E dris *, and Dhu’ikefl V AH theft were patient perfons: wherefore we led
them into our mercy ; for they were righteous doers. And remember DhuV
n u n % when he departed in wrath \ and thought that we could not exercife
our power over him. And he cried out in the darknefs % faying, There is no
G o d , befides thee: praife beunto thee! Verily I have been one of the uniuft
Wherefore we heard him, and delivered him from afflidtion ': for fo do we deli!
ver the true believers. And remember Z a c h a r j a s , when he called upon his L ord'
ftying, O L o r d , leave me not childlefs: yet thou art the bed heir. Where’
tore we heard him, and we gave him J o h n ; and we rendred his wife fit forbearing
a child unto him. Thefe drove to excel in good works, and called
upon us with love, and with fear; and humbled themfelves before us. And
remember her who preferved her virginity E, and into whom we breathed of
our fpirit; ordaining her and her fon for a fign unto all creatures. Verily
this your religion is one religion h; and I am your L o r d s wherefore ferve
me. But the Jews and Chriftians have made fchifms in the affair of their
religion among themfelves: but all of them lhall appear before us. Whofo-
ever fliall do good works, being a true believer, there lhall be no denial, of
the reward due to his endeavours; and we will furely write it down unto
him. An inviolable prohibition is laid on every city which we fliall have
dedroyed ; for that- they fliall not return any more into the world ; until
G o g and M a g o g fliall have a paffage opened for them and they fliall
haden from every high hill k ; and the certain promife lhall draw near to
be fulfilled : and behold, the eyes of the infidels lhall be fixed with aftonijhment
a See chap. 19. p. 253.
b Dbtflkefl j] Who this prophet was is very
uncertain. One commentator will have him to
be Elias, or JoJhua, or Zacharias 1 : another
fuppofes him to have been the fon of Job, and
to have dwelt in Syria; to which fome add,
that he was firft a very wicked man, but afterwards
repenting, died j upon which thefe words
appeared miraculoufly written over his door, Now
bath G o d been merciful unto Dhu’ikefl 2 : and a
third tells us he was a perfon of great ftridtnefs
of life, and one who ufed to decide caufes to the
fatisfadlion of all parties, becaufe he was never
inapaflionj and that he was called Dbu'lkefl
from his continual falling, and other religious ex-
ercifes3. -
c Dbtllnun;] This is thelurname of Jonas',
which was given him becaufe he vyas fwallowed
by tbe f i jh . See chap. 10. p. 174.
d When be departed in wrath j] Some fuppofe
Jonas's anger was againft the Ninivites, being
tired with preaching to them for fo long a time,
and greatly difgufted at their obllinacy and ill
ufage of him; but others, more agreeably to
1 Al B e i d a w i . 2 A b u ’ l f . # T*
tbe Prelim. Difc. §. IV. p. Si.
fcripture, fay. the reafon of his ill humour was
G od’s pardoning of that people on their repentance,
and averting the judgment which Jonas
had threatned them with, fo that he thought he
had been made a liar 4.
e In the darknefsi. e. Out of the belly of
the filh. J
f See chap. 37.
g Her who preferved her virginity jj Namely,
the virgin Mary.
h IbiS' your religion is one religion;] Being the
lame which was profefled by all the prophets,
and holy men and women, without any fundamental
difference or variation.
1 Until Gog and Magog Jhall have a pajfage
opened for them;] i. e. Until the refurreftion ;
one flgn of the approach whereof will be the
eruption of thofe barbarians
.k They Jhall haßen from every high bill i\ In
this paffage fome copies, inftead of hadabin, i. e.
an elevated part of the earth, have Jadathin,
which figniffes a grave', and if we follow the
latter reading, the pronoun they mull not refer
to Gog and Magog, but to mankind in general.
ment, and they Jhall fay, Alas for us ! we were formerly regardlefs of this day ;
yea, We were wicked doers. Verily both ye, O men of M ecca, and the idols which
ye worlhip befides G o d , Jhall be call as fewel into hell fire : ye lhall go down
into the fame. If thefe were really gods, they would not go down into the
fame : and all o f them lhall remain therein for ever. In that place lhall they
groan for anguifh ; and they lhall not hear ought therein *. As fo r thofe unto
whom the moll; excellent reward o f paradife hath been predestinated by us,
diey lhall be tranfported far off from the fame b; they lhall not hear the leaft
found thereof: and they lhall continue for ever in the felicity which their
fouls defire. The greateft terror lhall not trouble them ; and the angels lhall
meet them to congratulate them, faying, This'is your day which ye were pro-
mifed. On that day we will roll up the heavens, as the angel a l S i j il c rolleth up
the book wherein every man's actions are recorded. As we made the firft creature
out o f nothing, fo we will alfo reproduce it at the refurreCtion. This is a
promife which it lieth on us 'to fu l f i l : we will furely perform it. And now
have we written in the pfalms, after the promulgation o f the law, that my fer-
vants the righteous lhall inherit the earth d. . Verily in this book are contained
fufficient means of falvation, unto people who- ferve God. We have not font
thee, 0 M ohammed, but as a mercy unto all creatures. Say, No other hath
been revealed unto me, than that your G od is one G od : will ye therefore be
refigned unto him ? But if they turn their backs to the confejfion o f God's unity,
fay, I proclaim war againft you all equally e: but I know not whether that
which ye are threatned with f be nigh, or whether it be far diftant. Verily
God knoweth the difcourfe which is fpoken in public; and he alfo know-
eth that which ye hold in private. I know not but peradventure the refpite
p-anted you is fo r a trial of you ; and that ye may enjoy the profperity o f this
•world for a time. Say, L o r d , judge between me and my adverfaries with
truth. Our L o rd is the Merciful; whofe afliftance is to be implored againft
the blafphemies and calumnies which ye utter.
N n C H A P .
a !They Jhall not bear ought therein j] Becaufe down the adlions of every man’s life, which, at
of their ailoniihment and the infupportable tor- his death, he rolls up, as completed. Some pre*
ments they lhall endure j or, as others expound tend one of Mohammed's fcribes is here meant:
the words, They Jhall not hear therein any thing and others take the word Sijil, or, as it is alfo
which may give them the leaft comfort. written, Sijjill, for an appellative, lignifying a
b As fsr thofe unto whom paradife hath been book or written fcroli i and accordingly render
predejlinated, &c.] One Ebn al Zabdri objedled the paffage, as a written fcroli is rolled up 2.
to the preceding words, Both ye and that which d Thefe words are taken from Pfalm 37.
ye wrfhip befides G od, Jhall be cajl into hell, be- v. 29.
caufe, being general, they aliened an abfolute f I proclaim war againjl you, &c.] Or, I have
fallhood; fome of the objects of idolatrous wor- publickly declared unto you what I was command-
Ihip being fo far from any danger of damnation, ed.
that they were in the higheft favour with G o d , f That Vjhich ye are threatned with j] viz. The
*s J e s u s , Ezra, and. the angels: wherefore Ioffes and difgraces which ye lhall fuffer by the
this paffage was revealed, excepting thofe who future fuccefles of the Moflemsy or, the day of
Were predeftined to falvation I. judgment.
c The angel al Sijil j] Whofe office it is to write
1 ^ / B e i d a w i , J a l l a l o ’ d d i n . 2 Iidm> & f'