.230 'a i k o r a n . c m a p. ï
but fpéak felpéélfufly uhtb them ; and fubnhit tb behave hürhbly* töWards
them, out of tender affection, and fay, O L o r d , have mercy On them both
as they nurfed me when I was little. Your L ord well knoweth that which is
in your fouls; whether ye bè mén of integrity : and he will bë gracious unto thoTe
who fincerély return 'uHtöhim. And give tinto him who^is of kiftto you his due1
and alfa unto the'jiobr, hnd the traveller*.'- Arid white Utiptby- fu bfiance profijft.
ly: for thé profufé are'brethren óf thèf deVi,Is f'V and; the- devil was ungrateful
unto his L ó rd; .But if thöü turn front them, in expeftation of th.e mercy
which thou hopeft from thy L o r d d; at lea f, fpeak kindly unto them. And
let hot thy hand be tied up to"th ƒ ’ néck ; .neitnérópen it with an unbounded
expanfione, left thou become worthy o f reprehenfion, and be reduced to poverty.
Verily thy L o r d Will Marge the ftore of whom he plè'afèth, and Will
be fparing 'unto'whom he fUafethc; for he knoweth and■ regkrdeth' his fervants.
Kill not yodr children for fear of'being brought to Want; We will provide fdr
them and for you : Verily the killing themdl a great lih r; Draw not nfcar unto
fornication ; for it is. wickednefs, fnd an . evil way. Neither flay, the foul
which G od hath forbidden you to flay, unlefs for a juft caufe 1 ; and whomever
fhall be flairt urtjuftly, we have given his Keif power to dopant? fatisfa-
'tion k; blit let him not exceed the -hounds‘of moderatidti'h1‘p.Uttihg to death tbc
■ murtheter in too cruel a mdmer, 'otfiy .r^ehging hiS' friend’ s ‘ blood on :any other
HhcCn the ferfori who killed him--, Rnct he is aflifted-ly thiSl ItHo, ’.. And'meddle
hot with the fubftance of thé orphan,- unléfsit Be to improve it, until he attain
his age of ftrength * : and perform your covenant; for the performance of ywr
covenant fhall be inquired into' hereafter. , And give full meafure, when you
tneafure ought'-, and weigh with a .juft balance. This-wilf.be better,; and
more, eafy for. determining roery' man’ s dueI And follow not that whereof
f?S thou
a S u bm it to behav e humbly, &c.] Literally, tween the two extreams, wherein confifts true li-
Low e r th e w in g o f h um ility , &c. berality2.
b H i s d u e ;] That is, friendihip and affeftion, f -See chap. 6. p. 115, and nj; and chap. 81.
and affiftance in time of need. f t -U n le f s f o r .a. , j u f t caufe y^ ,The crimes for
c T he profufe are th e b r e th r e n o f ' .t h e which a man miyjuftly be put fo death are thefe;
Prodigality^ and Iquandcring away one’s; mb- apofiacy, adulteryV' and murder ^,
ftancé in folly or luxury, being a very great-fin.' ’ : ii W e h a v e - g iv e n b i s h e i r power to demand fi-
The A r a b s were particularly guilty of extrava- t is fa f tio n ;] It being at the election of the heir, or
gance in killing camels, and diftributing them by next of kin, eithor to take the fife of the mur-
lot, meerly out o£ vanity and oftentatiqn, which derer, or to.accept of a fine in lieu qf.it +.
they are forbidden by, this paifage, and com- f Sin c e Ide is. ajfifl[ed.,. &c.] Some refer the promanded
to beftów what they could fpare on their noun he to the perfori flain,~ for the avenging
poor relations, and other indigent people r. , whofe death this ,law -was’ .made; fonie-.to .the
d I f thou, tu r n jfr o ih them in èx p eftafïon , &c.] heir, whbii^sa right grante^' himW dejriandia-
Thatis, ’’If thy prèfént circumftances, will hot tisBraon1 for ‘his frife'riq s, b^lobd 5 f, ahd.-ötHe.rs.t?
permit'thee to affift others, defer thy charity him' who. fhall be flairi by the heir,.If^ie .carry
till God fhall grant thëe better ability. , ' his vengeance tpo'far ó..' "
e L e t not th y hand be tied , up, n e ith e r opeh i t ^ See chap. 4. p. 6p,„ ‘6Ï.
w i th an unbounded ex'pdiifion }J 1. e. Be neither 1 M o r e eafy f o r determ ining, &c. J Or, more
.niggardly nor profufe, but obferve the'mean be- advantageous in th e e n d 7 .
