all creatures'. Therein are manifeft figns b: the place where A bra-ham
flood; and whoever entreth therein, lhall be fafe. And it is a duty towards
G o d , incumbent on thofe who are able to go thither*',-to viflt this houfe ; but
w hofoe ve r difbelieveth, verily G o d needeth not the fervice of any creature.
Say, O ye who have received the fcriptures, why do ye-not believe in the figns of
G o d ? Say, O ye who have received the fcriptures, why do ye keep back from
the way of G od,, him who believeth? Ye feek to make it crooked, and
yet are witnefles .that it is the right: but G od will not be unmindful of what
ye do. .O true believers, if ye obey fome of thofe who have received the
fcripture, they will render you infidels, after ye have believed4: and how
can ye be infidels, when the figns of G od are read unto you, and his apoftle
is among you ? But he who cleaveth firmly unto G o d , is already dire&ed
into the, right way. O believers, fear G od with his true fear ; and die not
nnlefs ye alfo be true believers. And cleave all of you unto the covenant 'of
G od, and depart .not from it, and remember the favour of G od towards
you:
* A direftivn-to all creatures :] i. e. the Kebla,
- towards which they are to turn their faces in
-prayer.
0 ‘Therein are manifefi figns ;] Such as the ftone
wherein they ftiew the print of Abraham's feet,,
and the inviolable fecurity of the place, immediately
mentioned ; that the birds light not on
the roof of the Kaaba, and wild beafts put off
their fiercenefs -there; that none wlio came
.againft it in a hoftile manner ever profpered1,
as appeared particularly in the unfortunate
.expedition of Abraha al AJhram 2 ; arid other
^fables of the fame ftamp which the Mohammedans
are taught to believe.
* Thofe who are able to go thither;] According
to an eapofition of this paffage attributed to Moth
ammed, he is fuppofed to be able to perform the
-pilgrimage, who. can fupply himfelf with provifions
for the journey, and a beaft >to ride upon.
AlShafei has decided that thofe who have money
-.enough, if they cannot go themfelves, muft hire
fome other to go in their room. Males Ebn Ans
.thinks he is to be reckoned able, who is ftrong
and healthy, and can bear the fatigue of the journey
on foot, if he has no beaft to ride, and can
alfo earn his living by the way. But AbuHanifa is
, of opinion that both money Sufficient, and health
.o f body.are requifite to make the pilgrimage a
duty 3.
J I f ye obey fome of thofe who have received the
fcriptures,See.'] This paffage was revealed on oc-
cafion of a quarrel excited between the tribes of
al Aws and al Khazraj, by one Shas Ebn Kais,
& ,jfew ; who paffing by fome of both tribes as
1 iJ allalo^ddin, A l Beipawi. a See
* Jde&.
they were fitting and difeourfing familiarly together,
and being inwardly vexed at the friendfhip
and harmony which reigned among them on
their embracing Mohammedifm, whereas they had
been,.for 120 years before, moft inveterate and
mortal enemies, tho’ defeendants of two brothers;
in order to fet~them at variance, fent
a young man to fit down by them, direfting
him.to relate-the,ftory of the battle of Bodth (a
place near Medina) wherein, after a bloody fight,
al Aws had the better of al Khazraj and to repeat
fome verfes on that fubjeft. The young
man executed his orders; whereupon thofe of
each tribe began to magnify themfelves, and
to refledt on and irritate the other, till at
length they called to arms, and great numbers
getting together on each fide, a dangerous battle
had .enfued, i f Mohammed had not ftept in
and reconciled them ; by .representing to them
how much they would be,to blame i f they returned
to .paganifm, and revived thofe animo-
fities which Ifldm had compofed; and .telling
them, that what had happened was a trick of
the devil to difturb their prefent tranquillity +-
• Cleave unto the covenant of God, See.1 Literally,
Holdfafi by the cord of God. That is, .Secure
your felves by adhering to Iflam, which is here,
metaphorically expreffed by a cord, hecaufe it
is as Sure a means .of faving thofe who profefs
it from perifhing hereafter, as holding by a rope
is to prevent one’s falling into a well, or other
like place. It is laid that Mohammed ufed f°*
the fame reafon to call, the Koran, Habl Allah d
matin, i. e. the fure cord of G od ^
3 .4#/Bei daw l
you : fincc ye were enemies, and he reconciled your hearts, and ye became
companions and brethren by his favour : and ye were on the brink of a pit
of fire, and he delivered you thence. Thus G od declareth unto you his
figns, that ye may be direfted. Let there be people among you, who invite
to the beft religion-, and command that which is juft, and forbid that
which is evil ; and they lhall be happy. And be not as they who are divided,
anddifagree in matters of religion *, after manifeft proofs have been brought
unto them : they lhall fuffer a great torment. On the day of refurreClion
fome faces lhall become white, and other faces lhall become blackb. , And
unto them whofe faces lhall become black, G o d will fay, Have ye returned
unto your unbelief, after ye had believed? therefore tafte the punilhment, for
that ye have been unbelievers: but they whofe faces lhall become white Jhallbe in
the mercy of G o d , therein lhall they remain for ever. Thefe are the figns
of G od : we recite them unto thee with truth. G o d will not deal unjuftly
with his creatures. And to G od helongeth whatever is in heaven and on
earth; and to G od lhall all things return. Ye are the beft nation that
hath been raifed up unto mankind: ye command that which isjuft, and ye
forbid that which is unjuft, and ye believe in G o d . And if they who have
received the fcriptures had believed, it had furely been the better for them :
there are believers among them ', but the greater part of them are_ tranf-
grelfors. They lhall not hurt you, unlefs with a flight hurt ; and if they
fight againft you, they lhall turn their backs to you ; and they lhall not
be helped4. They are fmicten with vilenels wherefoever they are found ; uni
lefs they obtain fecurity by entering into a treaty with G o d , and a treaty with
men' : and they draw on themfelves indignation from G o d ; and they are
afflicted with poverty. This they fuffer, becaufe they dilbelieved the figns of
G od, and flew the prophets unjuftly ; this, becaufe they were rebellious,
and tranfgrefled. Yet they are not all alike: there are of thofe who have received
the fcriptures, upright people4; they meditate on the figns of G od s in the
night fealbn, and worlhip; they believe in G o d , and the laft day; and command
that, which is juft, and forbid that which is unjuft, and zealoufly ftrive
to excel in good works : thefe are of the righteous. And ye lhall not be de-
H ' nied
* And be not as thofe who are divided, £sfr.] i.
As the Jews and Chrifiians, who difpute concerning
the unity of G od, the future ftate,
& V . '
* On the day of the refurreilion thefaces of fome
Jhall become white, &c.] See the Preliminary
Difeourfe, $. IV.
c There are believers among them ;] As Abdallah
Ebn Salam and his companions 2, and thofe
of the tribes of al Aids and al Khazraj who
had embraced Mohammedifm.
*And they Jhall nop be helped. ] This verfe, alBei-
dawi fays, is one of thofe whofe meaning is
myfterious, and relates to fomething future; intimating
the low condition to which the Jewifh
tribes of Koreidha, Nadir, Banu Kainold, and
thofe who dwelt at Khaibar, were afterwards
reduced by Mohammed.
* Unlefs they obtain fecurity by entering into a
treaty with God, and a treaty with men;] i. e.
Unlefs they either profefs the Mohammedan religion,
or fubmit to pay tribute.
f There are of thofe who have received the fcriptures,
upright people Thofe namely who have
embraced Ifidm.
* Thefigns of G od ;] That is the Koran»
1 Al Beidawi. 2 Idem.