The Koran

RATION OF IMMUNITY;

aken GOD, and that GOD will disgrace the unbelievers. And a declaration from GOD and his apostle unto the people, on the day of the greater pilgrimage,h that GOD is clear of the idolaters, an

eclared, which was revealed entire and at once, except the hundred and tenth. Some will have the two last verses to have been revealed at Mecca. f Some understand this sentence of the immunity or security therein granted to the infidels for the space of four months; but others think that the words properly signify that Mohammed for the space of four months; but others think that the words properly signify that Mohammed is here declared by GOD to be absolutely free and discharged from all truce or league with them, after the expiration of that time;2 and this last seems to be the truest interpretation. Mohammed's thus renouncing all league with those who would not receive him as the apostle of GOD, or submit to become tributary, was the consequence of the great power to which he was now arrived. But the pretext he made use of was the treachery he had met with among the Jewish, and idolatrous Arabs- scarce any keeping faith with him, except Banu Damra, Banu Kenana, and a few others.3 g These months were Shawal, Dhu'lkaada, Dhu'lhajja, and Moharram; the chapter being revealed in Shawal. Yet others compute them from the tenth of Dhu'lhajja, when the chapter was published at Mecca, and consequently make them expire on the t

4 Idem, al Zamaksh., Jallalo'ddin. 5 See before, cap. 7,

d of GOD: and afterwards let him reach the place of his security.l This shalt thou do, because they are people which know not the excellency of the religion thou preachest. How shall the idolaters be admitted into a league with GOD and with his apostle; except those with whom ye entered into a league at the holy temple?m So long as they behave with fidelity towards you, do ye also behave with fidelity towards them; for GOD loveth those who fear him. How can they be admitted into a league with you, since, if they prevail against you, they will not regard in you either consanguinity or faith? They will please you with their mouths, but their hearts will be averse from you; for the greater part of them are wicked doers. They sell the signs of GOD for a small price, and ob

you shall give him a safe-conduct, that he may return home again securely, in case he shall not think fit to embrace Mohammedism. m These are the persons before excepted. n As did the Koreish in assisting the tribe of Becr against those

lim. Disc. p. 4

prayer, and payeth the legal alms, and feareth GOD alone. These perhaps may become of the number of those who are rightly directed.p Do ye reckon the giving drink to the pilgrims, and the visiting of the holy temple, to be actions as meritorious as those performed by him who believeth in GOD and the last day, and fighteth for the religion of GOD?q They shall not be held equal with GOD: for GOD directeth not the unrighteous people. 20 They who have believed, and fled their country and employed their substance and their persons in the defence of GOD'S true religion, shall be in the highest degree of honour with GOD; and these are they who shall be happy. Their LORD sendeth them good tidings of mercy from him, and good will, and of gardens wherein they shall enjoy lasting pleasure: they shall continue therein forever; for with GOD is a great reward. O true believer

aaba with hangings, and give drink to the pilgrims (of Zemzem water, I suppose) and free captives.3 r Or shall punish you. Some suppose the taking of Mecca to be here intended.4 s This battle was fought in the eighth year of the Hejra, in the valley of Honein, which lies about three miles from Mecca towards Tayef, between Mohammed, who had an army of twelve thousand men, and the tribes of Hawazen and Thak?f, whose forces did not exceed four thousand. The Mohammedans, seeing themselves so greatly superior to their enemies, made sure of the victory; a certain person, whom some suppose to have been the prophet himself, crying out, These can never be overcome by so few. But GOD was so highly displeased with this confidence, that in the first encounter the Moslems were put to flight,5 some of them running awa

, &c. Hotting. Hist. Orient. p. 271, &c. D'Herbel. Bibl. Orient. p. 601.

ious and merciful. O true believers, verily the idolaters are unclean; let them not therefore come near unto the holy temple after this year.z And if ye fear want, by the cutting off trade and communication with them, GOD will enrich you of his abundance,a if he pleaseth; for GOD is knowing an

t coming in of the Arabs from all quarters to him. b That is, who have not a just and true faith in these matters; but either believe a plurality of gods, or deny the eternity of hell torments,5 or the delights of paradise as described in the Koran. For as it appears by the following words, the Jews and Christians are the persons here chiefly meant. c This I think the true meaning of the words an yadin, which literally signify by or out of hand, and are variously interpreted: some supposing they mean that the tribute is to be paid readily, or by their own hands and not by another; or that tribute is to be exacted of the rich only, or those who are able to pay it, and not of the poor; or else that it is to be taken as a favour that the Mohammedans are satisfied with so small an imposition, &c.6 That the Jews and Christians are, according to this law, to be admitted to protection on payment of tribute, there is no doubt: though the Mohammedan doctors differ as to those of other religions. It is said that Omar at first refused to accept tribute from a Magian, till Abd'alrahman Ebn Awf assured him that Moh

