2 7 6 Al K O R A N , G h a p . 2 2 ,
them: boiling water lhall be poured on their heads | their bowels lhall be
diffolved thereby, and alfo their lkins ; and they lhall be beaten with maces of
iron. So often as they lhall endeavour to get out of hell, becaufe of the an-
guilh of their torments, they lhall be dragged back into the fame; and their
tormentors Jhall fay unto them, Tafte ye the pain of burning. God will introduce
thofe who lhall believe, and aft righteoully, into gardens through
which rivers flow: they lhall be adorned therein with bracelets of gold, and
pearls; and their veftures therein lhall be filk. They are direfted unto a good
faying | ; and are direfted into the honourable way. But they who lhall dif-
believe, and obftruft the way of G od, and hinder men from vifiting the holy
temple of M ecca, which we have appointed fo r a place of worjhip unto all
men: the inhabitant thereof, and the ftranger have an equal right to vifil it:
and whofoever lhall feek impioufly to profane it, we will caufe him to
tafte a grievous torment. Call to mind when we gave the lite of the houfe
of the C a a b a for an abode unto A braham b, faying, Do not alfociate any
thing with me •, and cleanfe my houfe for thofe who compafs it, and who
Hand up, and who bow down to worlhip. And proclaim unto the people a
folemn pilgrimage ' s let them come unto thee on foot, and on every lean camel,
arriving from every diftant road ; that they may be witnefies of the advantages
which accrew to them from the vifiting this holy placed, and may commemorate
the name o f God on the appointed days % in gratitude for the brute
cattle which he hath bellowed on them. Wherefore eat thereof, and feed
the needy, and the poor. Afterwards let them put an end to the negleft of
; their
pute between the Jews and the Mohammedans:
the former inlifting that they were in greater favour
with G o d , their prophet and revelations
being prior to thofe o f the latter j and thefe replying,
that they were more in G o d ’s favour,
for that they believed not only in Mofes but alfo
in Mohammed, and in all the fcriptures without
exception ; whereas the Jews rejedled Mohammed,
tho’ they knew him to be a prophet, out
of envy 1.
a Unto a good faying;] viz. The profeffion
of G o d ’ s unity; or thefe words, which they
lhall ufe at their entrance into paradife, Praife
be unto G o d , who hath fulfilled his promife unto
us a.
b When we gave unto Abraham the fite of the
Caaba for an abode;] i. e. For a place of religious
worlhip ; Ihewing him the fpot where it had
ftood, and alfo the model of the old building,
which had been taken up to heaven at the
flood ?.
c Proclaim unto the people a folemn pilgrimage j]
It is related that Abraham, in obedience to this
command, went up to mount Abu kobeis, near
Mecca, and cried from thence, O men,, perform
the pilgrimage to the houfe of your Lo rd ; and
that G o d caufed thofe who were then in the
loins of their fathers, and the wombs of their
mothers, from eaft to weft, and who, he knew
beforehand, would perform the pilgrimage, to
hear his voice. Some fay, however, that thefe
words were direfted to Mohammed, commanding
him to proclaim the pilgrimage of valediction 4:
according to. which expofition the palfage mull
have been revealed at Medina.
d 'The advantages which accrew to them from tbt
vifiting this place j] viz. The temporal advantage
made by the great trade driven at Mecca
during the pilgrimage, and the fpiritual advantage
ol having performed fo meritorious a work.
e The appointed days;] Namely, The' ten firil
days of DhuThajja j or the tenth day of the
fame month, on which they flay the facrifices,
and the thred' following days 5.
1 Idem. 2 Idem.
J a l l a l o ’ d d i n .
