nation, and faid, We do not believe the meffage with which ye pretend to
be fent ; and we are in a doubt concerning the religion to which ye invite
us, asjttflly to he fufpefted. Their apoftles anfwered, Is there any doubt
concerning G od, the creator of heaven and earth? He inviteth you to the
true faith that he may forgive you part of your finsa, and may refpite your
punijhment, by granting you /pace to. repint, until an appointed time. They
anfwered, Ye are but men, like unto us: ye feek to turn us afide from
the gods which our fathers worlhipped : wherefore bring us an. evident de-
moriftration by fome miracle, that ye fpeak truth. Their apoftles replied unto
them, We are no other than men like unto you ; but G od is bountiful
tinto fuch of his fervants as he pleafeth: and it is not in our power to give
you a miraculous demonftration of our mißon, unlefs by the permiflion of
G od , in G od therefore let the faithful truft. And what excufe have we to
alledge, that we fhould not put our truft in G od ; fince he hath direfted us
our paths ? Wherefore we will certainly fuffer with patience the perfection
wherewith ye fhall afflift us: in G od therefore let thofe put their confidence
who feek in whom to put their truft. And thofe who believed not, faid
unto their apoftles, We will furely expel you out of our land; or ye fhall
return unto our religion. And their L ord fpake unto them by revelation;
faying, We will furely deftroy the wicked doers ; and we will caüfe you to
dwell in the earth, after them. This fiall be granted unto him who fhall
dread the appearance at my tribunal, and fhali fear my threatening. And they
afked afliftance of G od ■ > , and every rebellious perverfe perfon failed
of fuccefs. Hell lyeth unfeen before him, and he fhall have filthy
water' given him to drink: he fhall fup it up by little and little, and
he fhall not eafily let it pafs his throat, becaufe of its naufeoufnefs ; death
alfo fhall come upon him from every quarter, yet he fhall not die; and before
him fiall there fland prepared a grievous torment. This is the likenefs
of thofe who believe not in their L o r d . Their works are as afhes, which
the wind violently fcattereth in a ftormy day: they fhall not be able to
obtain any folid advantage from that which they have wrought. This is an
error moft diftant from truth. Doft thou not fee that G od hath created
the heavens and the earth in wifdom? If he pleafe, he can deftroy you, and
produce a new creature in your ftead: neither will this be difficult with
G od. And they fhall all come forth into the prefence of G od at the laß
'■ 'day:
* Tart o f your fins ;] That is, fuch of them enemies; or the infidels, who called for G od’s
as were committed directly againft G od, which decifion between themfelves and them ; or both,
•re immediately cancelled by faith, or embracing And fome fuppofe this verfe has no connexion
Iftdm» but not the crimes of injuftice, and op- with the preceding, but is fpoken o f the people
preffion, which were committed againft man 1 i of Mecca, who begged rain in a great drought
for to obtain remiflion of thefe laft, befides faith, with which they were afflifted at the prayer of
repentance and reftitution, according to a man’s their prophet, but could not obtain it 2.
ability, are alfo neceffary. c Filthy water;] Which will iflue from the bob
They asked afftftance o f G od.] The com- dies of the damned, mixed with purulent mat-
xnentators are uncertain whether thefe were the ter and blood,
prophets^ who begged afliftance againft their
fill B e i d a w i . 2 Idem.
day. and the weak among them fhall fay unto thofe who behaved themfelves
arrogantly % Verily we were your followers on earth ; will ye not
therefore avert from us fome part o f the divine vengeance ? They f i a l l an-
fwer, If God had direfted us aright, we had certainly directed youb. It is
equal unto us whether we bear our torments impatiently, or whether we endure
them with patience : fo r we have no way to efcape. And S a t a n fhall
fay, after judgment fhall have been given, Verily God promifedyou a pro-
mife of truth: and I alfo made you a promife; but I deceived you. Yet I
had not any power over you to compel you ; but I called you only, and ye
anfwered me : wherefore accufe not me, but accufe your felvesc. I cannot
affift you; neither can ye afiift me. Verily I do now renounce your having
affociated me with G od heretofore d. A grievous punifhment is prepared
for the unjuft. But they who fhall have believed and wrought righteoufnefs,
fhall be introduced into gardens, wherein rivers flow; they fhall remain
therein fo r eve r, by the permiflion of their L ord ; and their falutation
therein f i a l l be, Peacee ! Doft thou not fee how God putteth forth a parable;
reprefenting a good word, as a good tree, whofe root is firmly fixed
in the earth, and whofe branches reach unto heaven ; which bringeth forth
its fruit in all feafons,. by the will o f its L ord ? G od propounded parables
unto men, that they may be inftrufted. And the likenefs o f an evil word
is as an evil tree ; which is torn up from the face o f the earth, and hath no
liability'. God fhall confirm them who believe, by the ftedfaft word o f
faith, both in this life and in that which is to come e: but God fhall lead
the wicked into error ; for G od doth that which he pleafeth. Haft thou
not confidered thofe who have changed the grace of G od to infidelity h, and
3 The weak fhall fay unto thofe who behaved
arrogantly j] i. e. The more Ample and inferior
people lhalT fay to their teachers and princes who
feduced them to idolatry, and confirmed them in
their obftinate infidelity*
b I f G o d had direfted us aright, we had certainly
direfted you;] That is, We made the fame
choice for you, as we did for our felves; and
had riot G o d permitted us to fall into error, we
had not feduced you.
c Wherefore accufe not me» &c.] Lay not the
blame on my temptations, but blame your own
folly in obeying and trufting to me, who had
openly profefled my felf your irreconcileable
enemy.
d I do now renounce your having affociated me ■
with G o d heretofore j ] O r I do now declare my
felf clear of your having obeyed me, preferably
to G od , and worlhipped idols at my inftigation.
Or the words may be tranflated, I believed not
heretofore in that Being with whom ye did affo-
etate me ; intimating his firft difobedience in re-
fufing to worlhip Adam at G o d ’ s command r .
c See chap. 10. p. 167.
f What is particularly intended in this paflage
by the good word» and the evil word» the expofi-
tors differ. But the firft feems to mean the pro-
felfion of G o d ’s unity, the inviting others to
the true religion, or the Koran it felf; and the
latter, the acknowledging a plurality of gods,
the feducing of others to idolatry, or the obftinate
oppofition of G o d ’ s prophets *.
8 And in that which, is to come;] Jallalo'ddin
fuppofes the fepulchre to be here underftood ; in
which place when the true believers come to be
examined by the two angels concerning their
faith, they will anfwer properly and without he-
litation ; which the infidels will not be able to
do 3.
h Haft thou not confidered thofe who have changed
the grace o f G od to infidelity» &c.] That is,
who requite his favours with difobedience and
incredulity. Or, whofe ingratitude obliged
God to deprive them of the blefiings he had bellowed
on them j as he did the Meccans» who
though G od had placed them in the facred territory,
1 Idem. 2 Idem» J a l l a l o ’ d d i n . 3 See the Prelim. Hi Je. §. IV. p. 76*