ENTITLED, THUNDER;o REVEALED AT MECCA.p
IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD.
AL. M. R.q These are the signs of the book of the Koran: and that which
hath been sent down unto thee from thy LORD is the truth; but the greater part
of men will not believe.
It is GOD who hath raised the heavens without visible pillars; and then
ascended his throne, and compelled the sun and the moon to perform their
services; every of the heavenly bodies runneth an appointed course. He
ordereth all things. He showeth his signs distinctly, that ye may be assured
ye must meet your LORD at the last day.
It is he who hath stretched forth the earth, and placed therein steadfast
mountains, and rivers; and hath ordained therein of every fruit two different
kinds.r He causeth the night to cover the day. Herein are certain signs unto
people who consider.
And in the earth are tracts of land of different natures,s though
bordering on each other; and also vineyards, and seeds, and palm-trees
springing several from the same root, and singly from distinct roots. They
are watered with the same water, yet we render some of them more excellent
than others to eat. Herein are surely signs unto people who understand.
If thou dost wonder at the infidels denying the resurrection, surely
wonderful is their saying, After we shall have been reduced to dust, shall we
be restored in a new creature?
These are they who believe not in their LORD: these shall have collars on
their necks,t and these shall be the inhabitants of hell fire: therein shall
they abide for ever.
o This word occurs in the next page.
p Or, according to some copies, at Medina.
q The meaning of these letters is unknown. Of several conjectural
explications which are given of them, the following is one: I am the most wise
and knowing GOD.
r As sweet and sour, black and white, small and large, &c.1
s Some tracts being fruitful and others barren, some plain and others
mountainous, some proper for corn and others for trees, &c.2
t The collar here mentioned is an engine something like a pillory, but
light enough for the criminal to walk about with. Besides the hole to fix it
on the neck, there is another for one of the hands, which is thereby fastened
to the neck.3 And in this manner the Mohammedans suppose the reprobates will
appear at the day of judgment.4 Some understand this passage figuratively, of
the infidels being bound in the chains of error and obstinacy.5
1 Idem, Jallalo'ddin. 2 Idem. 3 Vide Chardin, Voy. de
Perse, tom. ii. p. 220. 4 See cap. 5, p. 81.
5 Al Beidâwi.
They will ask of thee to hasten evil rather than good:u although there
have already been examples of the divine vengeance before them. Thy LORD is
surely endued with indulgence towards men, notwithstanding their iniquity; but
thy LORD is also severe in punishing.
The infidels say, Unless a sign be sent down unto him from his LORD, we
will not believe. Thou art commissioned to be a preacher only, and not a
worker of miracles: and unto every people hath a director been appointed.
GOD knoweth what every female beareth in her womb; and what the wombs
want or exceed of their due time, or number of young. With him is everything
regulated according to a determined measure.
10 He knoweth that which is hidden, and that which is revealed. He is the
great, the most high.
He among you who concealeth his words, and he who proclaimeth them in
public; he also who seeketh to hide himself in the night, and he who goeth
forth openly in the day, is equal in respect to the knowledge of God.
Each of them hath angels mutually succeeding each other, before him, and
behind him; they watch him by the command of GOD.x Verily GOD will not change
his grace which is in men, until they change the disposition in their souls by
sin. When GOD willeth evil on a people there shall be none to avert it;
neither shall they have any protector beside him.
It is he who causeth the lightning to appear unto you, to strike fear,
and to raise hope,y and who formeth the pregnant clouds.
The thunder celebrateth his praise,z and the angels also, for fear of
him. He sendeth his thunderbolts, and striketh therewith whom he pleaseth,
while they dispute concerning GOD;a for he is mighty in power.
It is he who ought of right to be invoked; and the idols, which they
invoke besides him, shall not hear them at all; otherwise than as he is heard,
who stretcheth forth his hands to the water that it may ascend to his mouth,
when it cannot ascend thither: the supplication of the unbelievers is utterly
erroneous.
Whatsoever is in heaven and on earth worshippeth GOD, voluntarily or of
force;b and their shadows also, morning and evening.c
Say, Who is the LORD of heaven and earth? Answer, GOD. Say, Have ye,
therefore, taken unto yourselves protectors beside him, who are unable either
to help, or to defend themselves from hurt? Say, Shall the blind and the
seeing be esteemed equal? or shall darkness and light be accounted the same?
or have they attributed companions unto GOD who have created as he hath
created, so that their creation bear any resemblance unto his? Say, GOD is
the creator of all things; he is the one, the victorious God.
u Provoking and daring thee to call down the divine vengeance on them
for their impenitency.
x See the Prelim. Disc. Sect. IV. p. 56.
y Thunder and lightning being the sign of approaching rain; a great
blessing, in the eastern countries more especially.
