ENTITLED, HUD;t REVEALED AT MECCA.
IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD.
AL. R.u THIS book, the verses whereof are guarded against corruption,
and are also distinctly explained,y is a revelation from the wise, the knowing
God:
that ye serve not any other GOD: (verily I am a denouncer of threats, and
a bearer of good tidings unto you from him;)
t The story of which prophet is repeated in this chapter.
u See the Prelim. Disc. p. 46, &c.
x According to the various senses which the verb ohkimat, in the
original, may bear, the commentators suggest as many different
interpretations. Some suppose the meaning to be, according to our version,
that the Korân is not liable to be corrupted,1 as the law and the gospel have
been, in the opinion of the Mohammedans; others, that every verse in this
particular chapter is in full force, and not one of them abrogated; others,
that the verses of the Korân are disposed in a clear and perspicuous method,
or contain evident and demonstrative arguments; and others, that they comprise
judicial declarations, to regulate both faith and practice.2
y The signification of the verb fossilat, which is here used, being
also ambiguous, the meaning of this passage is supposed to be, either that the
verses are distinctly proposed or expressed in a clear manner; or that the
subject matter of the whole may be distinguished or divided into laws,
monitions, and examples; or else that the verses were revealed by parcels.
1 See the Prelim. Disc. p. 53. 2 Al Beidâwi,
Jallalo'ddin, al Zamakhshari, &c.
and that ye ask pardon of your LORD, and then be turned unto him. He
will cause you to enjoy a plentiful provision, until a prefixed time: and unto
every one that hath merit by good works will he give his abundant reward. But
if ye turn back, verily I fear for you the punishment of the great day:
unto GOD shall ye return; and he is almighty.
Do they not double the folds of their breasts,z that they may conceal
their designs from him?
When they cover themselves with their garments, doth not he know that
which they conceal, and that which they discover?
For he knoweth the innermost parts of the breasts of men.a
There is no creature which creepeth on the earth, but GOD provideth its
food; and he knoweth the place of its retreat, and where it is laid up.b The
whole is written in the perspicuous book of his decrees.
It is he who hath created the heavens and the earth in six days, (but his
throne was above the waters before the creation thereof),c that he might prove
you, and see which of you would excel in works.
10 If thou say, Ye shall surely be raised again, after death; the
unbelievers will say, This is nothing but manifest sorcery.
And verily if we defer their punishment unto a determined season, they
will say, What hindereth it from falling on us? Will it not come upon them on
a day, wherein there shall be none to avert it from them; and that which they
scoffed at shall encompass them?
Verily, if we cause man to taste mercy from us, and afterwards take it
away from him; he will surely become desperate,d and ungrateful.
And if we cause him to taste favor, after an affliction hath befallen
him, he will surely say, The evils which I suffered are passed from me, and he
will become joyful and insolent:
except those who persevere with patience, and do that which is right;
they shall receive pardon, and a great reward.
Peradventure thou wilt omit to publish part of that which hath been
revealed unto thee, and thy breast will become straitened, lest they say,
Unless a treasure be sent down unto him, or an angel come with him, to bear
witness unto him, we will not believe. Verily thou art a preacher only; and
GOD is the governor of all things.
Will they say, He hath forged the Koran? Answer, Bring therefore ten
chapterse like unto it, forged by yourselves: and call on whomsoever ye may to
assist you, except GOD, if ye speak truth.
z Or, as it may be translated, Do they not turn away their breasts, &c.
a This passage was occasioned by the words of certain of the idolaters,
who said to one another, When we let down our curtains (such as the women use
in the east to screen themselves from the sight of the men when they happen to
be in the room), and wrap ourselves up in our garments, and fold up our
breasts, to conceal our malice against Mohammed, how should he come to the
knowledge of it? Some suppose the passage relates to certain hypocritical
Moslems; but this opinion is generally rejected, because the verse was
revealed at Mecca, and the birth of hypocrisy among the Mohammedans happened
not till after the Hejra.
b i.e., Both during its life and after its death; or the repository of
every animal, before its birth, in the loins and wombs of the parents.
c For the Mohammedans suppose this throne, and the waters whereon it
stands, which waters they imagine are supported by a spirit or wind, were,
with some other things, created before the heavens and earth. This fancy they
borrowed from the Jews, who also say that the throne of glory then stood in
the air, and was borne on the face of the waters, by the breath of GOD'S
mouth.1
d Casting aside all hopes of the divine favour, for want of patience
and trust in GOD.
e This was the number which he first challenged them to compose; but
they not being able to do it, he made the matter still easier, challenging
them to produce a single chapter only,2 comparable to the Korân in doctrine
and eloquence.
1 Rashi, ad Gen. i. 2. Vide Reland. de Relig. Moh. p. 50, &c.
2 See c. 2, p. 3; c. 10, p. 153, &c.
But if they whom ye call to your assistance hear you not; know that this
book hath been revealed by the knowledge of GOD only,f and that there is no
GOD but he. Will ye therefore become Moslems?