1 A I B b i d a w i . 2 Idem. ’ '* Id em . * See chap. 2 . pi 2 0 , 2 1 . , 1 Y a i i y a . 6 V . A l . B e i d a w i . 7 Id em , A I Z a m a v l v . 4
Chap. 17*' -dd KORAN. 231
thou haft n6 knowledge? for the hearing, and the fight, and the heart, every
of :thefe lhall be examined at the laft day. . Walk not proudly in the land, for
il0u canft not cleave the earth, neither fhalt thou equal the mountains in
1 , A H this is evil, and abominable in the fight of thy L o r d . Thefe.
ftatnre,
wscepts
is are' a part .1.of the wifdom which thy L o r d ihath revealed unto thee,
Soet not u-rp aMny. other god J as _ - equal 1 unto. G _ , left 1 iiVk rU tbou /M i K be a 1 m caft into rxf-A l hell,i p ! I
o d reproved
and rejefted.: Hath y o u r L o r d preferably granted unto youLons, and
tiken for -himfelf daughters,from among the angels b? Verily in afferting this
utter a grievous: faying. And now have we ufed .various arguments and
repetitions in this .K o r a n , that they may be warned:; yet it only rendereth
them mo r e difpofed to fly from the truth. Say urtto the idolaters, If there were
other'god* With him; as’ye fay, they would furely feek :-an occafion o f making
[ome 'attempt againft the pofleffor of the throne c i' G o d forbid ! and, far, very
far" be that front him which they utter ! The feven heavens praife him, and
the earth, and aft who' ate therein : neither is there any thing which doth not
celebrate his praife; but: ye underftand not their ^celebration thereof: he is gracious
and merciful'. When thou readeft the K o r a n , we place between thee
and thofe who believe nothin the life to come, a dark vail; and we put coverings
over their hearts, left they ftiould underftand it, and in their ears thick-
nef* of hearing. ;And whdn thou makeft mention,,in repeating the K o r a n , of
thy L o r d 'bnty they turn their backs,- ty in g the doblrine o f -his unity. We
will know with what defign they hearken, when they hearken unto thee, and
when they privately difeourfe together: when the ungodly fay, Ye follow no
I other than a mad-man. Behold! . what epithets they,beftow oil thee. But they
aft deceived ; neither can they find any juft occafion to reproach thee. They
alfo, fay, After,We fhall .have become bones and ,.duft, '.fhall we furely be railed
anew creaffirel' Anfwer, -Be -ye-ftones, oi'iron,-or fbme creature rhore improbable'
in'ypur opinions to be raifod to life. But they will fay, Who fhall re-
ftore us to life'? Anfwer, Tie who-created you the-firft tffne i and they will
wag their fiends at thee, faying; When fh a ll this ‘be ? AftfWer, Peradventure it
is. nigh.- On -that day ilhall G o d . call you forth--, from -your fepulchres, and ye
mall obey, with celebration of his praife' ; 'and -ye fhall think that ye tar-
rieiH but‘ft little wliile. Speak unto my fervants,1 that they fpeak mildly
arte, the .unbelievers, left ye exafperate them ; for S a t a n fowetli difeord among
1A ." f . ' ‘ ■ j’ them,
a Follow not ' that whereof thou ''haß no knowledge
f j \ . c. VainAnd'uricërtain bplhiôhs, which
thou 'haft not good reafon to believe true, or at
leaft probable. -Some interpret thé words; A c -
cufe not aao.ther of a (^nfnt^zohereof fhint hdß^no
khmledgi'i fuppblmg they forbid thé“bëàringkfalfe
witnefs, or the fprfeäding or giving crédit to-idle
reports of others *.
0 See chap. 16. ,p. ,218, 219.
c They would make fome- attempt againß the pof-
fèffor of the throne j] i. e. They would in all pro-
b.vbility contend with God for fupèriorrty, and
endeavour to dethrone him, in the lame manner
as princes aft with one another on earth.
- d O f thy L o rd only j] Not allowing their
gods to be his alTociates, nor praying their inter-
cefiibn wifli him.
c j b a l i obey f with celebration of his praife;]
The dead, fays al Beidawi, at his call fhall immediately
rife, andT-fliaki-ng -the duft. off their
heads, fliall fay, Praife be unto thee, O God.
f That ye tarried;] viz. In »your graves ; -or,
in the world.
lidem.
■ iIPfUk
f l
!f | | 1f
j
Hi-0 1
M i 1
B l i ' L.mr [ir f j
i f f -
a
1 1 Hi1
| i j
ï t î » i
i p
i i
J
£2
IÉÉi IFmM
.'lalns
! | i i i
i l l l i