C H A R XX.
Inti tied, T. H a; revealed at M ecca.
In the name of the moft: merciful G od.
T T " \ H. We have not fent down the K o r a n unto thee, that thou fhouldefi
1 be unhappy h .; but for an admonition unto him who feareth Go d : being
fent down from him who created the earth, and the lofty heavens. The
Merciful fitteth on his throne : unto him belongeth whatfoever is in heaven and
on earth, and whatfoever is between them, and whatfoever is under the earth.
If thou pronounce thy prayers with a loud voice, know that it is not necejfan
in refpebl to God •, for he knoweth that which is fecret, and what is yet
more hidden. G od ! there is no god but he : he hath moft excellent names'.
Haft thou been informed of the hiftory of M oses 1 ? When he faw fire, and
faid unto his family, Tarry ye here ; for I perceive fire : peradventure I
may bring you a brand thereout, or may find a direction in our way by
the fire'. And when he was come near unto it, a voice called unto him,
faying, O M o s e s ! verily I am thy L o r d : wherefore put off thy Ihoesr;
for
a The fignification of thefe letters, which
being prefixed to the chapter are therefore taken
for the title, is uncertain l *. Some however
imagine they ftand for Ta rajol, i. e. O man !
which interpretation, feeming not eafily to be
accounted for from the Arabic, is by a certain
tradition deduced from the Etbiopic * : or for
Ta, i. e. tread; telling us that Mohammed, being
employed in watching and prayer the night this,
pailage was revealed, flood on one foot only,
but was hereby commanded to eafe himfelf by
felting both feet .to the ground. Others fancy
the firft letter flands for Tuba, beatitude; and the
latter for Hawiyat, the.name of the lower apartment
of hell. Tab is alfo an interje&ion commanding
filence, and may properly enough be
ufed in this place.
b We have not fent down the Koran unto thee,
that thou JhouldeJl be unhappy;] Either by reafon
of thy zealous follicitude for the converfion
of the infidels, or thy fatiguing thy felf by
watching and other .religious exercifes; for, it
feems, the Koreifh urged the extraordinary fatigues
he underwent in thofe refpefls, as the
confequence of his having left their religion 3.
1 See the Prel. Difc. §. III. p- 59, &c.
Ebn Abi Sofian. 3 Al B e i d a w i .
c See chap. 7. p. 136. and chap. 17. p. 237.
d The relation of the ftory of Mofes, which
takes up the greateft part of this chapter, was
defigned to incourage Mohammed, by his example,
to difcharge the prophetic office with firm-
nefs of mind, as being allured of receiving the
like affiftance from G od : for it is faid this chapter
was one of the firft that were revealed +.
e When he faw fire, &c.] The commentators
fay, that Mofes, having obtained leave of Shotnb,
or Jethro, his father-in-law, to vifit his mother,
departed with his family from Midian towards
Egypt’, but coming to .the valley of Tow a, wherein
mount Sinai Hands, his wife fell in labour,
and was delivered of a fon, in a very dark and
fnowy night; he had alio loft his way, and his
cattle were fcattered from him3 when on a hidden
he faw a fire by the fide of a mountain, which
on his nearer approach he found burning in a
green, bufli 1.
f Put off thy fhoes;] This was a mark of humility
and refpedt: tho’ fome fancy there was
fome uncleannefjs in the Ihoes themfelves, be-
caufe they were made of the skin of an afs not
dreifed 6.
2 M o h a m . E b n A b d al B a k i , ex trad. Acrend
4 Idem. 1 1 Idem. 6 Idem.
far thou art in the facred valley Tow a . ■ And I have çhofen thee; therefore
hearken with attention unto that which is revealed unto thee. Verily
I am G od ; there is no god befide me : wherefore worfhip me, and perform
thy prayer in remembrance of me. Verily the hour cometh : I will furely
manifeft the fame, that every foul may receive its reward for that which
it hath deliberately done. . Let not him who believeth not therein, and who
followeth his l uft, prevent thee from believing in the fame, left thou perifh.
Now what A that in thy right hand, O M oses ? He anfwered, It is my rod
whereon I lean, and with which I beat down leaves for my flock ; and I have
other ufes for it *. God faid unto him, Caft it down, O M oses. And he
caft it down, and behold, it became a ferpentb, which ran about. G od faid,
Take hold on it, and fear n o t': we will reduce it to its'former condition.
And put thy right hand under thy left arm : it fball come forth white % without
any hurt. This fhall be another fign : that we may fhew thee fome of
our. greateft figns. Go unto P h a r a o h : for he is exceedingly impious.
M oses anfwered, L o r d , enlarge my breaft, and make what thou haft commanded
me eafy unto me : and loofe the knot of my tongue, that they may
underftand my fpeech '. And give me a counfellor1 of my family, namely,
A aron my brother. Gird up my loins by him, and make him my collègue
in the bufinefs : that we may. praife thee greatly, and may remember
thee often; for thou regardeft us. God replied, Now haft thou obtained thy
requeft, O M oses : and we have heretofore been gracious unto thee,
another time ; when we revealed unto thy mother that which was revealed
unto h e rs, faying, Put him into the ark, and caft him into the
river, and the river fhall throw him on the fhore ; and my enemy and
his .enemy fhall take him and bring him up * ; and I beftow on thee
L i love
a And I have other ufes for it j] As to drive
Hway wild beafts from my flock, to carry my
bottle of water on, to flick up and hang my upper
garment on to (hade me from the fun ; and fever-
al other ufes enumerated by the commentators.
b It became a J'erpent j] Which was at firft
no bigger than the rod, but afterwards fwelled
to a prodigious fize 1.
c Take hold on it, and fear not j] When Mofes
faw the ferpent move about with great nimble-
nefs, and fwallow ftones and trees, he was greatly
terrified, and fled from it j but recovering his
courage at thefe words of God, Tie had thebold-
nefs to take the ferpent by the 'jaws *.
4 See chap. 7. p. 128.
e Loofe the knot of my tongue, &c.] For Mofes
had an impediment in his fpeech,' which was oc-
cafioned by the following accident. Pharaoh
one day carrying him in his arms, when a child,
he fuddenly laid hold of his beard, and plucked
a very rough manner, which put Pharaoh
into fuch a paffion, that he ordered him to be
put to death: but Afta, his wife, reprefenting
to him that he was but a child, who could hot
diftinguifh between a burning cpal and a ruby,
he ordered the experiment to be made3 and a
live coal and a ruby being fet before Mofes, he
took the coal and put it into his mouth, and
burnt his tongue: and thereupon he was pardoned.
This is a Jewifh ftory a little altered 3.
f A counfellor j] The. Arabic Word is Wazir,
which fignifies one who has the chief adminiftra-
tion of affairs under a prince.
g When we revealed unto thy mother, &c.] The
commentators are not agreed by what means this
revelation was made 3 whether by private infpi-
ration, by a dream, by a prophet, or by an
angel.
h Put him into the ark, ; &c.] The commentators
fay, that his mother' accordingly made
an ark of the papyrus, and pitched it, and put
in fome cotton 3 and having laid the child therein,
1 Idem. 2 Idem. 3 V. Sbaljh, Ilakkab. p. u