ceded them ? But the dwelling of the next life fhall furely be better for thofe
who fear G od . Will they not therefore underftand ? Their predeceffors •were
born with for a time, until, when our apoftles defpaired of their eonverfton, and
they thought that they were liars, our help came unto them, and we delivered
whom we pleafed ; but our vengeance was not turned away from the wicked
people. Verily in the hiftories of the prophets and their people there is
an inftruftive example unto thofe who are indued with underftanding. pjfcs
K o r a n is not a new invented fiftioii ; but a confirmation of- thofe fcriptures
which have been revealed before it, and a diftinft explication of every thing
necejfdry, in r-efpefl either to faith or practice, and a direction and mercy unto
people who believe.
CHAP. XIII.
Intit'led, Thunder3; revealed at M g c c Ab.
In the name o f the moft: merciful G od.
A L.M. R .c. Thefe are the figns of the book of the K o r a n : and t h a t
which hath beenTent down unto thee from thy L o r d , is the t r u t h - ,
■ but the greater part of men will not believe. It is G od who hath raifed t h e
heavens without vifible pillars; and then afcended his throne, and c o m p e l l e d
the fun and the moon to perform their fervices every of the heavenly bodies
runneth an appointed courfe. He ordereth all things. He fheweth his figns
diftinftly, that ye may be allured ye muft meet your L ord at the lafi dap
It is he who hath ftretched forth the earth, and placed therein ftedfaft mountains,
and rivers; and hath ordained therein of every fruit two different kindss.
He caufeth the night to cover the day. Herein are certain figns unto p e o p l e
who confider. And in the earth are trafts of landof different natures', though
bordering on each other; and alfo vineyards, and feeds, and palm-trees fpring-
ing feveral from the fame root, and fingly from diftinft roots. They a r e
watered with the fame water, yet we render fome of them more e x c e l l e n t
than others to eat. Herein are furely figns unto people who underftand. If t h o u
doft wonder at the infidels denying the refurreSlion, furely wonderful is their faying,
After we fhall have been reduced to duft, fhall we be reftored in a n e w
.creature? Thefe are they who believe not in their L o r d ; thefe Jhatt have
I V : ■ f ' j f f ' f ’ , * { ? . ' f 'X t t J i f 1 ' 1 'c o l l a r s
* This word occurs in the next page. d Two different kinds ;] As fweet and four,
b Or, according to fome copies, at Medina. black and white, fmall and large, £SV *•
c The meaning of thefe letters is unknown. c Lands o f different nature;] Some trails being
.Of feveral conjectural explications which are fruitful and others barren, fome plain and others
given of them, the following is one; I ant the mountainous, fome proper for corn and others
jnojl wife and knowing God, for trees, ccfr 3.
r Idem, J a l l a l o ’ d d in , * lidem.
collars on their necksand thefe Jhatt be the inhabitants of hell fire : therein
fhall they abide for ever. They will afk of thee to haftenevi! rather than good b:
although there have already been examples of the divine vengeance before
them. Thy L ord is furely indued with indulgence towards men, notwith-
ftanding their iniquity ; but thy L ord is alfo fevere in punifhing. The infidels
fay, Unlefs a fign be fent down unto him from his L o r d , we will not believe,
Thou art commifftoned to be a preacher only, and not a worker of miracles:
and unto every people hath a direftor been appointed. G od knoweth what
every female beareth in her womb ; and what the wombs want or exceed
of their due time, or number of young. ■ With him is every thing, regulated according
to a determined meafure. He knoweth that which is hidden, and
that which is revealed. He is the great* the moft high. He among you who
concealeth his words, and he who proclaimeth them in public ; he alfo who
feeketh to hide himfelf in the night, and he who goeth forth openly in the day,
is equal in refpeti to the knowledge of G o d . Each of them hath angels mutually
fuqceeding each other, before him, and behind him ; they watch him by
the command of G od K Verily G od will not change his grace which is in men,
until they change the difpofition in their fouls by fin. When G od willeth evil on
a people, there fhall be none to avert i t ; neither fhall they have any proteftor
befide him. It is he who caufeth the lightening to appear unto you, to Jlrike
fear, and to raifie hoped, and who formeth the pregnant clouds. The thunder
cdebrateth his praife % and the angels alfo, for fear of him. He fendeth his
thunderbolts, and ftriketh therewith whom he pleafeth, while they difpute concerning
G od f ; for he is mighty in power. It is he who ought of right to be
D d invoked ;
* Thefe ß a ll have collars on their necks;] The
collar here mentioned is an engine fomething
like a pillory, but light enough for the criminal
to walk about with. Befides the hole to fix it on
the neck, there is another for one of the hands,
which is thereby fattened to the neck I . And
in this manner the Mohammedans fuppofe the reprobates
will appear at the day of judgment2 .
Some underftand this paffage figuratively, of the
infidels being bound in the chains of error and
obftinacy 3.
b They will ask o f thee to haßen evil rather than
goodj] Provoking and daring thee to call down
the divine vengeance on them for their impeni-
tency.
c Seethe Prelim. Difc. §. IV. p. 72.
To raife hope;] Thunder and lightening be-
]ng the fign of approaching rain j a great blefiing,
m the eaftern countries more efpecially.
e The thunder celebrateth his praife j] Or caufetH
thofe who hear it, topraifehim. Some commentators
tell us, that by the word thunder, in this place,
is meant the angel whoprefides over the clouds, and
drives them forwards with twilled Iheets of fire +.
f While they difpute concerning G o d . ] This
paffage was revealed on the following occafion.
Amer Ebn al Tofail\ and Arbad Ebn Rabiahy the
brother of Lab id,, went to Mohammed with an intent
to bill him ; and Amer began to difpute with
him concerning the chief points of his do&rine,
while Arbady taking a compafs, went behind him
to difpatch him with his fword: but the prophet
perceiving his defign, implored G o d ’ s protection
j whereupon Arbad was immediately ftruck
dead by thunder, and Amer was ftruck with a
peftilential boil, of which he died in a Ihort time,
in a miferable condition f .
Jallalolddin, however, tells another ftory,
faying that Mohummed having fent one to invite
a certain man to embrace his religion, the perfon
put this queftion to the miflionary, Who is this
apoftky and what is God ? is he o f gold, or
offilvery or o f brafsp Upon which a thunderbolt
ftruck off his skull, and killed him.