CHAR XXII.
Intitled, The Pilgrimagea; revealed at M e c c a 1’.
In the name of the moft merciful G od.
OMen of M ecca, fear your L ord. Verily the Ihock of the laft hour' will
be a terrible thing. On the day whereon ye fhall fee it, every woman
who giveth fuck fhall forget the infant which Ihe fiickleth *, and every female
that is with young fhall call her burthen ; and thou lhalt fee men feemingU
drunk, yet they fhall not be really drunk : but the punifhrnent of God will
be fevere. There is a man who difputeth concerning God without knowledge
% and followeth every rebellious devil: againft whom it is written,
that whoever fhall take him for his' patron, he fhall furely feduce him, and
fhall lead him into the torment of hell. O men, if ye be in doubt concerning
the refurredtion," conjtder that we firjl created you of the duft of the ground;
afterwards, of feed ; afterwards, of a little coagulated blood ‘ ; afterwards, of a
piece of flefh, perfectly formed in f a r t, and in f a r t imperfedlly formed; that
we might make our few er manifeft unto you : and we caufe that which we
pleafe to reft in the wombs, until the appointed time of delivery. Then
we bring you forth infants; and afterwards we ferm it you to attain your age
of full ftrength: and one of you dieth in his youth, and another of you is
poftponed to a decrepit age, fo that he forgetteth whatever he knew. Thou
feeft the earth fometimes dried up and barren : but when we fend down rain
thereon, it is put in motion, and fwelleth, and produceth every kind of luxuriant
vegetables. This Jheweth that God is the truth, and that he raileth the
dead, to life, and that he is almighty ; and that the hour of judgment will furely
come, (there is no doubt thereof,) and that G od will raife again thofe who
are in. the graves. There is a man who difputeth concerning G od without
either knowledge, or a diredlion, or an enlightening books; proudly turning his
fide,
a Some ceremonies ufed at the pilgrimage of
Mecca being mentioned in this chapter, gave oc-
caiion to the infeription.
b Some -1 except two verfes, beginning at thefe
words, ‘There are Jome men who ferve Go d in a
wavering manner, See. And others 2 fix verfes,
beginning at, Thefe are two oppofite parties, See.
c The fhock of the laft hour;] Or, the earthquake
which, fome fay, is to happen a little before
the fun rifes from the weft ; one fign of the
near approach of the day of judgment 3.
d See the Prelim. Difc. §. IV. p. 82.
e There is a man who difputeth concerning God,
&c.] This paflage was revealed on account of
al Nodar Ebn al Hareth,.- who maintained that
the angels were the daughters of G od, that the
Kordn was a fardel of old fables, and*denied the
refurredtion 4.
f See chap. 96.
g There is a man who difputeth concerning God,
&c.] The perfon here meant, it is faid, was
Abu Jahl I , a principal man among the Koreifh,
and
fide that he may feduce men from the way of G o d . Ignominy Jhall attend him
in this world 5 and on the day of refurredtion we will make him tafte the
torment of burning, when it Jhall be faid unto him, This thou fufferejl becaufe
of that which thy hands have formerly committed ; for G od is not unjuft
towards mankind. There are fome men who ferve G od in a wavering manner,
funding, us it were, on the vergea o f the true religion. If good' befal one of
them, he refteth fatisfied therein ; but if any tribulation befal him, he turn-
eth himfelf round, with the lofs both of this world, and of the life to come.
This is manifeft perdition. He will call upon that, befides G o d -, which
can neither hurt him, nor profit him. This is an error remote from truth.
He will invoke him who will fooner be of hurt to his worjhiffer than of advantage.
Such is furely a miferable patron, and a miferable companion.
But G od will introduce thofe who fhall believe, and do righteous works, into
gardens through which rivers flow; for G od doth that which he pleafeth.
Whofo thinketh that G od will not aflift his apojlle'm this world, and in the
world to come, let him.ftrain a rope towards heaven, then let him put an
end to his life, and fee whether his devices can render that ineffedtual, for
which he was angry b. Thus do we fend down the Koran, being evident
figns s for G od diredteth whom he pleafeth. As to the true believers, and
thofe who judaize, and the Sabians, and the Chriftians, and the Magians,
and the idolaters ; verily G od fhall judge between them on the day of refurredtion
; for G od is witnefs of all things. Doft thou not perceive that all
creatures both in heaven and on earth adore G od c ; and the fun, and the
moon, and the liars, and the mountains, and the trees, and the beafts, and
many men ? but many are worthy o f chaftifement: and whomfoever G od
(hall render defpicable, there fhall be none to honour ; for G od doth that which
he pleafeth. Thefe are two oppofite parties, who difpute concerning their
L ord d. And they who believe not, fhall have garments of fire fitted unto
N n 2 them:
and a moft inveterate enemy of Mohammed and another accident as the occafion of this paflage,
his religion. His true name was Amru Ebn viz. that a certain Jew embraced Ifidm, but af-
Eefham, of the family of Makhzum ; and he was terwards taking a diflike to it, on account o f fome
furnamed AbuThocm, i. e. the father of wifdom, misfortunes which had befallen him, went to
which was afterwards changed into Abu jahl, or Mohammed, and defired he might renounce it, and
the father of folly. He was flain in the battle be freed from the obligations of it j but the proof
Bedr 1. phet told him that no fuch thing was allowed in
a There are fome men who ferve God wavering- -his religion 2.
ly, Jlanding on the verge, &c.] This expreffion b Let him Jfrain a rope- towards heaven, &c.]
alludes to one who being polled in the skirts of Or, Let him tie a rope to theroofofhis houfe, and
an army, if he fees the vi&ory inclining to his hang himfelf j that is, let him carry his anger and
own fide, ftands his ground, but if the enemy refentment to ever fo great an height, even to
is likely 'to prevail, takes to his heels. be driven to the moft defperate extremities, and
The paflage, they fay, was revealed on ac- fee whether with all his indeavours he will be
count of certain Arabs of the defart, who came able to intercept the divine alfiftance 3.
to Medina, and having profefled Mohammedifm, \ Adore G o d ;] Confeffing his power, and
were well enough pleafed with it fo long as their obeying his fupreme command,
affairs profpered, but i f they met with any ad- d Thefe are two oppofite parties, &c.] viz. The
verfity, were fure to lay the blame on their new true believers, and the infidels. The paflage is
religion. A tradition of Abu Said mentions faid to have been revealed on occafion of a difpute