thofe who believe not in the figns o f G od, G od will not direft them, and
they lhall fuffer a painful torment: verily they imagine a fallhood who be-
lieve not in the figns of G od, and they are really the liars. Whoever de-
nieth God, after he hath believed, except him who lhall be compelled a-
gainft his will, and whofe heart continueth ftedfaft in the faith, Jhall be Severely
chaftifed*: but whoever lhall voluntarily profefs infidelity, on thofe
: lhall
"that monk refided *. To confirm which fup-
polkion, a paflage has been produced from an
Arab writer *, who fays that Boh tiro's name
in the books of the Chrijlians, is Sergius ; but
this is only a conjeflure j and another 3 cells us,
his true name was Said, or Felix, and his fur-
name Bobaira. But be that as it will, if Bobeira
and Sergius were the fame.man, £ find not the
leaft intimation in the Mohammedan writers, that
he ever quitted his monaftery to go into Arabia
(as is fuppofed by the Chrijlians)', and his acquaintance
with Mohammed at Bofra, was too early
to favour the furmife of his a {filling him in
the Koran, which was compofed long after;
tho’ Mohammed might, from his difcourfe, gain
lome knowledge of Chrijlianity and of the fcrip-
fures, which might be of ufe to him therein.
From the anlwer given in this paflage of the
Koran, to the objection of the infidels, viz.
that the perfon fufpefted by them to have a hand
in the Koran,ipoke a foreign language,and therefore
could not, with any face of probability, be
fuppofed to affift in a compofition written in the
Arabic tongue, and with fo great elegance, it is
plain this perfon was no Arabian. The word
Ajami, which is here ufed, fignifies anyforeign
or barbarous language in general ; but the Arabs
applying it more particularly to the Ferfian, it
has been thence concluded by fome, that Salman
was the perfon; however, if it be true that he came
■ not to Mohammed till after the Hejra, either he
could not be the man here intended, or elfe this
verfe mull have been revealed at Medina, contrary
to the common opinion.
' a Except him who Jhall be compelled againjl his
will, &c.] Thefe words were added for the fake
-of Ammar Ebn Yafer, and fome others, who being
taken and tortured by the Koreijh, renounced
their faith out of fear, tho1 their hearts agreed
pot with their mouths4. It feems Ammar wanted
the conftancy of his father and mother, Jdfer
and Sommeya, who underwent the like trial at
the fame time with' their fon, and refolutely re-
fufing to recant, were both put to death, the infidels
tying Sommeya between two camels, and
linking a lance thro’ her privy parts 5. When
news was ‘brought to Mohammed, that Ammar
had denied the faith, he faid, it could not be, for
that Ammar was full of faith from the crown of,
his head to the foie of his foot, faith being mixed
and incorporated with his very 'flelh and blood;
and when Ammar himfelf came weeping to the
prophet, he wiped his eyes, faying, Whatfault
was it of thine, i f they J'orced thee ?
But tho’ it be here faid, that thofe whoa-
pollatize in appearance only,, to avoid death or
torments, may hope for pardon from G od, yet
it is unanimoufly agreed by the Mohammedan
doflors, to be much more meritorious and
plealing in the fight of G od, courageoully and
nobly to perfill in the true faith, and rather to
fuffer death it felf than renounce it, even in
words. Nor did the Mohammedan religion want
its martyrs, in the ftridl fenfe of the word; of
which I will here give two inllances, belides
the above mentioned. One is that of Khobalb
Ebn Ada, who being perfidioufly fold to the
Koreijh, was by them put to death in a cruel manner,
by mutilation, and cutting off his llelh
piece-meal j and being asked, in the midftof
his tortures, whether he did not wiih Mohammed
was in his place, anfwered, I would not wip
to be with my family, my fubjlance, and my children,
on condition that Mohammed was only to
be pricked with a thorn 6. The other is that
of a man who was put to death by Mofeilum,
on the following occalion. That falfe prophet
having taken two of Mohammed's followers, asked
one of them, what he faid of Mohammed ?
the man anfwered, That he was the apoftle of
G od : And what fayejl thou of me ? added Mo-
Jeilama; to which ne replied, Thou alfo art the
apoftle of G od ; whereupon he was immediately
difmifled in fafety. But the other, having returned
the fame anfwer to the former quell ion,
refufed to give any to the lall, tho’ required to
do it three feveral times, but pretended to be
deaf, and was therefore (lain. It is related that
Mohan-
1 See P r i d . ubi fup. p. 35, (Ac. G a g n i e r , ubi Jup. p. 10, 11. M a r r a c . de Alcor. p. 37*
* A l M a s u d i . 3 A b u ’ l H a s a n <z/ B e c r i in Koran. 4 ^ / B e i d a w i , Al .Z am a k h .
