ENTITLED, THE MOON; REVEALED AT MECCA.
IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD.
THE hour of judgment approacheth; and the moon hath been split in
sunder:d
z This passage, it is said, was revealed on account of al Walid Ebn al
Mogheira, who, following the prophet one day, was reviled by an idolater for
leaving the religion of the Koreish, and giving occasion of scandal; to which
he answered, that what he did was out of apprehension of the divine vengeance:
whereupon the man offered, for a certain sum, to take the guilt of his
apostacy on himself; and the bargain being made, al Walid returned to his
idolatry, and paid the man part of what had been agreed on; but afterwards, on
farther consideration, he thought it too much, and kept back the remainder.6
a That is, is he assured that the person with whom he made the above-
mentioned agreement will be allowed to suffer in his stead hereafter?7
b Sirius, or the greater dog-star, was worshipped by some of the old
Arabs.1
c viz., Sodom, and the other cities involved in her ruin. See chapter
11, p. 166.
d This passage is expounded two different ways. Some imagine the words
refer to a famous miracle supposed to have been performed by Mohammed; for it
is said that, on the infidels demanding a sign of him, the moon appeared
cloven in two,1 one part vanishing, and the other remaining; and Ebn Masúd
affirmed that he saw Mount Harâ interpose between the two sections. Others
think the preter tense is here used in the prophetic style for the future, and
that the passage should be rendered, The moon shall be split in sunder: for
this, they say, is to happen at the resurrection. The former opinion is
supported by reading, according to some copies, wakad inshakka 'lkamaro, i.e.,
since the moon hath already been split in sunder; the splitting of the moon
being reckoned by some to be one of the previous signs of the last day.2
6 Al Beidâwi. 7 Idem. 1 See the Prelim. Disc. Sect.
I. p. 13, and Hyde, not. in Ulug. Beig. Tab. Stell. fix. p. 53.
1 See a long and fabulous account of this pretended miracle in Gagnier, Vie
de Mah. c. 19 2 Al Zamakh., al Beidâwi.
but if the unbelievers see a sign, they turn aside, saying, This is a
powerful charm.e
And they accuse thee, O Mohammed, of imposture, and follow their own
lusts: but everything will be immutably fixed.f
And now hath a messageg come unto them, wherein is a determent from
obstinate infidelity;
the same being consummate wisdom: but warners profit them not;
wherefore do thou withdraw from them. The day whereon the summoner shall
summon mankind to an ungrateful business,h
they shall come forth from their graves with downcast looks: numerous as
locusts scattered far abroad;
hastening with terror unto the summoner. The unbelievers shall say, This
is a day of distress.
The people of Noah accused that prophet of imposture, before thy people
rejected thee: they accused our servant of imposture, saying, He is a madman;
and he was rejected with reproach.
10 He called, therefore, upon his LORD, saying, Verily I am overpowered;
wherefore avenge me.i
So we opened the gates of heaven, with water pouring down,
and we caused the earth to break forth into springs; so that the water of
heaven and earth met, according to the decree which had been established.
And we bare him on a vessel composed of planks and nails;
which moved forward under our eyes:k as a recompense unto him who had
been ungratefully rejected.
And we left the said vessel for a sign: but is any one warned thereby?
And how severe was my vengeance, and my threatening!
Now have we made the Koran easy for admonition: but is any one admonished
thereby?
Ad charged their prophet with imposture: but how severe was my vengeance,
and my threatening!
Verily we sent against them a roaringl wind, on a day of continued ill
luck;m
20 it carried men away, as though they had been roots of palm-trees
forcibly torn up.n
And how severe was my vengeance and my threatening!
Now have we made the Koran easy for admonition: but is any one admonished
thereby?
