ENTITLED, LOKMÂN;l REVEALED AT MECCA.m
IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD.
A. L. M.n THESE are the signs of the wise book,
a direction, and a mercy unto the righteous;
who observe the appointed times of prayer, and give alms, and have firm
assurance in the life to come:
these are directed by their LORD, and they shall prosper.
There is a man who purchaseth a ludicrous story,o that he may seduce men
from the way of GOD, without knowledge, and may laugh the same to scorn: these
shall suffer a shameful punishment.
i viz., In the world or in their graves. See chapter 23, p. 262.
k That is, according to his foreknowledge and decree in the preserved
table; or according to what is said in the Korân, where the state of the dead
is expressed by these words:1 Behind them there shall be a bar until the day
of resurrection.2
l The chapter is so entitled from a person of this name mentioned
therein, of whom more immediately.
m Some except the fourth verse, beginning at these words, Who observe
the appointed times of prayer, and give alms, &c. And others three verses,
beginning at these words, If all the trees in the earth were pens, &c.
n See the Prelim. Disc. Sect. III. p. 46, &c.
o i.e., Vain and silly fables. The passage was revealed, it is said,
on occasion of al Nodar Ebn al Hareth, who, having brought from Persia the
romance of Rostam and Isfandiyar, the two heroes of that country, recited it
in the assemblies of the Koreish, highly extolling the power and splendour of
the ancient Persian kings, and preferring their stories to those of Ad and
Thamud, David and Solomon, and the rest which are told in the Korân. Some say
that al Nodar bought singing girls, and carried them to those who were
inclined to become Moslems to divert them from their purpose by songs and
tales.3
1 Cap. 23, p. 261. 2 Al Beidâwi. 3 Idem
And when our signs are rehearsed unto him, he disdainfully turneth his
back as though he heard them not, as though there were a deafness in his ears:
wherefore denounce unto him a grievous punishment.
But they who shall believe and work righteousness, shall enjoy gardens of
pleasure:
they shall continue therein forever: this is the certain promise of GOD;
and he is the mighty, the wise.
He hath created the heavens without visible pillars to sustain them, and
thrown on the earth mountains firmly rooted, lest it should move with you;p
and he hath replenished the same with all kinds of beasts; and we send down
rain from heaven, and cause every kind of noble vegetable to spring forth
therein.
10 This is the creation of GOD: show me now what they have created, who are
worshipped besides him? verily the ungodly are in a manifest error.
We heretofore bestowed wisdom on Lokmân,q and commanded him, saying, Be
thou thankful unto GOD: for whoever is thankful, shall be thankful to the
advantage of his own soul; and if any shall be unthankful, verily GOD is self-
sufficient, and worthy to be praised.
And remember when Lokmân said unto his son,r as he admonished him, Oh my
son, give not a partner unto GOD; for polytheism is a great impiety.
We have commanded man concerning his parents,s (his mother carrieth him
in her womb with weakness and faintness, and he is weaned in two years),
saying, Be grateful unto me, and to thy parents. Unto me shall all come to be
judged.
p See chapter 16, p. 196. A learned writer,1 in his notes on this
passage, says the original word rawâsiya, which the commentators in general
will have to signify stable mountains, seems properly to express the Hebrew
word mechonim, i.e., bases or foundations; and therefore he thinks the Korân
has here translated that passage of the Psalms, He laid the foundations of the
earth, that it should not be moved for ever.2 This is not the only instance
which might be given that the Mohammedan doctors are not always the best
interpreters of their own scriptures.
q The Arab writers say, that Lokmân was the son of Baûra who was the
son or grandson of a sister or aunt of Job; and that he lived several
centuries, and to the time of David, with whom he was conversant in Palestine.
According to the description they give of his person, he must have been
deformed enough; for they say he was of a black complexion (whence some call
him an Ethiopian), with thick lips and splay feet: but in return he received
from GOD wisdom and eloquence in a great degree, which some pretend were given
him in a vision, on his making choice of wisdom preferably to the gift of
prophecy, either of which were offered him. The generality of the
Mohammedans, therefore, hold him to have been no prophet, but only a wise man.
As to his condition, they say he was a slave, but obtained his liberty on the
following occasion: His master having one day given him a bitter melon to eat,
he paid him such exact obedience as to eat it all; at which his master being
surprised, asked him how he could eat so nauseous a fruit? To which he
replied, it was no wonder that he should for once accept a bitter fruit from
the same hand from which he had received so many favours.3 The commentators
mention several quick repartees of Lokmân, which, together with the
circumstances above mentioned, agree so well with what Maximus Planudes has
written of Esop, that from thence, and from the fables attributed to Lokmân by
the orientals, the latter has been generally thought to have been no other
than the Esop of the Greeks. However, that be (for I think the matter will
bear a dispute), I am of opinion that Planudes borrowed great part of his life
of Esop from the traditions he met with in the east concerning Lokmân,
concluding them to have been the same person, because they were both slaves,
and supposed to be the writers of those fables which go under their respective
names, and bear a great resemblance to one another; for it has long since been
observed by learned men that the greater part of that monk's performance is an
absurd romance, and supported by no evidence of the ancient writers.4
r Whom some name Anám (which comes pretty near the Ennus of Planudes),
some Ashcam, and others Mathan.