3 See the Prelim. Difc. §. IV. + Al B e x d a w i . * Idem,
C h a p . 22. A l K O R A N . 277
their perfons “ ; and let them pay their vows1’, and compafs the ancient
houfe. I This let them do. And whoever lhall regard the facred ordinances
of God d ; this will be better for him in the fight of his L ord. All forts
of cattle are allowed you to eat, except what hath been read unto you, in
former pajfages of the Koran, to be forbidden. But depart from the abomination
of idols, and avoid fpeaking that which is falfe•: being orthodox
in refpeft to God, aflociating no other god with him ; for whoever afioci-
ateth any other with God, is like that which falleth from heaven, and which
the birds fnatch away, or the wind bloweth to a far diftant placef. This is
fo. And whofo maketh valuable offerings unto God 5; verily they proceed
from the piety of men’s, hearts. Ye receive various advantages from the cattle
defigned fo r facrifices, until a determined time fo r flaying them: then the
place of facrificing them is at the ancient houfe. Unto the profeffors of
every religion h have we appointed certain rites, that they may commemorate
the name of God on Jlaying the brute cattle which he hath provided for
them. Your God is one G od : wherefore refign your felves ’wholly unto him.
And do thou bear good tidings unto thofe who humble themfelves ; whofe
hearts, when mention is made of God, are ftruck with fear ; and unto thofe
who patiently indure that which befalleth them ; and who duely perform then-
prayers, and give alms out of what- we have beftowed on them. The
camels
a Let them put an end to- the negleft of their
perfims j] By {having their heads, and other parts
of their'bodies, and cutting their beards and nails
in the valley of Mina ; which the pilgrims are
not allowed to do from the time they become
Mohrims, and have folemnly dedicated them-
felves to the performance-of the pilgrimage, till
they have finiftied the ceremonies, and flain their .
vifrims
b Let them pay their, vows;] By doing the
good works which they have vpwed to do in
their pilgrimage. Some underftand the words
only of the performance of the requilite cere-
monies. ■■ v->
c And . compafs the ancient houfe;] i: e. The
Caaba j which the Mohammedans pretend was
the firft edifice built and appointed for the worlhip
of G o d 2. The going round this chapel is
a principal ceremony of the pilgrimage, and is
often repeated j but the laft time of their doing
it, when they take their farewel of the temple,
feems to be more particularly meant in this place.
Whoever fhall regard the facred ordinances of
God ;] By obferving what he has commanded,
and avoiding what, he has forbidden; or, as the
words alfo fignify, - Whoever Jhall honour what
God hath fanftified, or commanded not to be
profaned; as the temple and territory of Mecca>
and the facred months, &c.
e Avoid fpeaking that which is falfe j] Either
by aflerting wrong and impious things of the
Deity j or by bearing falfe witnefs againft your
neighbours.
f Like that which falleth from heaven, &c.]
Becaufe he who falls into idolatry, finketh from
the height of faith into the depth of infidelity,
has his' thoughts diftrafled by wicked lulls, and
is hurried by the devil into the moft abfurd errors
3.
s Whofo maketh valuable offerings unto G o d ; ]
By chufing a well-favoured and coftly viélim, in
honour of him.to whom it is deftined. They fay
Mohammed once offered a hundred fat camels, and
among them one which had belonged to Abu
Jabl, having in his nofe a ring of gold : and
that Omar offered a noble camel,for which he had
been bid three hundred dinars 4.
The original may alfo be tranflated generally,
Whofo regardeth the rites of the pilgrimage, &c.
But the viftims feem to be more particularly intended
in this place.
h Unto the profeffors of every religion;} Jal-
lalo'ddin u n d e r ltan d s this p a lfa g e in a r e ft r a in e d
f e n fe , o f th é fo rm e r n a tio n s w h o w e r e t ru e b e lie
v e r s j to w h om G o d a p p o in te d a fa c r i f ic e , and,
a fix e d p la c e an d p ro p e r c e r em o n ie s fo r th e o f fe r in
g o f it .
Udem. See chap. z. p. 23. chap. 5. p. 95. and B o b o v , de Peregr. Meccana, p. i f , & c,
■ 3- p- 47. and the Prelim. Difc. §. i y . 3 Al Bbidawi. 4 Idem.
chap
2 Sh