ENTITLED, THE PROPHETS;p REVEALED AT MECCA.
IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD.
THE time of giving up their account draweth nigh unto the people of
Mecca; while they are sunk in negligence, turning aside from the consideration
thereof.
No admonition cometh unto them from their LORD, being lately revealed in
the Koran, but when they hear it,
they turn it to sport: their hearts are taken up with delights. And they
who act unjustly discourse privately together, saying, Is this Mohammed any
more than a man like yourselves? Will ye therefore come to hear a piece of
sorcery, when ye plainly perceive it to be so?
Say, My LORD knoweth whatever is spoken in heaven and on earth: it is he
who heareth and knoweth.
But they say, The Koran is a confused heap of dreams: nay, he hath forged
it; nay, he is a poet: let him come unto us therefore with some miracle, in
like manner as the former prophets were sent.
None of the cities which we have destroyed believed the miracles which
they saw performed before them: will these therefore believe, if they see a
miracle?
We sent none as our apostles before them, other than men, unto whom we
revealed our will. Ask those who are acquainted with the scripture, if ye
know not this.
We gave them not a body which could be supported without their eating
food; neither were they immortal.
But we made good our promise unto them: wherefore we delivered them, and
those whom we pleased; but we destroyed the exorbitant transgressors.
10 Now have we sent down unto you, O Koreish, the book of the Koran;
wherein there is honourable mention of you: will ye not therefore understand?
And how many cities have we overthrown, which were ungodly; and caused
other nations to rise up after them?
And when they felt our severe vengeance, behold, they fled swiftly from
those cities.
And the angels said scoffingly unto them, Do not fly; but return to that
wherein ye delighted, and to your habitations; peradventure ye will be asked.q
They answered, Alas for us! verily we have been unjust.r
And this their lamentation ceased not, until we had rendered them like
corn which is mown down and utterly extinct.
p The chapter bears this title, because some particular relating to
several of the ancient prophets are here recited.
q i.e., Concerning the present posture of affairs, by way of
consultation: or, that ye may be examined as to your deeds, that ye may
receive the reward thereof.1
r It is related that a prophet was sent to the inhabitants of certain
towns in Yaman, but instead of hearkening to his remonstrances, they killed
him: upon which GOD delivered them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, who put
them to the sword: a voice at the same time crying from heaven, Vengeance for
the blood of the prophets! Upon which they repented, and used the words of
this passage.
1 Idem, Jallalo'ddin, al Zamakh.
We created not the heavens and the earth, and that which is between them,
by way of sport.s
If we had pleased to take diversion, verily we had taken it with that
which beseemeth us;t if we had resolved to have done this.
But we will oppose truth to vanity, and it shall confound the same; and
behold, it shall vanish away. Woe be unto you, for that which ye impiously
utter concerning God!
since whoever is in heaven and on earth is subject unto him; and the
angels who are in his presence do not insolently disdain his service, neither
are they tired therewith.
20 They praise him night and day; they faint not.
Have they taken gods from the earth? Shall they raise the dead to life?
If there were either in heaven or on earth gods besides GOD, verily both
would be corrupted.u But far be that which they utter from GOD, the LORD of
the throne!
No account shall be demanded of him for what he shall do; but an account
shall be demanded of them.
Have they taken other gods besides him! Say, Produce your proof thereof.
This is the admonition of those who are contemporary with me, and the
admonition of those who have been before me:x but the greater part of them
know not the truth, and turn aside from the same.
We have sent no apostle before thee, but we revealed unto him that there
is no god beside myself, wherefore serve me.
They say, The Merciful hath begotten issue; and the angels are his
daughters.y GOD forbid! They are his honoured servants,
they prevent him not in anything which they say;z and they execute his
command.
He knoweth that which is before them, and that which is behind them; they
shall not intercede for any,
except for whom it shall please him; and they tremble for fear of him.
30 Whoever of them shall say, I am a god besides him; that angel will we
reward with hell: for so will we reward the unjust.
Do not the unbelievers therefore know, that the heavens and the earth
were solid, and we clave the same in sunder;a and made every living thing of
water? Will they not therefore believe?
