t i l t h e r e b e n o o p p o f i t i o n in fa v o u r o f idolatry, a n d t h e r e l i g i o n b e w h o l l y
G o d ' s. I f t h e y d e f i f t , v e r i l y G o d f e e t h t h a t w h i c h t h e y d o : b u t i f t h e y t u r n
b a c k , k n o w t h a t G o d i s y o u r p a t r o n 1 he is t h e b e l l p a t r o n , a n d t h e b e f t
X . h e l p e r . * A n d k n o w t h a t w h e n e v e r y e g a i n a n y fpoils, a f i f t h p a r t t h e r e o f
b e l o n g e t h u n t o G o d , a n d t o t h e a p o f t l e , a n d his k i n d r e d , a n d t h e o r p h a n s , a n d
t h e p o o r , a n d t h e t r a v e l l e r 1 ; i f y e b e l i e v e i n G o d , a n d t h a t w h i c h w e h a v e
l e n t d o w n u n t o o u r f e r v a n t o n t h e d a y o f d i f t i n d t i o n b , o n t h e d a y w h e r e o n
t h e t w o a r m i e s m e t : a n d G o d i s a l m i g h t y . W h e n y e w e r e incamped o n t h e
h i t h e r m o f t f i d e o f t h e v a l l e y ' , a n d t h e y w e r e incamped o n t h e f u r t h e r f i d e , a n d
t h e c a r a v a n was b e l o w y o u d •, a n d i f y e h a d m u t u a l l y a p p o i n t e d to come to a
battle, y e w o u l d c e r t a i n l y h a v e d e c l i n e d t h e a p p o i n t m e n t ' ; b u t ye w ere brought
to an engagement without any previous appointment, t h a t G o d m i g h t a c c o m p l i l h
t h e t h i n g w h i c h w a s decreed to be d o n e * , t h a t h e w h o p e r i f h e t h hereafter m a y
p e r i f h a f t e r d e m o n f t r a t i v e e v i d e n c e , a n d t h a t h e w h o l i v e t h m a y l i v e b y the
fame e v i d e n c e G o d both h e a r e t h and k n o w e t h . W h e n t h y L o r d c a u f e d / i ?
enemy t o a p p e a r u n t o t h e e i n t h y d e e p , f e w in numberz ; a n d i f h e h a d c a u f e d
t h e m t o a p p e a r n u m e r o u s u n t o t h e e , y e w o u l d h a v e b e e n d i f h e a r t e n e d a n d
w o u l d h a v e d i f p u t e d c o n c e r n i n g t h e m a t t e r h : b u t G o d p r e f e r v e d you from
this ; f o r h e k n o w e t h t h e i n n e r m o f t p a r t s o f t h e b r e a f t s o f men. A n d w h e n h e
c a u f e d t h e m t o a p p e a r u n t c y o u , w h e n y e m e t , to be f e w i n y o u r e y e s 1 ; a n d
d i m i n i f h e d y o u r numbers i n t h e i r e y e s k ; t h a t G o d m i g h t a c c o m p l i l h t h e t h i n g
w h i c h
1 A fifth fart of the /foils belongeth unto Got),
and bis apoftle, &c.] According to this law, a fifth
part of the fpoils is appropriated to the particular
ufes here mentioned, and the other four fifths
are to be equally divided among thofe who were
prefent at the action: but in what manner or to
whom the firft fifth is to be diftributed, the Mohammedan
dodlors differ, as we have elfewhere
obferved z. Tho’ it be the general opinion that
this verfe was revealed at Bedr, yet there are
fome who fuppofe it was revealed in the expedition
againft the JewiJh tribeof Kainoka, which
happened a little above a month after *.
0 The*day of diftindtion j] i. e. O f the battle of
Bedr; which is fo called becaufe it diftinguijhed
the true believers from the infidels.
c On the hithermoft fide;] Which was much
more inconvenient than the other, becaufe of the
deep fand and want of water.
° And the caravan was below you j] viz• By
the fea fide, making the beft of their way to
Mecca.
c Ye would have declined the appointment;] Becaufe
of the great fuperiority of the enemy, and
the difadvantages ye lay under.
f That G od might fulfil the thing that was decreed,
&c.] By granting a miraculous viftory to
the faithful, and overthrowing their enemies;
for the convi&ion of the latter, and the confirmation
of the former 3.
8 With which vifion Mohammed acquainted
his companions for their encouragement.
n And would have difputed,] Whether ye Ihould
attack the enemy or fly.
1 And when he caufed them to appear few in your
eyes;] It is faid that Ebn Mafud asked the man
who was next him, whether he did not fee them
to be about feventy; to which he replyed that he
took them to be an hundred 4.