idawi. 4 Idem. 5 See cap. 2, p. 10,

ciate with him! They seek to extinguish the light of GOD with their mouths; but GOD willeth no other than to perfect his light, although the infidels be averse thereto. It is he who hath sent his apostle with the direction, and true religion: that he may cause it to appear superior to every other religion; although the idolaters be averse thereto. O true believers, verily many of the priests and monks devour the substance of men in vanity,f and obstruct t

tances. That Ezra did thus restore not only the Pentateuch, but also the other books of the Old Testament, by divine revelation, was the opinion of several of the Christian fathers, who are quoted by Dr. Prideaux,5 and of some other writers;6 which they seem to have first borrowed from a passage in that very ancient apocryphal book, called (in our English Bible) the second book of Esdras.7 Dr. Prideaux8 tells us that herein the fathers attributed more to Ezra than the Jews themselves, who suppose that he only collected and set forth a correct edition of the scriptures, which he laboured much in, and went a great way in the perfecting of it. It is not improbable, however, that the fiction came originally

sius junior, in Synopsi S. Script. tom. ii. p. 86. Leontius Byzantin. de Sectis, p. 428. 7 Cap. xiv. 20, &c. 8 Loco citat. 9 See 2 Esdras ii. 43-47; and vii. 28, &c. 10 Vi

ear,m that they may agree in the number of months which GOD hath commanded to be kept sacred; and they allow that which GOD hath forbidden. The evil of their actions hath been prepared for them: for GOD directeth not the unbelieving people. O true believers, what ailed you, that when it was said unto you, Go forth to fight for the religion of GOD, ye inclined heavily towards the earth?n Do ye prefer the present life to that which is to come? But the provision of this life, in respect of that which is to come, is but slender. Unless ye go forth when ye are summoned to war, God will punish you with a

a profane month in its stead; transferring, for example, the observance of Moharram to the succeeding month Safar. The first man who put this in practice, they say, was Jonada Ebn Awf, of the tribe of Kenana.3 These ordinances relating to the months were promulgated by Mohammed himself at the pilgrimage of valediction.4 m As did Jonada, who made public proclamation at the assembly of pilgrims, that their gods had allowed Moharram to be profane, whereupon they observed it not; but the next year he told them that the gods had ordered it to be kept sacred.5 n viz., In the expedition of Tab?c, a town situate about half-way between Medina and Damascus, which Mohammed undertook against the Greeks, with an army of thirty thousand men, in t

p. 20. 3 Al Beidawi, Jallalo'ddin. Vide Poc. Spec. p. 323, and the Prelim. Disc. Sect. VII. 4

ng their substance and their persons for the advancement of GOD's true religion; and GOD knoweth those who fear him. Verily they only will ask leave of thee to stay behind, who believe not in GOD and the last day, and whose hearts doubt concerning the faith: wherefore they are tossed to and fro in their doubting. If they had been willing to go forth with thee, they had certainly prepared for that purpose a provision of arms and necessaries: but GOD was averse to their going forth; wherefore he rendered them slothful, and it was said unto them, Sit ye still with those who sit still.y If they had gone forth with you, they had only been a burden unto you, and had run to and fro between you, stirring you up to sedition; and there would have

several of his men, on their request, from going on this expedition; as Abda'llah Ebn Obba and his hypocritical adherents, and also three of the Ansars, for which he is here reprehended. y i.e., With the women and children, and other impotent people. z As they did at the battle of Ohod.1 a By obliging me to go, against my will, on an expedition, the hardships of which may tempt me to rebel or to desert.

3, p. 45, &c.

children cause thee to marvel. Verily GOD intendeth only to punish them by these things in this world; and that their souls may depart while they are unbelievers. They swear by GOD that they are of you;e yet they are not of you, but are people who stand in fear.f If they find a place of refuge, or caves, or a retreating hole, they surely turn towards the same, and in a headstrong manner, haste thereto. There is of them also who spreadeth ill reports of thee, in relation to thy distribution of the alms: yet if they receive part thereof, they are well pleased; but if they receive not a part thereof, behold, they are angry.g But if they had been pleased with that which GOD and his apostle had given them, and had said, GOD is our suppo

n, because he gave them all among the Meccans, to reconcile and gain them over to his religion and interest.3 h See what is said as to this point in the Prelim. Disc. Sect. IV. i The commentators make a distinction between these two words in the original, fak?r and mesk?n; one, they say, signifies him who is utterly destitute both of money and means of livelihood; the other, one who is in want indeed, but is able to get something towards his own support. But to which of the two words either of these different significations properly belongs, the critics differ. k That is, w

