that worketh, whether of male or female, to be lost. The one of you is the
issue of the other.57
And they who have fled their country and quitted their homes and suffered in
my cause, and have fought and fallen, I will blot out their sins from them,
and I will bring them into gardens beneath which the streams do flow."
A recompense from God! and God! with His is the perfection of recompense!
Let not prosperity in the land58 on the part of those who believe not,
deceive thee. 'Tis but a brief enjoyment! Then shall Hell be their abode; and
wretched the bed!
But as to those who fear their Lord-for them are the gardens 'neath which the
rivers flow: therein shall they abide for aye. Such their reception with God-
and that which is with God is best for the righteous.
Among the people of the Book are those who believe in God, and in what He
hath sent down to you, and in what He hath sent down to them, humbling
themselves before God. They barter not the signs of God for a mean price.
These! their recompense awaiteth them with their Lord: aye! God is swift to
take account.
O ye who believe! be patient, and vie in patience, and be firm, and fear God,
that it may be well with you.
_______________________
1 Verses 1-87 probably belong to the period between the battle of Bedr and
Hej. 6.-Muhammad supposed Imran or Amran to be the father of the Virgin Mary
(Sura [cix.] lxvi. 12)-Mary and Elizabeth to be sisters; who, with Jesus,
John, and Zacharias, make up the family of Imran. It is difficult to avoid
the conclusion that Muhammad is guilty of the anachronism of confounding
Miriam with the Virgin Mary. On the other hand is the difficulty of
conceiving that as the sequence of time and fact is observed with tolerable
accuracy in regard to the main features of Jewish and Christian History, he
should have fallen into so serious an error, or have so inadvertently
adopted, as Mr. Muir supposes, the phraseology of his Jewish informants
(amongst whom the only well-known Mary (Miriam) was the daughter of Imran and
the sister of Moses) as to have overlooked the discrepancy in their
respective dates. But it is possible that Muhammad believed, as some Muslim
writers assert, that Miriam's soul and body were miraculously preserved till
the time of Jesus in order to become Mary his mother. Certainly the
Talmudists fabled that the Angel of Death and the worm of corruption had no
power over Miriam. Comp. Babha Bathra, 17. Jos. Ant. iv. 4, 6.
2 See note, p. 32.
3 See Sura xxi. 49, p. 154, n.
4 Lit. mother.
5 In the battle of Bedr, Muhammad, with 319 followers routed 1000 Meccans,
A.H. 2.
6 That is, knowledge, or revelation, became the cause of disputings.
7 That is, will ye receive Islam? The Ummiin, or common folk, the heathen
Arabians destitute of Revelation. In the earliest extant biography of
Muhammad by Ibn Ishaq, we find these words addressed by Zaid, previous to the
assumption of the prophetic office by Muhammad, to the Koreisch. This is one
of the facts which shew that the way was to a great extent prepared for
Islam. This whole address of Zaid's-which contains not less than six passages
afterwards repeated in the Koran-may be seen in Dr. Sprenger's Life of M. p.
42. The instances of others who had learned to disbelieve in idolatry, and
had either become Jews or Christians, or held their minds in suspense, might
easily be multiplied. Comp. Sharastani, p. 437. Masudi, ch. 6.
8 The King of the Kingdom, or, Lord of Might. This verse and the following
are either fragments of some lost Sura, or belonging to one of the Meccan
Suras. At any rate, they are misplaced, interrupting as they do the
connection of the preceding and subsequent verses.
9 The wife of Imran is Hannah or Anne. Comp. Protev. Jac. iv. [greek text].-
Evang. de Nat. Mar. 1: Voverunt tamen (Mari‘ parentes) si forte donaret eis
Deus sobolem, eam se Dni servitio mancipaturos.-Although Muhammad had no
direct access to the Apocryphal Gospels, yet these may have influenced, or at
any rate, contained much in common with, the ordinary traditions of S. Syria.
And of this, the Immaculate Conception of the B. V. Mary, supposed by Gibbon
(ch. 50) to have been "borrowed from the Koran," probably formed a part.
10 That is, the female could not become a priest.
11 See note, p. 114.
12 According to a tradition of Muhammad every new-born child is touched by
Satan, with the exception of Mary and her Son, between whom and Satan God
interposed a veil. (Djelal. Beidh.) Hence this passage may imply the
Immaculate Conception of the B. V. Mary. See v. 37 below.
