them*. Becaufeof theiniquityof thofe who judaize, we have forbidden them
; good things, which had been formerly allowed theml; and becaufe they ihut
out many from the way of God, and have taken ufury, which was forbidden
‘ them by the law, and devoured men’s fubftance vainly : we have prepared for
Tuch of them as are unbelievers a painful punifhment. But thofe among them
< who are well grounded in knowledge',and the faithful,who believe in that which
hath been lent down unto thee, and that which hath been fent down .unto
the prophets before thee, and who obferve the ftated times of prayer, and give
alms, and believe in G od and the laft day ; unto thefe will we give a great
reward. Verily we have revealed our will unto thee, as we have revealed it
unto N oah and the prophets who fucceeded him; and as we revealed it unto
A braham, and Ismael, and Isaac, and J acob, and the tribes, and unto Ji-
sus, and Job, and Jonas, and A aron, and Solomon ; and wehavegiven thee the
Korkin, as we gave the pfalms unto D avid : feme apoftles have we fent, whom
we have formerly mentioned unto thee, and other apoftles have we fent, whom
we have not mentioned unto thee •, and G od fpake unto M oses, difcourfing
with him ; apoftles declaring good tidings, arid denouncing threats, left mea
fhould have an argument«/" excufe againftG od, after the apoftles had been
fent unto them ; God is mighty and wife. G od is witnefs of that revelation
which he hath fent down unto theehe fent it down with his fpecial knowledge;
the angels alfo are witneffes .thereof-, but God is a fufficient witnefs. They
who believe not, and mm afide others from the way of God, have erred in
a wide miftake. Verily thofe who believe not, and adt unjuftly, God will by
no meaps forgive, neither will he direft them into any other way, than the
way of hell; they fhall remain therein for ever: and this is eafy with G od.
-O men, now is the apoftle come unto you, with truth from your L ord ; Believe
therefore, it will be better for you. But if ye difbelieve, verily unto
G od belongeth whatfoever is in heaven and on earth ; and G od is knowing
and wife. O ye who have received the fcriptures, exceed not the juft bounds
in your religion ‘ , neither fay of G od any other than the truth. Verily C hrist
J esus the fon of M a r y is the apoftle of G od, and his Word, which he
conis,
expiring, the angels will ftrike him on the to kill Antichrifl, and to eftabliih the. Mobom-
back and face,_ and fay to him, O tbou enemy of medan religion, and a moft perfect tranquillity
■ God, Jefus was fent as a prophet unto thee, ■and and fecurity on earth r.
thou didft not believe on him; .to which he will * He Jhall be a zoitnefs againft them;] i. e.
anfwer, I now believe him te be the fervant of Againft the Jews, for rejecting him ; and
God: and to .a dying Chriftian they will fay, againft the Chriftians, for calling him God,
Jefus was fent as a prophet unto thee, and thou and the Son of G od 2.
haft imagined him to be God, or the Son of God 1 b See chap. 3. p. 42 and 47, and the notes
-whereupon he will believe him to be the fer- there.
vant of G od only, and his apoftle. 1 thofe among them who are well grounded in
Others, taking the abovementioned relative knowledge;] as Abdallah Ebn Salim, and his
to refer to Jefus, fuppofe the intent of the companions 3.
paflage to be, that all Jews and Chriftians in ge- d Exceed not the juft bounds in your religion;]
neral, fhall have a right faith in that prophet Either by rejecting and contemning of Jeff.
before his death, that is, when he defcends from as the Jews do ; or railing him to an equality
heaven and returns into the world, where he is with God, as do the Chriftians *.
conveyed into M a r y , and a fpiritproceeding from him. Believe therefore in
G od and his apoftles, and fay not, There are three G ods' ; forbear this ; it
will be better for you. G od is but one G od. Far be it from him that he
fhould have a fon! unto him belongeth whatfoever is in heaven and on earth;
and God is a fufficient protedlor. C hr ist "doth not proudly difdain to be
a fervant unto G od ; neither the angels who approach near to his prejencc:
and whofo difdaineth his fervice,.. and is puffed up wich pride, G od will gather
them all to himfclf, on the laft day. Unto thofe who believe, and do that
which is right, he fhall give their rewards,' and fhall fuperabundantly add unto
them of his liberality : but thofe who are difdainfol and proud, he will punifh
with a grievous punifhment ; and they fhall not find any to proteft or to
help them, befides Gop. O men, now is an evident proof come unto you
from your L ord, and we have fent down unto you manifeft lightb. They
who believe in G od and firmly adhere to him, he will lead them into mercy
from him, and abundance; and he will diredt them in the right way to
himfelf'. They will confult thee for thy decifeon in certain cafes; fay unto thetn,
God giveth-you thefe determinations, concerning -the more remote degrees
-of kindred d. If a man die without iffue, and have a lifter ; fhe fhall have
the half of what he fhall leave*: and he fhall be heir to her1*, in cafe fhe have
■ no iffue. But if there be two ftfters, they fhall have between them two third
parts of what he fhall leave 5 and if there be Jeveral, both brothers and
fillers, a male fhall have as much as the portion of two females. G od declared
» unto you thefe precepts, left ye err: and G od knoweth all things:
1 Say not, there are three Gods $ Namely, knowledge, and by the Holy Ghoft, his life.
God, Jefusf and Mary 1. For the eaftera * An evident proof and manifeft light j] That
writers mention a fed! of Chriftians, which is, Mohammed and his Koran.
held the Trinity to be compofed of thofe three*; c In the right way to him i] viz. Into the
but if is allowed that this herefy has been long religion of IJlam, in this world, and the way
knee extinfb 3. The palfage however is equal- to paradife in the next 4.
ly levelled againft the Holy Trinity, according * See the beginning of this chapter, p. 62.
to the doftrinc of the orthodox Chriftians, who, * She fball have the half of what be fhall
as Al Beiddwi acknowledges, believe the divine leave;] And the other half will go Jo the pub-
nature tp cot)lift of three perfons, the Father, lie treafury.
the Son, and the Holy Ghoft j by the Father, f And he J.hall be heir to her jJ That is, he
underftanding God's effen.ee, by the Son, his fhaii inherit her whole fubftance.
'A! BEtDAWi, J allalo' bdin, Y ahya. * E lmAcin. p. 227. Ev t y ch . p. 120. Set
ihtfrtlim. pife. $. II. p. 35. ’ A hmed E bn A b p ’al H amm- 4 A l lie I p A wi.
M C H A P .