a. Vit. Moh. p. 118, 1

aith. If we forgive a part of you, we will punish a part, for that they have been wicked doers. Hypocritical men and women are the one of them of the other: they command that which is evil, and forbid that which is just, and shut their hands from giving alms. They have forgotten GOD; wherefore he hath forgotten them: verily the hypocrites are those who act wickedly. GOD denounceth unto the hypocrites, both men and women, and to the unbelievers, the fire of hell; they shall remain therein forever: this will be their sufficient reward; GOD hath cursed them, and they shall endure a lasting torment. 70 As they who have been before you, so are ye. They were superior to you in strength, and had more abundance of wealth and of children; and they enjoyed their portion in this world; and ye also enjoy your portion here, as they who have preceded you enjoyed their portion. And ye en

yria. Away! away!-which being told the prophet, he called them to him, and asked them why they had said so? Whereto they replied with an oath that they were not talking of what related to him or his companions, but were o

c. Sect. III. 6 Al Be

f infidelity, and became unbelievers after they had embraced Islam.r And they designed that which they could not effect;s and they did not disapprove the design for any other reason than because GOD and his apostle had enriched them of his bounty.t If they repent, it will be better for them; but if they relapse, GOD will punish them with a grievous torment, in this world and in the next; and they shall have no portion on earth, nor any protector. There are some of them who made a covenant with GOD, saying, Verily if he giv

was led by Ammar Ebn Yaser, hearing the tread of camels and the clashing of arms, gave the alarm, upon which they fled. Some, however, suppose the design here meant was a plot to expel Mohammed from Medina.10 t For Mohammed's residing at Medina was of great advantage to the place, the inhabitants being generally poor, and in want of most conveniences of life; but on the prophet's coming among them, they became possessed of large herds of cattle and money also. Al Beidawi says that the above-named al Jallas in particular, having a servant killed, received by Mohammed's order no less than ten thousand dirhems, or about three hundred pounds, as a fine for the redemption of his blood. u An instance of this is given in Thalaba Ebn Hateb, who came to Mohammed and desired him to beg of GOD that he would bestow riches on him. The prophet at first advised him rather to be thankful for the little he had than to co

sc. p. 75. 9 Al Beid

of GOD, and were unwilling to employ their substance and their persons for the advancement of GOD's true religion; and they said, Go not forth in the heat.z Say, the fire of hell will be hotter; if they understood this. Wherefore let them laugh little, and weep much, as a reward for that which they have done. If GOD bring thee back unto some of them,a and they ask thee leave to go forth to war with thee, say, Ye shall not go forth with me for the future, neither shall ye fight an enemy with me; ye were pleased with sitting at home the first time; sit ye at home therefore with those who stay behind. Neither do thou ever pray over any of them who shall die,

e last sickness of Abda'llah Ebn Obba, the hypocrite (who died in the ninth year of the Hejra), his son, named also Abda'llah, came and asked Mohammed to beg pardon of GOD for him, which he did, and thereupon the former part of this verse was revealed. But the prophet, not taking that for a repulse, said he would pray seventy times for him; upon which the latter part of the verse was revealed, declaring it would be absolutely in vain. It may be observed that the numbers seven, and seventy, and seven hundred, are frequently used by the eastern writers, to signify not so many precisely, but only an indefinite number, either greater or lesser,3 several examples of which are to be met with in the scripture.4 z This they spoke in a scoffing manner to one another, because, as has been observed, the expedition of Tab?c was undertaken in a very hot and dry season. a That is, if thou ret

3 Al Beidawi. 4 Matth. xvi

whom, when they came unto thee, requesting that thou wouldest supply them with necessaries for travelling, thou didst answer, I find not wherewith to supply you, returned, their eyes shedding tears for grief, that they found not wherewith to contribute to the expedition.g But there is reason to blame those who ask leave of thee to sit at home, when they are rich. They are pleased to be with those who stay behind, and GOD hath sealed up their hearts; wherefore they do not understand. They will excuse themselves unto you, when ye are returned unto them. Say, Excuse not yourselves; we will by no means believe you: GOD hath acquainted us with your behavior; and GOD will observe his actions, and his apostle also: and hereafter shall ye be brought before him who knoweth that which is hidden, and that which is manifest; and he will declare unto you that which ye have done. They will swear

verty; as those of Joheina, Mozeina, and Banu Odhra.4 g The persons here intended were seven men of the Ansars, who came to Mohammed and begged he would give them some patched boots and soled shoes, it being impossible for them to march so far barefoot in such a season; but he told them he could not supply them; whereupon they went away weeping. Some, however, say these were the Banu Mokren; and othe

em. 6 Idem. See the Pr

ivers; they shall remain therein forever. This shall be great felicity. And of the Arabs of the desert who dwell round about you, there are hypocritical persons:o and of the inhabitants of Medina there are some who are obstinate in hypocrisy. Thou knowest them not, O prophet, but we know them: we will surely punish them twice:p afterwards shall they be sent to a grievous torment. And others have acknowledged their crimes.q They have mixed a good action with another which is bad:r peradventure GOD will be turned unto them; for GOD is gracious and merciful. Take alms of their