* And diminijhed your numbers in their eyes;]
This feeming contradiflory to a paffage in the
third chapter *, where it is faid that thzMofiems
appeared to the infidels to be twice their own
number, the commentators reconcile the matter,
by telling us that juft before the battle began,
the prophet’s party feemed fewer-than they really
were, to draw the enemy to an engagement;
but that fo foon a« the armies were fully engaged,
they appeared fuperior, to terrify and dilmay
their adverfaries. It is related that Abu Jabl
at firft thought them fo inconiiderable a handful,
that he faid one camel would be as much as
they could all eat6.
1 See the Prelim. Difc. §. VI. * A l B eidawi .
^ M B e id awi , J a l l a -lo’ddin, Y a h y a .
3 Idem. 4 Idem. 1 Pag. 36.
which was decreed to be done ; and unto G o d fhall a ll things return. O true
believers, when ye meet a party o f the infidels, Hand firm, and remember
G o d frequently, that ye may profper: and obey G o d and his apoftle, and be
not refrattory, left ye be difcouraged, and your fuccefs depart from you; but
nerfevere with patience, for G o d is with thofe who perfevere. And be not as
thofe who went out of their houfes in an infolent manner, and to appear with
oftentation unto men1, and turned afide from the way of G o d ; for G o d com-
prehendeth that which they do. And remember when S a t a n prepared their
works for them1", and faid, No man fhall prevail againft you to day ; and I
will furely be near to affijt you. But when the two armies appeared in fight
of each other, he turned back on his heels, and faid, Verily I am clear of
you : I certainly fee that which ye fee not; I fear G o d , for G o d is fevere in
punching'. When the hypocrites, and thofe in whole hearts there was an infirmity,
faid, Their religion hath deceived thefq mend .• but whofoever con-
fideth in G o d cannot be deceived; for G o d is mighty and wife. And if thou
didft behold when the angels caufe the unbelievers to die: they ftrike their
faces and their backs', and fay unto them, Tafte ye the pain of burning :
thisJhall ye fu jfe r for that which your hands have fent before you ’ ; and bel
l caufe
3 Who went out of their houfes with infolence and
'oftentation, &c.] Thefe were the Meccans, who
marching to the afliftance of the caravan, and
being come as far as Johfa, were there met by a
melTenger from AbuSofian, to acquaint them that
he thought himfelf out of danger, and therefore
they might return home; upon which Abu Jabl,
to give the greater opinion of the courage ofhim-
flelf and his comerades, and of their readinefs to
affift their friends, fwore that they would not return
till they had been at Bedr, and had there
drank wine, and entertained,thofe who Ihould be
prefent, and diverted themfelves with finging-
women1 . The event of which bravado was
very fatal, feveral of the principal Koreijh, and
Abu Jahl in particular, loiing their lives in the
expedition.
b When Satan prepared their works for them;]
By inciting them to oppofe the prophet.
c Some underftand this paffage figuratively,
of the private inftigation of the devil, and of
the defeating of his defigns and the hopes with
which he had infpired the idolaters. But others
take the whole literally, and tell us that when the
Koreijh, on their march, bethought themfelves
the enmity between them and the tribe of Ke-
nanay who were matters of the country about
Aedr, that confideration would have prevailed on
them to return, had not the devil appeared in the
hkenefs of Soraka EbnMalec, a principal perfon of
that tribe, and promifed them that they fhould
not be molefted, and that himfelf would go with
them. But when they came to join battle, and
the devil faw the angels defeenaing to the affif-
tance of the Mofiems, he retired; and al Hareth
Ebn Hejham, who had him then by the hand, asking
him whither he was going, and if he intended
to betray them at fuch a juntture, he an-
fwered, in the words of this paffage, I am clear
of you, for I fee that which ye fee not» meaning
the celeftial fuccours. They lay further, that
when thtf Koreijh, on their return, laid the blame
of their overthrow on Soraka, he fwore that he
did not fo much as know of their march till he
heard they were routed: and afterwards, when
they embraced MohammediJ'm, they were fatisfi-
ed it was the devil2.
d Their religion hath deceived thefe men j] In
tempting them to fo great a piece of folly, as to
attack fo large a body of men with fuch a handful
. e When the angels caufed the unbelievers to die,
&c.] This paffage is generally underftood of the
angels who flew the infidels at Bedr, and who
fought (as the commentators pretend) with iron
maces, which fhot forth flames of fire at every
ftroke 3. Some however imagine that the words
hint, at leaft, at the examination of the fepulchre,
which the Mohammedans believe every man mutt
undergo after death, and will be very terrible to
the unbelievers 4.
f See chap. 2. p. 12. not. h.
1 ^/Beidawi .
*V. p. 76, &c.
Idem, Ja l la lo ’ddin. 3 Idem. 4 Seethe Prelim Difc. 4 -