and G o d is knowing and wife. Verily G o d hath pürchafed'of the true believers
their fouls, and their lubftance, promising them the enjoyment of para-
dife ; on condition that they fight for the cauie of G o d : whether they flay or
beffiain, the promife for the fame is ailuredly due by the law, and the gofpel
and the K o r a n . And who performeth his contrail more faithfully than
G o d ? Rejoice therefore in the contrail which ye have made. This Jhafl
be great happinefs. The penitent, W thofe who ferve G od, and praife^
and who fail, and bow down, and worfhip ■, and who command that which is
juft, and forbid that which is evil, and keep the ordinances of G o d , /hall
likewife he rewarded with paradife: wherefore bear good tidings unto the
faithful. It is not allowed unto the prophet, nor thofe who are true believers, that
they pray for idolaters“, although they be ofkin, after it is become known
unto them, that they are inhabitants of hell'h Neither did A b r a h a m alk
forgivenefs for his father, otherwife than in purfuance of a promife which
he had promifed unto him c: but when it became known unto him, tliat he
was an enemy unto G o d , he declared himfelf clear of himd. Verily A b r a h
a m was pitiful and compaffionate. Nor is G o d difppfed to lead people into-
error ', after that he hath direited them, until that which they ought to avoid
is become known unto them ; for G o d knoweth all things. Verily unto G o d
belongeth the kingdom of heaven and of earth ; he giveth life, and he caufeth
to die ; and ye have no patron or helper befides G o d .. G o d is reconciled-unto
the prophet, and unto the M o h a j e r i n , . and the A n s a r s f, who followed'
him in the hour of diftrefs after that it had wanted little but that the hearts
of
a It is not allowed the prophet—-to pray for idola*■
ters, &c.] This paffage was revealed, asfome
think, on account of AbuTaleb, Mohammed's
uncle and great benefadtor; who on his deathbed,
being prelfed by his nephew to lpeak a
word which might enable him to plead his caufe
before G od, that is, to profefs IJlam, abfolutely
refufed. Mohammed however told him that
he would not ceafe to pray for him, till he
Ihould be forbidden by G od j which he was by
thefe words. Others fuppofe the occafion to
have been- Mohammed's vifiting his mother Ame- ^
na's fepulchre at a l Abwa, foon after the taking
of Mecca; for they fay that while he flood at
the tomb he burft into tears, and faid, I asked
leave o f G od to viftt my mother's tomb, and he
granted it me; ,but when I asked leave to pray for
hlr, it was denied me1.
b After it is become knozon unto them, that they
are inhabitants o f hell ;] By their dying infidels.
For otherwife it is not only lawful, but commendable,
to pray for unbelievers,, while, there
are hopes of their converfion.
c In purfuance o f a promife which he had promifed
him viz. To pray that G od would dif-
pofe his heart to repentance. Some fuppofe this
was a promife made to Abraham by his father,
that he would believe in God. For the words-
may be taken either way.
d When he knew that he was an enemy of.Gov,
he declared himfelf clear o f him.'] Defifting to
pray for him, when he was allured by infpiration
that he was not to be converted; or after he
adlually died an infidel. See chap. 6. p. 106.
c 1'0 lead people into error;] i. e. To confider-
or punflh them as tranfgrelfors. This paffage-
was revealed to excufe thofe who had prayed for
% h ° f their friends as had died Idolaters, before
jt was forbidden j- or elfe.to excufe certain
people who had ignorantly prayed towards the
firft Kebla, and drank wine, &c.
/ G od is reconciled unto-the prophet,- &c-]
Haying forgiven the crime they committed, ingiving
the hypocrites leave to be abfentfrom
the expedition to Tabuc ; or for the other fins
which they mighty thro1 inadvertence, have been
guilty off For the beft men have need of repentance
2.