Whoso chooseth the present life, and the pomp thereof, unto them will we
give the recompense of their works therein, and the same shall not be
diminished unto them.
These are they for whom no other reward is prepared in the next life,
except the fire of hell: that which they have done in this life shall perish;
and that which they have wrought shall be vain.
20 Shall he therefore be compared with them, who followeth the evident
declaration of his LORD, and whom a witness from himg attendeth, preceded by
the book of Moses,h which was revealed for a guide, and out of mercy to
mankind? These believe in the Koran: but whosoever of the confederate
infidels believeth not therein, is threatened the fire of hell, which threat
shall certainly be executed: be not therefore in a doubt concerning it; for it
is the truth from thy LORD: but the greater part of men will not believe.
Who is more unjust than he who imagineth a lie concerning GOD? They
shall be set before the LORD, at the day of judgment, and the witnessesi shall
say, These are they who devised lies against their LORD. Shall not the curse
of GOD fall on the unjust;
who turn men aside from the way of GOD, and seek to render it crooked,
and who believe not in the life to come? These were not able to prevail
against God on earth, so as to escape punishment; neither had they any
protectors besides GOD: their punishment shall be doubled unto them.k They
could not hear, neither did they see
These are they who have lost their souls; and the idols which they
falsely imagined have abandoned them.
There is no doubt but they shall be most miserable in the world to come.
But as for those who believe and do good works, and humble themselves
before their LORD, they shall be the inhabitants of paradise; they shall
remain therein forever.
The similitude of the two partiesl is as the blind and the deaf, and as
he who seeth and heareth: shall they be compared as equal? Will ye not
therefore consider?
We formerly sent Noahm unto his people; and he said, Verily I am a public
preacher unto you;
that ye worship GOD alone; verily I fear for you the punishment of the
terrible day.
But the chiefs of the people, who believed not, answered, We see thee to
be no other than a man, like unto us; and we do not see that any follow thee,
except those who are the most abject among us, who have believed on thee by a
rash judgment;n neither do we perceive any excellence in you above us: but we
esteem you to be liars.
30 Noah said, O my people, tell me; if I have received an evident
declaration from my LORD, and he hath bestowed on me mercy from himself, which
is hidden from you, do we compel you to receive the same, in case ye be averse
thereto?
f Or containing several passages wrapped up in dark and mysterious
expressions, which can proceed from and are perfectly comprehended by none but
GOD.3
g The Korân; or, as others suppose, the angel Gabriel.
h Which bears testimony thereto.
i That is, the angels, and prophets, and their own members.
k For they shall be punished both in this life and in the next.
l i.e., The believers and the infidels.
m See chapter 7, p. 110, &c.
n For want of mature consideration, and moved by the first impulse of
their fancy.
3 See c. 3, p. 32.
O my people, I ask not of you riches, for my preaching unto you: my
reward is with GOD alone. I will not drive away those who have believed:o
verily they shall meet their LORD, at the resurrection; but I perceive that ye
are ignorant men.
O my people, who shall assist me against GOD, if I drive them away? Will
ye not therefore consider?
I say not unto you, The treasures of GOD are in my power; neither do I
say, I know the secrets of God: neither do I say, Verily I am an angel;p
neither do I say of those whom your eyes do contemn, GOD will by no means
bestow good on them: (GOD best knoweth that which is in their souls;) for then
should I certainly be one of the unjust.
They answered, O Noah, thou hast already disputed with us, and hast
multiplied disputes with us; now therefore do thou bring that punishment upon
us wherewith thou hast threatened us, if thou speakest truth.
Noah said, Verily GOD alone shall bring it upon you, if he pleaseth; and
ye shall not prevail against him, so as to escape the same.
Neither shall my counsel profit you, although I endeavor to counsel you
aright, if GOD shall please to lead you into error. He is your LORD, and unto
him shall ye return.
Will the Meccans say, Mohammed hath forged the Koran? Answer, If I have
forged it, on me be my guilt: and let me be clear of that which ye are guilty
of.
And it was revealed unto Noah, saying, Verily none of thy people shall
believe, except he who hath already believed: be not therefore grieved, for
that which they are doing.
But make an ark in our presence, according to the form and dimensions
which we have revealed unto thee: and speak not unto me in behalf of those who
have acted unjustly; for they are doomed to be drowned.
40 And he built the ark; and so often as a company of his people passed by
him, they derided him:q but he said, Though ye scoff at us now, we will scoff
at you hereafter, as ye scoff at us; and ye shall surely know
on whom a punishment shall be inflicted, which shall cover him with
shame, and on whom a lasting punishment shall fall.
o For this they asked him to do, because they were poor mean people.