s The two verses which begin at these words, and end with the
following, viz., And then will I declare unto you that which ye have done, are
no part of Lokmân's advice to his son, but are inserted by way of parenthesis,
as very pertinent and proper to be repeated here, to show the heinousness of
idolatry; they are to be read (excepting some additions) in the twenty-ninth
chapter, and were originally revealed on account of Saad Ebn Abi Wakkâs, as
has been already observed.5
1 Gol. in Append. ad Erpenii Gram. p. 187. 2 Ps. civ. 5.
3 Al Zamakh, al Beidâwi, &c. Vide D'Herbel. Bibl. Orient. p. 516, et
Marracc. in Alc. p. 547. 4 Vide la Vie d'Esope, par M. de
Meziriac, et Bayle, Dict. Hist. Art. Esope. Rem. B.
5 See cap. 29, p. 297, and the notes thereon.
But if thy parents endeavor to prevail on thee to associate with me that
concerning which thou hast no knowledge, obey them not: bear them company in
this world in what shall be reasonable;t but follow the way of him who
sincerely turneth unto me.u Hereafter unto me shall ye return, and then will
I declare unto you that which ye have done.
Oh my son, verily every matter, whether good or bad, though it be of the
weight of a grain of mustard-seed, and be hidden in a rock, or in the heavens,
or in the earth, GOD will bring the same to light; for GOD is clear-sighted
and knowing.
Oh my son, be constant at prayer, and command that which is just, and
forbid that which is evil: and be patient under the afflictions which shall
befall thee; for this is a duty absolutely incumbent on all men.
Distort not thy face out of contempt to men, neither walk in the earth
with insolence; for GOD loveth no arrogant, vain-glorious person.
And be moderate in thy pace; and lower thy voice; for the most ungrateful
of all voices surely is the voice of asses.x
Do ye not see that GOD hath subjected whatever is in heaven and on earth
to your service, and hath abundantly poured on you his favors, both outwardly
and inwardly?y There are some who dispute concerning GOD without knowledge,
and without a direction, and without an enlightening book.
20 And when it is said unto them, Follow that which GOD hath revealed, they
answer, Nay, we will follow that which we found our fathers to practise.
What, though the devil invite them to the torment of hell?
Whosoever resigneth himself unto GOD, being a worker of righteousness,
taketh hold on a strong handle; and unto GOD belongeth the issue of all
things.
But whoever shall be an unbeliever, let not his unbelief grieve thee:
unto us shall they return; then will we declare unto them that which they have
done, for GOD knoweth the innermost parts of the breasts of men.
We will suffer them to enjoy this world for a little while: afterwards we
will drive them to a severe punishment.
If thou ask them who hath created the heavens and the earth, they will
surely answer, GOD. Say, GOD be praised! but the greater part of them do not
understand.
Unto GOD belongeth whatever is in heaven and earth: for GOD is the self-
sufficient, the praiseworthy.
If whatever trees are in the earth were pens, and he should after that
swell the sea into seven seas of ink, the words of GOD would not be
exhausted;z for GOD is mighty and wise.
Your creation and your resuscitation are but as the creation and
resuscitation of one soul: verily GOD both heareth and seeth.
t That is, show them all deference and obedience, so far as may be
consistent with thy duty towards GOD.
u The person particularly meant here was Abu Becr, at whose persuasion
Saad had become a Moslem.
x To the braying of which animal the Arabs liken a loud and
disagreeable voice.
y i.e., All kinds of blessings, regarding as well the mind as the body.
z This passage is said to have been revealed in answer to the Jews, who
insisted that all knowledge was contained in the law.1
a GOD being able to produce a million of worlds by the single word Kun,
i.e., Be, and to raise the dead in general by the single word Kum, i.e.,
Arise.
1 Al Beidâwi.
30 Dost thou not see that GOD causeth the night to succeed the day, and
causeth the day to succeed the night, and compelleth the sun and the moon to
serve you? Each of those luminaries hasteneth in its course to a determined
period: and GOD is well acquainted with that which ye do.
This is declared concerning the divine knowledge and power, for that GOD
is the true Being, and for that whatever ye invoke, besides him is vanity; and
for that GOD is the high, the great God.
Dost thou not see that the ships run in the sea, through the favor of
GOD, that he may show you of his signs? Verily herein are signs unto every
patient, grateful person.
When waves cover them, like overshadowing clouds, they call upon GOD,
exhibiting the pure religion unto him; but when he bringeth them safe to land,
there is of them who halteth between the true faith and idolatry. Howbeit,
none rejecteth our signs, except every perfidious, ungrateful person.
O men, fear your LORD, and dread the day whereon a father shall not make
satisfaction for his father at all:
the promise of GOD is assuredly true. Let not this present life,
therefore, deceive you; neither let the deceiverb deceive you concerning GOD.
Verily the knowledge of the hour of judgment is with GOD; and he causeth
the rain to descend at his own appointed time; and he knoweth what is in the
wombs of females. No soul knoweth what it shall gain on the morrow; neither
doth any soul know in what land it shall die;c but GOD is knowing and fully
acquainted with all things.
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