overtake them. On that day the kingdom fhall be G o d ’ s : he ihall judge between
them. And they who fhall have believed, and fhall have wrought righte-
oufnefs, jhall be in gardens of pleafure : but they who fhall have dilbelieved"
and fhall have charged our figns with falfehood, thofe fhall1 fuffer a fhamefui
punifhment. And as to thofe who fhall have fled their country for the fake
of G od’ s true religion, and afterwards fhall have been (lain, or fhall have died-
on them will G od beftow an excellent provifion ; and G od is the belt pro’
vider. He ,-will furely introduce them with an introdu&ion with which they
fhall be well-pleafed: for G od is knowing and gracious. This is fo. Whoever
fhall take a vengeance equal to the injury which hath been done him1
and fhall afterwards be unjuftly treated1“ ; verily G od willaflift him : for God
is merciful, and ready to forgive. This Jhall be done, for that G od caufeth’
the night to fucceed the day, and he caufeth the day to focceed the night; and
for that G od both heareth and feeth. This, becanfe G od is truth, 'and be-
caufe what they invoke befides him, is vanity ; and for that G od is the high,
-the mighty. Doft thou not fee that G od fendeth down water from heaven,
and the earth becometh green? for G od is gracious and wife. Unto him
belongeth whatfoever is in heaven and on earth: and G od is felf-fufficient, worthy
to be praifed. Doft thou not fee that G o d hath fubjefted whatever is
in the earth to your fervice, and alfo the fhips which fail in the fea, by his
command ? And he with-holdeth the heaven that it fall not on the earth,
unlefs by his permiffion': for G od is gracious unto mankind, and merciful
It is he who hath given you life, and will hereafter caufe you to die j afterwards
he will again raife you to life, at the refurreRion: but man is furely ungrateful.
Unto the profeflors of every religion have we appointed certain rites,
which they obferve. Let them not therefore difpute with thee concerning
this matter -, but invite them unto thy L o r d : for thou followed: the right direction.
But if they enter into debate with thee, anfwer, G od well knoweth
that which ye do: G od will judge between you, on the day of refurredion,
concerning that wherein ye now difagree. Doft thou not know that God
knoweth whatever is in heaven and on earth ? Verily this is written in the
book of his decrees: this is eafy with G o d . They worlhip, befides God,
that concerning which he hath lent down no convincing proof, and concerning
which they have no knowledge: but the unjuft doers lhall have none to
affift them. And when our evident figns are rehearfed'. unto them, thou
mayeft perceive, in the countenances of the unbelievers, a difdain thereof-.
it wanteth little but that they rulh with violence on thofe who rehearfe our
figns unto them. Say, Shall I declare unto you a worfe thing than this ? The
fire of hell, which G od hath -threatened unto thofe who believe not, is worfe-,
and an unhappy journey Jhall it he .thither. O men, a parable is propounded
unto you ; wherefore hearken unto it. Verily.the idols which ye invoke,
bea
Whoever Jhall take a vengeante equal to the
injury {] And fhall riot take a more fevere revenge
than the fadl deferves.
b And Jhall afterviards. be unjujlly treated;]
By the aggreffor’s feeking to revenge him-
ifclf again of the perfbn injured, by .offering
'him fbme further violence;
The paffage feems to relate to the vengeance
which the Mojlenis fhould take of the infidels, for
their unjult perfecution of "them.
c That it fa ll not, &c.] Which it will do «at the
laft day.
befides God, can neyer create a fingle fly, although they were all afiembled
for that purpofi: and if the fly fnatch any thing from them, they cannot
recover the fame from i t a. Weak is the petitioner, and the petitioned.
They judge not of God according to his due eftimation : for God is powerful
and mighty. G od choofeth mefiengers from among the angelsb, and
from among men : for God is he who heareth and feeth. He knoweth that
which: is before them, and that which is behind them : and unto G od fhall
all things return. O true believers, bow down, and proftrate your felves,
and worlhip your L ord ; and work righteoufnefs, that ye may be happy :
and fight in defence of G od’s true religion, as it behoveth you to fight for
die fame. He hath chofen you, and hath not impofed on you any difficulty
in the religion which he bath given you, the religion of your father
A b r a h a m : he hath named you Mollems heretofore, and in this book-,
that- our apoftle may be a witnels againft you a t the day o f judgment, and
that ye may be witnefies againft the reft of mankind. Wherefore be ye
conftant at prayer; and give alms : and adhere firmly unto G od. He is
your mafter; and he is the bell mailer, and the bell protedlor.
s I f the fiy fnatch any thing from them, &c.] rufalem, and the facrifices there offered to the
The commentators fay, that the Arabs ufed true G o d , were never annoyed by flies 1 ;
to anoint the images of their gods with fome whereas fwarms of thofe infefts infeiled the
odoriferous, compofition, and with honey, which heathen temples, being drawn thither by the
the flies eat, tho’ the doors of the temple., were fleam of the facrifices 2.
carefully lhut, getting in at the windows or b G o d choofeth mejfengcrs from among the
crevices."-';.,,.' '. angels;] Who are the bearers of the.'divine re-
Perhaps Mohammed took this argument from velations to the prophets; but ought not to
the Jems, who pretend that the temple of Je- be the objects of worlhip.
1 Pirkt Aboth, c. 5. §. 6, 7. 1 V. Seldxn. ie Dtis Syris, Syttt. 2. c. 6.
CHAP. XXIII.
Intitled, The true Believers ; revealed at M e c c a .
In the name of the moft merciful God.
NO W are the true believers happy: who humble themfelves in theirXVIII
prayer, and -whs efchew all vain difcourfe, and who are doers of alms-
deeds j and who 'keep themfelves from carnal knowledge o f any women except
their wives, or the captives which their right hands poflefs ; (for as to
them they fhall be blamelefs : but whoever coveteth any woman beyond thefe, 1
they are tranfgrefiors:) and who acquit themfelves faithfully of their truft^
an4juftly perform their covenant -, and who obferve their appointed times o f
prayer: thefe fhall be die heirs, who fhall inherit paradife ; they fhall continue
therein for ever. We formerly created man of a finer fort of clay;
O o after