And we placed stable mountains on the earth, lest it should move with
them;b and we made broad passages between them for paths, that they might be
directed in their journeys:
s But for the manifestation of our power and wisdom to people of
understanding, that they may seriously consider the wonders of the creation,
and direct their actions to the attainment of future happiness, neglecting the
vain pomp and fleeting pleasures of this world.
t viz., We had sought our pleasure in our own perfections; or, in the
spiritual beings which are in our immediate presence; and not in raising of
material buildings, with painted roofs, and fine floors, which is the
diversion of man.
Some think the original word, translated diversion, signifies in this
place a wife, or a child; and that the passage is particularly levelled
against the Christians.1
u That is, the whole creation would necessarily fall into confusion and
be overturned, by the competition of such mighty antagonists.
x i.e., This is the constant doctrine of all the sacred books; not only
of the Korân, but of those which were revealed in former ages; all of them
bearing witness to the great and fundamental truth of the unity of God.
y This passage was revealed on account of the Khozâites, who held the
angels to be the daughters of GOD.
z i.e., They presume not to say anything, until he hath spoken it;
behaving as servants who know their duty.
a That is, They were one continued mass of matter, till we separated
them, and divided the heaven into seven heavens, and the earth into as many
stories; and distinguished the various orbs of the one, and the different
climates of the other, &c. Or, as some choose to translate the words, The
heavens and the earth were shut up, and we opened the same; their meaning
being, that the heavens did not rain, nor the earth produce vegetables, till
GOD interposed his power.2
b See chapter 16, p. 196.
1 Iidem. 2 Al Beidâwi, Jallalo'ddin.
and we made the heaven a roof well supported. Yet they turn aside from
the signs thereof, not considering that they are the workmanship of God.
It is he who hath created the night, and the day, and the sun, and the
moon; all the celestial bodies move swiftly, each in its respective orb.
We have not granted unto any man before thee eternal permanency in this
world; if thou die, therefore, will they be immortal?c
Every soul shall taste of death: and we will prove you with evil, and
with good, for a trial of you; and unto us shall ye return.
When the unbelievers see thee, they receive thee only with scoffing,
saying, Is this he who mentioneth your gods with contempt? Yet themselves
believe not what is mentioned to them of the Merciful.d
Man is created of precipitation.e Hereafter will I show you my signs, so
that ye shall not wish them to be hastened.
They say, When will this threat be accomplished, if ye speak truth?
40 If they who believe not knew that the time will surely come, when they
shall not be able to drive back the fire of hell from their faces, nor from
their backs, neither shall they be helped, they would not hasten it.
But the day of vengeance shall come upon them suddenly, and shall strike
them with astonishment: they shall not be able to avert it, neither shall they
be respited.
Other apostles have been mocked before thee; but the punishment which
they scoffed at fell upon such of them as mocked.
Say unto the scoffers, Who shall save you by night and by day from the
Merciful? Yet they utterly neglect the remembrance of their LORD.
Have they gods who will defend them, besides us? They are not able to
help themselves; neither shall they be assisted against us by their
companions,
But we have permitted these men and their fathers to enjoy worldly
prosperity, so long as life was continued unto them. Do they not perceive
that we come unto the land of the unbelievers, and straiten the borders
thereof? Shall they therefore be the conquerors?
Say, I only preach unto you the revelation of God: but the deaf will not
hear thy call, whenever they are preached unto.
Yet if the least breath of the punishment of thy LORD touch them, they
will surely say, Alas for us! verily we have been unjust.
We will appoint just balances for the day of resurrection; neither shall
any soul be injured at all: although the merit or guilt of an action be of the
weight of a grain of mustard-seed only, we will produce it publicly; and there
will be sufficient accountants with us.
We formerly gave unto Moses and Aaron the law, being a distinctionf
between good and evil, and a light and admonition unto the pious;
50 who fear their LORD in secret, and who dread the hour of judgment.
