caufe G od is not unjuft towards his fervants. 'Thefe have a iled according to
the wont of the people of P h a r a o h , and of thole before them, who dilbelier-
ed in the figns of G od : therefore G od took them away in their iniquity; for
G od is mighty, and fevere in punifhing. This hath come to pafs becaufe G od
changeth not his grace, wherewith he hath favoured any people, until they
change that which is in their fouls ; and for that G od both heareth and feeth,
According to the wont of the people of P h a r a o h , and of thofe before them,
who charged the figns of their L o rd with impofture, have they a ile d : wherefore
we deftroyed them in their fins, and we drowned the people of P h araoh;
for they were all unjuft perfons. Verily the worft cattle in the fight of God
are thofe who are obfiinate infidels, and will not believe. As to thofe who
enter into a league with thee, and afterwards violate their league at every convenient
opportunity3, and fear not G od if thou take them in war, difperie,
by making them an example, thofe who fh a ll come after them, that they may
be warned ; or if thou apprehend treachery from any people, throw back their
league unto them, with like treatment; for G od loveth not the treacherous.
And think notb that the unbelievers haveefcaped G od’ s vengeancec, for they
fhall not weaken the power o f G od . Therefore prepare againft them w h a t
force ye are able, and troops of horfe, whereby ye may ftrike a terror in t o
the enemy of G o d , and your enemy, and into other infidels befides them,
whom ye know not, but G od knoweth them. And whatfoever ye fhall expend
in the defence of the religion of G od, it fhall be repaid unto you, a n d
ye fhall not be treated unjuftly. And if they incline unto peace, do thou a![o
incline thereto; and put thy confidence in G od, for it is he who heareth mi
knoweth. But if they feek to deceive thee, verily G od w ill be thy f u p p o r t .
It is he who hath ftrengthened thee with his help, and with that o f the f a i t h ful
; and hath united their hearts. If thou hadft expended whatever ricks
are in the earth, thou couldeft not have united their hearts i, but G od united
them ; for he is mighty and wife. O prophet, G od is thy fupport, and
fuch of the true believers who followeth theee. O prophet, ftir up the f a i t h ful
to war: if twenty of you per fevere with conftancy, they fhall overcome
two hundred, and if there be one hundred of you, they fhall overcome a
thoufand of thofe who believe not; becaufe they are a people which do not underhand.
Now hath G od eafed you, for he knew that ye were weak. If
there be an hundred of you who perfevere with conftancy, they fhall overcome
two hundred ; and if there be a thoufand of you, they fhall overcome t w o
thoufand
a Who enter into a league with thee, and afterwards
violate their league, &c.] As did the tribe
of Kereidha 1.
6 Think not, &c.] Some copies read it in the
third perfon, Let not the unbelievers think, 8cc.
c ‘That the unbelievers have ejeaped' G od’j vengeance
;]viz. Thofe who made their efcape from
Bedr. .
* Thou couldeft not have united their hearts;]
Becaufe of the inveterate enmity which reigned
among many of the Arab tribes-; and therefore
this reconciliation is reckoned by the commentators
as no inconliderable miracle, and a ftrong
proof of their prophet’s miffion.
e This paffage, as fome fay, was revealed in
a plain called al B e td d between Mecca and Mt
dina, during the expedition of Bedr; and, as o-
thers, in the fixth year of the the prophet’s mi *
on, on the occaiion of Omar's embracing Mohan
medifm.
1 See before p. 142. and chap. 33.
thoufand M by the permiffion of Gon ; for G od is with thofe who perfevere.