The same thing the Koreish demanded of Mohammed, but he was forbidden to
comply with their request.1
p See chapter 6, p. 93.
q For building a vessel in an inland country, and so far from the sea;
and for that he was turned carpenter after he had set up for a prophet.2
1 See cap. 6, p. 93. 2 Al Beidâwi. 3 Idem.
4 Jallalo'ddin, &c. 5 Vide D'Herbelot, Bibl. Orient. Art.
Noah. 6 Vide Hyde, de Rel. Vet. Persar, and Lord's Account of the
Relig. of the Persees, p. 9.
Thus were they employed until our sentence was put in execution, and the
oven poured forth water.r And we said unto Noah, Carry into the ark of every
species of animals one pair;s and thy family,t (except him on whom a previous
sentence of destruction hath passed),u and those who believe.x But there
believed not with him except a few.y
And Noah said, Embark thereon, in the name of GOD; while it moveth
forward, and while it standeth still;z for my LORD is gracious and merciful.
And the ark swam with them between waves like mountains:a and Noah called
unto his son,b who was separated from him, saying, Embark with us, my son, and
stay not with the unbelievers.
He answered, I will get on a mountain, which will secure me from the
water. Noah replied, There is no security this day from the decree of GOD,
except for him on whom he shall have mercy. And a wave passed between them,
and he became one of those who were drowned.
r Or, as the original literally signifies, boiled over; which is
consonant to what the Rabbins say, that the waters of the Deluge were boiling
hot.
This oven was, as some say, at Cûfa, in a spot whereon a mosque now
stands; or, as others rather think, in a certain place in India, or else at
Ain warda in Mesopotamia;3 and its exundation was the sign by which Noah knew
the flood was coming.4 Some pretend that it was the same oven which Eve made
use of to bake her bread in, being of a form different from those we use,
having the mouth in the upper part, and that it descended from patriarch to
patriarch, till it came to Noah.5 It is remarkable that Mohammed, in all
probability, borrowed this circumstance from the Persian Magi, who also
fancied that the first waters of the Deluge gushed out of the oven of a
certain old woman named Zala Cûfa.6
But the word tannûr, which is here translated oven, also signifying the
superficies of the earth, or a place whence waters spring forth, or where they
are collected, some suppose it means no more in this passage than the spot or
fissure whence the first eruption of waters brake forth.
s Or, as the words may also be rendered, and some commentators think
they ought, two pair, that is, two males and two females of each species;
wherein they partly agree with divers Jewish and Christian writers,1 who from
the Hebrew expression, seven and seven and two and two, the male and his
female,2 suppose there went into the ark fourteen pair of every clean, and two
pair of every unclean species. There is a tradition that GOD gathered
together unto Noah all sorts of beasts, birds, and other animals (it being
indeed difficult to conceive how he should come by them all without some
supernatural assistance), and that as he laid hold on them, his right hand
constantly fell on the male, and his left on the female.3
t Namely, thy wife, and thy sons and their wives.4
u This was an unbelieving son of Noah,5 named Canaan,6 or Yam;7 though
others say he was not the son of Noah, but his grandson by his son Ham, or his
wife's son by another husband; nay, some pretend he was related to him no
farther than by having been educated and brought up in his house.8 The best
commentators add, that Noah's wife, named Wâïla, who was n infidel, was also
comprehended in this exception, and perished with her son.9
x Noah's family being mentioned before, it is supposed that by these
words are intended the other believers, who were his proselytes, but not of
his family: whence the common opinion among the Mohammedans, of a greater
number than eight being saved in the ark, seems to have taken its rise.10
y viz., His other wife, who was a true believer, his three sons, Shem,
Ham, and Japhet, and their wives, and seventy-two persons more.11
z That is, omit no opportunity of getting on board. According to a
different reading, the latter words may be rendered, Who shall cause it to
move forward, and to stop, as there shall be occasion. The commentators tell
us that the ark moved forwards, or stood still, as Noah would have it, on his
pronouncing only the words, In the name of GOD.12
It is to be observed that the more judicious commentators make the
dimensions of the ark to be the same with those assigned by Moses:13
Notwithstanding, others have enlarged them most extravagantly,14 as some
Christian writers15 have also done. They likewise tell us that Noah was two
years in building the ark, which was framed of Indian plane-tree,16 that it
was divided into three stories, of which the lower was designed for the
beasts, the middle one for the men and women, and the upper for the birds;17
and that the men were separated from the women by the body of Adam, which Noah
had taken into the ark.18 This last is a tradition of the eastern
Christians,19 some of whom pretend that the matrimonial duty was superseded
and suspended during the time Noah and his family were in the ark;20 though
Ham has been accused of not observing continency on that occasion, his wife,
it seems, bringing forth Caanan in the very ark.21
a The waters prevailing fifteen cubits above the mountains.22
b See above, note u.