13 Evang. de Nat. Mar. 7: Quotidie ab angelis frequentabatur, quotidie divinâ
visione fruebatur, queam a malis omnibus custodiebat et bonis omnibus
redundare faciebat. Protev. Jac. 8: [greek text]. Hist. Nativ. Mar. 6:
Quotidie escâ, quam de manu angeli accipiebat, ipsâ tantum reficiebatur.
14 The word rendered descendants is a collective noun. Gerock (p. 20) thinks
that Zacharias' prayer was not for a son of his own, but for an adopted son-
as, for instance, the future husband of Mary who might become his heir, and
hence accounts for his surprise and unbelief at the announcement of John.
15 Lit. chamber. By this may be meant an [greek text] of the Temple Comp.
Luke i. 21.
16 Luke i. 28.
17 Hist. de Nativ. Mar. 6: Abierunt simul Joachim et Anna uxor ejus ad
templum domini, et . . . tradiderunt . . . Mariam in contubernio virginum qu‘
die noctuque in Dei laudibus manebant.
18 These reeds, say the commentators, were written over with passages from
the law, and cast into Jordan. That of Zacharias alone swam, and was the
token that the charge of Mary was to devolve on him. Others render, their
divining arrows. See a detailed account of the manner in which this matter
was settled by [greek text], virgae, in Protev. Jac. Thilo. p. 204. Hist.
Nat. Mar. ib. p. 359 sqq.
19 Ar. El-Mesich Isa ben Mariam, illustrious in this world as a Prophet, in
the next as an Intercessor. Beidh.
20 Evang. Thom‘, ch. 2 (Thilo. p. 281) and Evang. Infantiæ Arab. ch. 36, 46.
(Thilo. p. 111, 123.)
20-21a (0) Addenda: Lit. who my helpers unto God? i.e., helpers of his
religion (Beidh). If Muhammad had become, by any means, acquainted with the
use of the Æth. radeh, helper or disciple, we have herein a probable
interpretation of this passage, as well as of the word Ansar.
21 See Sura [cxiv.] v. 111.
22 Muhammad probably believed that God took the dead body of Jesus to Heaven-
for three hours according to some-while the Jews crucified a man who
resembled him. Sura [c.] iv. 156. The word motewaffika (comp. Sura [lxxx.]
xxxix. 156) means, in speaking of God, to cause to die, take to himself. It
would also seem from Sura [lviii.] xix. 34, that Muhammad supposed Jesus to
have died a natural death, though it is nowhere said how long he continued in
that state. The Muhammadans believe that Jesus on his return to earth at the
end of the world will slay the Antichrist, die, and be raised again. A vacant
place is reserved for his body in the Prophet's tomb at Medina. See Lieut.
Burton's Pilgrimage, vol. ii.
23 Lit. verily the similitude or analogy of Isa is as the similitude or
analogy of Adam, i.e. neither of them had a human father.
24 This refers to an embassy from the Christians in Nedjran in Arabia, with
their Bishop, Abu Hareth, at their head, to Muhammad at Medina, who had now
acquired political power. The embassy declined to be parties to the strange
mode of settling the dispute here proposed, but consented to pay tribute on
condition of not being molested in their religion or lands.
25 If this be not a mere figure of speech, it must mean let us call over and
curse the names, the persons being at a distance.
26 As the Christians do their Bishops and Priests.
27 Whether he were a Jew or Christian.
28 About Moses and Jesus, and their respective faiths.
29 See Sura xvi. 121, p. 209, note.
30 Muhammad insinuates that the claim to be equal with God could never have
been made by Jesus himself, but by his followers, in ignorance of the
Scriptures and of his true nature.
31 That is, to call them rabb-a title due only to God.
32 Assembled on Mount Sinai. Compare the Jewish legend, that all the
prophets, even those who were not yet born, were present on Mount Sinai, when
God gave the law to Moses. See Shemoth Rabba. Parashah 28, according to
which, not only the Prophets but the Rabbis of every generation, were present
at the giving of the Law.
33 Becca, place of crowding, i.e. Mecca. This sentence, together with other
Suras-the Cave, Mary, Imran, Repentance, T, H, are woven into the Kiswah or
covering of the Caaba, which is renewed annually.
34 The Makam Ibrahim (praying place of Abraham) is a small building supported
by six pillars about 8 ft. high, four of which are surrounded from top to
bottom by a fine iron railing, while they leave the space between the two
hind pillars open; within the railing is a frame about 5 ft. square, said to
contain the sacred stone on which Ibrahim stood when he built the Caaba.
