could they dig through it*. And D hu'lkarnein faid, This is a mercy from
my L o r d : but when the predidtion of my L o r d fhall come to be fulfilledk
he fhall reduce the. wall to dull ; and the prediction of my L o r d is true'
On that day we will fuffer fome of them to prefs tumultuoufly like waves
on others *; and the trumpet (hall be founded, and we will gather them in
a body together. And we will fet hell, on that day, before the unbelievers
; whole eyes have been veiled from my remembrance, and who could
not hear my words. Do the unbelievers think that I will not punijh them
for that they take my fervants for their protedtors befides me ? Verily
we have prepared hell for the abode of the infidels. Say, Shall we declare
unto you thofe whofe works are vain, whofe endeavour in the prefent
life hath been wrongly direfted, and who think they do the work which
is right? ,Thefe are they who believe not in the figns of their L o r d , or
that they fhall be afiembled before him; wherefore their works are vain,
and we will not allow them any weight on the day of refurredtion. This
f ia l l be their reward, namely, hell ; for that they have difbelieved, and
have held my figns and my apoftles in derifion. But as fo r thofe who believe
and do good works, they fhall have the gardens of paradife for their
abode; they fhall remain therein for ever ; they fhall wifh for no rhaaiy
therein. Say, If the fea were ink to write the words of my L o r d , verily
the fea would fail, before the words of my L o r d would fa il; although
we added another fea like unto it as a farther fupply. Say, Verily I am only a
man as ye are. It .is revealed unto me that your G o d is one only God:
let him therefore who hopeth to meet his L o r d , work a righteous work;
and let him not make any other to partake in the worfhip of his L ord. ’
a The commentators fay the wall was built in
this manner. They dug till they found water,
and having laid the foundation of ftone and
melted brafs, they built the fuperftrudlure
of large pieces of iron, between which they
laid wood and coals, till they equalled the height
of the mountains ; and then fettihg fire to the
combuftibles, by the help of large bellows, they
made the iron red hot, and over it poured melted
brafs, which filling up the vacancies between
the pieces of iron, rendred the whole work as firm
as a rock. Some tell us that the whole was built
of ftones joined by cramps of iron, on which
they poured melted brafs to fallen them r.
b When the prediction of my Lord Jhallcmt
to be fulfilled^ &c. J That is, when the time lhall
come for Gog and Magog to break forth from
their confinement j which lhall happen fometime
before the refurredtion 2.
c To prefs tumultuoufiy like waves, &c.] Thefe
words reprefent either the violent irruption of
Gog and Magog, or the tumultuous affembly of
all creatures, men, genii, and brutes, at the refurredtion
3.
1 Idem, £*. * gee the Prelim. Dtfc. $. IV. p. 81. ,5 See ii. p. 87.
C H A P -
CHAP. XIX.
Intitled, M a r y 1 ; revealed at M e c c a .
In the name of the moll merciful G od.
C. H. Y. A. S c. A commemoration of the mercy of thy L o r d towards his
fervant Z a c h a r i a s l. When he called upon his L o r d , invoking him
in fecret, and faid, O L o r d , verily my bones are weakened, and my head
is become white with hoarinefs, and I have never been unfuccefsfol in my prayers
to thee, O L o r d . But now I fear my nephews, who are to fucceed after me %
for my wife is barren: wherefore give me a fucCefior o f my own body from before
thee; who may be my heir, and may be an heir of the family o f J a c o b 1 ;
and grant, O L o r d , that he may be acceptable unto thee., And the angel an-
fwered him, O Z a c h a r i a s , verily we bring thee tidings of a fon, whofe
name fhall be J o h n ; we have not caufed any to bear the fame name before
hime. Z acharias faid, L o r d , how lhall I have a fon, feeing my wife is
barren, and I am now arrived at a great age h, and am decrepit? The angel
faid, So fhall it be: thy L o r d faith, This is eafy with me; fince I created
thee heretofore, when thou waft nothing. Z acharias anfwered, O L o r d ,
give me a fign. The angel replied, Thy fign fhall be, that thou fhalt not
fpeak to men for three nights, although thou be in perfedt health. And he
' K k . went
a Several circumllances relating to the virgin
Mary being mentioned in this chapter, her name
was pitched upon for the title.
b Except the verfe o f Adoration.
c See the Prelim. Difc. §. III. p. 59, 60.
d See chap. 3. p. 39, &c.
* I fear my nephews, &c.] Thefe were his
brother’s fons, who were very wicked men, and
Zacharias was apprehenlive, left, after his death,
inftead of confirming the people in the true religion,
they lhould feduce them to idolatry r.
And fome commentators imagine that he made
this prayer in private, left his nephews fliould
Overhear him.
1 And may be an heir of the' family of Jacob j]
V1*. In hofinefs and knowledge ; or in the government
and fuperintendence of the IJ'rael-
ites.' There are fome who fuppofe it is not the
patriarch who is here meant, but another Jacob,
the brother of Zacharias, or of Imran Ebn Ma-
thati, of the race of Solomon2.
8 We have not caufed any to bear that name be-
1 A l B j s i d a w i , J a l l a l q ’ d d i n .
fore him;] For he was the firft who bore the
name of "John, or Tahya (as the Arabs pronounce
it;) which fancy feems to be occafioned by the
words of St. Luke mifunderftood, that none of
Zacharias’r kindred was called by that name 3: for
otherwise John, or, as it is written in Hebrew,
Johanah, was a common name among the
Jews.
Some expofitors avoid this obje£tion, byob-
ferving that the original word famiyyan fignifies,
not only one who is aftually called by the fame
name, but alfo one who by reafon of his poflef-
fing the like qualities and privileges, deferves,
or may pretend to the fame name.
h I am arrived at a great age, &c. J The Mohammedan
traditions greatly differ as to the age
of Zacharias at this time ; we have mentioned
one already g : Jallalo'ddin fays, he was an hundred
and twenty, and his wife ninety eight;
and the Sonna takes notice of feveral other
opiiiidns.
2 Iidem. 3 Luke i, 61. 4 Pag. 40. not. e.