z Or causeth those who hear it to praise him. Some commentators tell
us that by the word thunder, in this place, is meant the angel who presides
over the clouds, and drives them forwards with twisted sheets of fire.6
a This passage was revealed on the following occasion: Amer Ebn al
Tofail and Arbad Ebn Rabîah, the brother of Labîd, went to Mohammed with an
intent to kill him; and Amer began to dispute with him concerning the chief
points of his doctrine, while Arbad, taking a compass, went behind him to
dispatch him with his sword; but the prophet, perceiving his design, implored
GOD'S protection; whereupon Arbad was immediately struck dead by thunder, and
Amer was struck with a pestilential boil, of which he died in a short time, in
a miserable condition.7
Jallalo'ddin, however, tells another story saying that Mohammed, having
sent one to invite a certain man to embrace his religion, the person put this
question to the missionary, Who is this apostle, and what is God? Is he of
gold, or of silver, or of brass? Upon which a thunderbolt struck off his
skull, and killed him.
b The infidels and devils themselves being constrained to humble
themselves before him, though against their will, when they are delivered up
to punishment.
c This is an allusion to the increasing and diminishing of the shadows,
according to the height of the sun; so that, when they are the longest, which
is in the morning and the evening, they appear prostrate on the ground, in the
posture of adoration.
6 Idem, Jallalo'ddin. 7 Al Beidâwi. Vide Golii. not. in Adagia
Arab. adject. ad Gram Erpenii, p. 99.
He causeth water to descend from heaven, and the brooks flow according to
their respective measure, and the floods bear the floating froth: and from the
metals which they melt in the fire, seeking to cast ornaments or vessels for
use, there ariseth a scum like unto it. Thus GOD setteth forth truth and
vanity. But the scum is thrown off, and that which is useful to mankind
remaineth on the earth. Thus doth GOD put forth parables. Unto those who
obey their LORD shall be given the most excellent reward: but those who obey
him not, although they were possessed of whatever is in the whole earth and as
much more, they would give it all for their ransom. These will be brought to
a terrible account: their abode shall be hell; an unhappy couch shall it be!
Shall he, therefore, who knoweth that what hath been sent down unto thee
from thy LORD, is truth, be rewarded as he who is blind? The prudent only
will consider;
20 who fulfil the covenant of GOD, and break not their contract;
and who join that which GOD hath commanded to be joined,d and who fear
their LORD, and dread an ill account;
and who persevere out of a sincere desire to please their LORD, and
observe the stated times of prayer, and give alms out of what we have bestowed
on them, in secret and openly, and who turn away evil with good: the reward of
these shall be paradise,
gardens of eternal abode,e which they shall enter, and also whoever shall
have acted uprightly, of their fathers, and their wives, and their posterity:
and the angels shall go in unto them by every gate,
saying, Peace be upon you, because ye have endured with patience; how
excellent a reward is paradise!
But as for those who violate the covenant of GOD, after the establishment
thereof, and who cut in sunder that which GOD hath commanded to be joined, and
act corruptly in the earth, on them shall a curse fall, and they shall have a
miserable dwelling in hell.
GOD giveth provision in abundance unto whom he pleaseth, and is sparing
unto whom he pleaseth. Those of Mecca rejoice in the present life; although
the present life, in respect of the future, is but a precarious provision.
The infidels say, Unless a sign be sent down unto him from his LORD, we
will not believe. Answer, Verily, GOD will lead into error whom he pleaseth,
and will direct unto himself him who repenteth,
and those who believe, and whose hearts rest securely in the meditation
of GOD; shall not men's hearts rest securely in the meditation of GOD? They
who believe and do that which is right shall enjoy blessedness, and partake of
a happy resurrection.
d By believing in all the prophets, without exception, and joining
thereto the continual practice of their duty, both towards GOD and man.1
e Literally, gardens of Eden. See chapter 9, p. 143.
1 Idem, Jallalo'ddin, Yahya.
Thus have we sent thee to a nation which other nations have preceded unto
whom prophets have likewise been sent, that thou mayest rehearse unto them
that which we have revealed unto thee, even while they believe not in the
merciful God. Say unto them, He is my LORD; there is no GOD but he: in him do
I trust, and unto him must I return.
30 Though a Koran were revealed by which mountains should be removed, or
the earth cleaved in sunder, or the dead be caused to speak,f it would be in
vain. But the matter belongeth wholly unto GOD. Do not, therefore, the
believers know, that if GOD pleased, he would certainly direct all men?
Adversity shall not cease to afflict the unbelievers for that which they
have committed, or to sit down near their habitations,g until GOD'S promise
come;h for GOD is not contrary to the promise.
