186 A I K O R A N . Chap. ij..
the punifhment of the laft day: that /hall be a day, whereon all men fhall be
afiembled, and that fhall be a day whereon witnefs fhall be born ; we defer it
nor, but to a determined time. When that day fhall come, no foul lhall foeak
to excufe it felf, or to intercede for another, but by the permiffion of G od. Ofthem
one fhall be miferable, and another /hall be happy. And they who fhall be referable,
fhall be thrown into hell fire ; there fhall they wail and bemoan themfelves»•
they fhall remain therein fo long as the heavens and the earth fhall -endure1’ t
except what thy L ord fhall pleafe to remit of their /entente*; for thy L ord ef-
fedteth that which he pleafeth. But they who fhall be happy, Jhall be admitted
, into paradife ; they lhall remain therein fo long as the heavens and the earth
endure ; befides what thy L ord fhall pleafe to add unto their blifs ; a bounty
which fhall not be interrupted. Be not therefore in doubt concerning
that which thefe men worlhip : they worlhip no other than what their fathers
worfhipped before them ; and we will furely give them their full portion, not
in the leaf!: diminifhed. We formerly gave unto M o s e s the book of the law,
and difputes arofe among his people concerning it : and unlefs a previous decree
had proceeded from thy L o r d , to bear with them during this life, the
matter had. been furely decided between them. And thy people are dfo jealous
and in doubt concerning the K o r a n . But unto every one of them will thy
L ord render the reward of their works ; for he well knoweth that whicn
they do. Be thou ftedfaft therefore, as thou haft been commanded; and
lei him alfo be ftedfaft who lhall be converted with thee ; and tranfgrefs not:
for he feeth that which ye do. And incline not unto thofe who adt un-
juftly, left the fire of hell touch you : for ye have no protestors, except
G od ; neither fhall ye be afiifted againft- him. Pray regularly morning and
evening ; and in the former part of the night', for good works drive away
evils. This is an - admonition unto thofe who confider: wherefore perfevere
with patience ; for G od fuffereth not the reward of the righteous to perifh. Were
fuch of the generations before you, indued with undcrftanding and virtue,
who forbad the adting corruptly in the earth, any more than a few only of
thofe whom we delivered? But they who were unjuft followed the .delights
which they injoyed in this worldf, and were wicked doers8: and thy L ord
was
earth, into which the prefent ihall be changed,
are here meant I .
c See the Prelim. Difc. §. IV. p. 92,93.
d Morning and evening;] Literally, in the two
extremities o f the day.
e And in the former part o f the night;] That
is, after fun-fet, and before fupperj when the
Mohammedans fay their fourth prayer,- called by
them Salat al moghreb, or the evening prayer
f Followed the delights which they enjoyed in this
world;] Making it their foie bqfincfs to pleafe
their luxurious defires and appetites, and placing
their whole felicity therein.
8 A l Beidawi fays, that this paffage gives the
H I , reafon
a There Jhall they wail and bemoan themfelves j]
The two words in the original fignify properly
the vehement drawing in and expiration of one's
breath, which is ufual to perfons in great pain
and anguifh j and particularly the reciprocation
of the voice of an afs, when he brays.
b So long as the heavens and the earth Jhall endure
j] This is not to be ftridly underftood, as if
either the punifhment of the damned fhould
have an end, or the heavens and the earth fhould
endure for ever; the expreffion being only ufed
by way of image or comparifon, which needs
not agree-in every point with the thing fignified.
Some, however, think the future heavens and
C hap. 12. A l K 0 R A N. 187
was not o f fuch a difpofition as to deftroy the cities unjuftly % while their
inhabitants behaved themfelves uprightly. And if thy L o r d pleafed, he
would have made all men of one religion : but they lhall not ceafe to differ
among themfelves, unlefs thofe on whom thy L o r d lhall have mercy :
and unto this hath he created them ; for the word of thy L o r d lhall be fulfilled,
when he fa id , Verily I will fill hell altogether with genii and men. The
whole which we have related of the hiftories of our apoftles do we relate unto
thee, that we may confirm thy heart thereby ; and herein is the truth
come unto thee, and an admonition, and a warning unto the true believers.
Say unto thofe who believe not, Adt ye according to your condition ; we
furely will adt according to our /duty 6: and wait the ijfue ; fo r we certainly
wait it alfo. Unto G o d is known that which is fecret in heaven and earth ;
and unto him lhall the whole matter be referred. Therefore worlhip him,
an?put thy trull in him ; for thy L o r d is not regardlels of that which ye do.
reafon why the nations were deftroyef of old; *UnjuJlIyi] Or, as the commentator juft
viz. for their violence and injuftice, their fol- named explains it, for their idolatry only, when
lowing their own lufts, and for their idolatry and they obferved juftice in other refpefts.
unbelief. ' ' ' ' b See chap. 6. p. 113, not. a.
CHAP. XII.
Inti tied, J o s e p h “ ; revealed at M e cc a.
In the name of the moft merciful G od.
AL. R. b Theft are the figns of the perfpicuous book; which we have
fent down in the Arabic tongue, that peradventure ye might underhand.
We relate unto thee a moft excellent hiftory, by revealing unto thee
t h i s K o r a n ' , whereas thou waft before one of the negligent11. When J o seph
faid unto his father% O my father, verily I faw in my dream eleven
B b 2 liars,
3 The Koreijh, thinking to puzzle Mobam-
medy at the inftigation, and by the predion of
certain JewiJh Rabbins, demanded of him how
Jacob’s family happened to go down into Egypt;
and that he would relate to them the hiftory of
Jofephy with all its circumftances: whereupon
he pretended to have received this chapter from
heaven, containing the ftory of that patriarch l .
It is faid, however, to have been rejected by
two Mohammedan feds, branches of the Kharej-
ites, called the Ajaredites and the Maimunians,
as apocryphal ana fpurious.
b See the Prelim. Difc. p. 59, £°fV.
c This Koran;] Or this particular chapter;
For the word Koran, as has been elfewhere obferved
*, properly fignifying no more than a
reading, or lefture, is often ufed to denote, not
only the whole volume, but any diftind chapter
or fedion of it.
d One o f the negligent;] i. e. So far from being
acquainted with the ftory, that it never fo
much as entred into thy thoughts : a certain argument,
fays al Beidawi, that it muft have been
revealed to* him from heaven.
e His father j] Who was Jacoby the fon of
Ifaac, the fon of Abraham 3.