nit were purpofely affembled, that they might produce a book like this K oram
they could not produce one like unto it, although the one of them affifteH
the other. And we have varioufly propounded unto men in this K or an e
very kind o f figurative argument s but the greater part of men refufe to W
cetve it, merely out of infidelity. And they fay, We will by no means be-
iieve on thee, until thou caufe a fpring of water to gufli forth for us out of
the earth *; or thou have a garden- of palm-trees and vines, and thou caufe
rivers to fpring forth from the midft thereof in abundance ; or thou caufe the
heaven to fall down upon us, as thou haft given out, in pieces; or thou
bring down G od and the angels to vouch fo r thee-, or thou have a houfe of gold •
or thou afcend by a ladder to heaven: neither will we believe thy afcendinv
thither alone , until thou caufe a book to defcend unto us, bearing -witnefs of
thee, which we may read. Anfwer, My L o r d be praifed ! Am I other
than a man, fent as an apoftle ? And nothing hindreth men from believing
when a diredion is come unto them, except that they fay, Hath G od fent
a man fo r his apoftle ? Anfwer, If the angels had walked on earth' as familiar
inhabitants thereof, we had furely fent down unto them from heaven
an angel fo r our apoftle. Say, G od is a fufficient witnefs between me and
you : for he knoweth and regardeth his fervants. Whom G od lhall direft
he fhall be the rightly directed; and whom he lhall caufe to err, thou (halt
find none to affift, befides him. And we will gather them together on the
day of refurredtion, creeping on their faces, blind, and dumb, and deaf' :
|g | ’r abode Jball be hell; fo often as the fire thereof fhall be extinguifhed we
will rekindle a burning flame to torment them". This (hall be their reward because
they difbelieve m our figns, and fay, When we (hall have been reduced
to bones and duft, lhall we furely be raifed new creatures ? Do they not
perceive that G o d , who created the heavens and the earth, is able to create
other bodies, like their prefent? And he hath appointed them a limited
term there is no doubt thereof: but the ungodly rejeft the truth, merely
out of unbelief Say, If ye poflfelTed the treafures of the mercy of my
L o r d , ye would furely refrain from uftng them, for fear of- fpendingthem' ;
for man is covetous. We heretofore gave unto M oses the power ofworkim nine
evident figns . And do thou a(k the children of Is r a e l as to the Jiory of
Moa
Until tboti' caufe a fpring of water to gufb
forth, &c.] This and the following miracles were
demanded of Mohammed by the Koreijh, as proofs
of his miffion.
b Thy afeending thither alone;] As thou pre-
tendeft to have done in thy night-journey; but
of which no man was witnefs.
c See the Prelim. Difc. §. IV. p. 85.
4 So often as the fire fhall be extinguifhed, we
will rekindle it to torment them j] i. e. When
the fire fhall go out or abate for want of fuel,
after* the confumption of the skins and flefh of
the damned, we will add frefh vigour to the
flames by giving them new bodies 1.
e A limited term j] O f life, or refurreftion.
f For fear offpending them;] That is, left they
fhould be exhaufted.
g Nine figns 1] Thefe were, the changing his
rod into a ferpent, the making his hand white and
fhining, the producing locufts, lice, frogs, and
blood, the dividing of the red-fea, the bringing
water out of the rock, and the fhaking of mount
Sinai over the children of IJrael. In lieu of the
three laft fome reckon the inundatipn of the
Nik,
1 ^ /B eidawi. See chap. 4. p. 68.
M'osbs* ; when he came unto them, and P h a r a o h fald unto him, - Verily
I efteem thee, O M oses, to be deluded by forcery. M oses anfwered, Thou
well knoweft that none hath fent down'thefe evident figns except the L ord
of heaven and earth •, and I furely efteem thee, O P h a r a o h , a loft man.
Wherefore P haraoh fought to drive them out of the land ; but we drowned
him, and all thofe who were with him. And we faid unto the children 1
of Isr a e l , after his deftrublion, Dwell ye in' the land: and when the pro-
mife of the next life (hall come to be fulfilled, we will bring you bothpromif-
cuoufly to judgment. We have fent down tóe Koran with truth, and it
hath defeended with truth: and we have not fent thee otherwife than to be
a bearer of good tidings, and a denouncer of threats. And we have divided
the K o r a n , revealing it by parcels, that thou mighteft read it unto- men
with deliberation •, and we have fent it down, caufrng it to defcend as occa-
fion required*. Say, Whether ye believe therein, or do not believe, verily
thofe who have been favoured with the knowledge o f the feriptures which
were revealed before it, when the fame is rehearfed unto them, fall down on
their faces', worfhipping, * and fay, Our L o r d be praifed, for that the
promife of our L ord is furely fulfilled ! And they fall down on their faces,
weeping s and tóe hearing thereof increafeth their humility. Say, Call upon
God, or call on the Merciful: by which foever o f the two names ye invoke
him, it is equal-, for he hath mod excellent names1. Pronounce not thy.
prayer aloud, neither pronounce it with two low a voice % but follow a middle
way between thefe: and fay, Praife be unto G o d , who hath not begotten
any child s who hath no partner in the kingdom, nor hath any to proteéb.
him from contempt : and magnify him by proclaiming his greatnefs.
C H A P.
Nile, the Blafting of the corn, and fcarcity of
the fruits of the earth 1. Thefe words, however,
are interpreted by others, not of nine miracles,
but of nine commandments, which Mofes gave his
people, and were thus numbred up by Mohammed
himfelf to a few, who asked him the quef-
tion, viz. That they fhould not be guilty of
idolatry, nor fteal, nor commit adultery or
murder, nor practice forcery or ufury, nor ac-
cufe an innocent man to take away his life, or
a modeft woman of whoredom, nor defert the
army ; to which he added the obferving of the
fabbath, as a tenth commandment, but which
peculiarly regarded the few s : upon which
anfwer, it is faid, the few kifled the prophet’s
hands and feet *.
a Do thou ask the children of Ifrael, £s7 .]
Some think thefe words are directed to Mofes,
who is hereby commanded to demand the
children of Ifrael of Pharaoh, that he might
let them go with him.
b See the Prelim. Difc. §. III. p. 64» 65.
c On their faces;] Literally, on their chins. T
d Call on G o d , or the Merciful, & c .] The infidels
hearing Mohammed fa y, O G o d , and O
Merciful, imagined the Merciful was the name
of a deity different from G o d , and chat he preached
the worfliip of two; which occafioned this
paflage. See chap. 7. p. 136.
e Pronounce not thy prayer aloud, nor with too
Iowa voice, &c.] Neither fo loud, that the infidels
may overhear thee, and thence take occalion
to blafpheme and feoff; nor fo foftly as not to
be heard by* the afliftants. Some fuppofe that
by the word prayer, in this place, is meant the
reading of the Koran.