Thamud charged the admonitions of their prophet with falsehood,
and said, Shall we follow a single man among us? verily we should then be
guilty of error, and preposterous madness:
is the office of admonition committed unto him preferably to the rest of
us? Nay; he is a liar, and an insolent fellow.
e Or, as the participle here used may also signify, a continued series
of magic, or a transient magic illusion.
f Or will reach a final period of ruin or success in this world, and of
misery or happiness in the next, which will be conclusive and unchangeable
thenceforward for ever.3
g i.e., The Korân, containing stories of former nations which have been
chastised for their incredulity, and threats of a more dreadful punishment
hereafter.
h That is, when the angel Israfil shall call men to judgment.
i This petition was not preferred by Noah till after he had suffered
repeated violence from his people; for it is related that one of them having
fallen upon him and almost strangled him, when he came to himself he said, O
LORD, forgive them, for they know not what they do.4
k i.e., Under our special regard and keeping.
l Or, a cold wind.
m viz., On a Wednesday. See chapter 41, p. 356, note t.
n It is related that they sought shelter in the clefts of rocks, and in
pits, holding fast by one another; but that the wind impetuously tore them
away, and threw them down dead.5
3 Al Beidâwi. 4 Idem. 5 Idem.
But God said to Saleh, To-morrow shall they know who is the liar, and the
insolent person:
for we will surely send the she-camel for a trial of them:o and do thou
observe them, and bear their insults with patience:
and prophesy unto them that the water shall be divided between them,p and
each portion shall be sat down to alternately.
And they called their companion:q and he took a sword,r and slew her.
30 But how severe was my vengeance, and my threatening!
For we sent against them one cry of the angel Gabriel; and they became
like the dry sticks used by him who buildeth a fold for cattle.s
And now have we made the Koran easy for admonition: but is any one
admonished thereby?
The people of Lot charged his preaching with falsehood:
but we sent against them a wind driving a shower of stones, which
destroyed them all except the family of Lot; whom we delivered early in the
morning,
through favor from us. Thus do we reward those who are thankful.
And Lot had warned them of our severity in chastising; but they doubted
of that warning.
And they demanded his guests of him, that they might abuse them: but we
put out their eyes,t
saying, Taste my vengeance, and my threatening.
And early in the morning a lasting punishmentu surprised them. Taste,
therefore, my vengeance, and my threatening.
40 Now have we made the Koran easy for admonition: but is any one
admonished thereby?
The warning of Moses also came unto the people of Pharaoh;
but they charged every one of our signs with imposture: wherefore we
chastised them with a mighty and irresistible chastisement.
Are your unbelievers, O Meccans, better than these? Is immunity from
punishment promised unto you in the scriptures?
Do they say, We are a body of men able to prevail against our enemies?
The multitude shall surely be put to flight, and shall turn their back.x
But the hour of judgment is their threatened time of punishment:y and
that hour shall be more grievous and more bitter than their afflictions in
this life.
Verily the wicked wander in error, and shall be tormented hereafter in
burning flames.
On that day they shall be dragged into the fire on their faces; and it
shall be said unto them, Taste ye the touch of hell.
All things have we created bound by a fixed decree:
50 and our command is no more than a single word,z like the twinkling of an
eye.
o See chapter 7, p. 112, &c.
p That is, between the Thamudites and the camel. See chapter 26, p.
280, note f.
q Namely, Kodâr Ebn Salef; who was not an Arab, but a stranger dwelling
among the Thamudites. See chapter 7, p. 112, note k.
r Or, as the word also imports, He became resolute and daring.
s The words may signify either the dry boughs with which, in the east,
they make folds or enclosures, to fence their cattle from wind and cold; or
the stubble and other stuff with which they litter them in those folds during
the winter season.
t So that their sockets became filled up even with the other parts of
their faces. This, it is said, was done by one stroke of the wing of the
angel Gabriel. See chapter 11, p. 166.
u Under which they shall continue till they receive their full
punishment in hell.
x This prophecy was fulfilled by the overthrow of the Koreish at Bedr.
It is related, from a tradition of Omar, that when this passage was revealed,
Mohammed professed himself to be ignorant of its true meaning; but on the day
of the battle of Bedr, he repeated these words as he was putting on his coat
of mail.1
y i.e., The time when they shall receive their full punishment; what
they suffer in this world being only the forerunner or earnest of what they
shall feel in the next.
z viz., Kun, i.e., Be. The passage may also be rendered, The execution
of our purpose is but a single act, exerted in a moment. Some suppose it
refers to the business of the day of judgment.1
1 Al Beidâwi.
We have formerly destroyed nations like unto you; but is any of you
warned by their example?
Everything which they do is recorded in the books kept by the guardian
angels:
and every action both small and great, is written down in the preserved
table.
Moreover the pious shall dwell among gardens and rivers,
in the assembly of truth, in the presence of a most potent king.
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