And this book also is a blessed admonition, which we have sent down from
heaven: will ye therefore deny it?
c This passage was revealed when the infidels said, We expect to see
Mohammed die, like the rest of mankind.
d Denying his unity; or rejecting his apostles and the scriptures which
were given for their instruction, and particularly the Korân.
e Being hasty and inconsiderate.1 It is said this passage was revealed
on account of al Nodar Ebn al Hareth, when he desired Mohammed to hasten the
divine vengeance with which he threatened the unbelievers.2
f Arab. 'al Forkân. See the Prelim. Disc. Sect. III. p. 44.
1 See chapter 17, p. 208, &c. 2 Al Beidâwi.
And we gave unto Abraham his directiong heretofore, and we knew him to be
worthy of the revelations wherewith he was favored.
Remember when he said unto his father, and his people, What are these
images, to which ye are so entirely devoted?h
They answered, We found our fathers worshipping them.
He said, Verily both ye and your fathers have been in a manifest error.
They said, Dost thou seriously tell us the truth, or art thou one who
jestest with us?
He replied, Verily your LORD is the LORD of the heavens and the earth; it
is he who hath created them: and I am one of those who bear witness thereof.
By GOD, I will surely devise a plot against your idols, after ye shall
have retired from them, and shall have turned your backs.
And in the people's absence he went into the temple where the idols
stood, and he brake them all in pieces, except the biggest of them; that they
might lay the blame upon that.i And when they were returned, and saw the
havoc which had been made,
60 they said, Who hath done this to our gods? He is certainly an impious
person.
And certain of them answered, We heard a young man speak reproachfully of
them: he is named Abraham.
They said, Bring him therefore before the people, that they may bear
witness against him.
And when he was brought before the assembly, they said unto him, Hast
thou done this unto our gods, O Abraham?
He answered, Nay, that biggest of them hath done it: but ask them, if
they can speak.
And they returned unto themselves,j and said the one to the other, Verily
ye are the impious persons.
Afterwards they relapsed into their former obstinacy,k and said, Verily
thou knowest that these speak not.
Abraham answered, Do ye therefore worship, besides GOD, that which cannot
profit you at all, neither can it hurt you? Fie on you: and upon that which
ye worship besides GOD! Do ye not understand?
They said, Burn him, and avenge your gods: if ye do this it will be
well.l
g viz., The ten books of divine revelations which were given him.1
h See chapter 6, p. 95, &c., chapter 19, p. 230, and chapter 2, p. 28.
i Abraham took his opportunity to do this while the Chaldeans were
abroad in the fields, celebrating a great festival; and some say he hid
himself in the temple: and when he had accomplished his design, that he might
the more evidently convince them of their folly in worshipping them, he hung
the axe, with which he had hewn and broken down the images, on the neck of the
chief idol, named by some writers, Baal; as if he had been the author of all
the mischief.2 For this story, which, though it be false, is not ill
invented, Mohammed stands indebted to the Jews; who tell it with a little
variation: for they say Abraham performed this exploit in his father's shop,
during his absence; that Terah, on his return, demanding the occasion of the
disorder, his son told him that the idols had quarrelled and fallen together
by the ears about an offering of fine flour, which had been brought them by an
old woman; and that the father, finding he could not insist on the
impossibility of what Abraham pretended, without confessing the impotence of
his gods, fell into a violent passion and carried him to Nimrod that he might
be exemplarily punished for his insolence.3
j That is, They became sensible of their folly.
k Literally, They were turned down upon their heads.
l Perceiving they could not prevail against Abraham by dint of
argument, says al Beidâwi, they had recourse to persecution and torments. The
same commentator tells us the person who gave this counsel was a Persian
Curd,4 named Heyyûn, and that the earth opened and swallowed him up alive:
some, however, say it was Andeshân, a Magian priest;5 and others, that it was
Nimrod himself.
1 See the Prel. Disc. Sect. IV. p. 57. 2 Al Beidâwi,
Jallalo'ddin, &c. Vide Hyde, de Rel. vet. Pers. c. 2. 3 R. Gedal.
in Shalshel. hakkab. p. 8 Vide Maimon. Yad hazzaka, c. I, de idol.