1 Aben Ezra, Justin Martyr, Origen, &c. 2 Gen. vii. 2.
3 Jallalo'ddin. 4 Al Beidâwi. 5 Yahya. 6
Jallalo'ddin, al Beidâwi. 7 Ebn Shohnah. 8 Al Zamakhshari.
Vide D'Herbel. Bibl. Orient. p. 676. 9 Jallalo'ddin, al
Zamakhshari, al Beidâwi. 10 See c. 7, p. 111. 11 See
ibid. note x. 12 Al Beidâwi, &c. 13 Idem, &c.
14 Yahya. Vide Marracc. in Alcor. p. 340.
15 Origen. Contr. Cels. l. 4. Vide Kircher. de Arca Noe, c. 8. 16 Al
Beidâwi. Vide D'Herbel. p. 675, and Eutych. p. 34.
17 Al Beidâwi. Vide Eutych. Annal. p. 34. 18 Yahya. 19
Jacob, Edessenus, apud Barcepham de Parad. part i. c. 14. Eutych. ubi sup.
Vide etiam Eliezer. pirke c. 23. 20 Ambros. de Noa et Arca, c. 21.
21 Vide Heidegger. Hist. Patriarchar. vol. i. p. 409.
22 Al Beidâwi.
And it was said, O earth, swallow up thy waters, and thou, O heaven,
withhold thy rain. And immediately the water abated, and the decree was
fulfilled, and the ark rested on the mountain Al Judi;c and it was said, Away
with the ungodly people!
And Noah called upon his LORD, and said, O LORD, verily my son is of my
family, and thy promise is true;d for thou art the most just of those who
exercise judgment.
God answered, O Noah, verily he is not of thy family;e this intercession
of thine for him is not a righteous work.f Ask not of me therefore that
wherein thou hast no knowledge: I admonish thee that thou become not one of
the ignorant.
Noah said, O LORD, I have recourse unto thee for the assistance of thy
grace, that I ask not of thee that wherein I have no knowledge; and unless
thou forgive me, and be merciful unto me, I shall be one of those who perish.
50 It was said unto him, O Noah, come down from the ark,g with peace from
us, and blessings upon thee, and upon part of those who are with thee:h but as
for a part of them,i we will suffer them to enjoy the provision of this world;
and afterwards shall a grievous punishment from us be inflicted on them, in
the life to come.
This is a secret history, which we reveal unto thee: thou didst not know
it, neither did thy people, before this. Wherefore persevere with patience:
for the prosperous issue shall attend the pious.
And unto the tribe of Ad we sent their brother Hud.k He said, O my
people, worship GOD; ye have no GOD besides him: ye only imagine falsehood, in
setting up idols and intercessors of your own making.
c This mountain is one of those which divide Armenia, on the south,
from Mesopotamia, and that part of Assyria which is inhabited by the Curds,
from whom the mountains took the name of Cardu, or Gardu, by the Greeks turned
into Gordyæi, and other names.1 Mount al Jûdi (which name seems to be a
corruption, though it be constantly so written by the Arabs, for Jordi, or
Giordi) is also called Thamanin,2 probably from a town at the foot of it,3 so
named from the number of persons saved in the ark, the word thamanin
signifying eighty, and overlooks the country of Diyâr Rabîah, near the cities
of Mawsel, Forda, and Jazîrat Ebn Omar, which last place one affirms to be but
four miles from the place of the ark, and says that a Mohammedan temple was
built there with the remains of that vessel, by the Khalif Omar Ebn
Abd'alaziz, whom he by mistake calls Omar Ebn al Khattâb.4
The tradition which affirms the ark to have rested on these mountains,
must have been very ancient, since it is the tradition of the Chaldeans
themselves:5 the Chaldee paraphrasts consent to their opinion,6 which obtained
very much formerly, especially among the eastern Christians.7 To confirm it,
we are told that the remainders of the ark were to be seen on the Gordyæan
mountains: Berosus and Abydenus both declare there was such a report in their
time;8 the first observing that several of the inhabitants thereabouts scraped
the pitch off the planks as a rarity, and carried it about them for an amulet:
and the latter saying that they used the wood of the vessel against many
diseases with wonderful success. The relics of the ark were also to be seen
here in the time of Epiphanius, if we may believe him;9 and we are told the
emperor Heraclius went from the town of Thamanin up to the mountain al Jûdi,
and saw the place of the ark.10 There was also formerly a famous monastery,
called the monastery of the ark, upon some of these mountains, where the
Nestorians used to celebrate a feast day on the spot where they supposed the
ark rested; but in the year of Christ 776, that monastery was destroyed by
lightning, with the church, and a numerous congregation in it.11 Since which
time it seems the credit of this tradition hath declined, and given place to
another, which obtains at present, and according to which the ark rested on
Mount Masis, in Armenia, called by the Turks Aghir dagh, or the heavy or great
mountain, and situate about twelve leagues south-east of Erivan.12
d Noah here challenges GOD'S promise that he would save his family.
e Being cut off from it on account of his infidelity.
f According to a different reading, this passage may be rendered, For
he hath acted unrighteously.
g The Mohammedans say that Noah went into the ark on the tenth of
Rajeb, and came out of it the tenth of al Moharram, which therefore became a
fast. So that the whole time of Noah's being in the ark, according to them,
was six months.1
h viz., Such of them as continued in their belief.
i That is, such of his posterity as should depart from the true faith,
and fall into idolatry.
k See chapter 7, p. 111.