Tt hath not been granted unto any prophet, that he fhould pofiefs captives,'
until he had made a great (laughter o f the infidels in the earth b. Ye feek the
accidental goods of this world, but G od regardeththe life to come ; and G od
mighty and wife, Unlefs a revelation had been previoufly delivered frorq
G o d werily a fevere punilhment had been inflifted on you, for the ranfom which
ve took from the captives at B e d r *. Eat therefore of what ye have acquired
a, that which is lawful, and good ; for G od is gracious and merciful. O
prophet, fay unto the captives who are in your hands, If G od fhall know any
good to be in your hearts, he will give you better than what hath been taken
From you'; and he will forgive you, for G od is gracious and merciful. But
U 2 if
a See Levit. xxvi. 8. Jofh. xxiii. 10.
b Until be bad made a great {laughter of infidels,
&c.] Becaufe feverity ought to be ufed where
circumftances require it, tho’ clemency be more
preferable where it may be exercifed with fafety.
While the Mohammedans therefore were weak,
and their religion in its infancy, G od’s pleafure
was that the oppofers of it Ihould be cut off, as
is particularly direfted in this chapter. For
which reafon they are here upbraided with their
preferring the lucre of the ranfom to their duty.
c Unlefs a revelation had-previoufly been deliver-
U a great punifhment had been infilled on you for
the ranfom which ye took, &c.] That is, had not
the ranfom been, in ftrittnefs, lawful for you
to accept, by God’s having in general terms allowed
you the fpoil and the captives, ye had been
feverely punifhed.
Among the feventy prifoners which the Mof-
lems took in this battle, were Al Abbas, one of
Mohammed's uncles, and Okail the fon of Abu
Taleband brother of A li: when they were brought
before Mohammed, he asking the advice *of his
companions what Ihould be done with them,
Abu Beer was for releafing them on their paying
ranfom, faying, that they were near relations to
the prophet, and G o d might poflibly forgive
them on their repentance; but Omar was for
linking off their heads, as profeffed patrons of
infidelity. Mohammed did not approve of the latter
advice, butobferved that Abu Beer refembled
Abraham, who interceded for offenders, and that
Omar was like Noah, who prayed for the utter
extirpation of the wicked antediluvians ; and
thereupon it was agreed to accept a ranfom from
them and their fellow captives. Soon after
which, Omar,going into the prophet’s tent, found
bim and Abu Beer weeping, and. asking them
the reafon of their tears, Mohammed acquainted
him that this verfe had been revealed, condem-
1 Id em .
ning their ill-timed lenity towards their prifoners,
and that they had narrowly efcaped the divine
vengeance for it, adding, that if G o d had not
palled the matter over, they had certainly been
deftroyed to a man, excepting only Omar, and
Saad Ebn Moadh, a perfon of as great ft verity,
and who was alfo for putting the prifoners to
death 1. Yet did not this crime go abfolutely
unpunilhed neither: for in the battle of Ohod the
Moflems loft “feventy men, equal to the number
of prifoners taken at Bedr 2 ; which was fo ordered
by G od, as a retaliation or attonement for
the fame.
d O f what ye have acquired; ] i. e. O f the
-ranfom which ye have received of your prifoners.
For, it feems, on this rebuke, they had fome
fcruple - of eonfcience whether they might convert
it to their own ufe or not3.
e7fGoD fhall know any good to be in your hearts,
he will give you better than what hath been taken
from you;"] That is, I f ye repent and believe,
G o d will make you abundant retribution for the
ranfom ye have now paid. It is faid that this
paffage was revealed on the particular account of
al Abbas, who being obliged by Mohammed, tho*
his uncle, to ranfom both himfelf and his two
nephews, Okail, and Nawfal Ebn al Haretb,
complained that he Ihould be reduced to beg
alms of the Koreifh as long as he lived. Whereupon
Mohammed asked him what was become of
the gold which he delivered to Omm alFadl when
he left Mecca, telling her that he knew not what
might befal him in the expedition, and therefore
if he loft his life, Ihe might keep it herfelf for the
ufe of her and her children ? Al Abbas demanded
who told him this; to which Mohammed
replied, that G od had revealed it to him. And
upon this al Abbas immediately profeffed Iftamijm,
declaring that none could know of that affair except
2 See chap. 3. p. 52. 3 41 Beidawi.