i8 Al KOR A N. C hap. 2,
G o d h a t h d i r e f t e d . B u t G o d w i l l h o t r e n d e r y o u r f a i t h o f h o n e e f f e d t f o r
G o d i s g r a c i o u s a n d m e r c i f u l u n t o m a n . W e h a v e f e e n t h e e t u r n a b o u t t h y
f a c e t o w a r d s h e a v e n with uncertainty, b u t w e w i l l c a u f e t h e e t o t u r n t h y
f e l f t o w a r d s a K e b l a h t h a t w i l l p l e a f e t h e e . T u r n t h e r e f o r e t h y f a c e t o w a r d s
t h e - h o l y t e m p l e o f M e c c a ; a n d w h e r e v e r y e b e , t u r n y o u r f a c e s t o w a r d s t h a t
placed T h e y - t o w h o m t h e f c r i p t u r e h a t h b e e n g i v e n , k n o w t h i s t o b e t r u t h
f r o m t h e i r L o r d . G o d i s n o t r e g a r d l e f s o f ( t h a t w h i c h y e ‘ d o . V e r i l y a l t h o u g h
t h o u f h o u l d e f t f h e w u n t o t h b f e t o w h o m t h e f c r i p t u r e | h a t h b e e n g i v e n , a l
k i n d s o f f i g n s , y e t t h e y , w i l l n o t f o l l o w t h y K e b l a h , n e i t h e r ( h a l t t h o u f o l l
o w t h e i r K e b l a h n o r w i l l o n e p a r t o f t h e m f o l l o w t h e K e b l a h o f t h e o t h e r .
A n d i f . t h o u f o l l o w t h e i r d e f i r e s , a f t e r t h e : k n o w l e d g e w h i c h h a t h b e e n g i v e n
t h e e , v e r i l y t h o u w i l t b e c o m e , one, o f t h e u n g o d l y . T h e y t o W h o m W e h a V e g i v e n
t h e f c r i p t u r e k p o w our appfile. e v e n a s . t h e y k n o w ( t h e i r o w n c h i l d r e n , ; .b u t 'f o m e 1
o r t h e m ' h i d e t h e t r u t h , a g a i h f t . t h e i r o w n ( k n o w l e d g e . ‘ ' T r U t h i s f r b m t h y
L o r d , , t h e r e f o r e t h o u f h a l t n o t . d o u b t . ' f i v ^ f y ' f e d h a t h ‘ a ' c e r t a i n t r a d 'i f
heaven to w h i c h t h e y t u r n t h e m f e l V e s in prayer 5T b u t d o y e f t f i v e t o r u n ' a f t e r
g o o d t h i n g s : w h e r e v e r y e b e , ‘ G o d w i l l b r i n g - y o u a l l b a c k (it the nefurrec-
tion, f o r G o d i s a l m i g h t y . A n d f r o m w h a t p l a c e f o e y e r g h o u c o m e f t f o r t h ,
t u r n t h y f a c e t o w a r d s t h e ( h o l y T e t a p j e , ; ’ . f o r . t h i s i s t r u t h ' f r o m ; t h y L o r d ;
n e i t h e r i s G o d r e g a r d l e f s o f t h a t w h i c h y e , d o . • F r o m W h a t p l a q e f o e v e r t h o u
c o m e f t f o r t h , T i j f n t h y . f a c f e t o w a r d s t l i f h o l y v t C m p l e ?; i ‘ a n d w f t e r e V h r y ‘e ’ b e ,
t h i t h e r w a r d ( t u r n y o u r " f a c e s , l e f t , m e n H a v e m a t t e r o f d i f p u t e : a g a i n l t y o u ;
b u t a s f o r ' t h o f e a m o n g t h e m w t i o / a r e 1 u n j u f t d 6 e V % / f t a r t h e m n o t , b u t ' f e a r
m e , t h a t I m a y ' a c C q m p l i f h m y * g r a c e u p o n y o u ’, . ' ; ' a n d t h a t y e . m a y b e d i i
r e d t e d . A s w e h a v e f e g t u n t o y o u a n , a p o f t l e f r o t a a m o n g y o u t o r e h e a r f e
o u r f i g n s u n t o y o u , a n d t o p u r i f y y o u , a n d t o t e a c h y o u t h e b o o k of the K o r a n a u d w i f d o m , a n d t o t e a c h y o u t h a t w h i c h y e k n e w n o t ? : . t h e r e f o r e . r e m e m b