1 See Bochart. Phaleg. l. I, c. 3. 2 Geogr. Nub. p. 202.
3 Vide D'Herbel. Bibl. Orient. p. 404 and 676, and Agathiam, l. 14, p.
135. 4 Benjamin. Itiner. p. 61. 5 Berosus, apud Joseph.
Antiq. l. I, c. 4. 6 Onkelos et Jonathan, in Gen. viii. 4.
7 Vide Eutych. Annal. p. 41. 8 Berosus, apud Joseph. ubi sup.
Abydenus, apud Euseb. Præp. Ev. l. 9, c.4. 9 Epiph. Hæres. 18.
10 Elmacin. l. I, c. I. 11 Vide Chronic. Dionysii Patriarch.
Jacobitar. apud Asseman. Bibl. Orient. t. 2, p. 113. 12 Al Beidâwi.
1 Idem. See D'Herbel. ubi sup.
O my people, I ask not of you for this my preaching, any recompense: my
recompense do I expect from him only who hath created me. Will ye not
therefore understand?
O my people, ask pardon of your LORD; and be turned unto him: he will
send the heaven to pour forth rain plentifully upon you,l
and he will increase your strength by giving unto you farther strength:m
therefore turn not aside, to commit evil.
They answered, O Hud, thou hast brought us no proof of what thou sayest;
therefore we will not leave our gods for thy saying, neither do we believe
thee
We say no other than that some of our gods have afflicted thee with
evil.n He replied, Verily I call GOD to witness, and do ye also bear witness
that I am clear of that which ye associate
with God, besides him. Do ye all therefore join to devise a plot against
me, and tarry not;
for I put my confidence in GOD, my LORD and your LORD. There is no
beast, but he holdeth it by its forelock:o verily my LORD proceedeth in the
right way.
60 But if ye turn back, I have already declared unto you that with which I
was sent unto you: and my LORD shall substitute another nation in your stead;
and ye shall not hurt him at all: for my LORD is guardian over all things.
And when our sentence came to be put in execution, we delivered Hud, and
those who had believed with him,p through our mercy; and we delivered them
from a grievous punishment.
And this tribe of Ad wittingly rejected the signs of their LORD, and were
disobedient unto his messengers, and they followed the command of every
rebellious perverse person.
Wherefore they were followed in this world by a curse, and they shall be
followed by the same on the day of resurrection. Did not Ad disbelieve in
their LORD? Was it not said, Away with Ad, the people of Hud?
And unto the tribe of Thamud we sent their brother Saleh.q He said unto
them, O my people, worship GOD; ye have no GOD besides him. It is he who hath
produced you out of the earth, and hath given you an habitation therein. Ask
pardon of him therefore, and be turned unto him; for my LORD is near, and
ready to answer.
They answered, O Saleh, thou wast a person on whom we placed our hopes
before this.r Dost thou forbid us to worship that which our fathers
worshipped? But we are certainly in doubt concerning the religion to which
thou dost invite us, as justly to be suspected.
Saleh said, O my people, tell me; if I have received an evident
declaration from my LORD, and he hath bestowed on me mercy from himself; who
will protect me from the vengeance of GOD, if I be disobedient unto him? For
ye shall not add unto me, other than loss.
And he said, O my people, this she-camel of GOD is a sign unto you;
therefore dismiss her freely, that she may feed in GOD'S earth, and do her no
harm, lest a swift punishment seize you.
l For the Adites were grievously distressed by a drought for three
years.2
m By giving you children; the wombs of their wives being also rendered
barren during the time of the drought, as well as their lands.3
n Or madness; having deprived thee of thy reason for the indignities
thou hast offered them.
o That is, he exerciseth an absolute power over it. A creature held in
this manner being supposed to be reduced to the lowest subjection.
p Who were in number four thousand.4
q See chapter 7, p. 112.
r Designing to have made thee our prince, because of the singular
prudence and other good qualities which we observed in thee; but thy
dissenting from us in point of religious worship has frustrated those hopes.5
2 See the notes to cap. 7, p. 111. 3 Al Beidâwi. 4
Idem. 5 Idem.
