a model of religion * unto mankind ; he anfwered, And alfo of my pofterity;
G od h id , My covenant doth not comprehend the ungodly. And when we
appointed the holy houfe k o f M ecc^ to be a place of refort for mankind
and a place of fecurity ; and fa id , Take the ftation.of A b r a h a m 1 for a
place of prayer j and we covenanted with A b r a h a m and Ism a e l , that
they fhould cleanfe my houfe for thofe who Ihould compafs it, and thofe who
fhould be devoutly affiduous there, and thole who fhould bow down and worfhip.
And when A b r a h am : faid, L o r d , make this a territory of fecurity; and
bounteoufly bellow fruits on its inhabitants, fuch of them as believe in G od
and the Iaft day ; G od anfwered, And whoever believeth not, I will be-
flow on him little, afterwards I will drive him to the punifhment of hell-
fire ; an ill journey fhall it be ! And when A b r a h a m and I sm a e l raifed
the foundations of the houfe, faying, L o r d , accept it from us, for thou art
he who heareth and knoweth: L o r d , make us alfo refigned * unto thee,
and of our pofterity a people refigned unto thee, and fhew us our holy
ceremonies, and be turned unto us, for thou art eafy to be reconciled, and
merciful: L o r d , fend them likewife an apoftle from among them, who may
declare thy figns unto them, and teach them the book o f the K o r jn and
wifdom, and may purify them ; for thou art mighty and wife. Who will
be averfe to the religion of A b r a h a m , but he whofe mind is infatuated?
Surely we have chofen him in this world, and in that which is to come he fhall
be one of the righteous. When his L o r d faid unto him, Refign thy felf
unto me ; he anfwered, I have refigned my felf unto the L o r d of all
creatures. And A b r a h a m bequeathed this religion to his children, and J a cob
did the fame, faying, My children, verily G o d hath chofen this religion
for you, therefore die not, unlefs ye alfo be refigned. Were ye prefent
when J aco b was at the point of death ? when he faid to his fons, Whom will
ye worfhip after hie ? They anfwered, We will worfhip thy G o d , and the
G od of thy fathers A b r a h a m , and Ism a e l , and I s a a c , one G od, and to
him will we be refigned. That people are now palled away, they ■ have
what they have gained ', and ye fhall have what ye gain; and ye fhall hot
be queftioned concerning that which they have done. They fay, Become
Jews or Chriftians that ye may be direfted. Say, Nay, we fo llow the
religion o f A b r a h a m the orthodox, who was no idolater. Say, We be-
s'fcr..’ r r.t- r .)■ ' I I . • lieve
a A model of religion.] I have rather expreff-
ed the meaning, than truely tranllated the Arabic
word Imam, which anfwers to the Latin
Antiftes. This title the Mohammedans give to
their priefts, who begin the prayers in their
Mofques, and whom all the congregation follow.
b The holy houfe »See."] That is th t Caaba, which
is ufually called, by way of eminence, the Houfe.
O f the fanftity of this building and other particulars
relating to it, fee the Preliminary Dif-
courfe, feft. IV.
c The fiat ion of Abraham, &c. 3 A place fo
called within the inner inclofure of the Caaba,
where they pretend to Ihew the print .of his foot
in a ftone 1.
d Refigned.] The Arabic word is Mofiemha, in
the lingular Mofiem, which the Mohammedans
take as a title peculiar to themfelves. The
Europeans generally write and pronounce it
Mufulman.
c What they have gainedf\ or deferved. The
Mohammedan nation, as to the imputation of
moral adlions to man, which they call gain, or
acquifition, is fufficiently explained in the Preliminary
Difcourfe,
* See the Prelim. Difc. §. IV.
lieve in Gop, and that lyhich hatk been fent. down, tinfo u$? and th at,which
hath béen fent down unto A b’rÀham, afid Ismael, arid I f f l S arid Jacob,
and the tribes, and that wjiich was '-delivered’ unto Moses, and Jesus, arfd
that which was delivered unto the prophets from their L ord r.'Wé majee
no dittifi^on between any o f’them, and to G'p-pi are .’.ye: refigned, Now if
they b’ejieye according to' what ye Jseljeve, they ’a^é furely diréïftécj,! bût if
they t,urp bàçjf, they are in fchjfrn. Gqp ' lhalï fupigoft thee agairifï them, for
he is the bearer, die wife. T p e baptiim of 6 q p * havé 'ièe r e tn fe d fa t f t i wKo
is better th;an Gob to baptize? him’ do wé worfhip. Shy, Will yri’difputè
with us concerning Grip i ;, who is our L ord, and your L ord ? we have our
works,., apd ye have your works,, and unto -him hr» We flneerely devoted.