Y a h t a . * Al B e id a w x . 6 E b n S h o h n a h .
fhall the indignation o f G od fa ll, and they lhall fuffer a grievous punilh-
tnent. This Jhall be their fentence, becaufe they have loved the prefent life
above that which is to come, and for that G od direfteth not the unbelieving
people. Thefe are they whofe hearts, and hearing, and fight G od hath fealert
up; and thefe are the negligent: there is no doubt but thatfln the next life
they lhall perilh. Moreover thy L ord will be favourable unto thofe who have
fled their country, after having differed perfecution *, and been compelled to deny
the faith by violence, and who have fince fought in defence o f the true religion,
and have perfevered with patience ; verily unto thefe will thy L ord be
gracious and merciful, after they Jhall have Jhewn their Jincerity. On a certain
day lhall every foul come to plead for it felfb, and every foul lhall be
repaid that which it lhall' have wrought; and they lhall not be treated un-
juftly. God propoundeth as a parable a city “ which was fecure and quiet,
unto which her provifions came in abundance from every fide ; but Ihe ungratefully
denied the favours of God : wherefore G od caufed her to tafte the
extreme famine, and fear, becaufe of that which they had done. And now is
an apoftle come unto the inhabitants o f M ecca from among themfelves ; and
they accufe him of impofture : wherefore a punilhment lhall be infli&ed on
them, while they are afting unjuftly. Eat of what G od hath given you for
food, that which is_ lawful and good ; and be thankful for the favours of
God, if ye ferve him. He hath only forbidden you that which dieth o f it
felf, and blood, and fwine’s flelh, and that which hath been (lain in the name
of any, belides God d. But unto him who lhall be compelled by neceffity to
eat of. thefe things, not lulling nor wilfully tranfgreffing, G od will furely be
gracious and merciful. And fay not that wherein your tongues utter a lie;
This is lawful, and this is unlawful" ; that ye may devife a lie concerning
God : for they who devife a lie concerning God, lhall not profper. They Jhall
have fmall enjoyment in this world, and in that which is to come they lhall fuffer
a grievous torment. Unto the Jews did we forbid that which we have told
thee formerly f :,and we did them no injury in that rcfpeSl; but they injured
G g their
Mohammed, when the llory of thefe two men
was told him, faid, The firfi of them threw bim-
Jelf on G o d ' s mercy; but the latter profejfed the
truth j and he Jhall find his account in i t 1.
a Thofe who have fled their country, after hav-
ini fuffered perfecution, &c.J As did Ammar,
who made one in both the flights. Some, reading
the verb with different vowels, render the
jail words, after having perfecuted the true be-
levers j and inllance in al Hadrami,. who obliged
a fervant of his to renounce Mohammedifm,
Jy force, .but afterwards, together with that
Servant, profefled the fame faith, and fled for it 2.
Tk ^ ery f ou^ ftall come to plead for it fe lf j]
hat is, Every perfon lhall be follicitous for his
°wn falvation, not concerning himfelf with the
condition of another, but crying out, My own
foul, my own foul3 /
^ G od propoundeth as a parable a city, &c.]
This example is applied to every city which
having received great bleflings from G od, be-
cometh infolent and unthankful, and is therefore
chaftifed by fome lignal judgment; or rather to
Mecca in particular, on which the calamities
threatened in this paflage, viz. both famine and
fword, were inflifled 4.
d See chap. 5. p. 82.
e And fay not---This is lawful, and this is
unlawful;] Allowing what G od hath forbidden,
and fuperllitioufly abftaining from what he hath
allowed. See chap. 6. p. 113, (Ac.
f Formerly i\ viz. In the 6th chapter, p. 114,.
1 A IB uidav/i . 2 Idem. 3 Idem. 4 Idem.