296 Al K O R A N . C har. 25.
lutation. T h u s . G o d declare* his figns unto you, that ye may under
Itand. Verily they only are true believers, who believe in G o d and his a n 0f t l P
and when they are aflembled with him on any affair*, depart not unrii
they have obtained leave of him. Verily they who afk leave of thee Z
thofe who believe in G o d and his apoftle. When therefore they afk ieaw
of thee to depart, on account of any bufinefs of their own, grant leave
unto fuch of them as thou /halt think fit, and afk pardon for them of
G o d ; for G o d is gracious and merciful. Let not the calling o f the apoftle
be eiteemed among you, as your calling the one t» the other'. G o d knoweth
fuch or you as privately withdraw themfelves from the affembly, taking f h e l t e r
behind one another. But let thofe who with-ftand his command, take heed-
■ a - i ? e c a , 1£ y . b e f a l t h e m in this w o r ld , or a grievous punifhment be
innicted on them in the life to come. B o th not whatever is in heaven and
on earth belong unto G o d ? He well knoweth what ye are about: and on
a certain day they fhall be aflembled before him ; and he fhali declare
unto them that which they have done; for G o d knoweth all things.
the houfe, to whom ye are united by the ties
of blood, and by the common bond of religion.
And if there be no body in the houfe, fays Jal-
lalo'ddin, falute your felve?, and fay, Peace be
on us, and on the righteous fervants o f G od : for
the angels will return your falutation.
a On any affair j] As, at public prayers,* or
a folemn malt, or at council, or on a military
expedition.
b Ask pardon for them o f G od;]] Becaufe fuch
departure, tho’ with leave, and on a reafonable
excufe, is a kind of failure in the exaft performance
of their duty; feeing they prefer
their temporal affairs to the advancement of
the true religion 1.
c Let not the calling o f the apoftle o f God
.be efteemed among you as your calling the one to
1 A l Beidawi.
the other.] Thefe words are varioufly interpreted
: for their meaning may be, either, Make
not light of the apoftle’s fummons, as -ye .would
of another perfon’s of equal condition with
your felves, by not obeying it, or by departing
out of, or coming into his prefence without
leave firft obtained; or, Think not that when
the apoftle calls upon G od in prayer, it is with
him, as with you, when ye prefer a petition
to a fuperior, who fometimes grants, but as often
denies your fuit; or, Call,not to the.apoftle,
as ye do to one another, that is, by name, or
familiarly and with a'loud voice; but make ufe
of fome honourable compellation, as, O apoftlt
o f G od, or, O prophet o f G qd, and fpeak in an
humble model! manner *.
* Idem, Jallalo’ddin, lAc.
CHAP . XXV.
Intitled, Ai. F orkan; revealed at Mecca.
In the name of the moft merciful God.
BL E S S E D be he who hath revealed the Forkan*unto his fervant,
that he may be a preacher unto all creatures : unto whom belongeth
tne_ kingdom of heaven and of earth : who hath begotten no iflue • and
hath no partner .in his kingdom: who hath created all things-j and difpofed
*. T ie Forkin ] Which it one of the names o f the Ktran. See the Prelim. Dili. §. III. p. J7.
C h a p . 2 5 . Al K O R A N . 2 9 7
fed the fame according to his determinate will. Yet have they taken other gods
befides him; which have,created nothing, but are themfelves created*:
and are able neither to avert evil from, nor to procure good unto themfelves;
and have not the power of death, or of life, or of railing the dead. And
the unbelievers fay, This K o r an is no other than a forgery which he hath
contrived ; and other people have aflifted him therein f: but they utter an
unjuft thing, and a fallhood. They alfo fay, ‘Thefe are fables of the ancients,
which he hath caufed to be written down ; and they are dictated
unto him morning and evening. Say, He ha* revealed it, who knoweth
the fecrets in heaven and earth : verily he is gracious and merciful. And they
fay, What kind of apoftle is this ? He eateth food, and walke* in the
ftreetsc, as we do : unlefs an angel be fent down unto him, and become a
fellow preacher with him; or unlefs a treafure be call: down unto him ;
or he have a garden, of the fruit whereof he may eat; we will not believe.
The ungodly alfo fay, Ye follow no other than a man who is diftrafted.
Behold, what they liken thee unto. But they are deceived ; neither can
they find a juft occafion to reproach thee. Blefled be he, who, if he pleaf-
eth, will make for thee a better provijion than this which they fpeak of;
namely, gardens through which rivers flow : and he will provide thee palaces.
But they rejeft the belief of the hour of judgment, as a fallhood: and we
have prepared for him, who fhall rejedt the belief of that hour, burning
fire ; when it fhall fee them from a diftant place, they fhall hear it furi-
oufly raging, and roaring. And when they fhall be caft bound together
into a ftrait place thereof, they fhall there call for death: but it Jfjall be
anfwered them, Call not this day for one death, but call for many deaths.
Say, Is this better, or a garden of eternal duration, which is promifed unto
the pious ? It fhall be given unto *em for a reward, and a retreat :
therein fhall they have whatever they pleafe; continuing in the fame for e-
ver. This is a promife to be demanded at the hands of thy L o r d . On a
certain day he fhall aflemble them, and whatever they worlhip, befides
God ; and fhall fay unto the worfhipped. Did ye feduce thefe my fervants ;
or did they wander of themfelves from the right way ? They fhall anfwer,
God forbid! It was not fitting for us, that we fhould take any protedtors
befides thee: but thou didft permit them and their fathers to enjoy abundance;
fo that they forgat thy admonition, and became loft people. And G o d Jhall
fay unto their worfhippers, Now have thefe convinced you of fallhood, in
Q_q that
a But are themfelves created;] Being either the Being fubjedl to the fame wants and infirmities
heavenly bodies, or idols, the works of men’s of nature, and obliged to fubmit to the fame
hands. low'means ofSupporting himfelf and his fab
See chap. 16. p. 223. It is* fuppofed the mily, with ourfelves. The Meccans were ac-
Jezos are particularly intended in this place; quainted with Mohammed, and with his cir-
becaufe they ufed to repeat paffages of ancient cumftances and way of life, too well to change
hiftory to Mohammed, on which he ufed to dif- their old familiarity into the reverence due to
courfe and make obfervations *. the meffenger of G od : for a prophet hath no
c He eateth food, and vjalketh in the ftreets ;] honour in his own country.