therefore be not thou follicitous for the ungodly people. Relate alfo unto
them the hiftory of the two fons of A dam *, with truth. When they offered
their offering *, and it was accepted from one of themc, and was not accept-
ed from the other, C^oin faid to his brother, I will certainly kill thee. An el
anfwered, G od only accepteth the offering of the pious; if thou ftretcheft
forth thy hand againft me, to flay me, I will not ftretch forth my hand agaittft
•thee, to (lay thee 5 for I fear G od the L oad of all creatures *. I choofe that
thou fhouldeft bear my iniquity and thine own iniquity; and that thou be-
• come a companion of hell fire; for that is the reward of the unjuft'. But
his foul fuffered him to (lay his brother, and he flew him f; wherefore he
became of the number of thofe who perifh. And G od fent a raven, which
fcratched the earth, to fhew him how he fhould hide the fhame of his brother'
and he faid, Wo is me! am I unable to be like this raven, that I may hide
my brother’s fhame ? and he became one of thofe who repent. Wherefore we
commanded the children of Israel, that he who flayeth afoul, without^.
ding thereto the murder of another foul, or without committing wicksdnefs-
I ia
men aftonijbed1] The commentators pretend, that
the Ifraelites, while they thus wandred; in the
defart, were kept within the compafs of about
eighteen (or as, fome fay twenty feven) miles ;
and that tho’ they travelled from morning to
night, yet they conftantly found themfelves the
next day at the place from whence they fet out1 *.
a The two fons of Adam;] viz. Cain and Aid,
whom the Mohammedans call KabVznd Hatnl.
b When they offered their offering.’] The occasion
of their making this offering is thus related^
according to the coipmon tradition in the eaft*.
Each of, them being born with, a twin-Mer,
- when they were grown up, Adam, by Goifr
direction, ordered Cain to marry Abel’s twin-
fifter, and that Abel Ihould marry Cain’s ; (for-
it being the common opinion that marriages
ought not to be had in the npareft degrees of
eonfanguinity, fince they muft neceffarily marry
their filters, It fecmed reafonable to fuppofe
they ought to take thofe of the remoter degree)
but this Cain refufing to agree to, becaufe his
own lifter was the handfomeft, Adam ordered
them to make thejr offerings to G od, thereby
inferring the difpute to his determination 3.
The commentators fay Cain's offering was a
fheaf of the; very vvorft of his corn, but Ab.ePs
a fat lamb, of the belt of. his flock.
c And it was accepted, from,one.,of, tkemf] Namel
y from Abe.1 > whole ffcrifice God.declared.his
acceptance of in a vilibie manner, by cauling fire
to defcend from heaven and confume it, without
touching that of Cain 4.
d I will not fir etch forth my hand againft theei\
T o enHance-Abels patience, alBeidawi tells us,
that he was the ftronger of the two, and could
eafily have prevailed againft his brother.
* The converfation between the two brothers
is related fomewhat to the fame purpofe in the
Jerufalem Targum and that of Jonathan ben
Uzziel.
f And he flew him ;] Some lay he knocked out
his brains with a fto.ne 5 ; and pretend that as
C<w» was confiderjng which, way he Ihould ef-
feét the murther, the devil appeared to him ina
humane lhape, and Ibewedhim how to do it, by
crulhing the head of a bird between two ftones6.
8 Go.n fent a, raven which fcratched the earth,
and Jkefwed him how to, hide his brother’s floame ;]
i. e. His dead corps. For Cain,, having committed
this fratricide, became exceedingly troubled
in :his; ni ind, and carried-the dead bodya-
bout on hisfhoulders for a considerable time, not
knowing where to conceal it, f t : it flank hor-
■ ridly; and then G o.d taught him to bury it. by
the example of a raven, who having killed another
raven in his prefen.ee, dug a .pit with his
claws and beak, and buried him therein 7. For
this circumftance.. o f the raven Mohammed was
beholden to the Jews, who tell'the fame ftory,
except only that* they make the raven to appear
to -Adam., and that he.thereupon buried his fon8.
1 ^/B eidawi, Jadladod din. * V. A bu’lfar.ag. p , 6} y-, Eutych. annal, p. 15»
16. ^ D ’H erbelot, B i b l .O r i e n t . A r t .G a b i l . 3 ^/B£IDawi. * Idem, Jallalo’ddin.