Will yé fay, truly ASraham, and Ismael, and Isaac, apd Jacob; and the
triberi were Jews or Chrifliarts ? Say, .Art ye wifer, or Gpö'? And who ij
more .tmjuft than he who bidétji the teftimqny Which he hatli receive^ from
God. ?, j ’ But öpD.iy riot reghrdleJs ó f that ymich ye do. Tfhat pyople'arp
paffed.âway,, they hive what they have gained, and1 y.e~ fliijii.ha-ve what ye
gain,, nor fhall ye be queftioned concerning that which "they1 baye done.
* The foolilhmen will fay,' What hath turned theri} from their' K yE L A r i,1' to.- II.
wards whipb they formerly prayed* ? Say, JJnto G o d belongeth the eaft and
the w.eft : he qireiftelh whorii he. pjeafeth into the right WayV Th,ris. have we
placecl y o u ,OÀf^mA s s , an intermediate nation y thatjye mpy. be witriefles
agajpft the f e j l o f mankind; Arid that the.appftle may be.à witnefj: .agairift you,
I We appointed the K e.b l a h towards which thou .die® formerly fr a y ,, only tha-t
I we might jenow him who followeth the apoftle, from him who turneth back
I on his heelsf ; though this’ change kom a great matter, unlefs unto thofe whom
P , * G od
• The baptifm e f G od.] By b'qptifm is to-be
nnderftood the religion’which G od inftituted.in
the beginjiiijg j .becaufe. the ligns of it appear in
the perfon whp profefles it, .as the fign,s of ;watêr
appear in the cloaths o f him that is baptized *.
b Will ye difpute with us concerning G od ?j -
Thefe words vfrere revealed, becaufe the ~Jews
infilled, that they firft received .the fcjigtures,
that their. Keblah was;more ancient, and.that.no
prophets could ariTe among f thé Arafs j and
therefore‘if Mobpmmed was- a pröpheè, he nraft
4iave been of their nation *.
* Who hideth the teftimony, &c.} The Jews are
again accufed of corrupting and fuppreffing the
prophecies in the Pentateuch relating to Moham- med..
What, hath tyrnef them 'from, their Keblah,
&/V.] At 4 flt, "Mohammed ^6is followers ol)-
ferved no ^partidulaf rife! in turning their facea
towards any certain, place, or quarter p f' tfe
ïvorld, when they prayed j it being declared to
be perfeftly indifferent 3. Afterwards, when the
prophet fléd to Medina, he directed them to turn
towards tfye temple of' J&rufal$m (probably to
ingratiate himfelf .with t\it jews») wjiich.continued
to be their Keblah fox nxor feven months;
but either finding the. Jews too mtraélable,or def-
pairing otheswife to gain the pagan Arabs, who
could not forget their ^refpeéf to the ten^ple of
Mecca,, he ordered that prayers for the future
mould be towards the laft. This change was
made in .the fecpjid yrear of th$ Hejra, ^ and pc-
cafioned many to'fall from him> taking offence
at his inconftancy. 1.
e An intermediate nation, &c.] This feems to ■
be the fenfe of the words j tho’ the commentators
6 will have the meaning to be, that the
firabians a.re here declared ip .b,e i moft jufi apd
good, nation.
,. \Wk° tumeth back on his heels j]-i. e., returneth
to Jiidaifm/ f ....... ' J : : • ! > , •
> J a L la P o’ p d IN. 2 Idem• 3 See before P* i-C#
jAiLALo’DDiN. 6 Idem, Y ahya, '&C*.
* V. A bulf. vit. Moham. p. 54.