anfwered, Yea ; but I ask this that my heart may reft at eafe. G o d faid
take therefore four birds, and divide them *; then lay a part of them on every
mountain; then call them, and they fhall come fwiftly unto thee : and know
that G od is mighty and wife. The fimilitude of thofe who lay out their ftb-
ftance for advancing the religion of G od, is as a grain o f corn which produceth
feven ears, and in every ear an hundred grains; for G od giveth twofold unto
whom he pleafeth: G od is bounteous and wife. They who lay out their
fubftance for the religion of G od , and afterwards follow not what they have
fo laid out by reproaches or mifchiefb, they fhall have their reward with their
•their L ord ; upon them fhall no fear come, neither fhall they be grieved.
A fair fpeech, and to forgive, is better than alms followed by mif-
chief. G od is rich and merciful. O true believers, make not your alms of
none effeft by reproaching, or mifchief, as he who layeth out what he hath
to appear unto men to g iv e alms, and believeth not in G od and the laft day.
The likenefs of fuch a one, is as a flint covered with earth, on which a violent
rain falleth, and leaveth it hard. They cannot profper in any thing which
they have gained, for G od direfteth not the unbelieving people. And the
likenefs of thofe who lay out their fubftance from a defire to pleafe G od, and
for an eftablifhment for their fouls, is as a garden on a hill, on which a violent
rain falleth, and it bringeth forth its fruits twofold ; and if a violent
rain falleth not on ir, yet the dew fa lleth thereon : and G od feeth that which
ye do. Doth any of you defire to have a garden of palm-trees and vines',
through which rivers flow, wherein he may have all kinds o f fruits, and that he
may attain to old age, and have a weak off-fpring ? then a violent fiery wind
fhall ftrike it, fo that it fhall be burned. Thus G od declareth his figns unto
“you, that ye may confider. O true believers bellow alms of the good things
which ye have gained, and of that which we have produced for you out of the
-earth, and chufe not the bad thereof, to give it in alms, fuch as ye would not
accept your felves, otherwife than by connivance J: and know that G od is
rich and worthy to be praifed. The devil threateneth you with poverty, and
.commandeth you filthy covetoufnefs ; but G od promifeth you pardon from
himfelf and abundance: G od is bounteous and wife. He giveth wifdom un-
H I to
* jTake fo u r bird s and d iv id e them.] Thefe birds,
additional circumftances. ,
.according to the 'commentators, were an «agie
(a dove, fay others^ a peacock, a raven, and a
cock j which Abraham cut to pieces, and
mingled their flelh and feathers together, or,
as fome tell us, pounded all in a mortar,
and dividing the mals into four parts, laid them
on fo many mountains, but kept the heads,
which he had preferved whole, in his hand.
Then he called them each by their name, and
immediately one part flew to the other, till they
aH recovered their firft Ihape, and then came to
be joined to their refpeétive heads 1.
This feeiyis to be taken from Abraham 's lacri-
jflce of birds mentioned by Mofes 2, with fome
1 J a l l a -l o ’ d d i h . See D ’H e r b e l o t . ubiJupra.
b A n d fo llow not alms by reproaches or m ifcbitf
&c.] i. e. Either by reproaching the perfon
whom they have relieved, with what they have
done for them j or by expofing his poverty <o
his prejudice 3.
* D o th any o f you defire a garden, &c.] This
garden is an emblem of alms given out of hypo-
crily,or attended with reproaches, which perilh,
and will be of no fervice hereafter to the giver4.
d By connivance.J That is, on having fome a-
mends made by the feller of fuch goods, either
by abatement of the price, or giving fomething
clfe to the buyer to make up the value.
* Gen, XV, 3- Jallalo’djjin, ^ Id tA '
to whom he pleafeth ; and he unto whom wifdom1 is given, hath received much
good: but none will confider, except the wife of heart. And whatever alms
ye fhall give, or whatever vow ye fhall vow, verily G od knoweth it ; but
the ungodly fhall have none to help them. If ye make your alms to appear,
it is well; but if ye conceal them, and give them unto the poor, this w ill be
better for you, and will atone for your fins : and G od is well informed of
that which ye do. The direftion of them belongeth not unto thee ; but G od
direð whom he pleafeth. The good that ye fhall give in alms fh a ll redound
unto your felves ; and ye fhall not give unlefs out of defire of feeing the-
face of G od j f And what good thing ye fhall give in alms, it fhall be repaid
you, and ye fhall not be treated unjuftly ; unto the poor who are wholly employed
in fighting for the religion of G od, and cannot go to and fro in the
earth ; whom the ignorant man thinketh rich, becaufe of their modefty:
thou fhalt know them by this mark, they ask not men with importunity ;
and what good ye fhall give in alms, verily G od knoweth it. They who dif-
tribute alms o f their fubftance night and day, in private and in public, fhall
have their reward with their L ord ; on them fhall no fear come, neither
fhall they be grieved. They who devour ufury fhall not arife from the dead,
but as he arifeth whom Sa t a n hath infeifted by a touch b: this fh a ll happen
to them: becaufe they fay, Truly felling is but as ufury: and yet G od hath permitted
felling and forbidden ufury. He therefore who when there cometh unto
him an admonition from his L ord , abftaineth/m» ufury f o r the fu tu r e , fhall
have what is paft forgiven him, and his affair belongeth unto G od. But whoever
returneth to ufury, they fhall be the companions of hell fire, they fhall
continue therein for ever. G od fhall take his bleffing from ufury, and fhall
increafe alms : for G od loveth no infidel, or ungodly perfon. But they who
believe and do that which is right, and obferve the ftated times of prayer,
and pay their legal alms, they fhall have their reward with their L ord :
there fhall come no fear on them, neither fhall they be grieved. O true believers,
fear G od, and remit that which remaineth of ufury % if ye really believe
; but if ye do it not, hearken unto war, which is declared againft you
from G od and his apoftle: yet if ye repent, ye fhall have the capital of
your money. Deal not unjuftly with others, and ye lhall not be dealt with
unjuftly. If there be any debtor under a difficulty o f paying his debt, let his
creditor wait till it be eafy fo r him to do it ; but if ye remit it as alms, It
will be better for you, if ye knew it. And fear the day wherein ye fhall return
unto G od, then fhall every foul be paid what it hath gained, and they fhall
not be treated unjuftly. O true believers, when ye bind yourfelves one to the
F other
* O ut o f defire o f feein g th e fa c e o f God.] i. c.
For the fake of a reward hereafter, and not For
any worldly confideration J.
b ds he whom Satan h a th tnfeftedy &c.] viz.
Like damoniacs or poflefled perfons, that is, in
great horror and diftra&ion of mind and convulfive
agitation of body.
e R em it what remaineth o f ufury,] Or the
intereft due before ufury was prohibited.
For this fome of Mohammed's followers exacted
of their debtors, fuppofing they .lawfully
might2.
1 Idem. 2 Idem.