Jallalo'ddin. Whether he took this from the same commentator or not does not certainly appear, though he mentions him just before; but if he did,

m. 3 Sike, in not. ad

e forgiven us: and if a temporal advantage like the former be offered them, they accept it also. Is it not the covenant of the book of the law established with them, that they should not speak of GOD aught but the truth?q Yet they diligently read that which is therein. But the enjoyment of the next life will be better for those who fear God than the wicked gains of these people: (Do ye not therefore understand?) and for those who hold fast the book of the law, and are constant at prayer: for we will by no means suffer the reward of the righteous to perish. 170 And when we shook the mountain of Sinai over them,r as though it had been a covering, and they imagined, that it was falling upon them; and we said, Receive the law which we have brought you with reverence; and remember that which is contained there

ogether in the shape of small ants, which were endued with understanding; and that after they had, in the presence of angels, confessed their dependence on GOD, they were again caused to return into the loins of their great ancestor.2 From this fiction it appears that the doctrine of pre-existence is not unknown to the Mohammedans; there is some little conformity between it and the modern theory of generation ex animalculis in semine marium. t Some suppose the person here intended to be a Jewish rabbi, or one Ommeya Ebn Abi'lsalt, who read the scriptures, and found thereby that GOD would send a prophet about that time, and was i

elot, Bibl. Orient. p. 54. 3 Al Beidawi, Jallalo'ddin,

hey see not: and they have ears by which they hear not. These are like the brute beasts; yea they go more astray: these are the negligent. GOD hath most excellent names;x therefore call on him by the same; and withdraw from those who use his name perversely:y they shall be rewarded for that which they shall have wrought. 180 And of those whom we have created there are a people who direct others with truth, and act justly according thereto.z But those who devise lies against our signs, we will suffer them to fall gradually into ruin, by a method which they knew not:a and I will grant them to enjoy a long and prosperous life; for my stratagem is effectual. Do they not consider that there is no devil in their companion?b He is no other than a public preacher. Or do they not contemp

ns did, who deduced the names of their idols from those of the true GOD; deriving, for example, Allat from Allah, al Uzza from al Az?z, the mighty, and Manat from al Mannan, the bountiful.2 z As it is said a little above that GOD hath created many to eternal misery, so here he is said to have created others to eternal happiness.3 a By flattering them with prosperity in this life, and permitting them to sin in an uninterrupted security, ti

; Jude II. 5 In

19. 2 Al Beidawi.

. 14. 3 Al Bei

. 6

y shaped, we will surely be thankful. 190 Yet when he had given them a child rightly shaped, they attributed companions unto him, for that which he had given them.f But far be that from GOD, which they associated with him! Will they associate with him false gods which create nothing but are themselves created: and can neither give them assistance, nor help themselves? And if ye invite them to the true direction, they will not follow you: it will be equal unto you, whether ye invite them, or whether ye hold your peace. Verily the false deities whom ye invoke besides GOD are servants like unto you.g Call therefore upon them, and l

hey would promise to name him Abda'lhareth, or the servant of al Hareth (which was the devil's name among the angels), instead of Abd'allah, or the servant of GOD, as Adam had designed. This proposal was agreed to, and accordingly, when the child was born, they gave it that name, upon which it immediately died.1 And with this Adam and Eve are here taxed, as an act of idolatry. The story looks like a rabbinical fiction, and seems to have no other foundation than Cain's being called by Moses Obed adamah, that is, a tiller of the ground, which might be translated into Arabic by Abd'alhareth. But al Beidawi, thinking it unlikely that a prophet (as Adam is, by the Mohammedans, supposed to have been) should be guilty of such an action, imagine

. p. 438, et Selden. de Jure Nat. Sec. Hebr.

ey shall continue them in error; and afterwards they shall not preserve themselves therefrom. And when thou bringest not a verse of the Koran unto them, they say, Hast thou not put it together?i Answer, I follow that only which is revealed unto me from my LORD. This book containeth evident proofs from your LORD, and is a direction and mercy unto people who belie

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