52 A I K U K A JN. C hap, j,
hold what hath been the end of thofe who accufe G od’ s apoftles of impofture. This
book is a declaration unto men, and a diredtion, and an admonition to the pious.
And be not difmayed, neither be ye grieved; for yelhall be faperior to the unit,
lievers if ye believe. If a wound hath happened unto you in war *, a like
wound hath already happened unto the unbelieving people b: and we caufe
th'efe days o f different fuccefs interchangeably to fucceed each other among
men; drat G o d may know thofe who believe, and may have martyrs from
among you: ( G o d loveth not the workers of iniquity ;) and that G o d might
prove thofe who believe, and deflroy the infidels. Did ye imagine that ye
fhould enter paradife, when as yet G o d knew not thofe among you who fought
ftrenuoutly in his caufe ; nor knew thofe who perfevered with patience ? Moreover
ye did fometime wifh for death before that ye met i t c ; but ye have now
feen it, and ye looked on, but retreated from it. M o h a m m e d is no more than an
apoftle; the other apoftles have already deceafed before him : if he die therefore,
or be flain, will ye turn back on your heels’1? but he who turneth back on
his heels, will not hurt G o d at all; and G o d will furely reward the thankful.
No foul can die unlefs by the permifiion of G o d , according to what is
written in the book containing the determinations of thingse. And whofo
-ehoofeth the reward of this world, we will give him thereof: but whofo
choofeth the reward of the world to come, we will give him thereof ; and we
will furely reward, the thankful. How many prophets have incountered thofe
who had many myriads o f tro o p : and yet they defponded not in their mind for
what had befallen them in fighting for the religion of G o d ; and were not
weakened, neither behaved themfelves in an abjecft manner? G o d loveth thofe
who perfevere patiently. And their fpeech was no other than that they faid,
Our L o r d forgive u s our offences,, and our tranfgreffions. in, our bufinefs ; and
*'Ifa wound hath happened to you in wars] That
is, by your being worfted at Obod.
k A like, wound bath happened to the infidels ’,]
When they were defeated at Bedr. It is oBferv-
able that the number of Mohammedans flain at
Obod, was equal to that of the idolaters flain at
Bedr i which was fo ordered by G od for a rea-
fon to be given elfewhere 1.
cYe wijhedfor death,See.] Several of Mohammed's
followers who were not prefent at Bedr, wifli-
ed for an-opportunity of obtaining, in another
aflion, the like honour as thofe had gained whp
fell martyrs in that battle ; yet were difeouraged
on feeing the fuperior numbers of the idolaters
in the expedition of Obod. On which occafion
this paflage was revealed 3.
d Mohammed is no more than an apoftle, &c.]
Th'efe words were revealed when it was reported
in the battle of Obod, that Mohammed' was flain j
whereupon the idolaters cried’outto his followers,
Since your prophet is Jlain, return to your ancient
religion, and to your friends; i f Mohammed bad
been a prophet he bad not' been Jlain. It is related
that a Mojlem named Ans Ebn al Nadar, uncle to
Ans Ebn Make, hearing .thefe words, faid aloud,
to his companions, My friends, tbo' Mohammed.
be flain, certainly Mohammed’/ L ord livetb nnl
dietb not ', therefore value not your lives Jince the
prophet is dead, but fight for the caufe for which
he fought : then he cried out, O G o d I am ex-
cufed before thee, and acquitted in thy fight of whet
they fay', and drawing his-fword fought valiantly
till he was- killed 3.
* No foul can die, unlefs by thepermifftomof God,
&c.~\ Mohammed, the more effe&ually to flill'the
murmurs o f his party on their defeat, reprefents
to them that the-time of every man’s death is
decreed and predetermined by G o d ,and that thofe
who fell in the battle could not have avoided
their fate, had they ftaid at home-j-whereas they
had now obtained' the gloriousv advantage of dying
martyrs for the faith. O f the Mohammedan
dottrineof abfolute predeftination? I havefpoken
in another place 4.