8 lit the hour o f diftrefs ;] viz. In the expedition
of. Tabuc j wherein Mohammed's men were
driven to fuch extremities,, that (befides what
they endured by reafon. of the cxcefliye heat)
f a part of them had fwerved from their duty : afterwards was he turned;
° ro them; for he was compaffionate and merciful towards them. And he
Talfo reconciled unto the three who were left behind *, fo that the earth became
too ftrait for them, nqfwithftanding its fpacioufnefs, and their fouls became
ftraitened within them, and they confidered that there was no refuge;
from G o d , otherwife than by having recourfe unto him. Then was he turned
unto them, that they might, repent.; for G o d is eafy to be reconciled and
merciful. O true believers, fear G o d , and be with the fincere. There was
n o reafonvrhy the inhabitants of M e d i n a , and the A r a b s of the defart who-
dwell around them, Ihould ftay behind the apoftle of G o d , or Ihould prefer
themfelves before him \ This is unreafondble: becaufe they are not diftreffed
either by thirft, or labour, or hunger, for the defence o f G o d ’ s true religion;
neither do they ftir a ftep, which may irritate the unbelievers ; neither do
they receive from the enemy any damage, but a good work is written down
unto them for the fame; for G o d fuffereth not the reward of the righteous ■
to perifh. And they contribute not any fum either fmall or great, nor do they
pafs a valley, but it is written down unto them, that G o d may reward them
with a recompenfe exceeding that which they have wrought. The believers-
are not obliged to go forth to war all together : if a part of every band of
them go not forth, it is that they may diligently indraft themfelves in their
religion I -, and may admonilh their people, when they return unto them, that
they may take heed to themfelves. O true-believers, wage war againft fuch- .
ttn men were obliged to ride by turns on one water before him, after-a litrle-reflexion, cryedr
camel, and provifions and water were fo fcarce, out, T h i s is w e l l , th a t I J bo u ld th u s ta ke my
that two men divided a date between them, and eafe a n d p lea fu r e , w h ile th e apoftle o f G od is e x -
they were obliged to drink the water out of the pofed to th e / to r ch in g o f th e fu n -b eam s , an d th e
camels ftomacks 1. inclemencies o f th e a ir i and immediately mounting
* Che three who were l e f t b e h in d ;] Or, as it his camel,- tookjus fword and lance, and went to
may be tranflated, who were l e f t in fu fp cn fe , whe- join the army. ,
ther they ihould be pardoned, or not 2 . Thefe c I f a p a r t o f every ban d o f th em go not forth, ~
were three A n fd r s , named C a a b E b n M a le e , &c.] That is, if fome,of every tribe or town be
Heidi Ebn Omeyyu and M e rd ra E b n R a b i, who left behind, jhe end of their being fo left is, that
went not with Mohammed to T abuc, and were they may apply themfelves to ftudy, and attain-
therefore, on his return, fecluded from the fel- a more exa& knowledge of the feveral points of
lowlhip of the other- Mojlems ; the prophet for- their religion, fo as to be able to rnffruft iuch as
bidding any to falute them, or to hold difeourfe by reafon of their continual employment in the
with them. Under which interdiction they wars, have no other means of information,
continued fifty days, till, on their lincere re- They fay, that after the preceding pa ffages were
pentance, they were at length difeharged from revealed, reprehending thole who^ had ftaid at
it, by the revelation of this callage 3. home during the expedition of Tab u c , every man
b O r Jbould p r e fe r themfelves before h im ;] By went to war; fothat the-fludy-oi religion, which
not caring to fliare with him the dangers and fa- is rather more neceffary for the defence and pro-
tiguesof war. A l B e id dw i tells us, that after pagation of the faith, than even.arms themfelves,
Mohammed had fet out for T abuc, one A b u K b a i- became wholly laid afide and neglefled; fo pre-
tbama fitting in his garden, where his wife, a vent which, for the future, a convenient number •
very.beautiful woman, had fpread a mat for him. are hereby directed to be left.behind, that they .
in. the fhade, and had fet new dates and frefti may have leifiire to profecute their ftudies..
1 ^/Beidawi. 2 See before, p . 162. net. g> 3 .^/.B.eidawi, . Jallalq bpiN; AButt. J i t .
Mob. p. 133, 126..