for them 5 and they are turned afide from the right path : for he whom
G od fliall caufe to err, (hall have no diredlor. They lhall fuffer a punilh-
ment in this life ; but the punilhment of the next lhall be more grievous:
and there lhall be none to proteft them againft G od. This is the defcrip-
tion of paradife, which is promifed to the pious. It is watered by rivers;
its food is perpetual, and its lhade alfo: this lhall be the reward of thole
who fear G o d . But the reward of the infidels lhall be hell fire. Thofe to
whom we have given the fcriptures, rejoice at what hath been revealed unto
thee *. Yet there are lome of the confederates -who deny part thereof11.
Say unto them, Verily I am commanded to worlhip G od alone; and to
give him no companion : upon him do I call, and unto him lhall I return.
To this purpofe have we fent down the K o r a n , a rule of judgment,
in the Arabic language. And verily if thou follow their defires, after the
knowledge which hath been given thee, there lhall be none ‘ to defend or
proteft thee againft G od. We have formerly fent apoftles before thee, and
bellowed on them wives and children c; and no apoftle had the power to
come with a fign, unlefs by the permilfion of G od . ' Every age hath its book
of revelation: G od lhall abolilh and lhall confirm what he pleafeth. With
him is the original of the bookd. Moreover, whether we caufe thee to fee
any part of that punifhment wherewith we have threatened them, or whether
we caufe thee to die before it be inflibied on them, verily unto thee behngeth
preaching only, but unto us inquifition. Do they not fee that we come ir.-
to their land, and ftraiten the borders thereof, by the conquefts of the true believers?
When G od judgeth, there is none to reverfe his judgment; and
he will be fwift in taking an account. Their predecefiors formerly devifed
fubtle plots againft their prophets ; but G od is mailer of every fubtle device.
He knoweth that which every foul deferveth : and the infidels fliall finely
know, whofe will be the reward of paradife. The unbelievers* will fay,
Thou art not fent o f G o d . Anfwer, G od is a fufficient witnefs between me
and vou, and he who underftandeth the fcriptures.
C H A P .
a Thofe to whom we have given the fcriptures,
&c.] v iz. The firft profelytes to Mobammedifm
from Judaifm and Chrijlianity} or the feats and
ChriJHans in general, who were pleafed to find
jhe Kir an fo confonant to'their own fcriptures 1.
b Some o f the confederates, &c. ] That is, fuch
of them as had entred into a confederacy to op-
pofe Mohammed', as did Caab Ebn al AJhraf, and
the fetus who fallowed him, and al Seyid al
Najrani, al Akib, and feveral other Chrijlians;
who denied fuch parts of the Korfin as contradicted
their corrupt doftrines and traditions 2.
c And beftowed on them wives and children;] As
we have on thee. This paffage was revealed in
anfwer to the reproaches which were call on Mohammed,
on account of the great number of his
wives. Por the fews faid., That if he was a
true prophet, his care, and attention would be
employed about fomething elfe than vyomen and
the getting of children ^. It may be obferved
that it is a maxim óf the fews that nothing is.
more repugnant to prophecy, than carnality
d The original of the book j] Literally, the mo-
ther of the book ; by which is meant the preferred
table, from which all the written revelations
which have been from time to time, published to
mankind, according to thé feveral difpenfations,
are tranferipts.
' e The unbelievers ;] The perfons intended in
this paffage, it is faid, were the fewijh doctors
.
1 See chap. y.p. 59. 2 Idem. 3 J a l l a l o ’ d d in , Y a h y a .
part. 2. c. 36, & c. ' * AIBeidawi .
A K. M a im o n . MoreNeit.
CHAP . XIV.
Intit led, A braham1; revealed at Mecca.
In the name of the mod merciful G od.
A L. R b. This book have we fent down unto thee, that thou mayeft
• lead men forth from darknefs into light, by the permilfion of their
L ord, into the glorious and laudable way. G od is he unto whom behngeth
whatfoever is in heaven and on earth: and woe be to the infidels,
becaufe a grievous punifhment waitetb them ; who love the prefent life above
that which is to come, and turn men afide from the way of G od, and feek
to render it crooked: thefe are in an error far diftant from the truth. Wc
have fent no apoftle but with the language of his people, that he might
declare their duty plainly unto, them': for G od caufeth to err whom he
pleafeth, and direfteth whom he pleafeth; and he is the mighty, the wife.
We formerly fent M oses with our figns, and commanded him faying, Lead
forth thy people from darknefs into light, and remind them of the favours
of G o d 4: verily therein are figns unto every, patient and grateful
perfon. And call to mind when M oses faid unto his people, Remember
the favour of G od towards you, when he delivered you from the people
of Pharaoh : they grievoufiy oppreffed you jj and they flew your male children,
but l.et your females live e: therein was a great trial from your L ord.
And when your L ord declared .by, the mouth of M o s e s , faying, If ye be
thankful, . Lwill furely increafe my favours towards you ; but if ye be ungrateful,
verily my punifhment [hall be fevere. And M oses faid, If ye be ungrateful,,
and all who are in.the earth likewife-,. verily G od needeth not
your thanks, though he deferveth the higheft praife. Hath not the hiftory
of the. nations your predecefiors reached you; namely, of the people of N o a b ,
and of A d, and; o f. T h am u d V and. of thofe who fucceeded them ; whofe
number^ none knoweth except G od ? Their apoftles came unto them with
evident miracles ; but they clapped their hands to their mouths out of indignation,
a Mention is made of this patriarch towards
the end,of the chapter. [) U
b See the Prelim. Djfc, t. III. p. 59, ^ . : ..
‘ that be mdghu declare their, duty plainly unto
them !] That- fo they might not only perfectly
and readily- Ainderftand thofe revelations them-
felves, but might alfo be able to tranflate and interpret
them unto others *. .
■ The favours o f G od j] Literally, the days of
G od ; which may alfo be tranflated, the battles
o f G od, (th & Arabs ufing the word day to fig-
nify a1 remarkable engagement, as the Italians do
giornata, and the French, jour nee,) or his wonderful
a&s m^nifefted in the various fuccefs o f
former nations in their wars 1 .
e See chap. y. p. 130, & c.
f See ibid, pi 122, & c.
1 Idem. 2 Idem.