4 Vide D'Herbel. Bibl. Orient. Art. Dhokak. et Schultens, Indic. Geogr.
in Vit. Saladini, voce Curdi. 5 Vide D'Herbel. p. 115.
And when Abraham was cast into the burning pile, we said, O fire, be thou
cold, and a preservation unto Abraham.m
70 And they sought to lay a plot against him: but we caused them to be the
sufferers.n
And we delivered him, and Lot, by bringing them into the land wherein we
have blessed all creatures.o
And we bestowed on him Isaac and Jacob, as an additional gift: and we
made all of them righteous persons.
We also made them models of religion,p that they might direct others by
our command: and we inspired into them the doing of good works, and the
observance of prayer, and the giving of alms; and they served us.
And unto Lot we gave wisdom and knowledge, and we delivered him out of
the city which committed filthy crimes; for they were a wicked and insolent
people;q
and we led him into our mercy; for he was an upright person.
And remember Noah, when he called for destruction on his people,r before
the prophets above mentioned: and we heard him, and delivered him and his
family from a great strait:
m The commentators relate that, by Nimrod's order, a large space was
enclosed at Cûtha, and filled with a vast quantity of wood, which being set on
fire burned so fiercely, that none dared to venture near it: then they bound
Abraham, and putting him into an engine (which some suppose to have been of
the devil's invention), shot him into the midst of the fire; from which he was
preserved by the angel Gabriel who was sent to his assistance; the fire
burning only the cords with which he was bound.1 They add that the fire
having miraculously lost its heat, in respect to Abraham, became an
odoriferous air, and that the pile changed to a pleasant meadow; though it
raged so furiously otherwise, that, according to some writers, about two
thousand of the idolaters were consumed by it.2
This story seems to have had no other foundation than that passage of
Moses, where GOD is said to have brought Abraham out of Ur, of the Chaldees,3
misunderstood: which words the Jews, the most trifling interpreters of
scripture, and some moderns who have followed them, have translated, out of
the fire of the Chaldees; taking the word Ur, not for the proper name of a
city, as it really is, but for an appellative, signifying fire.4 However, it
is a fable of some antiquity, and credited, not only by the Jews, but by
several of the eastern Christians; the twenty-fifth of the second Canûn, or
January, being set apart in the Syrian calendar, for the commemoration of
Abraham's being cast into the fire.5
The Jews also mention some other persecutions which Abraham underwent on
account of his religion, particularly a ten years' imprisonment;6 some saying
he was imprisoned by Nimrod;7 and others, by his father Terah.8
n Some tell us that Nimrod, on seeing this miraculous deliverance from
his palace, cried out, that he would make an offering to the GOD of Abraham;
and that he accordingly sacrificed four thousand kine.9 But, if he ever
relented, he soon relapsed into his former infidelity: for he built a tower
that he might ascend to heaven to see Abraham's GOD; which being overthrown,10
still persisting in his design, he would be carried to heaven in a chest borne
by four monstrous birds; but after wandering for some time through the air, he
fell down on a mountain with such a force, that he made it shake, whereto (as
some fancy) a passage in the Korân11 alludes, which may be translated,
although their contrivances be such as to make the mountains tremble.
Nimrod, disappointed in his design of making war with GOD, turned his
arms against Abraham, who, being a great prince, raised forces to defend
himself; but GOD, dividing Nimrod's subjects, and confounding their language,
deprived him of the greater part of his people, and plagued those who adhered
to him by swarms of gnats, which destroyed almost all of them: and one of
those gnats having entered into the nostril, or ear, of Nimrod, penetrated to
one of the membranes of his brain, where, growing bigger every day, it gave
him such intolerable pain, that he was obliged to cause his head to be beaten
with a mallet, in order to procure some ease, which torture he suffered four
hundred years; GOD being willing to punish, by one of the smallest of his
creatures, him who insolently boasted himself to be lord of all.12 A Syrian
calendar places the death of Nimrod, as if the time were well known, on the
eighth of Thamûz, or July.13
o i.e., Palestine; in which country the greater part of the prophets
appeared.
p See chapter 2, p. 14.
q See chapter 7, p. 113, &c., and chapter II, p. 166.
r See chapter 8, p. 132, note z.
