nied the reward of the good which ye do*; for G o d knoweth the pious. As
for the unbelievers, their wealth fhall riot profit them at ail, neither their
children, againft G o d : they fhall be the companions of hell fire; they lhall
continue therein for ever. The likenefs of that which they lay out in this
prefent life, is as a wind wherein there is a fcorching cold : it fafleth on the
Handing corn of thofe men who have injured their own fouls, and deftroyeth
it. And G o d dealeth not unjuftly with them ; but they injure their own
fouls. O true believers, contraft not an intimate friendfhip with any befides
your felvesb: they will not fail to corrupt you. They wifh for that which
may caufe you to perifh : their hatred hath already appeared from out of their
mouths ; but what their breafts conceal is yet more inveterate. We have already
fhewn you figns of their ill -will towards you, if ye underftand. Behold,
ye love them, and they do not love you : ye believe in all -theTcriptures, and
when they meet you, they fay; We believe; but when they alemble privately
together, they bite their fingers ends out of wrath againft you. Say unto
them, Die in your Wrath: verily G o d knoweth the innermoft. part of: -your
breafts. If good happen unto you, it grieveth them ; and if evil befal you,
they rejoice at it. But if ye be patient, and fear G od, their fubtilty fhall
not hurt you at all; for G o d comprehended! whatever they -do. Call to mind
when thou wenteft forth early from thy family, that thou mighteft prepare the
faithful a camp for war'; and G o d heard and knew it y when two-companies
of you were anxioufly thoughtful, fo that ye became faint-hearted';
■ Ye l'ball not be denied, &c ] Some copies have
a different reading in this paffage, which they
expels in the third perfon; fhey jhall not be
denied, &c. , : .
b Befides your felves j] i. e. Ofadifferent religion.
c When tbousoentefi forth to prepare a camp,Scc.~\
This was at the battle of Obod, a mountain a-
bout four .miles to the north of Medina. The
Koreijh, to revenge their lofs at Bedr1, the next,
year, being the third of the Hejra, got together
an army of 3000 men, among whom there were
zoo- horde, and 70b armed with coats of mail.
Thefe. forces inarched under the conduit of Abu
Bofian and fat down at Dbu'Iholeifa, a village a-
bout fix miles from Medina. Mohammedbeing
much inferior to his enemies in numbers,-at firft
determined to- keep himfelf within the town,and
receive them there but afterwards, the advice
of ibme of his companions prevailing^ he marched
out againft them at the head of, 1000 men
ffome fay he'h'.d 1050'men and others/but 900)
of whom 160 were armed with coats of .math
but he had no more than one horfe, beiides his
own, in his whole army; - With thefe forces he
formed a camp in a village near Obod, which
mountain he contrived to have on his back; and
the better to fecure hismen from being furround-
ed, he placed 'fifty; archers in the rear, with
ftrift orders not' tQ' quit their poft. When
they came to engage, Mbhammedhzd the-better
at firft, but afterwards by the fault of Ms archers,
who left their ranks for the fake,of the plunder;
and fuffered the enemies horfe to enconapafs the
Mohammedans and attack them ip ,the rear, he
loft the day, arid’was very near loiirig'his life ;
being ftruck down by a ffiower of ftones, and
wounded in the face with two arrows, on puling
oirt of which his two foreteeth dropped put.
O f thcMpflems 70 men were flain, -and among
them Hamza the, uncle oP Mohammed,, and of the
infidels 22 2. To excufe the ill fuccefs of this
battle, and to raife the drooping courage of his
followers,' is Mohammed's drift in the remaining
part of this chapter.
• d When- two \ companies of you were anxioufly
thoughtful, .&c.:] Thefe were fome of the families
of BanuSalma of the tribe of al Kh'azraj,'. and
Banu'lHaretb o f the tribe of a! Alas, who com*
pofed the two'wings of Mohammed's army. Some
ill impreifion had been; made on diem - by Ab-
1 See before, p. 36. 2 A bulfeda, in vita Motam. 64, iA c . E im a c in /. !. P r i d e a u x *
Life of Mab. p . 80.
hut G o d w a s the fupporter of them both ; a n d in G o d let the faithful truft.