In. not. ad cap. 8. Al B & i 4 Prelim. Dift. jt IV. d a w i . 3 Idem.
Chap. 3, A l K O R A N . 53
M„„fiBrml o ur feet, and help us againft the unbelieving people. And G od gave reward of this world, and a glorious reward in the life to come ; for
T od loveth the well-doers. O ye who believe, if ye obey the infidels they
will caufe you to turn back on your heels, and ye will be turned back and
rierifti * but G od is your L ord ; and he is the beft helper. We will furely
raft a dread into the hearts of the unbelievers ”, becaufe they have affociated
with G od that concerning which he fent them down no power: their dwelhng
(ball be the fire V h e l l ; and the receptacle of the wicked (hall be miferable.
T od had already made good unto you his promife, when ye deftroyed them
hvhis permifiion % until ye became faint-hearted, and difputed concerning
the command o f the apoftle, and were rebellious * ; after G od had (hewn you what
ve defired Some of you chofe this prefent world, and others of you chofe the
world to come”. Then he turned you to flight from before them, that he
miaht make trial of you : (but he hath now pardoned you; for G od is indued
with beneficence towards the faithfiil; ) when ye went up as ye fled , and’
looked not back on- any ; while the apoftle called you, in the uttermoft part or
youf Therefore G od rewarded you with afflidhon on affliction, that ye be
not grieved hereafter for the fpoils which ye fail of, nor for that which befal-
m yOU S . for G od is well acquainted with whatever ye do. Then he lent
down upon you after affliftion fecurity ; a foft deep which fell on fome patt
■ I f ye-obey the infidels, they will caufe you to
turn back, &e.]' This paflage was alfo occafioned
by tht endeavours of the Koreijh to feduce the
Mohammedans to their old idolatry, as they fled
in the battle of Ohoi.
‘ We willfurely cafi a dread into the hearts of
the unbelievers, &c.]To this Mohammed attributed
the fudden retreat of Abu Sofian and his troops,
without making any farther advantage of their
fuccefs; only -giving Mohammed a challenge to
meetthbm next year at Bedr, which he accepted.
Others fay, that as they were on their march
home, they repented they had not utterly extirpated
the Mohammedans, and began to think of
going back xo Medissa for that purpofej but were
prevented by a fudden confternation or panic
fear, which fell on them from G o d 1 .
c G od had already made good unto you his promife,
Sic.’] ! . e. In the beginning of the battle,
when the Moflems had the advantage, putting
the idolaters to flight, and killing feveral of them.
* Till ye became faint-hearted and difputed the
command of the apoftle, &c.] That is, till the
bow-men, who were placed behind to prevent
their being furrounded, feeing the enemy fly,
quitted their poft, contrary to Mohammed's ex-
prefs orders, and difperfed themfelves to feize
the plunder; whereupon Khaled Ebn al Wolid,
perceiving their diforder, fell on their rear with
the horfe which he commanded, and turned the
fortune of the day. It is related that tho’ Ab-
da'llab Ebnjobair, their captain, did all he could-
to make them keep their ranks, he had not ten
that ftaid with him out of the whole fifty 2.
* Some of you chofe this prefent world, and others
of you chofe the world to cornel] The former were
they who, tempted by the fpoil, quitted their
poft; and the latter they who flood firm by their
leader.
f And the apoftle called you, &c.] Crying aloud,
Come hither to me, O J'ervants of Go d ; I am the
apoftle of God : he who returneth back Jhall enter
paradife. But notwithftanding all his endeavours
to rally his men,he could not get above thirty of
them about him.
* Therefore God rewarded you with afflibiion,
&c-3 i. e. God punifhed your avarice and
difobedience by fuffering you to be beaten by
your enemies, and to be difeouraged by the report
of your prophet’s death ; that ye might be
inured to patience under adverfe fortune, and
not repine at any lofs or difappointment fox the
future.
1 A lBeidawi. 3 Idem. V. Abulfed. vit. Mob. p. 65, 66.
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