1 Al Beidâwi, Jallalo'ddin, &c. Vide Morgan's Mahometism Expl. v. I,
chapter 4. 2 The MS Gospel of Barnabas, chapter 28.
3 Genes. xv. 7. 4 Vide Targ. Jonath. et Hierosol. in Genes. c. II et
15; et Hyde, de Rel. vet. Pers. p. 74, &c. 5 Vide Hyde, ibid., p.
73. 6 R. Eliez. Pirke, c. 26, &c. Vide Maim. More Nev. l. 3, c. 29.
7 Glossa Talmud. in Gemar. Bava bathra, 91, I.
8 In Aggada. 9 Al Beidâwi. 10 See chapter 16, p. 196.
11 Chapter 14, p. 190.
12 Vide D'Herbel. Bibl. Orient. Art. Nemrod. Hyde, ubi supra. 13
Vide Hyde, ibid. p. 74.
and we protected him from the people who accused our signs of falsehood;
for they were a wicked people, wherefore we drowned them all.
And remember David and Solomon, when they pronounced judgment concerning
a field, when the sheep of certain people had fed therein by night, having no
shepherd; and we were witnesses of their judgment:
and we gave the understanding thereof unto Solomon.s And on all of them
we bestowed wisdom, and knowledge. And we compelled the mountains to praise
us, with David; and the birds also:t and we did this.
80 And we taught him the art of making coats of mail for you,u that they
may defend you in your wars: will ye therefore be thankful?
And unto Solomon we subjected a strong wind:x it ran at his command to
the land whereon we had bestowed our blessing:y and we knew all things.
And we also subjected unto his command divers of the devils, who might
dive to get pearls for him, and perform other work besides this;z and we
watched over them.a
And remember Job;b when he cried unto his LORD, saying, Verily evil hath
afflicted me: but thou art the most merciful of those who show mercy.
s Some sheep, in their shepherd's absence, having broken into another
man's field (or vineyard, say others), by night, and eaten up the corn, a
dispute arose thereupon: and the cause being brought before David and Solomon,
the former said, that the owner of the land should take the sheep, in
compensation of the damage which he had sustained; but Solomon, who was then
but eleven years old, was of opinion that it would be more just for the owner
of the field to take only the profit of the sheep, viz., their milk, lambs,
and wool, till the shepherd should, by his own labour and at his own expense,
put the field into as good condition as when the sheep entered it; after which
the sheep might be returned to their master. And this judgment of Solomon was
approved by David himself as better than his own.1
t Mohammed, it seems, taking the visions of the Talmudists for truth,
believed that when David was fatigued with singing psalms, the mountains,
birds, and other parts of the creation, both animate and inanimate, relieved
him in chanting the divine praises. This consequence the Jews draw from the
words of the psalmist, when he calls on the several parts of nature to join
with him in celebrating the praise of GOD;2 it being their perverse custom to
expound passages in the most literal manner, which cannot bear a literal sense
without a manifest absurdity; and, on the contrary, to turn the plainest
passages into allegorical fancies.
u Men, before his inventing them, used to arm themselves with broad
plates of metal. Lest this fable should want something of the marvellous, one
writer tells us, that the iron which David used became soft in his hands like
wax.3
x Which transported his throne with prodigious swiftness. Some say,
this wind was violent or gentle, just as Solomon pleased.4
y viz., Palestine: whither the wind brought back Solomon's throne in
the evening, after having carried it to a distant country in the morning.
z Such as the building of cities and palaces, the fetching of rare
pieces of art from foreign countries, and the like.
a Lest they should swerve from his orders, or do mischief according to
their natural inclinations. Jallalo'ddin says, that when they had finished
any piece of building, they pulled it down before night, if they were not
employed in something new.