Burckhardt. Lieut. Burton (Pilgrimage, iii. 336) says that as the Arab
tradition speaks clearly and consistently as to the fact of Abraham having
visited Mecca to build the Caaba, it may be considered an open question. Thus
also Dr. G. W. Freytag (Einl.).
35 The Koran.
36 Or, they are smitten with. Sale. S'etendra comme une tente. Kas.
37 This probably refers to the battle of Ohod.
38 The Arabic word occurs at verse 13 of horses as known by certain marks. So
here these angels would be known by their accoutrements, etc.
39 This and the following verses to 154 were probably revealed shortly after
the reverse of Ohod.
40 This verse and xxxix. 31 (p.257) were recited at Muhammad's death by Abu
Bekr, in order to convince Omar and the other Muslims of the possibility of
that event. It has been supposed that these passages were invented by Abu
Bekr on this occasion, and inserted into the Koran. But this is more than
doubtful. See Nöldeke, pp. 199-201.
41 That is, return to idolatry. A report had been spread in the battle of
Ohod that Muhammad had been slain.
42 Lit. according to a writing (i.e. of God) definite. The Rabbins also teach
(Com. Tract. Rosch. Haschanah) that there are books in which God has written
down the lifetime of every individual. Lit. No soul can die.
43 Lit. and their saying was no other than that they said.
44 To relapse into infidelity. The Koreisch attempted to seduce the Muslims
to renounce their faith after the battle of Ohod.
45 The command to abstain from taking the spoils. This disobedience turned
the scale of victory against the Muslims.
46 Victory and plunder.
47 Some took to flight, others stood firm, and were not careful of their
lives.
48 That is, in confused rout.
49 Muhammad had been accused of having secretly appropriated a portion of the
spoil.
50 At Ohod.
51 See Sura [xci.] ii. 149.
52 At Ohod; lit. wound.
53 Lit. that Satan. Said to refer to Noaim, or Abu Sofian, the leader of the
Koreisch.
54 This is an answer to the taunt that Muhammad could not distinguish true
believers from hypocrites.
55 This was the taunt of the Jews of the tribe of Kainoka, when Muhammad
demanded tribute of them in the name of God.
56 That is, who rejoice in their successful corruptions of their own sacred
books, especially the testimony of Moses to Muhammad, and in their own
fancied righteousness. Thus some of the commentators.
57 Lit. some of you are from others. These words were occasioned by one of
the Prophet's wives having told him that God often praised the men, but not
the women, who had fled their country for the faith. Beidh.
58 Lit. their movements, their comings and goings. Hence, the success of the
Meccans in their trading journeys. This may point to the comparative freedom
from trade and general independence of the Meccans after the affair at Ohod.
SURA LXI.-BATTLE ARRAY [XCVIII.]
MEDINA.-14 Verses
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
ALL that is in the Heavens and all that is on the Earth praiseth God. He is
the Mighty, the Wise!
Believers! why profess ye that which ye practise not?1
Most hateful is it to God that ye say that which ye do not.
Verily God loveth those who, as though they were a solid wall, do battle for
his cause in serried lines!
And bear in mind when Moses said to his people, "Why grieve ye me, O my
people, when ye know that I am God's apostle unto you?" And when they went
astray, God led their hearts astray; for God guideth not a perverse people:
And remember when Jesus the son of Mary said, "O children of Israel! of a
truth I am God's apostle to you to confirm the law which was given before me,
and to announce an apostle that shall come after me whose name shall be
Ahmad!"2 But when he (Ahmad) presented himself with clear proofs of his
mission, they said, "This is manifest sorcery!"
But who more impious than he who when called to Islam deviseth a falsehood
concerning God? God guideth not the wicked!
Fain would they put out the light of God with their mouths! but though the
Infidels hate it, God will perfect his light.
He it is who hath sent his apostle with guidance and the religion of truth,
that, though they hate it who join other gods with God, He may make it
victorious over every other religion.
O ye who believe! shall I shew you a merchandise that shall deliver you from
the sore torment?
Believe in God and his apostle, and do valiantly in the cause of God with
your wealth and with your persons! This, did ye but know it, will be best for
you.
Your sins will He forgive you, and He will bring you into gardens beneath
whose shades the rivers flow-into charming abodes in the gardens of Eden:
This shall be the great bliss.-
And other things which ye desire will he bestow, Help from God and speedy
conquest!3 Bear thou these tidings to the faithful.
O ye who believe! be helpers (ansars) of God; as said Jesus the son of Mary
to his apostles, "Who will come to the help of God?" "We," said the apostles,
"will be helpers of God." And a part of the children of Israel believed, and
a part believed not. But to those who believed gave we the upperhand over
their foes, and soon did they prove victorious.
