and expofe me not to temptation *. Have they not fallen into temptation at
home b.? But hell will furely encompafs the unbelievers. If good happen unto
thee, it grieveth them : but if a misfortune befal thee, they fay, We ordered
our bufmefs before'; and they turn their backs, and rejoice at thy
mifhap. Say, Nothing (hall befal us, but what G od hath decreed for us:
he is our patron ; and on G od let the faithful truft. Say, Do ye expeft any
ether Jhould befal us, than one of the two moft excellent things ; either vision
e r martyrdom? But we expedt concerning you, that G od inflidt a puniihtnent
on you, either, from himfelf, or by our handsd. Wait therefore to fee what
•will be the end o f both-, for we will wait with you. Say, Expend your money
in pious ufes, either voluntarily, or by conftraint, it lhall not be accepted o f
you ; becaufe ye are wicked people. And nothing hindreth their- contributions
from being accepted of them, but that they believe not in G od and
his apoftle, and perform not the duty o f prayer, otherwife than fluggifhly ;
and expend not their money fo r G od’ s fe rv ice , otherwife than unwillingly. Let
not therefore their riches, or their children caufe thee to marvel. Verily God
intendeth only to punifh them by thefe things in this world; and that their
fouls may depart while they are unbelievers. They fwear by G od that they
are of you | ; yet they are not of you, but are people who ftand in fear'. I f
they find a place of refuge, or caves, or a retreating hole, they furely turn
towards the fame, and in a headftrong manner hafte thereto. There is of them
alfo who fpreadeth ill reports of thee, in relation to thy dijiribution o f the alms:
yet if they receive part thereof, they are well pleafed ; but if they receive
not a part thereof, behold, they are angrys. But if they had been pleafed
with that which G od and his apoftle had given them, and. had faid, God is
our fupport; G od will give unto us of his abundance and his prophet alfo;
verily unto G od do we make our fupplications: it w ould have been more decent.
Alms are to be difir ibu tedh only unto the poor, and the needy1, a n d
vt.'lj .r:-a; .'t 'fo b :? : thofe
a Expofe me not to temptation;] By obliging e That they are o f you-J]v\z. Staunch Moftem.
me to go, again# my will, on an expedition, the f Who ftand in fea r;] Hypocritically conceal-
hardihips of which may tempt me to rebel or to ‘ ing their infidelity, left ye Ihould chaftife them,
defert. It is related that one fadd Ebn Kais as ye have done the profefled infidels and apof-
faid that thu Anfars well knew he was much tates; and yet ready to avow their infidelity,
given to women, and he dared not truft himfelf when they think they may do-it with fafety.
with the Greek girls; wherefore he defired he- & There is alfo-ofthem who fpreadeth ilfreportsof
might be left behind, and he would aflift them thee in relation to the dijiribution o f the alms, &c.]
with his purfe r . This perfon was Ahu'l Jowadb the hypocrite,
b Have they not fallen, into temptation at home f ] who faid Mohammed gave them away among the
Difcovering their hypocrify by their backward- keepers of lheep only; or, as others fuppofe,
nefs to go to war for the promotion of the true Ebn Dhi'lkhozvaifara, who found fault with the
religion. prophet’s diftribution of the Ipoils taken at Hoc
We ordered our bujinefs before That Is, we nein, becaufe he gave them aft among the Met-
took care to keep out of harms way by flaying cans, to reconcile and gain them over to his rest
home. ligfon and intereft 2.
d Either from himfelf, or by our hands ;] i. e, h See what-is faid as to this point in the Pre-
Either by fome iignal judgment from heaven, lim. Difc. j. IV.
or by remitting their.punilhment to the true be- 1 The poor and the needy;] The comments*
lievers. tors make a diftinfkion-between thefe two-words
in i
1 A i P jljdavyi. * Idem. V. A b v if s d ,-vit. Mob. p. 118, 119.
thofe who are employed in ' colliding and diftrihuting the fame, and unto thofe
whofe hearts are reconciled*, and for the redemption of captives, and unto
thofe who are in debt and infolvent, and for the advancement of G o d ’s
religion, and unto the traveller. This is an ordinance from G od : and G od
is knowing and wife. There are fome of them who injure the prophet, and
fay, He is an earb: Anfwer, He is an ear of good unto youc; he believeth in
God, and giveth credit to the faithful, and ri a mercy unto fuch of you who-
believe. But they who injure the apoftle of G o d , fliall fuffer a painful punilhment.
They fwear unto you by G od, that they may pleafe you ; but it is
more juft that they Ihould pleafe G od and his apoftle, if they are true believers.
Do they not know that he who oppofeth G od and his apoftle, fhall’
without doubt be punifhed with the fire of hell; and fhall remain therein for
ever ? This will be great ignominy. The hypocrites are apprehenfive left a:
Sura i Ihould be revealed concerning them, to declare unto them that which.
is. in their hearts. Say unto them, Scoff ye; but G od will furely bring to light
that which ye fear Jhould be difcovered. And if thou afk them the reafon of
this fcoffing, they fay, Verily we were only engaged in difcourfe, and jefting .
among ourfelves e. Say, Do ye feoff at G od and his figns, and at his apoftle ? ;
offer not an excufe: now are ye become infidels, after your faith. If we :
forgive a part of you, we will punifh a part, for that they have been wicked
doers. Hypocritical men and women are the one of them of the other::
they command’ that which is evil, and forbid that which is juft, and fhut their
hands from giving alms. They have forgotten G od ; wherefore he hath forgotten -
them: verily the hypocrites are thofe who aft wickedly. G od denounceth unto
the hypocrites, both men and women, and to the unbelievers, the fire of hell;.
they fhall remain therein for ever: this will be their fufficient reward-, G od hath
curfed them, and they fhall endure a lafting torment. As they who have
been before you, fo are ye. -They were fuperiorto you in ftrength, and had
more abundance of wealth and of children ; and they enjoyed their portion -.
in
in the original, fakir and meskim one they fay,
fignifies him who is utterly deftitute both of money
anchmeans of livelihood; the other,one who
is in want.indeed, but is able to get fomething
towards his own fupport. But to which of the
two words either o f thefe different fignifications
properly belongs, the critics, differ.
a Whofe hearts are reconciled;] .Tbatis* who
were lately enemies to the faithful, but-have
now embraced Mobatnmedifm, and entred int-o
amity with them. For Mohammed, to gain their
hearts and confirm them in his religion, made
large prefents to the chief of the Koreifb out of
the fpoils at Honein, as has been juft now mentioned
x. But this law they fay, became of no
obligation when the Mohammedan faith was efta-
bliflied, and flood not in need of fuch methods
for its fupport.
b He is an ear j] i. e. He hears every thing
J A 'b u l f e d . ib)d._ 2 See the Prelim
that we fay-; and gives credit to all’ the ftories
that are carried to him.
c He is an ear of good unto you ;J Giving ere- -
dit to nothing that may do you hurt.
d A Sura,~\ So the Mohammedans call a chapter
of the Koran 2.
e They fay, We were only engaged in difcourfe,See."]
It is related that in the expedition’of Tabtic, a
company of hypocrites, palling near Mohammed,
faid to one another, Behold that man 5 he would
take the Jlrong holds o f Syria : away ! - away !
which being told the prophet, he called-them
to him, and asked them why they had faid fo ?
whereto they replied - with an oath,- that they
were not-talking of what related to him or his
companions, but were only diverting them-
felves with indifferent difcourfe, to beguile the
tedioufnefs of the.way }.
Difc. §. III. p. 571 3 A l Beidaw-j.1v.