none thereby, unlefs by G o d ’ s permiffion 5 and they learned that which would
hurt them, and not profit them s and yet they knew that he who bought that art
lhould have no part in the life to come, and woful is the price for which thev
have fold their fouls, if they knew it. But if they had believed, and’feared
G o d , verily the reward they would have had from G od would have been bet
ter, if they had known it. O true believers, fay not to our apoftle, R a im a -
but fay O n d h o r n a *; and hearken: the infidels fhall fuffer a grievous punift!
ment. It is not the defire of the unbelievers, either among thofe unto
whom the fcriptures have been given, or among the idolaters, that any good
lhould be fent down unto you from your L o r d : but G od will appropriate his
mercy unto whom he pleafeth; for G od is exceeding beneficent. Whatever
verfe we fhall abrogate, or caufe thee to forget, we will bring a better than it,
or one like unto it. Doll thou not know that G od is almighty ? Doft thou
not know that unto G od belongeth the kingdom of heaven and earth ? neither
have ye any proteftor or helper except G o d . Will ye require of your
apoftle according to that which was formerly required of M oses k ? but he
that hath exchanged faith for infidelity, hath already erred from the ftrait
way. Many of thofe unto whom the fcriptures have been given, defire to
render you again unbelievers, after ye have believed; out of envy from their
fouls, even after the truth is become manifeft unto them ; but forgive them,
and avoid them, till G od fhall fend his command; for G od is omnipotent!
Be conftant in prayer, and give alms; and what good ye have lent before
for your fouls, ye fhall find it with G od ; furely G od feeth that which ye do
They fay, Verily none lhall enter paradife, except they who are Jews or
Chriftiansc.- this is their wilh. Say, Produce your proof o f this , if ye fpeak
truth. Nay, but he who refigneth himfelf 4 to G o d , and doth that which
is right % he lhall have his reward with his L o rd ; there lhall come
no
whither the two angels alfo returned, but were
not admitted. However, on the interceffion of a
certain pious man, they were allowed to chufe
whether they would be punilhed in this life, or
in the other; whereupon they chofe the former,
and now fuffer punifhment accordingly in Babel,
where they are to remain till the day of judgment.
They add that if a man has a fancy to learn magic,
he may go to them, and hear their voice,
but cannot fee them l .
This ftory Mohammed took dire&ly from the
Perftan Magi, who mention two rebellious angels
of the fame names, now hung up by the feet,
with their heads downwards, in the territory of
Babel *. And the Jews have fomething like this,
of the angel Shamhozai, who having debauched
himfelf with women, repented, and by way
of penance hung himfelf up between heaven
and earth 3.
• Say not unto our apoftle Rama, but Ondhorna.]
Thofe two Arabic words have both the
fame fignification, viz. hook on us; and arc a
kind of falutation. Mohammed had a great aver*
lion to the firft, becaufe the Jews frequently
ufed it in derifion, it being a word of reproach
in their tongue *. They alluded, it feems, to
the Hebrew verb y n rua, which lignifies to be
bad or mifchtevous.
b What was formerly required of Mofes.] Namely,
to fee G od manifeftly 5. >.
* None Jhall enter paradife, \ except Jews or
Chriftians.] This paffage Was revealed on occa-
fion of a difpute which Mohammed had with
the Jews of Medina, and the Chriftians of Naj-
rdn, each of them afferting that thofe of their
religion only lhould be faved 6,
d Refigneth himfelf, See.'] Literally, refigneth bit
face, See.
• And doth that which is right, &c.] That is,
afferteth the unity of G o d 7.
1 Y a h y a , &c. * V. H y d e , ubi fup. cap. i z . 3
l a l q p d i n . * See beforep. 7. 6 Jallalo’ddin,
Berejhit rabb ah. in Qenef vi.2 ,
7 Idem,
JA I -
no fear on them; neither lhall they be grieved. The Jews fay, The Chriftians
are grounded on nothing ! ; and the Chriftians fay. The Jews are grounded
on nothing: yet they loth read the fcriptures. So likewife fay they who know
not the feripture,' according to their faying. But G od lhall judge between
them on the day of the refurredtion, concerning that about which they now
difagree. Who is more unjuft than he who prohibiteth the temples o f G od ‘,
that his name lhould be remembered therein, and who hafteth to deftroy
them? Thofe men cannot enter therein, but with fear : they lhall have
lhame in this world, and in the next a grievous punilhment. To G od belongeth
the ealt and the weft; therefore whitherfoever ye turn your felves to
pray, there is the face of G od ; for G od is omniprefent and omnifeient.
They fay, G od hath begotten children': G od forbid! To him belongeth
whatever is in heaven, and on earth ; all is poffeffed by him, the Creator
of heaven and earth ; and when he decreeth a thing, he only faith unto it,
Be, and it is. And they who know not the fcriptures fay, Unlels G od
fpeak unto us, or thou ihew us a fign, we will not believe. So faid thofe before
them, according to their faying : their hearts refemble each other. We
have already lhewn manifeft figns unto people who firmly believe ; we have
fent thee in truth, a bearer of good tidings, and a preacher ; and thou
fhalt not be queftioned concerning the companions of hell. But the Jews
will not be pleafed with thee, neither the Chriftians, until thou follow their
religion ; fay, The direftion of G od is the true direction. And verily if
thou follow their defires, after the knowledge which hath been given thee,
thou lhalt find no patron or protedlor againft G o d . They to whom we
have given the book of the Korkin, and who read it with its true reading,
they believe therein ; and whoever believeth not therein, they lhall perilh.
O children of I s r a e l , remember my favour wherewith I have favoured
you, and that I have preferred you before all nations ; and dread the day
wherein one foul lhall not make fatisfaftion for another foul, neither lhall
any compenfation be accepted from them, nor lhall any interceffion avail,
neither lhall they be helped. Remember when the L o r d tried A b r a h a m by
certain words4, which he fulfilled : God faid, Verily I will conftitute thee
a
happened in the 6th year of the Hejra f.
* They fay G od hath begotten children.] This
is fpoken not only of the Chriftians, and of the
Jews ( for they are aceufed of holding Ozair,
of Ezra, to be the fon of G od,), but alfd the pagan
Arabs> who imagined the angels to be
daughters of G o d ;
d When the L ord tried Abraham, £?fr.] G od
tried Abraham chiefly- by commanding him to
leave his native country, and to offer his fon. But
the commentators fuppofe the trial here meant related
only to feme particular ceremonies,! fach' as
circumcifion, pilgrimage to the Caabay.fevatsl
rites of purification, and the like 3~.
• The Jews fay, the Chriftians are grounded on
nothing, &c.] The Jews and Chriftians are here
aêcufed of denying the truth of each other’s religion,
notwithftanding they read the-fcriptures.
Whereas the Pentateticb bears teftimony to J e s u s ,
and the Gofpel bears teftinioriy to Mofes 1.
* Who prohibiteth the temples of G od, £3V.] Or
hindrith mehi from paying their adorations to
God in thofe facred places. This paffage, fays
Jàllaidddïn, was revealed on news being brought,
that the Romans had fpoiled the temple of Jerusalem•;
or elfe when the idolatrous Arabsoh-
ftru&ed Mohammed's vifiting the temple of Mec-
ca> in the expedition of al Hodeibiya, which
1 Idem. a V. A b u ’ l f e d a e v i f Moham p. 84. 3 J ax-l a l o ’ d d i n .