_______________________
1 Addressed to the Muslims who had turned their backs to the enemy at Ohod.
2 Muhammad had no doubt heard that Jesus had promised a Paracletos, John xvi.
7. This title, understood by him, probably from the similarity of sound, as
equivalent to Periclytos, he applied to himself with reference to his own
name Muhammad (i.e. praised, glorified) from the same root and of the same
meaning as Ahmad, also one of the Prophet's names. It may be here remarked
that the name Muhammad, if pronounced Muhammed, "might be understood by an
Arab in an active instead of a passive sense." (Lane, Kor. p. 52.) Other
passages of Scripture understood by Muslims of their Prophet are Deut.
xxxiii. 2, where Paran is said to mean Islam; Isai. xxi. 6, where the "rider
on the ass" is Jesus, the "rider on the camel" Muhammad; Matt. xx. 1-16,
where the morning, noon, and even are Judaism, Christianity, and Islam; John
iv. 21; 1 John iv. 2, 3, where Muhammad is said to be "the spirit that is of
God," because he proclaimed that Jesus was a true man and not God.
3 If this allude to a meditated attack on the Banu Nadir (see Sura [cii.]
lix.) we have a clue to the probable date of the Sura. The promise, however,
may be general. But the tone of verse 9 evidently points to a period when, as
at Medina, the prospects of Islam were becoming hopeful.
SURA LVII.-IRON [XCIX.]
MEDINA.1-29 Verses
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
ALL that is in the Heavens and in the Earth praiseth God, and He is the
Mighty, the Wise!
His the Kingdom of the Heavens and of the Earth; He maketh alive and killeth;
and He hath power over all things!
He is the first and the last; the Seen and the Hidden;2 and He knoweth all
things!
It is He who in six days created the Heavens and the Earth, then ascended His
throne. He knoweth that which entereth the earth, and that which goeth forth
from it, and what cometh down from Heaven, and what mounteth up to it; and
wherever ye are, He is with you; and God beholdeth all your actions!
His the kingdom of the Heavens and the Earth; and to God shall all things
return!
He causeth the night to pass into the day, and He causeth the day to pass
into the night: and He knoweth the very secrets of the bosom!
Believe in God and his apostle, and bestow in alms of that whereof God hath
made you heirs: for whoever among you believe and give alms-their's shall be
a great recompense.
What hath come to you that ye believe not in God, although the apostle
exhorteth you to believe in your Lord, and He hath accepted your alliance-if
ye are true believers?
He it is who hath sent down clear tokens upon His servant, that He may bring
you out of darkness into light; and truly, Kind, Merciful to you is God.
And what hath come to you that ye expend not for the cause of God? since the
heritage of the Heavens and of the Earth is God's only! Those among you who
contributed before the victory, and fought, shall be differently treated from
certain others among you! Such shall have a nobler grade than those who
contributed and fought after it. But a goodly recompense hath God promised to
all; and God is fully informed of your actions.
Who is he that will lend a generous loan to God? So will He double it to him,
and he shall have a noble reward.
One day thou shalt see the believers, men and women, with their light running
before them, and on their right hand.3 The angels shall say to them, "Good
tidings for you this day of gardens beneath whose shades the rivers flow, in
which ye shall abide for ever!" This the great bliss!
On that day the hypocrites, both men and women, shall say to those who
believe, "Tarry for us, that we may kindle our light at yours." It shall be
said, "Return ye back, and seek light for yourselves." But between them shall
be set a wall with a gateway, within which shall be the Mercy, and in front,
without it, the Torment. They shall cry to them, "Were we not with you?" They
shall say, "Yes! but ye led yourselves into temptation, and ye delayed, and
ye doubted, and the good things ye craved deceived you, till the doom of God
arrived:-and the deceiver deceived you in regard to God."
On that day, therefore, no ransom shall be taken from you or from those who
believe not:-your abode the fire!-This shall be your master!4 and wretched
the journey thither!
Hath not the time come, for those who believe, to humble their hearts at the
warning of God and at the truth which he hath sent down? and that they be not
as those to whom the Scriptures were given heretofore, whose lifetime was
prolonged, but whose hearts were hardened, and many of them were perverse?
Know that God quickeneth the earth after its death! Now have we made these
signs clear to you, that ye may understand.
Verily, they who give alms, both men and women, and they who lend a generous
loan to God,-doubled shall it be to them-and they shall have a noble
recompense.