ers of the Ansars were those who took the oath of fidelity to him at al Akaba, either the first or the second time.2 o i.e., In the neighbourhood of Medina. These were the tribes of Joheina, Mozeina, Aslam, Ashjá, and Ghifar.3 p Either by exposing them to public shame, and putting them to death; or by either of those punishments, and the torment of the sepulchre: or else by exacting alms of them by way of fine, and giving them corporal punishment.4 q Making no hypocritical excuses for them. These were certain men, who, having stayed at home instead of accompanying Mohammed to Tab?c, as soon as they heard the severe reprehensions and threats of this chapter against those who had stayed behind, bound themselves to the pillars of the mosque

dem. 3 Idem. 4 Id

forever. There is a temple founded on piety,y from the first day of its building. It is more just that thou stand up to pray therein: therein are men who love to be purified;z for GOD loveth the clean. 110 Whether therefore is he better, who hath founded his building on the fear of GOD and his good will; or he who hath founded his building on the brink of a bank of earth which is washed away by waters, so that it falleth with him into the fire of hell? God directeth not the ungodly people. Their building which they have built will not cease

e, he answered that he was just setting out on a journey, but that when he came back, with GOD'S leave, he would do what they desired; but when they applied to him again, on his return, this passage was revealed.1 x That is, Abu Amer, the monk, who was a declared enemy to Mohammed, having threatened him at Ohod, that no party should appear in the field against him, but he would make one of them; and, to be as good as his word, he continued to oppose him till the battle of Honein, at which he was present, and being put to flight with those of Hawazen, he retreated into Syria, designing to obtain a supply of troops from the Grecian emperor to renew the war, but he died at Kinnisr?n. Others say that this monk was a confederate at the war of the ditch, and that he fled thence into Syria.2 y viz., That of Koba, a place about two miles from Medina, where Mohammed rested four days before he entered that city, in his flight from Mecca, and where he laid the foundation of a mosque,3 which was afterwards built by Banu Amru Ebn Awf. But according to a different tradition, the mosque here meant was that

Moh. p. 52. Where the translator, taking this passage of the Koran, whi

mised unto him:d but when it became known unto him, that he was an enemy unto GOD, he declared himself clear of him.e Verily Abraham was pitiful and compassionate. Nor is GOD disposed to lead people into error,f after that he hath directed them, until that which they ought to avoid is become known unto them; for GOD knoweth all things. Verily unto GOD belongeth the kingdom of heaven and of earth; he giveth life, and he causeth to die; and ye have no patron or helper besides GOD. GOD is reconciled unto the prophet, and unto the Mohajer?n and the Ansars,g who followed him in the hour of

n. d viz., To pray that GOD would dispose his heart to repentance. Some suppose this was a promise made to Abraham by his father, that he would believe in GOD. For the words may be taken either way. e Desisting to pray for him, when he was assured by inspiration that he was not to be converted; or after he actually died an infidel. See c. 6, p. 96. f i.e., To consider or punish them as transgressors. This passage was revealed to excuse those who had prayed for such of their friends as had died idolaters, before it was forbidden; or else to excuse certain people who had ignorantly prayed towards the first Kebla, and drank wine, &c. g Having forgiven the crime they committed, in giving the hypocrites leave to be absent from the expedition to Tab?c; or for the other sins which they might, through inadvertence, have been guilty of. For the best men have need of repentance.2 h viz., I

See before, p. 147, note t. 5 Al Beidawi,

y sum either small or great, nor do they pass a valley; but it is written down unto them that GOD may reward them with a recompense exceeding that which they have wrought. The believers are not obliged to go forth to war altogether: if a part of every band of them go not forth, it is that they may diligently instruct themselves in their religion;l and may admonish their people, when they return unto them, that they may take heed to themselves. O true believers, wage war against such of the infidels as are near you;m and let them find severityn in you: and know that GOD is with those who fear him. Whenever a Sura is sent do

udy, and attain a more exact knowledge of the several points of their religion, so as to be able to instruct such as, by reason of their continual employment in the wars, have no other means of information. They say, that after the preceding passages were revealed, reprehending those who had stayed at home during the expedition of Tab?c, every man went to war, so that the study of religion, which is rather more necessary for the defence and propagation of the faith than even arms themselves, became wholly laid aside and neglected; to prevent which, for the future, a convenient number are hereby directed to be left behind, that they may have leisure to prosecute their studies. m Either of your kindred or neighbours

Al Be

wickedness; he is careful over you, and compassionate and merciful towards the believers. 130 If they turn back,

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