: their ftay mg behind the apoftle o f G od, and were unwilling to employ their
fubftance and their perfons for the advancement of G od’s true religion"; and
:they faid, Go notforth in the heat*. Say, The fire ofhellwill be hotter ; if they
underftood th is . Wherefore let them laugh little, and weep much, as are-
ward for that which they have done. If God bring thee back unto fome of
themb, and they alk thee leave to go forth to w a r w i th th e e , fay, Ye lhall
not go forth with me for the future, neither fhall ye fight an enemy with me •
-ye were pleafed with fitting a t home the firft time ; fit ye at home therefore
•with thofe who ftay behind. Neither do thou ever pray over any of them
who fhall diec, neither ftand at his graveJ; for that they believed not in Gód
and his apoftle, and die in their wickednefs. Let not their riches or their
children caufe thee to marvel: for G od intendeth only to punifh them therewith
in this world; and that their fouls may' depart, while they are infidels.
-When a Su r a ' is fent down, w h e r e in i t is fa id , Believe in G od, and go forth
to war with his apoftle ; thofe who are in plentiful circumftances among them
afk leave of thee to fta y behind , and fay, Suffer us to be o f th e number of
thofe who fit at home. They are well pleafed to be with thofe who ftay be-
hind, and their hearts are fealed up ; wherefore they do not underftand. But
the apoftle, and thofe who have believed with him, expofe their fortunes
and their lives f o r G o d ’ s f e r v i c e ■, they fhall enjoy the good things o f either
■ life, and they fhall be happy. G od hath prepared for them gardens through
which rivers flow ; they fhall remain therein f o r e v e r . This will be great felicity.
And certain A rabs of the defart came to excufe themfelvesf, prajm
that they might be permitted to fta y beh in d ; and they fat at home who had renounced
G od and his apoftle. But a painful punifhment lhall be infli&d on
•fuch of them as believe not. In thofe who are weak, or are affliéled with
'ficknefs, or in thofe who find not wherewith to contribute to th e w a r 8, it lhall
be
3 Go not forth in the beat ;] This fhey (poke
in a fcoffing manner to one another; becaufe,
has been obferved, the expedition of Tabuc
was undertaken in a very hot and dry feafon.
b I f G od bring thee back unto fome o f them,
&c.] That is, i f thou return in fafety to Medina
to the hypocrites j who are here called fome
o f them who ftaid behind, becaufe they were
not all hypocrites. The whole number is faid
*to have been twelve z.
c Neither do thou ever pray over any o f them
who fhall die.] This paiTage was alfo revealed
-on account of Abda'Hab Ebn Obba. In his laft
illnefs he defired to fee Mohammed, and when
he was come, asked him to beg forgivenefs of
G o d for him, and requelled that (his corps
might be wrapped up in the garment that was
next his body,- (which might have tile fame efficacy
with the habit of a Francifcan,) and that he
would pray over him when dead. Accordingly
when he was dead, the prophet fent his Ihirt, or
inner veflment, to Ihroudthe corps, arid was
going to pray over it, but was forbidden by
thefe words. Some fay they were not revealed
. till he had a6lually prayed for him 2.
d Neither ftand at. his grave j] Either by affixing
at his funeral, or viliting his fepulchre.
c See before, p. 157. not. d.
f Certain Arabs o f the defart came to emjt
themfelves, &c.] Thefe were the tribes of Jjd
and Ghatfan, wfio excufed themfelves on account
of the neceffities of their families, which
their indullry only maintained. But fome write
they were the family of Amer Ebn al Tofail, who
faid that if they went with the army, the tribe
of Fay would take advantage of their abfence,
and fall upon their wives and children, and their
cattle 3.
g Who find not wherewith to contribute >] By
reafon of their extream poverty; as thofe of ^*
keina, Mozeina, and Banu Odhra 4.
be no crime i f they f ta y a t h om e ; provided ’they behave themfelves faithfully
towards G od and his apoftle. There is no room to lay blame on the righteous ;
for God is gracious an d merciful: nor on thofe, unto whom, when they came
unto thee, requefting that thou wouldeft fupply them with necefiaries for travelling,
thou didft anfwer, I find not wherewith to fupply you, returned,
their eyes fhedding tears for grief, that they found not wherewith to contribute
to the exped ition*. But there is reafon to blame thofe who afk leave of thee
to f i t at home, when they are rich. They are pleafed to be with thofe who
ftay behind, and G od hath fealed up their hearts y wherefore they do not underftand.
* They will excufe themfelves unto you, when ye ar.e returned XI.
unto them. Say, Excufe not your felves ; we will by no means 'believe you :
God hath acquainted us with your behaviour •, and G od will obferve your
aftions,, and his apoftle alfo : and hereafter fhall ye be brought before him
who knoweth that which is hidden, and that which is manifeft *, and he will
declare unto you that which ye have done. They will fwear unto you by
God, when ye are returned unto them, that ye may let them aloneb. Let
them alone therefore, for they are an abomination, and their dwelling f h a l l be
hell, a reward for that which they have deferved. They will fwear unto you*
. that ye may be well pleafed with them ; but if ye be well pleafed with them,
verily G od will not be well pleafed with people who prevaricate. The
A rabs of the defart are more obftinate in th e ir unbelief and hypocrify ; and
it is eafier for them to be ignorant of the. ordinances of that which G od hath
fent down unto his apoftle c: and G od is knowing an d wife. Of the A rabs of the
defart there is who reckoneth that which he expendeth f o r th e f e r v i c e o f God, to
■ be as tributed; and waiteth that fome change o f fo r tu n e e may b-efal you.. A
change for evil f h a l l happen unto them j for G od both heareth an d knoweth.
And o f the A rabs of the defart there is who believeth in G od, and in the
laft day •, and efteemeth -that which he layeth out f o r th e f e r v i c e o f G od to be
the means o f bringing him near unto G od, and the prayers of the apoftle. Is
it not unto them th e means o f a near approach ? G od fhall lead them into his
mercy *, for G od is gracious an d merciful * A s f o r the leaders a n d the firft
Y of
3 Who requefted'fhee to fupply them with necef-
fnries for travelling, &c.] The perfons here intended
were feven men of the Arifdrs, who came
to Mohammed and begged he would give them
fome patched boots and folcd fhoes, it being im-
poffible for them to march fo far barefoot, in fuch
a feafon, but he told them he could not fupply
them ; whereupon they went away weeping.
Some however fay thefe were the Banu Mokren,
and others, Abu Mufa and his companions 1.
. - M l! ye may let them alone, 1 And not chaf-
tife them.
Uecaufe of their wild way of life, the hardnefi
•of their hearts, their not frequenting people oJ
knowledge, and the few opportunities they have
of being inftradted z .
d As tribute;] Or a contribution exafted by
force, the payment of which he can in no wife
avoid.
e And waiteth that fome change o f fortune may
befal you;] Hoping that fome reverfe may afford
a convenient opportunity of throwing off the
burden.
f The Arabs -meant in the former of thefe two
paffages, are faid to have been the tribes of Afad,
Ghatfan, and Banu Famim ; and thofe intended
in the latter, Abdallah, furnamed DhtTlbajadht»
and his people 3.