Thefe are more rightly direfted in the ,way o f truth, than they who believe
on M o h a m m e d . Thofe are the men whom G od hath curfed; and unto him
whom G od fhall curfe, thou fhalt furely find no helper. Shall they have a part of
the kingdom % fince even then they would not beftow the finalleft matterb on
men ? Do they envy other men that which G od of his bounty hath given
them0 ? We formerly gave unto the family of A b r a h a m a book o f revelations
and wifdom ; and we gave them a great kingdomd. There is of them
who belieVeth on him £$ and there is of them who turneth afide from him:
but the raging fire of hell is a fufficient punijhment- Verily thofe who dif-
believe our figns, we will furely cafi to be broiled in h e ll fire-; fo often as
their skins fhall be well burned, we will give them other skins in exchange,
that they may tafte the fharper torment; for G od is mighty and wife. But
thofe who believe, and do that which is right, we will bring into gardens watered
by rivers, therein fhall they remain for ever, and there fhall they enjoy
wives free from all impurity; and we will lead them into perpetual' fhades-
Moreover G od commandeth you to reftore what ye are trufted with, to the
owners '; and when ye judge between men, that ye judge according to equity
: and furely an excellent virtue it is to which G od exhorteth you ; for God
lo th heareth and feeth. O true believers, obey G o d , and obey the apoftle,
and thofe who are in authority among you ; and if ye differ in any thing,,
refer it unto G o d ® and the apoftle,, if ye believe in G o d , and the laft day:
this is better, and a fairer method o f determination. Haft thou not obferved
thofe who pretend they believe in what hath been revealed unto thee, and
bammed. But the Koreijh, entertaining iome
jealoufy of them, told them, that the Jews pretended
to have a written revelation from heaven,
as well as Mohammed, and theirdodlrines and wor-
Ihip approached much nearer to what he taught,
than the religion of their tribe j wherefore, faid
they, if you would fatisfy us that you are fincere in
the matter, do as we do, and worlhip our gods.
Which propofal, if the ftory be true, thefe Jews
complied with, out of their inveterate hatred to
Mohammed 1.
a Shall they have a part of the kingdom, &c.]
For the Jews gave out that they fhould be re-
ftored to their ancient power and grandeur 2 j
depending, it is to be prefumed, on the victorious
Mejjtah whom they expefted..
h The fmalleft matter;] The original word properly
fignifies a fmall dent on the back of a date-
ftone ; and is commonly ufed to exprefs a thing
o f little or no value.
c Do they envy other men that which God of
his bounty hath given them.?] viz. The fpiritual
gifts of prophecy, and divine revelations j and
the temporal bleffings of victory and fuccefs, be-
ftowed on Mohammed and his followers. ■
* We gave them a great- kingdom^. Wherefore
G od will doubtlefs fliew equal favour to this
prophet, (a defcendant alfo-of Abraham,) and
thole who believe on him 3.
* Who believeth on binri]"Namely, on Moham■*
med.
f God commandeth you to return what ye an
intrufted with, to the owners;] This ptfffage, it is
faid, was revealed on the day of the taking of
Mecca, the primary defign of it being to direft
Mohammed to return the keys o f the Caaba to
Othman Ebn Telha Ebn Abdaldar, who had then
the honour to be’ keeper of that holy place +,
fcnd not to deliver them to his uncle al -Abbas,
who having already the cuftody of the well Zetn-
zem, would fain have had alfo that of the Caaba.
The prophet obeying the divine order, Othman
was fo affedted with the juftice of the adlion,not-
withftanding he had at firff refufed him entrance,
that he immediately embraced Moham-
medifmj whereupon the guardianfhip of the
Caaba was confirmed. to this Othman and his
heirs for ever *.