And they who believed in God and his apostle are the men of truth, and the
witnesses in the presence of their Lord;5 They shall have their recompense
and their light: But as for the infidels, and those who give the lie to our
signs, these shall be the inmates of Hell.
Know ye that this world's life is only a sport, and pastime, and show, and a
cause of vainglory among you! And the multiplying of riches and children is
like the plants which spring up after rain-Their growth rejoiceth the
husband-man; then they wither away, and thou seest them all yellow; then they
become stubble. And in the next life is a severe chastisement,
Or else pardon from God and His satisfaction: and this world's life is but a
cheating fruition.6
Vie in hasting after pardon from your Lord, and Paradise-whose outspread is
as the outspread of the Heaven and of the Earth: Prepared is it for those who
believe in God and His apostles: Such is the bounty of God: to whom He will
He giveth it: and of immense bounty is God!
No mischance chanceth either on earth or in your own persons, but ere we
created them, it was in the Book;7-for easy is this to God-
Lest ye distress yourselves if good things escape you, and be over joyous for
what falleth to your share. God loveth not the presumptuous, the boaster,
Who are covetous themselves and incite others to covetousness. But whose
turneth away from almsgiving-Ah! God is the Rich, the Praiseworthy.
We have sent our apostles with the clear tokens, and we have caused the Book
and the balance8 to descend with them, that men might observe fairness. And
we have sent down IRON. Dire evil9 resideth in it, as well as advantage, to
mankind! God would know who will assist Him and his apostle in secret.
Verily, God is Powerful, Strong.
And of old sent we Noah and Abraham, and on their seed conferred the gift of
prophecy, and the Book; and some of them we guided aright; but many were evil
doers.
Then we caused our apostles to follow in their footsteps; and we caused Jesus
the son of Mary to follow them; and we gave him the Evangel,10 and we put
into the hearts of those who followed him kindness and compassion: but as to
the monastic life, they invented it themselves. The desire only of pleasing
God did we prescribe to them, and this they observed not as it ought to have
been observed: but to such of them as believed gave we their reward, though
many of them were perverse.
O ye who believe! fear God and believe in his apostle: two portions of his
mercy will He give you. He will bestow on you light to walk in, and He will
forgive you: for God is Forgiving, Merciful;
That the people of the Book may know that they have no control over aught of
the favours of God, and that these gifts of grace11 are in the hands of God,
and that He vouchsafeth them to whom he will; for God is of immense bounty.
_______________________
1 The general tone of this Sura shews it to have been revealed at Medina, and
from verse 22 it may be inferred that its true date lies between the battle
of Ohod and the battle of the Ditch.
2 Lit. the exterior and the interior.
3 To guide them on their route to paradise.
4 Patronus. Mar. Beschutzer. Ullm. Or, what ye have deserved.
5 Against the infidels.
6 Supellex deceptionis. Mar.
7 Of our eternal decrees.
8 Brought by Gabriel to Noah, who imparted its use to his posterity. So say
the commentators. But the expression seems rather to be figurative. Comp.
Sura lv. 6, p. 74.
9 Or, mighty warlike strength, but the antithesis requires the rendering
given in the text. Comp. Gen. iv. 22, and Michna Tr. Aboth, 5, 9.
10 We are not to understand by the word Evangel the actual volume of the New
Testament, or any one of its component parts, but rather the revelation made
to Jesus by God himself, which Muhammad may have imagined to have been
committed to writing subsequently, in the same way as his own Koran.
11 The word in the original is the same for favours, gifts of grace, bounty.
The reference is to the gift of prophecy (Beidh.) mentioned verse 27.
SURA IV.-WOMEN1 [C.]
MEDINA.-175 Verses
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
O MEN! fear your Lord, who hath created you of one man (nafs, soul), and of
him created his wife, and from these twain hath spread abroad so many men and
WOMEN. And fear ye God, in whose name ye ask mutual favours,-and reverence
the wombs that bare you. Verily is God watching over you!
And give to the orphans their property; substitute not worthless things of
your own for their valuable ones, and devour not their property after adding
it to your own; for this is a great crime.
And if ye are apprehensive that ye shall not deal fairly with orphans, then,
of other women who seem good in your eyes, marry but two, or three, or four;2
and if ye still fear that ye shall not act equitably, then one only; or the
slaves whom ye have acquired: this will make justice on your part easier.
Give women their dowry freely; but if of themselves they give up aught
thereof to you, then enjoy it as convenient, and profitable:
And entrust not to the incapable the substance which God hath placed with you
for their support; but maintain them therewith, and clothe them, and speak to
them with kindly speech.