e r m e , , a n d I w i l l r e m e m b e r y o u , a n d g i v e t h a n k s ’ u n t b . m e , a n d b e n o t u n b
e l i e v e r s . O true, b e l i e v e r s , b e g a f f i f t a r t c e w i t h p a t i e n c e - a n d p r a y e r j : f o r G o d
; i s W i t h ' ’t h e p a t i e n t . . A n d f a y n o t o f t h b f e i w h o a r e ( l a i n - i n f i g h t f o r 't h e r e l i -
g i q h o f G o p c , . - t h a t they are d e a d ; y e a , they a r e J i v i n g * f , b u t y e d o n o t - u n -
d e r f t a n d , .. W e , w i l l f u r e l y p r o v e y o u by afflicting y'ptf- i n f o m e m e a f u r e w i t h
f e a r ; - a n d h u n g e r , - a n d d e c r e a f e o f w e a l t h , a n d " !/ c j / j - '' o f : . l i V e s , \ . a h d y £ - « r i r { r y o f
f f u i b s t / b u t . b f e a f g o o d t i d i n g s - u n t o t h e :g a t f e n f f - w h o - ' i v H e h a m i s f o r t u n e
i b e f l f t e t h . t h e m , f a y , ' W e a r e G o d ’ s , a n d u n t o ( h i m l h a l l w e l u r e l y h i y t u r a .
p p m t h e m f h a l l b e b l e f f i n g s . f r o m t h e i r L o r d a n d m e r c y , ' - a n d : t h e y ^ a i j e t l i e
r i g h t l y d i r e d t e d . M o r e o v e r S a f a a n d M e r w a h a r e two o f t h e m o n u m e n t s o f
£ 1 ' ( ( / ; ' . ’ ■ ■ - r :s - / i - ; - ^ i --’ T ' " ~ -'; < 5 o b :
- fGadipyU not rlnfrjmrfdith of mne effeftd] Or ‘ They are living.] The foulsof martyrs, (/or
' vrl’I not'fuffer it to go "without its reward, while 'fuch thefelfeem; thofeivho die in battle againlt
ye praved towards yerryh/rr,. ' lnJldels) fays. ydllblddfiri. arh. in the crops of
1 cm apoftle frm'dinbtig ydui\ That is, of' your (green pirds, "which ha,ve liberty to fty ‘wher-
own nation. ^ ' e vprtheyp/eafe i'n.paradife, andifecdoh the fruits
* Who areJlain in fight for the religion of G od.] thereof.
The original words are literaliy,. w ho a re jla in in . e iK e a re G od’s, and. u n to h im J h d llv je fiu ttly tc -
th e w a y o ft G o v i b y which ekpreffion,frequent- tu rnd\ An expre/Tron frequently in tile 'months o!
ly occurring in theXera», is always meant war \ \ it M o h ftn tn ed a n s, when undfer any" grVit a/Hie-
undertaken againlt unbelievers for the propagation tion,. or in any imminent danger,
of the M oham m edan faith.
Ci i a p. 2.: Al K ORA ly. /i 9
G od : whoever therefore gpeth, on pilgrimage to jtggc temple [of M e c c a o r yi-
fiteth it, it fhall be no crime in him;if,he compafs them both”. And as for
him who voluntarily performeth a good work; Verily G o d is grateful and
knowing. They who conceal any of the evident figns, or the diredtion
which we have fent down, after what we have manifefted unto men: in the
fcripture, G od lhall curfe;thejn ; and they who cprfe fhall curfe theta/. But
as for thofe who repent and amend, and make known, what they conceqled, I
will be turned unto them, for-1 am eafy to be reconciled :and merciful. Surely
they who believe not, and. die in their unbelief, upon them lhall be the
curfe of G o d , and of the angels, and of all men ; they lhall remain under it
for ever, their punilhment lhall not be alleviated, neither fhall they be regarded
% Your Gqp is one G o d , there is no G od but He, the moft merciful.
