2 A l K O R A N . H A f 2 .
C H A P . n .
Intitled, The Cow *; revealed partly at Mecca, and
partly a; M e d i n a , j
In the name of the moll merciful G od.
AL. M.b There is no doubt in this book *, it is a direction to the pious,
who believe in the myfteries *cf faiths, who. obferve the appointed times
of prayer, and diftribute alms out of what we have bellowed on them *, and
who believe in that remelation^ which h^th been fent down unto thee* and that
which hath been lent down unto the prophets before theed, and have firm af-
furanee in the life to come* : thefe are diredted by their L ord, and they lhall
profper. As for the unbelievers, ft, will be equal to. them, whether thou ad-
monilh them, or do not admonilh them ; they will not believe^ G od hath
fealed up their hearts and their hearing*, a djmnefs covgreth tjie.ir fight, and
they lhall fuffer a grievous punifhmenti There are fome who lay, We believe
in G od, and the lalVday *, but are not really believers : they leek kmigffrnt
God, and thofewho do believe, but' they deceive themfelves only, and are $ot
fenfible thereof. There is an infirmity in their hearts, and G od hath increa-
fed that infirmity f ; and they lhall fuffer a moll painful punilhment, becaufe
they have dilbelievecL When one faith unto them, A61 not corruptly 8 in the
earth; they reply, Verily we are men of integrity h. Are not they themfelves
* Thfe tide was occafioned by- the Hory Qf properly figrjifies tbe{att,erpart;<Awy thing, and
the redKeifer* eientionied 9. by. way of exc^epse the /$?,Jb i latierox
b A.L.M.'j As, to the meaning of thefe letters, future pAte, after d^dusndig Dppofed to al-donya,
lee the preliminary Difcourfe, Se&. .3. this qmrld i apd afoufaA the former ,or prefent life,
e. Myfe.ries.J The Arabic word is gheib, which The Hebrew word ahhnrith, from, the fame root,
properlydignifies a, thing that, is.abfejpt, at a, great is ufed by Mofes in this fenjfe, and is trapflated
Jijlance, or inviRble, fpeh as the refqrseAion, latter end*.
paradife, apdhefi. And this is agreeable to the , f Mohammed here, and elfe\yhere frequently,
language qf feripture, which defines faith: to, he imitates the truly, inspired writers, in mating.
the- evidence of things, not feeh x\ G od. i?y operation; on themfnda of reprobates to
4 The prophets before thee]TheMohammedans be- prevent theirconverfion. Thisfatality or pre-
lieve that G od gave written revelations,not only deftination, as believed by the Mohammedans,
to Mof>s, Jefus, and Mohammed, but to feveral hath been fufficiently treated of in the Prelimir
other prophet3 2» tho’ they acknowledge none of nary Difcourfe.
thofe. which preceded the Kordn to he now ex- 8 A£l not corruptly] Literally corrupt not in
tant, except the Pentateuch, of Mofes, the Pfalms the earthr by which fome expofitors underftand
of David, and the Gofpel of Jefus; which yet they the fowing of falfe daftrine, and corrupting pen*
fey were even before Mohammed's time altered pie’s principles.
and corrupted by the Jews and Chriftians ; and h Men of integrity ] According to the explica-
therefore will not allow our prefent copies to be tion in the preceding note, this word muft be-
genuine. ' - tranllated reformers, who promote true piety by
* The life to come] The original word al- dkberat their dodtrine and example*
G h a p . 2. A l K O R A N j
felves corrupt doers ? but they are not fenfible thereof. And when one faith
unto them, Believe ye as others * believe •, they anfwer, Shall we believe as
fools believe ? Are not they themfelves fools ? but they know it not. When
they meet thofewho believe, they fay, We do believe : but when they retire
privately to their devils b, they fay, We really bold with you, and only mock
at thofe people: G od lhall mock at them, and continue them in their impiety ;
they fhall wander in confufion. Thefe are the men who have purchafed error
at the price of true direction : but their traffick hath not been gainful, neither
have they been rightly directed. They are like unto one who kindleth a firec,
and when it hath enlightened all around him4 5 G od taketh away their light ?
and leaveth them in darknefs, they lhall not fee; they are deaf, dumb, and
blind, therefore will they not repent. Or like a ftormy cloud from heaven,
fraught with darknefs, thunder, and lightningf, they put their fingers in their
ears, becaufe of the noife of the thunder, for fear of death ; G od encompafif-
eth the infidels: the lightning wanteth but little of taking away their fight-;
fo often as it enlighteneth them, they walk therein, but when darknefs cometh
on them, they Hand ftill; and if G od fo pleafed, he would certainly deprive
them of their hearing and their fight, for G od is almighty. O men o f M E C CA
ferve your L o r d who hath created you, and thofe who have been before
you : peradventure ye will fear him ; who hath fpread the earth as a bed for
you, and the heaven as a covering, and hath caufed water to defeend from
heaven, and thereby produced fruits for your fuftenance. Set not up therefore
any equals unto G o d , againft your own knowledge. If ye be in doubt concerning
that revelation which we have fent down unto our fervant, produce
a chapter like unto it, and call upon your witneffes, befides G od *, if ye
fay truth. But if ye do it not, nor lhall ever he able to do it -, juftly fear the
B 2 fire
I Others] The firft companions and followers ■ Their light] That is of the unbelievers, to
of Mebammed 1. whom the word their being in the plural, feetrts
'‘ Devils] The prophet, making ufeof the to refer; tho’ it is not unufual for Mohammed in
liberty zealots o f all religions have, by pre- affectation of the prophetic ftyle, fuddenly to
feription, ,of giving ill language, bellows this change the number againft all rules o f grammar,
name on the. ‘JewiJhrabbins and CArr/fhmpriefls; f Here he compares the unbelieving Arabs
tho’ he feems chiefly to mean the former, againft to people caught in a violent ftorm. To perceive
whom he_had by much the greater fpleen. the beauty of this comparifon, it muft be 6b-
* J“ paflage, Mohammed compares thofe ferved, that the Mohammedan doctors fay, this
who believed not on him, to a man who wants tempeft is a type or image of the Koran it felf:
to kindle a firy, but as foon as it burns up, and the thunder fignifying the threats therein con-
the Names give a light, ihuts his eyes, left he tabled ; the lightning, the promifes; and the
mould fee. As if he had faid; You, O Arabians, darknefs, the myfteries. The terror of the
have long defired-a prophet of;ryour own nation, threats makes them ftop their ears, unwilling to
and now I-am fent unto you, and have plainly hear truths fo difagreeable ; when the promifes
proved.my miflion by the excellence, of my .doe- are read to.'them, they attend withtpleafure; but
.trine and revelation, you refill conviction, and when any thing myfterious or difficult of belief
return to believe in me; therefore lhall G od-leave occurs,, they Hand ftock Hill, and will not fub-
y m your ignorance, mit-to be directed.
The fenfe feems to be here imperfect, and r Your vsitnejjes befsdes G od] i. e. Your falfe
may be compleated, by adding the words, he gods and idols.
turns from it, fonts his eyes, or the like.
i o. 1 J ALL A I. g’d DIX.