Yet they killed her; and Saleh said, Enjoy yourselves in your dwellings
for three days:s after which ye shall be destroyed. This is an infallible
prediction.
And when our decree came to be executed, we delivered Saleh and those who
believed with him, through our mercy, from the disgrace of that day; for thy
LORD is the strong, the mighty God.
70 But a terrible noise from heaven assailed those who had acted unjustly;
and in the morning they were found in their houses, lying dead and prostrate:
as though they had never dwelt therein. Did not Thamud disbelieve in
their LORD? Was not Thamud cast far away?
Our messengerst also came formerly unto Abraham, with good tidings: they
said, Peace be upon thee. And he answered, and on you be Peace! And he
tarried not, but brought a roasted calf.
And when he saw that their hands did not touch the meat, he misliked
them, and entertained a fear of them.u But they said, Fear not: for we are
sent unto the people of Lot.x
And his wife Sarah was standing by,y and she laughed;z and we promised
her Isaac, and after Isaac, Jacob.
She said, Alas! shall I bear a son, who am old; this my husband also
being advanced in years?a Verily this would be a wonderful thing.
The angels answered, Dost thou wonder at the effect of the command of
GOD? The mercy of God and his blessings be upon you, the family of the
house:b for he is praiseworthy, and to be glorified.
And when his apprehension had departed from Abraham, and the good tidings
of Isaac's birth had come unto him, he disputed with us concerning the people
of Lot;c for Abraham was a pitiful, compassionate, and devout person.
The angels said unto him, O Abraham, abstain from this; for now is the
command of thy LORD come, to put their sentence in execution, and an
inevitable punishment is ready to fall upon them.
s viz., Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.1 See chapter 7, p. 113, note
m.
t These were the angels who were sent to acquaint Abraham with the
promise of Isaac, and to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. Some of the commentators
pretend they were twelve, or nine, or ten in number; but others, agreeably to
scripture, say they were but three, viz., Gabriel, Michael and Israfîl.2
u Apprehending they had some ill design against him, because they would
not eat with him.
x Being angels, whose nature needs not the support of food.3
y Either behind the curtain, or door of the tent; or else waiting upon
them.
z The commentators are so little acquainted with scripture, that, not
knowing the true occasion of Sarah's laughter, they strain their invention to
give some reason for it. One says that she laughed at the angels discovering
themselves, and ridding Abraham and herself of their apprehensions; and
another, that it was at the approaching destruction of the Sodomites (a very
probable motive in one of her sex). Some, however, interpret the original
word differently, and will have it that she did not laugh, but that her
courses, which had stopped for several years, came upon her at this time, as a
previous sign of her future conception.4
a Al Beidâwi writes that Sarah was then ninety or ninety-nine years
old, and Abraham a hundred and twenty.
b Or the stock whence all the prophets were to proceed for the future.
Or the expression may perhaps refer to Abraham and Ismael's building the
Caaba, which is often called, by way of excellence, the house.
c That is, he interceded with us for them.5 Jallalo'ddin, instead of
the numbers mentioned by Moses, says that Abraham first asked whether GOD
would destroy those cities if three hundred righteous persons were found
therein, and so fell successively to two hundred, forty, fourteen, and at last
came to one: but there was not one righteous person to be found among them,
except only Lot and his family.
1 Idem. 2 Idem, Jallalo'ddin. See Gen. xviii. 3
Idem. 4 Idem, Jallalo'ddin, al Zamakhshari.
5 Vide Gen. xviii. 23, &c.
And when our messengers came unto Lot, he was troubled for them,d and his
arm was straightened concerning them;e and he said, This is a grievous day.
80 And his people came unto him, rushing upon him, and they had formerly
been guilty of wickedness. Lot said unto them, O my people, these my
daughters are more lawful for you: therefore fear GOD, and put me not to shame
by wronging my guests. Is there not a man of prudence among you?
They answered, Thou knowest that we have no need of thy daughters; and
thou well knowest what we would have.
He said, If I had strength sufficient to oppose you, or I could have
recourse unto a powerful support, I would certainly do it.
The angels said, O Lot, verily we are the messengers of thy LORD; they
shall by no means come in unto thee.f Go forth, therefore, with thy family,
in some part of the night, and let not any of you turn back: but as for thy
wife,g that shall happen unto her, which shall happen unto them. Verily the
prediction of their punishment shall be fulfilled in the morning: is not the
morning near?
And when our command came, we turned those cities upside down,h and we
rained upon them stones of baked clay,i one following another, and being
markedk from thy LORD; and they are not far distant from those who act
unjustly.l
And unto Madian we sent their brother Shoaib:m he said, O people, worship
GOD: ye have no GOD but him: and diminish not measure and weight. Verily I
see you to be in a happy condition:n but I fear for you the punishment of the
day which will encompass the ungodly.