Apostles before thee have been laughed to scorn; and I permitted the
infidels to enjoy a long and happy life: but afterwards I punished them; and
how severe was the punishment which I inflicted on them!
Who is it, therefore, that standeth over every soul, to observe that
which it committeth? They attribute companions unto GOD. Say, Name them:
will ye declare unto him that which he knoweth not in the earth? or will ye
name them in outward speech only?i But the deceitful procedure of the
infidels was prepared for them; and they are turned aside from the right path:
for he whom GOD shall cause to err, shall have no director.
They shall suffer a punishment in this life; but the punishment of the
next shall be more grievous: and there shall be none to protect them against
GOD.
This is the description of paradise, which is promised to the pious. It
is watered by rivers; its food is perpetual, and its shade also: this shall be
the reward of those who fear God. But the reward of the infidels shall be
hell fire.
Those to whom we have given the scriptures, rejoice at what hath been
revealed unto thee.k Yet there are some of the confederates who deny part
thereof.l Say unto them, Verily I am commanded to worship GOD alone; and to
give him no companion: upon him do I call, and unto him shall I return.
f These are miracles which the Koreish required of Mohammed; demanding
that he would, by the power of his Korân, either remove the mountains from
about Mecca, that they might have delicious gardens in their room, or that he
would oblige the wind to transport them, with their merchandise, to Syria
(according to which tradition, the words here translated, or the earth cleaved
in sunder, should be rendered, or the earth be travelled over in an instant);
or else raise to life Kosai Ebn Kelâb,1 and others of their ancestors, to bear
witness to him; whereupon this passage was revealed.
g It is supposed by some that these words are spoken to Mohammed, and
then they must be translated in the second person, Nor shall thou cease to sit
down, &c. For they say this verse relates to the idolaters of Mecca, who were
afflicted with a series of misfortunes for their ill-usage of their prophet,
and were also continually annoyed and harassed by his parties, which
frequently plundered their caravans and drove off their cattle, himself
sitting down with his whole army near the city in the expedition of al
Hodeibîya.2
h i.e., Till death and the day of judgment overtake them; or, according
to the exposition in the preceding note, until the taking of Mecca.3
i That is, calling them the companion of GOD, without being able to
assign any reason, or give any proof why they deserve to be sharers in the
honour and worship due from mankind to him.4
k viz., The first proselytes to Mohammedism from Judaism and
Christianity; or the Jews and Christians in general, who were pleased to find
the Korân so consonant to their own scriptures.5
l That is, such of them as had entered into a confederacy to oppose
Mohammed; as did Caab Ebn al Ashraf, and the Jews who followed him, and al
Seyid al Najrâni, al Akib, and several other Christians; who denied such parts
of the Korân as contradicted their corrupt doctrines and traditions.6
1 See cap. 8, p. 128, note f. 2 Al Beidâwi. 3
Idem. 4 Idem. 5 See cap. 3, p. 52. 6 Idem.
To this purpose have we sent down the Koran a rule of judgment, in the
Arabic language. And verily, if thou follow their desires, after the
knowledge which hath been given thee, there shall be none to defend or protect
thee against GOD.
We have formerly sent apostles before thee, and bestowed on them wives
and children;m and no apostle had the power to come with a sign, unless by the
permission of GOD. Every age hath its book of revelation:
GOD shall abolish and shall confirm what he pleaseth. With him is the
original of the book.n
40 Moreover, whether we cause thee to see any part of that punishment
wherewith we have threatened them, or whether we cause thee to die before it
be inflicted on them, verily unto thee belongeth preaching only, but unto us
inquisition.
Do they not see that we come into their land, and straighten the borders
thereof, by the conquests of the true believers? When GOD judgeth, there is
none to reverse his judgment: and he will be swift in taking an account.
Their predecessors formerly devised subtle plots against their prophets;
but GOD is master of every subtle device. He knoweth that which every soul
deserveth: and the infidels shall surely know, whose will be the reward of
paradise.
The unbelieverso will say, Thou art not sent of God. Answer, GOD is a
sufficient witness between me and you, and he who understandeth the
scriptures.
m As we have on thee. This passage was revealed in answer to the
reproaches which were cast on Mohammed, on account of the great number of his
wives. For the Jews said that if he was a true prophet, his care and
attention would be employed about something else than women and the getting of
children.7 It may be observed that it is a maxim of the Jews that nothing is
more repugnant to prophecy than carnality.8
n Literally, the mother of the book; by which is meant the preserved
table, from which all the written revelations which have been from time to
time published to mankind, according to the several dispensations, are
transcripts.
o The persons intended in this passage, it is said, were the Jewish
doctors.9
7 Jallalo'ddin, Yahya. 8 Vide Maimon. More Nev. part ii. c. 36,
&c. 9 Al Beidâwi.