b The Mohammedan writers tell us, that Job was of the race of Esau, and
was blessed with a numerous family, and abundant riches; but that GOD proved
him, by taking away all that he had, even his children, who were killed by the
fall of a house; notwithstanding which he continued to serve GOD, and to
return him thanks, as usual; that he was then struck with a filthy disease,
his body being full of worms, and so offensive, that as he lay on the dunghill
none could bear to come near him: that his wife, however (whom some call
Rahmat the daughter of Ephraim the son of Joseph, and others Makhir the
daughter of Manasses), attended him with great patience, supporting him with
what she earned by her labour; but that the devil appeared to her one day,
after having reminded her of her past prosperity, promised her that if she
would worship him, he would restore all they had lost; whereupon she asked her
husband's consent, who was so angry at the proposal, that he swore, if he
recovered, to give his wife a hundred stripes: that Job having pronounced the
prayer recorded in this passage, GOD sent Gabriel, who taking him by the hand
raised him up; and at the same time a fountain sprang up at his feet, of which
having drank, the worms fell off his body, and washing therein he recovered
his former health and beauty: that GOD then restored all to him double; his
wife also becoming young and handsome again, and bearing him twenty-six sons;
and that Job, to satisfy his oath, was directed by GOD to strike her one blow
with a palm-branch having a hundred leaves.1 Some, to express the great
riches which were bestowed on Job after his sufferings, say he had two
threshing-floors, one for wheat, and the other for barley, and that GOD sent
two clouds which rained gold on the one, and silver on the other, till they
ran over.2 The traditions differ as to the continuance of Job's calamities;
one will have it to be eighteen years, another thirteen, another three, and
another exactly seven years seven months and seven hours.
1 Al Beidâwi, Jallalo'ddin, &c. 2 See Psalm cxlviii
3 Tarikh Montakkab. Vide D'Herbel. p. 284.
4 See chapter 27.
Wherefore we heard him, and relieved him from the evil which was upon
him: and we restored unto him his family, and as many more with them, through
our mercy, and for an admonition unto those who serve God.
And remember Ismael, and Edris,c and Dhu'lkefl.d All these were patient
persons;
wherefore we led them into our mercy; for they were righteous doers.
And remember Dhu'lnun,e when he departed in wrath,f and thought that we
could not exercise our power over him. And he cried out in the darkness,g
saying, There is no GOD, besides thee: praise be unto thee! Verily I have
been one of the unjust.
90 Wherefore we heard him, and delivered him from affliction;h for so do we
deliver the true believers.
And remember Zacharias, when he called upon his LORD, saying, O LORD,
leave me not childless: yet thou art the best heir.
Wherefore we heard him, and we gave him John; and we rendered his wife
fit for bearing a child unto him. These strove to excel in good works, and
called upon us with love, and with fear; and humbled themselves before us.
And remember her who preserved her virginity,i and into whom we breathed
of our spirit; ordaining her and her son for a sign unto all creatures.
Verily this your religion is one religion,j and I am your LORD; wherefore
serve me.
But the Jews and Christians have made schisms in the affair of their
religion among themselves; but all of them shall appear before us.
Whosoever shall do good works, being a true believer, there shall be no
denial of the reward due to his endeavors; and we will surely write it down
unto him.
An inviolable prohibition is laid on every city which we shall have
destroyed; for that they shall not return any more into the world,
c See chapter 19, p. 230.
d Who this prophet was is very uncertain. One commentator will have
him to be Elias, or Joshua, or Zacharias:3 another supposes him to have been
the son of Job, and to have dwelt in Syria; to which some add, that he was
first a very wicked man, but afterwards repenting, died; upon which these
words appeared miraculously written over his door, Now hath God been merciful
unto Dhu'lkefl:4 and a third tells us he was a person of great strictness of
life, and one who used to decide causes to the satisfaction of all parties,
because he was never in a passion: and that he was called Dhu'lkefl from his
continual fasting, and other religious exercises.5
e This is the surname of Jonas; which was given him because he was
swallowed by the fish. See chapter 10, p. 157.
f Some suppose Jonas's anger was against the Ninevites, being tired
with preaching to them for so long a time, and greatly disgusted at their
obstinacy and ill usage of him; but others, more agreeably to scripture, say
the reason of his ill humour was GOD'S pardoning of that people on their
repentance, and averting the judgment which Jonas had threatened them with, so
that he thought he had been made a liar.6
g i.e., Out of the belly of the fish.
h See chapter 37.
i Namely, the Virgin Mary
j Being the same which was professed by all the prophets, and holy men
and women, without any fundamental difference or variation.
