down unto thee this K o r a n *, that thou mayeft declare unto mankind that
which hath been fent down unto them, and that they may confider. Are
they who have plotted evil againft their -prophet fecure, that G od will not
caufe the earth to cleave under them, or that a punifhment will not come
upon them, from whence they do not expeft ; or that he will not chaftife
them while they are bulled (« travelling from one place to another, and in
traffick ? (for they (halt not be able to elude the power of Gov,) or that he
will not chaftife them by a gradual deftruftion ? But your L o r d is truly
gracious and merciful in granting you refpite. Do they not confider the things
which G od hath created ; whofe fhadows are caft on the right hand and on
the left, worlhipping G oD b, and become contrafted ? Whatever movethboth
in heaven and on earth, worfhippeth G o d , and the angels alfo ; and they
are not elated with pride, fo as to difdain his fervice: they fear their L ord,
who is exalted above them, and perform that which they are commanded.
G od faid, Take not unto yottrfelves two gods; for thete is but one G od :
and revere me. Unto him belongeth whatfoever is in heaven and on earth;
and unto him is obedience eternally due. Will ye therefore fear any befides
G o d ? Whatever favours ye have received, are certainly from G od ; and
when evil afflið you, unto him do ye make your fupplication •, yet when
he taketh the evil from off you, behold, a part of you give a companion
unto their L o r d , to fhew their ingratitude for the favours we have bellowed on
them. Delight your felves in the enjoyments of this life : but hereafter fhall ye
know that ye cannot efcape tbe divine vengeance. And they fee apart unto idols
which have no knowledge1, a part of the food which we have provided for them.
By G o d , ye fhall furely be called to account for that'which ye have falfe-
ly devifed. They attribute daughters unto G od d ; (far be it from him ! j bat
unto themfelves children of the Jex which they defiree. And when any of
them is told the news of the birth of a female, his face becometh black', and
he is deeply affiidled: he hideth himfelf from the people, becaufe-of the ill
tidings which ha ve been told him ; conjtdering within himfelf whether he fhall
keep it with difgrace, or whether he fhall bury it in the duft. Do they not
make an ill judgment? Unto thofe who believe not in the next life, the fi-
militude of evil ought to be applied, and unto G od the moft fublime fimili-
tudeE: for he is mighty and wife. If G od fhould punifh men for their iniquity,
a This Koran;] Literally, this admonition 1.
* See chap. 13. p. 202. not. b.
c Idols which have no knowledge;] Or, which
they know not; fcolilhly imagining that they have
power to help them?*or intereft with G od to intercede
for them.
As to the ancient Arabs fetting apart a certain
portion of the produce of their lands for their
idols, and their fuperftitious abftaining from, the
ufe of certain cattle, in honour to the fame, fee
chap. 5. p. 96, and chap. 6. p. 113, and the
notes there.
A See the Prelim. Difc. p. 17. A l Beidawi
lays, that the tribes of Khozdah and Kenana,
in particular, ufed to call the angels the daughters
of G od.
e O f the fex- which they dejire;] viz. Sons:
for the birth of a daughter was looked on as a
kind of misfortune among the Arabs ; and they
often ufed to put them to death by burying them
alive 2.
f His face becomelh black ;] i- e. Clouded with
confufion and forrow. .
s This paflage condemns the Meccans injudicious
1 See the Prelim. Difc. §. III. p. 57-. a See chap. 81.
quity, he would not leave on the earth any moving thing: but he givech
them refpite unto an appointed time; and when their time fhall come, they
fhall not be refpited an hour, neither fhall their punifhment be anticipated.
They attribute unto G od that which they diflike themfelves *, and their
tongues utter a lie ; namely, that the reward of paradife.is for them. There
is no doubt' but that the fire of hell is prepared for them, and that they
fhall be fent thither before the reft of the wicked. B y G o d , we have heretofore
fent meffengers unto the nations before thee : but S a t a n prepared their
works for them ; he was their patron in this world b, and in that which is to
come they fhall fuffer a grievous torment. We have not fent down the book
of the KoRxiN unto thee, for any other purpofe, than that thou fhouldeft declare
unto them that truth concerning which they difagree and for a direction
and mercy unto people who believe. G o d fendeth down water from
heaven, and caufeth the earth to revive after it hath been dead. Verily
herein is a fign of the refurreElion unto people who hearken. Ye have alfo
in cattle an example of inftrudtion : we give you to drink of that which is
in their bellies, a liquor between digefted dregs, and bloodc; namely pure
milkd, which is fwallowed with pleafure by thofe who drink it. And of the fruits
of palm-trees, and of grapes, ye obtain an inebriating liquor, and alfo good
nourilhment *. Verily herein is a fign unto people who underftand. Thy L o r d
fpake by infpiration unto the bee, faying, Provide thee houfesf in the mountains,
and in the trees, and of thofe materials wherewith men build hives for
thee: then eat of every kind of fruit, and walk in the beaten paths of thy
L ord g. There proceedeth from their bellies a liquor of various colourh ;
F f 2 whereous
and blafphemous application of fuch circum-
ftances to G od as were unworthy of him, and
not only derogatory to the perfections of the
Deity, but even difgraceful to man ; while they
arrogantly applied the more honourable circum-
ftances to themfelves.
a They attribute unto G od that which they diflike
themfelves;] By giving him daughters, and
alTociates in power and honour; by difregarding
his meffengers; and by fetting apart the better
lhare of the prefents and offerings for their idols,
and the worfe for him 1.
b He was their patron in this world,] or, He is
the patron o f them (viz. the Koreijh) this day, &c.
c A liquor between digefted dregs, and blood;]
The milk confining of certain particles of the
blood, fupplied from the finer parts of the aliment.
Ebn Abbas fays, that the groffer parts of
the food fubfide into excrement, and that the
finer parts are converted into milk, and the fineft
of all into blooc^
d Pure milk;] Having neither the colour of
the blood, nor the fmell of the excrements.
e And o f the fruits o f palm-trees and .of grapes,
ye obtain an inebriating liquor, and alfo good
nourijhment;] Not only wine, which is forbidden,
but alfo lawful food, as dates, raifins, a
kind of honey flowing from the dates, and vinegar.
Some have fuppofed that thefe words allow
the moderate ufe of wine; but the contrary is
the received opinion *.
f Houfes;] So the apartments which the bee
builds are here called, becaufe of their beautiful
workmanfliip, and admirable contrivance, which
no geometrician can excel 3.
* And walk in the beaten paths o f thy L ord ;]
i. e. T h e ways through which, by G od’s power,
the bitter flowers paffmg the bee’s ftomach become
honey; or, the methods o f making honey,
which he has taught her by inftinCt; or elfe the
ready way home from the difiant places to
which that infeft flies +.
h A liquor o f various colour j] viz. Honey;
the colour of which is very different, occafioned
by the different plants on which the bees feed;
feme being white, fome yellow, fome red, and
fome black £i
1 A l Beidawi. See chap. 2. 25. 3 A l Beidawi. 4 Idem, * Idem.