. Now in the creation of heaven and earth, and the vicifiitude. of, night
and day, and,in the fhip whicftiailetlun the.fea,. leaden. withrwhat is profitable
for mankind, and in (the rain.-, water which, G od fendeth from heaven, quickr
ening thereby the dead earth, ,and repleniftiing the fame with-allfpjts of cattle,
and in, the change of Winds, and the clouds that are compelled to do ferviceA between
heaven and earth, are figns to people of underftandiqg : yet fome men
take idols befide G o d , and love them as with the love .due. to God s but the
true believers are more fervent in love towards,.Go d . Oh that (hey who a<ft
unjuftly did perceive*, when( they behold their punilhment, that all power
belongeth unto G o d , and that he' is fevere in punifhirig ! When thole who
have been followed, lhall feparate themfelves from their followersf, and lhall
fee the punilhment, and the cords of relation between them lhall be cut in
D 2 ■ ’ funder ■,
* Whoever gbeth ‘ on pilgrimage to Mecca,' ;/
Jhall be no crime in him i f he compafs them both.~\
Safa and Merwa are two mountains near Mecca,
whereon were anciently two idols, to which the'
, pagan Arabs ufed to pay a fuperftitious veneration
1. Jallalo'ddin. lays this paffage was revealed
becaufe the followers o f Mohammed made
a fcruple of going round thefe mountains, as the
idolaters did. But the true reafon of his allowing
this relick of ancient fuperftition feems to be the
difficulty he found in preventing^it. ' Abu'l Ka-
fern Hebatdllab thinks thefe lali Words are abrogated
by /thofe other,} Who will retell the religion
of Abraham, except he who hath infatuated
his foul2 p So that he will have the meaning, to
be quite contrary to the letter, as if it had been,
it Jhall be no crime in him i f he do not compafs them.
However the expolitors are all againft him 3, and
the ceremony of running between, thefe two hills
is Hill obferved at the pilgrimage 4.
b They who curje jhall curfe them.] That isa the
angels, thf believers, and all things in general ?.
But Tahya interprets jt of the curies which will
given to the wicked, when they cry out becaufe,
of the punilhment Of the fepulchfe by
all who hear them, that is by all creatures except
men and genii.
* Regarded.] Or, as Jaltalfddin expounds it,
G od will pot wait for their repentance.
4 Compelled.] The original word lignifies properly
that are prejfed or compelled to do per fonai fervice
without hire; which kind of fervice is often
exacted by the ealtern princes;of their fubjedls,
and is called by the Ground Latin writers* Angaria.
The fcripture often mentions this fort of
:-cbmpulfioii orferce 7\ -
e Oh that they who aflr unjufliy* did\perceive, &c.]
Or it may be tranllated, Although the ungodly will
perceive, &c. But fome. copies inftead of yara,
in the third perfdn, read tara, in the lecond ;
and then it mull be rendered, Oh i f thou didjl fee
when the ungodly behold their punijhmentt &c.
f When thofe who have'followed Jhall feparate
themfelveis from theirt followers, &c.] That is,
•when ; the broachers or heads o f pew fedls lhall
at the l^ft- day forfake or walh their hands of
their difcjples, as if they were not accomplices
in their fuperftitions.
T See the Prelim. Difc. p. 20. 2 'See before p. 16. * T. Marracc. in AlclpJO9. & c, l ' 4-' See.
thePrelim.Difc.feft.IV. 1 Jallalo’ddin. 6 See Prelim. Difc. feft.IV. 7 Matt. v. 41. xxvii. 32. & c.