O my people, give full measure and just weight; and diminish not unto men
aught of their matters; neither commit injustice in the earth, acting
corruptly.
The residue which shall remain unto you as the gift of GOD, after ye
shall have done justice to others, will be better for you, than wealth gotten
by fraud, if ye be true believers.
I am no guardian over you.
d Because they appeared in the shape of beautiful young men, which must
needs tempt those of Sodom to abuse them.6
e i.e., He knew himself unable to protect them against the insults of
his townsmen.
f Al Beidâwi says that Lot shut his door, and argued the matter with
the riotous assembly from behind it; but at length they endeavoured to get
over the wall: whereupon Gabriel, seeing his distress, struck them on the face
with one of his wings, and blinded them; so that they moved off, crying out
for help, and saying that Lot had magicians in his house.
g This seems to be the true sense of the passage; but according to a
different reading of the vowel, some interpret it, Except thy wife; the
meaning being that Lot is here commanded to take his family with him except
his wife. Wherefore the commentators cannot agree whether Lot's wife went
forth with him or not; some denying it, and pretending that she was left
behind and perished in the common destruction; and others affirming it, and
saying that when she heard the noise of the storm and overthrow of the cities,
she turned back lamenting their fate, and was immediately struck down and
killed by one of the stones mentioned a little lower.1 A punishment she
justly merited for her infidelity and disobedience to her husband.2
h For they tell us that Gabriel thrust his wing under them, and lifted
them up so high, that the inhabitants of the lower heaven heard the barking of
the dogs and the crowing of the cocks; and then, inverting them, threw them
down to the earth.3
i The kiln wherein they were burned some imagine to have been hell.
k That is, as some suppose, streaked with white and red, or having some
other peculiar mark to distinguish them from ordinary stones. But the common
opinion is that each stone had the name of the person who was to be killed by
it written thereon.4 The army of Abraha al Ashram was also destroyed by the
same kind of stones.
l This is a kind of threat to other wicked persons, and particularly to
the infidels of Mecca, who deserved and might justly apprehend the same
punishment.
m See chap. 7, p. 113, &c.
n That is, enjoying plenty of all things; and therefore having the less
occasion to defraud one another, and being the more strongly bound to be
thankful and obedient unto GOD.
6 Jallalo'ddin, al Beidâwi. Vide Joseph. Ant. l. I, c. II.
1 Idem interpretes. 2 See cap. 66.
3 Jallalo'ddin, al Beidâwi. 4 Idem.
They answered, O Shoaib, do thy prayers enjoin thee, that we should leave
the gods which our fathers worshipped; or that we should not do what we please
with our substance?o Thou only, it seems, art the wise person, and fit to
direct.
90 He said, O my people, tell me: if I have received an evident declaration
from my LORD, and he hath bestowed on me an excellent provision, and I will
not consent unto you in that which I forbid you; do I seek any other than your
reformation, to the utmost of my power? My support is from GOD alone: on him
do I trust, and unto him do I turn me.
O my people, let not your opposing of me draw on you a vengeance like
unto that which fell on the people of Noah, or the people of Hud, or the
people of Saleh: neither was the people of Lot far distant from you.p
Ask pardon, therefore, of your LORD; and be turned unto him: for my LORD
is merciful and loving.
They answered, O Shoaib, we understand not much of what thou sayest; and
we see thee to be a man of no powerq among us: if it had not been for the sake
of thy family,r we had surely stoned thee, neither couldst thou have prevailed
against us.
Shoaib said, O my people, is my family more worthy in your opinion than
GOD? and do ye cast him behind you with neglect? Verily my LORD comprehendeth
that which ye do.
O my people, do ye work according to your condition; I will surely work
according to my duty.s And ye shall certainly know
on whom will be inflicted a punishment which shall cover him with shame,
and who is a liar. Wait, therefore, the event; for I also will wait it with
you.
Wherefore, when our decree came to be executed, we delivered Shoaib and
those who believed with him, through our mercy: and a terrible noise from
Heaven assailed those who had acted unjustly; and in the morning they were
found in their houses lying dead and prostrate,
as though they had never dwelt therein. Was not Madian removed from off
the earth, as Thamud had been removed?
And we formerly sent Moses with our signs, and manifest power unto
Pharaoh and his princes;t but they followed the command of Pharaoh; although
the command of Pharaoh did not direct them aright.
100 Pharaoh shall precede his on the day of resurrection, and he shall lead
them into hell fire; an unhappy way shall it be which they shall be led.
They were followed in this life by a curse, and on the day of
resurrection miserable shall be the gift which shall be given them.