V. Eu t y ch . u b i Jupra. 6 V. D’Herbelot, u h i fu p , * Jalia-
: l o 'd d i Nf J Ü Beidawi. 8 F , R, E liezbr, B ir ite , c, z o ,
in the earth*, fhall be as if he had (lain all mankind'’ : 'but he- who faveth
a foul alive, Ifhall'be as if he had faved the Fives of all mankind. Our apoftles
formerly came unto them, with evident miraóles; then were many of them,
after this, tranfgrefiers-on the earth. But the recompenfe of thofe who fight
againft G od and :hts apoftle, £rid ftudy' to aft corruptly in the -earth, fhatt
be that they fhall be (lain-, Or crucified, or have their bands and their feet
cut off on the oppofite fetes, or be banifhed the land'. This fhall be their
diferaee in this World, and in the next world they fhall fuller a grievous pu-
nifhment; except thofe who (hall repent, before ye prevail againft them s for
know that G od is inclined to forgive, and merciful. O true believers, fear
God, and earneftly defire a near conjun&ion with him, and fight for his religion,
that ye may be happy. Moreover they who believe-not, although
they had whatever is :in the earth, and-as much more withal, that they
might therewith redeem themfelves from -punifhment on the day of refur-
reiftion; it fhall not be accepted from them, but they fhall fuffer a painful
punifhment. They fhall defire to go forth‘from the fire, but they fhall not
go forth from it, and their punifhment fhall be permanent. If a man or a
woman fteal, cut off their hands d, in retribution for that which they have
Committed this is an exemplary punifhment appointed by G od ; and G od is
; mighty and wife. But whoever fhall repent after his iniquity, and amend,
I verily G od will be turned unto him % for Goo is inclined to forgive, and
\ merciful. Doff thou not know that the kingdom Of heaven and earth is
God’s ? Hepunifheth whom hepleafeth, and he pardoneth whom he pleafeth-,
I for God is almighty. O apoftle, let not them grieve thee, who haften to
infidelity f, either -of thofe who fay. We believe, with their mouths, but
whofe hearts believe not 6; or of tho Jews, who hearken to a lie, awfhearken
to other peopleh; who come not unto thee : they pervert the words of thelaw
1 Without committing wickednefs on the earth ;]
Such as idolatry, or robbing on the high-way *.
b Shall be as i f he had fiain dll mankind Having
broken the commandment which forbids the
fliedding of blood.
c The lawyers are not agreed as to the applying
of thefe punifhments. But the cofnmen-
tators fuppofe, that they who commit murder
only, are to be put to death in the ordinary way';
thofe who murder and rob too, to be crucified;
thofe who rob without committing murder, tb
have their right hand and their left, foot cut off;
and they who affault perfons and j>Ut them in fear,
to be baniflied 1. . It is alfo a dbubt whether
they who are to be crucified Ihall' be erheified a^-
live, or be firft put tb death,'of-Whether they
Ihall hang on the crofs till they die 3.
' Cut off their hands ;] ' But this pUnilhment,
according to the Son'naf is not to be inflidled,
unlefs the value of the ihing ftolen ataduht .tb four
'dinars, or about forty killings.' ^br 'th^,firft
offence the critpinal isyfb;lbfeJMb'righ(t1hiand,
which is to be cut off at theJwrift; for -the fecond
offence, his left foot, at the ancle; for the
third, his left hand; for the fourth, his right foot;
■ and i f he continue to offend, he fhall befcourg-r
ed at the diferetion of ,the judge 4.
* But who'èver Jhaït repent and amend, Go p
will be turned unto him, &ccd\ That is, G o d will
not punifh him for it hereafter; but his repentance
döès ;not füperfede the execution of the
law here, nor excufe him from making reftitu-
tiort. Yet, .according to al Shafei, he Ihall not
4be puiiifhed i f the party Wronged forgive him
"béfdfe he' be carried béföre a magiftrate 5;
• t'ifrbo haftéri lo infidelity;.] i. e. Who take thfe
firft opportunity to 'throw off'thé mask, and to
.'jbfn'me 'upbfclieVei*;- V.
* fdyK We lfèlie&é, 'wiïVth'èir inUlths, &c-3
ifiz. i He1 hypocritical Mohammedans.
b Who hearken to,a lie, and hearken to_ other
peopie}\ Thefe words ate'capable bf tWo fenfes;
a'hdj ïnay either'm êa'n * that thty- ^ttèméd to' 'tjie
‘apd ' forgdriJesllof jtfibir fe<5/5/»y,\"negle‘étmg
fhé femonftmnceV of' 'Mohammed J ^.'‘ëlfè/.fKft'
" " 1 - . ■ ' J ' ' " ’ tiièy
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