B Unto G od j] i. e. T o the decifion of the
Koran. ,
, rhath been revealed before thee? They defire to go to judgment before
T chut a although they have been commanded not to believe m him;
rt Satan defireth to feduce them into a wide error. And when it is faid
a n t o them Come unto the look which Go d hath fent down, and to the apoftle;
rhnu keft’the ungodly turn afide from thee, with great averfion. But how
j f f l leha v e.when a misfortune fhall befal them, for that which their hands
have fent before them ? 'Then will, they come unto, thee, arid fwear by G o d ,
W m If we intended any other, than-todo good, ^pd to reconcile the p a r s
'e.r ’G od knoweth what is in the hearts of thefe mbit-, therefore let them a-
lone" andadmonifh them, and fpeak unto them a word which may affeft-
their fouls We have not fent any apoftle, but that he might be obeyed by the
nermiffion of G od : but if they, after- they have injured their own fouls0, come
unto thee, and ask pardon of G o d , - and the apoftle ask pardon for them, they
jhaii furely find G od eafy to be reconciled and merciful. And by thy L o rd
they will not p e r f e c t lyRelieve, until they make thee judge of their controvert
s ; ancj (hall not afterwards find in their own minds any hardftnp in what
thou (halt determine, but fhall acquiefce therein with entire fubmiffion. And
if we had commanded them, faying, Slay yourfelves, or depart from your
houfes4; they would not have done it, except a few of them. And if they
had done what they were admonifhed, it would certainly have been better for
them, and more efficacious for confirming tpeir fa ith ; and we ffiould then
have furely given them in our fight an exceeding great reward, and we fhoulu
have direfted them in the right way. Whoever obeyeth G od and the apoftle,
they J h d l l e with thofe unto whom G od hath been gracious, of the prophets,
and the fincere, and the martyrs, and the righteous ; and thefe are
the moffi excellent company. This is bounty from G od ; and G od is fufficient-
]y knowing. O true believers, take your necejfary precaution0 againft 'your
1 & , enemies,
* They defire to go to judgment before Taghut >]
That is, before the tribunals of infidels. This
paffage was occafioned by the following remarkable
accident. A certain Jew having a difpute
with a wicked Mohammedan, the latter appealed
to the judgment of Caab Ebn al AJhraf, a principal
Jew, and the former to Mohammed. But
at length they agreed to refer the matter to the
prophet fingly, who giving it in favour of the
Jew, the Mohammedan refufed to acquiefce in his
fentence, but would needs have it re-heard by
Omar, afterwards Kbalif. When they came to
him, xhzjew told him that Mohammed had already
decided the affair in .his favour, but that the
other would not fubmit to his determination ;
and the Mohammedan confeffmg this to be true,
Omar bjd them ftay a little, and fetching his
fword, ftruck oft* the obftinate Mojlem's head, faying
aloud, This is the reward of him who refufetb
alFarük, which alludes both to his feparating
that knave’s head from his body, and to his dif-
tinguijhing between truth and falftiood l . The
name of Taghut 2 therefore in this place feems
to be given to Caab Ebn al AJhraf.
to fubmit to the judgment of G od and his apoftle.
And from this adtion Omar had the furname of
1 Ja lla lo’ ddin, ^ /B eidawi. SVfD’Hi
«f the Sarac. v. 1. p. 365. 2 See before, p. 31.
b They will fwear they intended no other than tt)
do good, &c-] For this was the exCuffe of the
friends of the Mohammedan whom Omar flew,
when they came to demand fatisfadtion for his
blood 3. _
c After they have injured their own fouls ;] viz.
By adting wickedly, and appealing to the judgment
of infidels.
d Slay your felves, or depart from your houfes ;]
S.o’me underftand thefe words of their venturing
their lives in a religious expedition; and others,
of their undergoing the fame punilhments which
the Ifraelites did, for their idolatry in worfhip-
ing the golden calf4.
* Take your precautioni. e. Be vigilant, and
provide your felves with arms and neceflaries.x.
;rbel. Bibl. Orient, p. 688, and O.c kley’j Hift.
3 A l Beidawi, 4 Idem. See before, p. 7.