1 Al Beidâwi, Jallalo'ddin, Abu'lfeda, &c. See D'Herbel. Bibl. Orient.
Art. Aicub. 2 Jallalo'ddin.
3 Al Beidâwi. 4 Abu'lf. 5 Jallalo'ddin. 6 Al
Beidâwi.
until Gog and Magog shall have a passage opened for them,k and they shall
hasten from every high hill,l
and the certain promise shall draw near to be fulfilled: and behold, the
eyes of the infidels shall be fixed with astonishment, and they shall say,
Alas for us! we were formerly regardless of this day; yea, we were wicked
doers.
Verily both ye, O men of Mecca, and the idols which ye worship besides
GOD, shall be cast as fuel into hell fire: ye shall go down into the same.
If these were really gods, they would not go down into the same: and all
of them shall remain therein forever.
100 In that place shall they groan for anguish; and they shall not hear
ought therein.m
As for those unto whom the most excellent reward of paradise hath been
predestinated by us, they shall be transported far off from the same;n
they shall not hear the least sound thereof: and they shall continue
forever in the felicity which their souls desire.
The greatest terror shall not trouble them; and the angels shall meet
them to congratulate them, saying, This is your day which ye were promised.
On that day we will roll up the heavens, as the angel al Sijilo rolleth
up the book wherein every man's actions are recorded. As we made the first
creature out of nothing, so we will also reproduce it at the resurrection.
This is a promise which it lieth on us to fulfil: we will surely perform it.
And now have we written in the psalms, after the promulgation of the law,
that my servants the righteous shall inherit the earth.p
Verily in this book are contained sufficient means of salvation, unto
people who serve God.
We have not sent thee, O Mohammed, but as a mercy unto all creatures.
Say, No other hath been revealed unto me, than that your GOD is one GOD:
will ye therefore be resigned unto him?
But if they turn their backs to the confession of God's unity, say, I
proclaim war against you all equally:q but I know not whether that which ye
are threatened withr be nigh, or whether it be far distant.
110 Verily God knoweth the discourse which is spoken in public; and he also
knoweth that which ye hold in private.
I know not but peradventure the respite granted you is for a trial of
you; and that he may enjoy the prosperity of this world for a time.
Say, LORD, judge between me and my adversaries with truth. Our LORD is
the Merciful; whose assistance is to be implored against the blasphemies and
calumnies which ye utter.
k i.e., Until the resurrection; one sign of the approach whereof will
be the eruption of those barbarians.1
l In this passage some copies, instead of hadabin, i.e., an elevated
part of the earth, have jadathin, which signifies a grave; and if we follow
the latter reading, the pronoun they must not refer to Gog and Magog, but to
mankind in general.
m Because of their astonishment and the insupportable torments they
shall endure; or, as others expound the words, They shall not hear therein
anything which may give them the least comfort.
n One Ebn al Zabári objected to the preceding words, Both ye and that
which ye worship besides GOD, shall be cast into hell, because, being general
, they asserted an absolute falsehood; some of the objects of idolatrous
worship being so far from any danger of damnation, that they were in the
highest favour with GOD, as JESUS, Ezra, and the angels: wherefore this
passage was revealed, excepting those who were predestined to salvation.2
o Whose office it is to write down the actions of every man's life,
which, at his death, he rolls up, as completed. Some pretend one of
Mohammed's scribes is here meant: and others take the word Sijil, or, as it is
also written, Sijjill, for an appellative, signifying a book or written
scroll; and accordingly render the passage, as a written scroll is rolled up.3
p These words are taken from Psalm xxxvii. v. 29.
q Or, I have publicly declared unto you what I was commanded.
r viz., The losses and disgraces which ye shall suffer by the future
successes of the Moslems; or, the day of judgment.
1 See the Prelim. Disc. Sect. IV. p. 63. 2 Al Beidâwi,
Jallalo'ddin. 3 Iidem, &c.