on that day bound together in fetters: their inner garments fhall be of pitch,
and fire fhall cover their faces; that G od may reward every foul, according
to what it fhall have deferved ; for G od is fwift in taking an account. This
is a fufficient admonition unto men, that they may be warned thereby, and
that they may know that there is but one G od ; and that thofe who are indued
With underftanding may confider.
CHAP. XV.
Intit led-, A l H e j r s ; revealed at M e c c a .
In the name of the moll merciful G od.
A L. R b. Thefe are the fignsof the book, and of the perfpicuous Kor
a n . * The time may come when the unbelievers fhall wifh that they
had been Modems'. Suffer them to eat, and to enjoy themfelves in this world',
and' let hope entertain them : but they fhall hereafter know their folly. We
have not deftroyed any city, but a fixed term of repentance was appointed
them. No nation fhall be punijhed before their time fhall he come ; neither
fhalbthey be refpited after. The Meccans fay, O thou to whom the admonitiond
hath been fent down, thou art certainly pofifefied with a devil: wouldeft
thou not have come unto us with an attendance of angels, if thou hadft fpoken
truth ? Anfwer, We fend not down the angels, unlefs on a juft occafion' ; nor
fhould they be then refpited any longer. We have furely fent down the Kor
a n ; and we will certainly preferve the fams from corruption fC We have
heretofore fent apoftles before thee, among the ancient fedls: and there came no
apoftle unto them, but they laughed him to fcorn. In the fame manner will
we put it into the hearts of the-wicked Meccans to feoff at their prophet:
they fhall not believe on him •, and the fentence of the nations of old hath
been executed heretofore. If we fhould open a gate in the heaven above them,
and they fhould afeend thereto 8 all the day long, they would furely fay, Our
eyes
a A l Uejr is a territory in the province of
Hejaz, between Medina and Syria, where the
tribe of Phanitid dwelt 1 î and is mentioned towards
the end of the chapter.
b See the Prelim. Difc. §. III. p. 59, &c.
c When the unbelievers fhall wifh that they had
been Moflems ;] viz. When they fhall fee the
fuccefs and profperityof the true believers ; or
when they fhall come to die; or at the refur-
reftion.
d *The admonition j] i. e. The revelations which
compoie the Kçrân.
e A ju jl occafion j] When the divine wifdom
fhall judge it proper to.ufe their miniftry, as in
bearing his revelations to the prophets, and the
executing his fentence on.wicked people >, but
not to humour you with their appearance in viable
fhapes, which, fhould your demand be complied
with, would only inereafe .your confufion,
and bring-G o d ’s vengeance on you the fooner.
f See the Prelim. Dilc. §. IV. p. 75*
g And they jhould afeend thereto ;] i. e. The
incredulous Meccans themfelves ; or, as others
rather think, ,thp angels, in vifible forms.
1 See the Prelim. Difc. p. 7.
eves are only dazzled ; or rather we are a people deluded by inchantments.
We have placed the twelve figns in the heaven, and have fet them out in various
figures, for the ohfervation of fpe&ators : and we guard them from every
devil I driven away with ftonesb j except him who lifteneth by ftealth, at whom
a vifible flame is darted We have alfo fpread forth the earth, and thrown
thereon ftable mountains ; and We have caufed every kind of vegetable to fpring
forth in the fame, according to a determinate weight { and we have provided
therein neceflaries of life for you, and for him whom ye do not fuftain d. There
is no one thing but the ftore-houfes thereof are in our hands ; and we diftribute
not the fame otherwife than in a determinate meafure. We alfo fend the winds
driving the pregnant clouds, and We fend down from heaven water, whereof
we give you to drink, and which ye keep not in ftore. Verily we give life, and
we put to death; and we are the heirs of all things'. We know thofe among
you who go before s and we know thofe who ftay behind And thy L ord
foall gather them together at the laft day | for he is knowing and wife. We
created man of dried clay, of black mud, formed into fhape8: and we had
before created the devil of fubtile fire. And remember when thy L o rd faid
unto the angels, Verily I am about to create man of dried clay, of black mud,
wrought into fhape ; when therefore I fhall have completely formed him, and
fhall have breathed of my fpifit into him s do ye fall down and worfhip him. A n d all the angels worfhipped AnM together, except E b l i s , who refufed to
b e with thofe whb Woffhipped him. And G o d faid unto him, O E b l i s , what
bindred thee from beiffg - with thofe who Vorflupped A cmu t He anfwer-
ed, It is not fit that I fhould worfhip man, whom thou haft created of dried
clay, of black mud, wrought into fhape. Go d faid, Get thee therefore hence ;
for thou fhalt be driven away with ftones : and a curfe Jhall be on thee, until
the day of judgment. The devil faid, O L o r d , give me refpite until the
day of refurreffion. Gob anfwered,' Verily thou fhalt be one of thofe
E e 2 who
a We guard them ftom every devil, &c.] For
the Mohammedans imagine that the devils endeavour
to afeend to the conftellations, to pry into
the attions, and overhear the difeourfe of the
inhabitants of heaven,' and to tempt them. They
alfo pretend that thefe evil fpirits had the liberty
of entring any of the heavens till the birth of
J esus, when they were excluded three of them;
but that on the birth of Mohammed they were
forbidden the other four *.
b See chap. 3. p. 39. not. d.
c At whom a vifible flame is darted >] For
when a liar feems.to fall or fhoot, the Mohammedans
fuppofe the angels, who keep guard in the
conltellarionsj dart them at the devils who approach
too near.
d And for him whom ye do not fuftain;] viz.
Your family, fervants, and Haves, whom ye
wrongly imagine that ye feed your felves; tho*
it is G od who provides for them as well as you * :
or, as fome rather think, the animals, of whom
men take no care 3.
e Ihe heirs o f all things;] i. e. Alone furviv-
ing, when all creatures lhall be dead and annihilated.
f We know thofe among you who go before, and
thofe who ftay behind j] What thefe words particularly
drive at, is uncertain. Some think them
fpoken of the different times of men’s feveral entrance
into -this world, and their departure out o f
it j others of the refpeftive forwardnefs and
backwardnefs of Mohammed's men in battle; and
a third fays, the paffage was occalioned by the
different behaviour of Mohammed's followers, on
feeing a very beautiful woman at prayers behind
the prophet; fome of them going out of the
Mofque before her, to avoid looking on her more
nearly, and others Haying behind, on purpofe to
view her 4.
g See chap. 2. p. 4, &c.
1 ^ / B e-i d a w i . 2 Idem. 3 J a l l a l o ’ d d i n . 4 A l Beidawi.