-vit ?nd whit'h thfy difcover? For he knoweth the innermoft parts of ft.
A , breads o f men \ * There is no creature which creepeth on the earth, but
G o d provideth its food -, and he knoweth the place of its retreat, and w h e r e
it is laid up*. The whole is written in the perfpicuous book o f his decrees
It is lie who hath created the heavens and the earth in fix days, 'but h is
throne was above the waters before the creation, thereof %) that'he might prove
you, and fe e winch of you would excel in works. IfthouTay, Ye fhall W
ly be railed again, after death; the unbelievers will fay, This is nothin« bw
mamfeft forcery. And verily it we defer their punilhment unto a determined
feafon, they will fay, What hindreth it from fa lling on us ? Will it not come
upon them on a day, wherein there iliall be none to avert it from them * and
that which they fcoffed at Ihall incompafs them ? Verily, if we caufe man
to tafte mercy from us,.and afterwards take it away from him ; he w / S f f l g
Jy become defperate i, and ungrateful. ; And if we .caufe him to tafte favour
after an affliftion hath befallen him, he will furely fay, The evils which I
JuJfered are puffed from me ; and he w ill become joyful and infolent: e x c e p t
thofe who perfevere with patience, and'do that which is right; they Ihall rr-
■ ceive pardon, and a great reward. Peradventure thou wilt omit to publilb
part of that which hath been revealed unto thee, and .thy breaft will b e c o m e
ltraitened, left they fay, Unlefs a treafure be fent down unto him, or an anoel
.come with him, to bear witnefsunto himy we w ill wot. believe. Verily thou a r t
a preacher only ; and G o d is the governourof all things. Will they fay H e
hath forged the K o r a n ? Anfwer, Bring therefore ten chapters« like unto it
forged by your fe lv es ; and call on whomfoever ve may to ajftft you e x c e p t
G o d , if ye fpeak truth. But if they whom ye call to your ajfifiance hear you
not; know that this book hath been revealed by the knowledge of G o d on-
and that there is no G o d , but he. W i ll ye therefore become Modems?
W h o f o
* This palTage was occafioned by the words of
certain of the idolaters, who faid to one another,
When we let down our curtains, (fuch as the women
ufe in the eaft to fereen themfelves from the
light of the men, when they happen to be in
the room,) and wrap our felves up in our garments,
and fold up our breafts,. to conceal our malice a-
gainft Mohammed, how Jhould be ■ come to the
knowledge o f it ? Some fuppofe' the paflage relates
to certain hypocritical Mojlems 4 but this
opinion is generally rejefled, becaufe the verfe
was revealed at Mecca, and the birth of hypocri-
fy among .the Mohammedans happened not till
after the Hejra.
b The place o f its retreat, and where it is laid
upi] i. e. Both during its life, and after its
death ; or the repolitory of every animal, before
its birth, in the loins and wombs of the parents.
c But his throne was above the waters, before the
creation thereof;] For the Mohammedans fuppofe
this throne, and the waters whereon it Hands,
which waters they imagine are fupported by a
fpiritorwind, were, with fome other things,crcat-
ed before the heavens and earth. This fancy they
borrowed from the Jews, who a lfo fay, that the
throne of glory then flood in the air, and was
born on the face of the waters, by the breath of
G od’s mouth 1 .
d. Defperate;] Calling alide all hopes of the
divine favour, for want of patience, and trull in
G od.
c Ten chapters j] This was the number which
he firft challenged them to compote ; but they
not being able to do it, he made the m atter Hill
ealier, challenging them to produce a Angle
chapter only 2, comparable to the Koran in doctrine
and eloquence.
f By the knowledge o f G od only;] Or containing
feveral paflages wrapped up in dark and myf-
terious expreifions, which can proceed from, and
arc perfectly comprehended by none but God
x R ashi, adGenef. i. 2. V. R eland. derelig.Moh. p. 50, & c
i o . f . 170, 3 f a chap. 3. p. 3£.
2 See chap. 2. p. 3. chap-
Whofo choofeth the prefent life, and the pomp thereof, unto them will we
Igive the recompenfe o f their works therein, and the fame Ihall not be diminilhed
unto them. Thefe are they for whom no other reward is prepared in the next
[life except the fire o f h e ll: that which they have done in this life Ihall perilh; and
that which they have wrought Jhall be vain. Shall he therefore be compared with
[them who followeth the evident declaration of his L o r d , and whom a witnefs
froin him ‘ attendeth, preceded by the book of M o s e s *, which was reveal-
\td for a guide, and out o f mercy to mankind? Thefe believe in the K o r a n :
but whofoever of the confederate infidels believeth not therein, is threatened
[with the fire o f hell, which threat fh a ll certainly be executed: be not therefore
jn a doubt concerning it ; for it is the truth from thy L o r d : but the greater
part of men will not believe. Who is more unjuft than he who imagineth a
l]ye concerning G o d ? They Ihall be fet before their L o r d , at the day o f
liniment, and the witneffesc Ihall fay, Thefe are they who devifed lyes againft:
Hhefr L o r d . Shall not the curfe of G o d f a l l on the unjuft ; who turn men
afide from the way of G o d , and feek to render it crooked, and who believe
Inot in the life to come ? Thefe were not able to prevail againft G od on
earth, fo as to efcape punifhment; neither had they any protestors befides G o d :
(their punilhment Ihall be doubled unto them'*. They could not hear, nei-
[ther did they fee. Thefe are they who have loft their fouls; and the idols
[which they falfely imagined, have abandoned them. There is no doubt but
they Ihall be moft miferable in the world to come. But as for thofe who believe,
[and do good works, and humble themfelves before their L o r d , they Ihall be
the inhabitants of paradife ; they Ihall remain therein f o r ever. The fimilitude
of the two parties* is as the blind and the deaf, and as he who feeth and
heareth: fhall they be compared as equal ? Will ye not therefore confider ? We
formerly fent N o a h * unto his people ; and he fa id , Verily lam a public preacher
unto you; that ye worlhip G o d alone: verily I fear for you the punilhment of
the terrible day. But the chiefs of his people, who believed not, anfwered,
We fee thee to be no other than a man, like unto us ; and we do not fee
that any follow thee, except thofe who are the moft abjeft among us, who have
believed on thee by a ralh judgment *; neither do we perceive any excellence
in you above us : but we efteem you to be lyars. N oah faid, O
m y people-, tell me ; if I have received an evident declaration from my
L ord, and he hath bellowed on me mercy from himfelf, which is hidden
from you, do we compel you to receive the fame, in cafe ye be averfe thereto?
O my people, I alk not of you any riches, for my preaching unto you:
my reward is with G o d alone. I will not drive away thofe who have believed*;
verily they Ihall meet their L o r d , at the refurreblion ; but I per-
A a ceive
a A witnefs from him;] viz. The Koran j or,
as others fuppofe, the angel Gabriel
b Preceded by the book of Mofes j] Which bears
teftimony .thereto.
c The witneffes j] That is, The angels, and
prophets, and their own members.
d Their punilhment fhall be doubled}] For they
ftull be punifhed both in this life, and in the
next.
c O f the two parties;] i. e. The believers and
the infidels.
f See chap. 7. p. 122, £sf<r.
s By a rajh judgment:] For want of mature
confideration, and move Y by the firft impull’e of
their fancy.
h I w ill not drive away thofe vfho have believed j]
For this they asked him to do, Btecaufe they were
poor mean people. The fame thifeg the Koreijb
demanded
J