And G o d had already given you the viftory at B e d r * , when ye were in.
ferior in number ; therefore fear G o d , that ye may be thankful.- When thou
faidft unto the faithful,: Is it not enough for you, that your L o r d lhould
aflift you with- three thoufand angels, lent down from heaven?. Verily if ye
perfevere* and fear G od, and your enemies come upon you fuddenly, your
L ord will aflift you with five thoufand angels, diftinguilhed by their horfes
and attire'", And this; G o d defigned only as good tidings for you 6 that-your
hearts might reft fecure : for vidtory is from G o d alone, -the mighty, the
wife. That he fhould cut off the uttermoft part of the unbelievers, or caft
them down, or that they lhould be overthrown and unfuccefsful, is nothing to
thee It is no bufinefs of thine ; whether Gov be turned unto them, or whether
he puniflv them; they are furely-unjuft doers || To GoD.belongeth w h a t ever
is in heaven and on earth : he fpareth whom he pleafeth, and he punilh-
eth whom he pleafeth; for G o d is merciful.. O true believers, devour not
ufury, doubling it twofold; but.fear Gob, that ye may profper : and fear
the fire which is prepared for the unbelievers ; ' and obey G o d , and his
apoftle, that ye may obtain mercy. And run with emulation to obtain re-
miflion from your L o r d , and paradife, whofe breadth equalled the heavens
and tǤ earth, which is prepared for the godly ; who give alms in profpe-
rity and adverfity ; who bridje their anger, and forgive men: for G o d
loveth the beneficent'. And who, after they have committed a crime, or
dealt unjuftly with their own fouls, remember G o d , and ask pardon for their
fins, (for who forgiveth fins except G o d ?j and perfevere noun what they have
done knowingly : their reward lhall be pardon from their L o r d , and gardens
wherein rivers flow, they lhall remain therein for ever : and how excellent
is the reward of thofe who labour ! There have already been before you
examples of punifhment of infidels, therefore go through the earth, and held
2 hold
da'llah Ebn Abi Solui, then an infidel, who having
drawn off 3.00 men, told them that they
were going to, certain death,and.advifed them to
return back with him ; but he could prevail on
but a few, the others being kept firm by the divine
influence, as the following words intimate1.
* See before, p.. 36.
b Diftinguifhed, &c.] The angels who aflifted
the Mohammedans at Bedr, rode, fay the commentators,
on black and white horfes, and had
on their heads white and yellow fafhes, the
ends of which hung down between their fhoul-
ders. I
c As good tidings for you}] i.e. As an earneft of
future fuccefs. , . ; ■ ;
“ It is ,no bufinefs of thine whether G od be
turned unto tbem,‘Scc.~\ This pa-ffage was revealed
when Mohammed received the wounds abovementioned
at the battle of Ohod, and cried out,
How fhall that people'profper who have fiained their
prophet's face with blood, while he called them to
their 'Lord ? The perfon who wounded him
was Oiba the fon of Abu Wakkas 2.
e It is related of Hafan the fon of Alt, that a
flave having once thrown a difh on him
boiling hot, afrhe fat at table, and fearing his
matter's refentment, fell immediately on his
knees, and repeated thefe words, Paradife is for
thefe who bridle their anger: Hafan anfwered, I
am notjangry'. . The flave proceeded, and for
thofe who forgive men : I forgive yotl, faid Hafan.
-The flave however finifhed the verfe, adding,
for G od loveth the beneficent. Since it is fo,
replied Hafan, I give you your liberty, and four
hundred pieces of filver 3. A noble inftance of
moderation and generofity.
1 Al Beidawi. * Idem. A bulfed. ubi fupra.
Orient. Ant., Hafan. ■
3 V. D’H erbelot, BibL