This is a part of the histories of the cities, which we rehearse unto
thee. Of them there are some standing; and others which are utterly
demolished.u
o For this liberty they imagined was taken from them, by his
prohibition of false weights and measures, or to diminish or adulterate their
coin.5
p For Sodom and Gomorrah were situate not a great way from you, and
their destruction happened not many ages ago; neither did they deserve it, on
account of their obstinacy and wickedness, much more than yourselves.
q The Arabic word daîf, weak, signifying also, in the Hamyaritic
dialect, blind, some suppose that Shoaib was so, and that the Midianites
objected that to him as a defect which disqualified him for the prophetic
office.
r i.e., For the respect we bear to thy family and relations, whom we
honour as being of our religion, and not for any apprehension we have of their
power to assist you against us. The original word, here translated family,
signifies any number from three to seven or ten, but not more.6
s See chapter 6, p. 101, note o.
t See chapter 7, p. 115, &c.
u Literally, mown down; the sentence presenting the different images of
corn standing, and cut down, which is also often used by the sacred writers.
5 Al Beidâwi. 6 Idem.
And we treated them not unjustly, but they dealt unjustly with their own
souls: and their gods which they invoked, besides GOD, were of no advantage
unto them at all, when the decree of thy LORD came to be executed on them,
neither were they any other than a detriment unto them.
And thus was the punishment of thy LORD inflicted, when he punished the
cities which were unjust; for his punishment is grievous and severe.
Verily herein is a sign unto him who feareth the punishment of the last
day: that shall be a day, whereon all men shall be assembled, and that shall
be a day whereon witness shall be borne;
we defer it not, but to a determined time.
When that day shall come, no soul shall speak to excuse itself, or to
intercede for another, but by the permission of God. Of them, one shall be
miserable, and another shall be happy.
And they who shall be miserable, shall be thrown into hell fire; there
shall they wail and bemoan themselves:x
they shall remain therein so long as the heavens and the earth shall
endure;y except what thy LORD shall please to remit of their sentence;z for
thy LORD effecteth that which he pleaseth.
110 But they who shall be happy, shall be admitted into paradise; they shall
remain therein so long as the heavens and the earth endure: besides what thy
LORD shall please to add unto their bliss; a bounty which shall not be
interrupted.
Be not therefore in doubt concerning that which these men worship: they
worship no other than what their fathers worshipped before them; and we will
surely give them their full portion, not in the least diminished.
We formerly gave unto Moses the book of the law; and disputes arose among
his people concerning it: and unless a previous decree had proceeded from thy
LORD, to bear with them during this life, the matter had been surely decided
between them. And thy people are also jealous and in doubt concerning the
Koran.
But unto every one of them will thy LORD render the reward of their
works; for he well knoweth that which they do.
Be thou steadfast, therefore, as thou hast been commanded; and let him
also be steadfast who shall be converted with thee; and transgress not; for he
seeth that which ye do.
And incline not unto those who act unjustly, lest the fire of hell touch
you: for ye have no protectors, except GOD; neither shall ye be assisted
against him.
Pray regularly morning and evening;a and in the former part of the
night,b for good works drive away evils. This is an admonition unto those who
consider:
wherefore persevere with patience; for GOD suffereth not the reward of
the righteous to perish.
x The two words in the original signify properly the vehement drawing
in and expiration of one's breath, which is usual to persons in great pain and
anguish; and particularly the reciprocation of the voice of an ass when he
brays.
y This is not to be strictly understood as if either the punishment of
the damned should have an end, or the heavens and the earth should endure for
ever; the expression being only used by way of image or comparison, which need
not agree in every point with the thing signified. Some, however, think the
future heavens and earth, into which the present shall be changed, are here
meant.1
z See the Prelim. Disc. Sect. IV. p. 72, 73.
a Literally, in the two extremities of the day.
b That is, after sunset and before supper, when the Mohammedans say
their fourth prayer, called by them Salât al moghreb, or the evening prayer.2
1 Al Beidâwi. 2 Idem.
Were such of the generations before you, endued with understanding and
virtue, who forbade the acting corruptly in the earth, any more than a few
only of those whom we delivered; but they who were unjust followed the
delights which they enjoyed in this world,c and were wicked doers:d
and thy LORD was not of such a disposition as to destroy the cities
unjustly,e while their inhabitants behaved themselves uprightly.
120 And if thy LORD pleased, he would have made all men of one religion: but
they shall not cease to differ among themselves, unless those on whom thy LORD
shall have mercy: and unto this hath he created them; for the word of thy LORD
shall be fulfilled, when he said, Verily I will fill hell altogether with
genii and men.
The whole which we have related of the histories of our apostles do we
relate unto thee, that we may confirm thy heart thereby; and herein is the
truth come unto thee, and an admonition, and a warning unto the true
believers.
Say unto those who believe not, Act ye according to your condition; we
surely will act according to our duty:f and wait the issue; for we certainly
wait it also.
Unto GOD is known that which is secret in heaven and earth; and unto him
shall the whole matter be referred. Therefore worship him, and put thy trust
in him; for thy LORD is not regardless of that which ye do.
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