ENTITLED, THE WRAPPED UP; REVEALED AT MECCA.f
IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD.
O THOU wrapped up,g
arise to prayer, and continue therein during the night, except a small
part;h
that is to say, during one half thereof: or do thou lessen the same a
little
or add thereto.i And repeat the Koran with a distinct and sonorous
voice:
e That is to say, either that the prophet may know that Gabriel and the
other angels, who bring down the revelation, have communicated it to him pure
and free from any diabolical suggestions; or that GOD may know that the
prophet has published the same to mankind.1
f Some will have the last verse, beginning at these words, Verily thy
LORD knoweth, &c., to have been revealed at Medina.
g When this revelation was brought to Mohammed, he was wrapped up in
his garments, being affrighted at the appearance of Gabriel; or, as some say,
he lay sleeping unconcernedly, or, according to others, praying, wrapped up in
one part of a large mantle or rug, with the other part of which Ayesha had
covered herself to sleep.2
This epithet of wrapped up, and another of the same import given to
Mohammed in the next chapter, have been imagined, by several learned men,3
pretty plainly to intimate his being subject to the falling sickness: a malady
generally attributed to him by the Christians,4 but mentioned by no Mohammedan
writer. Though such an inference may be made, yet I think it scarce probable,
much less necessary.5
h For a half is such, with respect to the whole. Or, as the sentence
may be rendered, Pray half the night, within a small matter, &c. Some expound
these words as an exception to nights in general; according to whom the sense
will be, Spend one-half of every night in prayer, except some few nights in
the year, &c.6
i i.e., Set apart either less than half the night, as one-third, for
example, or more, as two-thirds. Or the meaning may be, either take a small
matter from a lesser part of the night than one-half, e.g., from one-third,
and so reduce it to a fourth; or add to such lesser part, and make it a full
half.1
1 Idem. 2 Al Zamakh., al Beidâwi. 3 Hotting. Hist.
Orient. l. I, c. 2. Marracc. in Alc. p. 763. Vide Gagnier, not. ad Abulf.
Vit. Moh. p. 9. 4 See Prideaux, Life of Mahomet, p. 16, and the
authors there cited. 5 See Ockley's Hist. of the Saracens, vol. i.
p. 300, &c 6 Al Beidâwi. 1 Idem.
for we will lay on thee a weighty word.k
Verily the rising by nightl is more efficacious for steadfast continuance
in devotion, and more conducive to decent pronunciation:m
for in the day-time thou hast long employment.
And commemorate the name of thy LORD; and separate thyself unto him,
renouncing worldly vanities.
He is the LORD of the east, and of the west; there is no GOD but he.
Wherefore take him for thy patron:
10 and patiently suffer the contumelies which the infidels utter against
thee; and depart from them with a decent departure.
And let me alone with those who charge the Koran with falsehood, who
enjoy the blessings of this life; and bear with them for a while:
verily with us are heavy fetters, and a burning fire,
and food ready to choke him who swalloweth it,n and painful torment.
On a certain day the earth shall be shaken, and the mountains also, and
the mountains shall become a heap of sand poured forth.
Verily we have sent unto you an apostle, to bear witness against you; as
we sent an apostle unto Pharaoh;
but Pharaoh was disobedient unto the apostle; wherefore we chastised him
with a heavy chastisement.
How, therefore, will ye escape, if ye believe not, the day which shall
make children become gray-headed through terror?
The heaven shall be rent in sunder thereby: the promise thereof shall
surely be performed.
Verily this is an admonition; and whoever is willing to be admonished
will take the way unto his LORD.
20 Thy LORD knoweth that thou continuest in prayer and meditation sometimes
near two third parts of the night, and sometimes one half thereof, and at
other times one third part thereof; and a part of thy companions, who are with
thee, do the same. But GOD measureth the night and the day; he knoweth that
ye cannot exactly compute the same: wherefore he turneth favourably unto you.o
Read, therefore, so much of the Koran as may be easy unto you. He knoweth
that there will be some infirm among you; and others travel through the earth,
that they may obtain a competency of the bounty of GOD; and others fight in
the defence of GOD'S faith. Read, therefore, so much of the same as may be
easy. And observe the stated times of prayer, and pay the legal alms; and
lend unto GOD an acceptable loan; for whatever good ye send before your souls,
ye shall find the same with GOD. This will be better, and will merit a
greater reward.p And ask GOD forgiveness; for GOD is ready to forgive, and
merciful.
k viz., The precepts contained in the Korân; which are heavy and
difficult to those who are obliged to observe them, and especially to the
prophet, whose care it was to see that his people observed them also.2
l Or, the person who riseth by night; or, the hours, or particularly
the first hours of the night, &c.
m For the nighttime is most proper for meditation and prayer, and also
for reading GOD'S word distinctly and with attention, by reason of the absence
of every noise and object which may distract the mind.
Marracci, having mentioned this natural explication of the Mohammedan
commentators, because he finds one word in the verse which may be taken in a
sense tending that way, says the whole may with greater exactness be expounded
of the fitness of the night season for amorous diversions and discourse; and
he paraphrases it in Latin thus: Certe in principio noctis majus robur et vim
habet homo, ad foeminas premendas et subagitandas, et ad clarioribus verbis
amores suos propalandos.3 A most effectual way, this, to turn a book into
ridicule!
n As thorns and thistles, the fruit of the infernal tree al Zakkûm, and
the corruption flowing from the bodies of the damned.
o By making the matter easy to you, and dispensing with your scrupulous
counting of the hours of the night which ye are directed to spend in reading
and praying: for some of the Moslems, not knowing how the time passed, used to
watch the whole night, standing and walking about till their legs and feet
swelled in a sad manner. The commentators add that this precept of dedicating
a part of the night to devotion, is abrogated by the institution of the five
hours of prayer.4
p i.e., The good which ye shall do in your lifetime will be much more
meritorious in the sight of GOD, than what ye shall defer till death, and
order by will.1
2 Idem, Jallalo'ddin. 3 Marracc. in Alc. p. 759. 4 Al
Beidâwi. 1 Idem.