puniftiment. And admonifli thy more near relationsa. And behave thv
lelf with meeknefs b towards the true believers who follow thee: and if they
be difobedient unto thee, fay; Verily I am clear of that which ye do. And
truft in the mod mighty, the merciful G od *, who feeth thee when thou rileft
up, and thy behaviour among thofe who worfhip c ; for he both heareth and
knoweth. Shall I declare unto you upon whom the devils defcend? They
defcend upon every lying and wicked perfond: they learn what is heard c •
but the greater part of them are liars. And thofe who err follow the ftep’s
of the poets : doft thou not fee-that they rove as bereft of their fenfes through
every valley 5 and that they fay that which they do notf ? except thofe who
believe, and do good works, and remember G od frequently; and who defend
themfelves, after they have been unjuftly t r e a te d A n d they who
‘ ' ad
the devils* by the oppofition between his doctrine,
andy their defigns, and their inability to
compofe fo confiftent a book as the Koran, proceeds
to fliew that the perfons moft likely to
a correfpondence with thofe evil fpirits, were liars
and llanderers, that is, his enemies and op-
pofers.
e They learn. what is beardj] i. e. They are
taught by the fecret infpiration of the devils, |
and receive theiridle and in confiftent fuggeftions
for truth. It being, uncertain whether the fan-
derers or the devils be the nominative .cafe to the
verb, the words may alfo be rendred, They Impart
what they bear; that is, .The devils acquaint
their correfpondents on earth with fiich
incoherent fcraps of the angels difcourfe, as
they can hear by Health jgb
f They rove as bereft o f their fenfes through (■
very valley, &c.] Their compofitions being as
wild as the a&ions of a diftra&ed man: for moll
of-the ancient poetry was full of vain imaginations
j as fabulous ftories and defcriptions, love-
verfes, flattery, exceflive commendations of their
patrons, and^ as exceflive. reproaches of their
enemies, incitements to vicious adlions, vainglorious
vauntings, and the like 6.
s Except thofe who believe, &c.] That is, Such
poets as had embraced Mobammedifmwhofe
works, free from theprophanenefs of the former,
run chiefly on the praifes of G od, and the
eftablilhing his unity, and contain exhortations
to obedience and other religious and moral ver-
tues; without any fatyrical inve&ives, unlefs
againft fuch as have given juft provocations, by
having firft attacked them, or fome others of
the true believers, with the fame weapons. In
this laft cafe Mohammed law it was neceflary
* . / for
a Preach to thy near relations j] The comme«»
tators fuppofe the fame command to have been
virtually contained in the feventy fourth chapter,
which is prior to this in point of time1. It is
faid that Mohammed, on receiving the pafiage before
us, went up immediately- to mount Safa,
and having called the feveral families to him,
one by one, when they were all-aflembled, asked
them, whether if he fhould tell them that
mountain would bring forth a fmaller mountain,
they would believe him ; to which they anfwer-
ing in the affirmative, Verily, fays he, I am a
warner fent unto you, before a fevere chafifoment
z .
b Behave thy fe lf with meeknefs ;] Literally,
Lower thy wing.
c Who feeth thee when thou rifefl up, and thy
behaviour among thofe who worfhip ;] i. e. Who
feeth thee when thou rifefl: up to watch' and
fpend the night in religious exercifes, and: ob-
ferveth thy anxious care for the Mojlems- exaft
performance of their duty. It is faid that the
night on which the precept of watching was
abrogated, Mohammed went privately from one
houfe to another, to fee how his-companions fpent
the time; and that he found them fo intent in
reading the Koran, and repeating their prayers,
that their houfes, by reafon of the humming
noife they made, feemed to be fo many nefts of
hornets 3. Some commentators, however, fuppofe
that by the prophet’s behaviour, in this
place, are meant the various poftures he ufed in
praying at the head of his companions ; as Handing,
bowing, proftration, and fitting 4.
d The devils defcend upon every lying and wicked
perfon ;] The prophet, having vindicated himfelf
from the charge of having communication with
1 See the notes thereon, and the Prelim. Difc. §. II. p. 43.
Idem, Jallalo’ddin. 3 Iidem. 6 lidem.
a Æ Beidawi. 3 Idem
a£t unjuftly ftiall know hereafter, with what treatment they lhall be
treated. .
for him to borrow afliftance from the poets of
his party, to defend himfelf and religion from
the infults and ridicule of the others; for which
purpofe he employed the pens of Labid Ebn Ratio
1, AbdaTlah EbnRawaha, HaffdnEbn Thabet,
and the two Caabs. It is related that Mohammed
once faid to Caab Ebn Malec, Ply them with
J'atires »-for, by him in whofe hand my foul is, they
wound more deeply than arrows z .
1 See the Prelim. Difc. p. 61.
A l Beidawi.
CHAP . XXVII.
Intitled, The Anta ; revealed at Mecca.
In the name of the moft merciful God.
T. S. Thefe are- the figns of the K o r a n , and of the perfpicuous book:
a direftion, and good tidings unto the true believerss who regularly
perform their prayer, and give alms, and firmly believe in the life to come.
As to thofe who believe not in the life to come, we have prepared their works
for themb; and they fhall be {truck with aftonifhment at their difappointment,
when they Jhall be raifed again: thefe are they whom an evil punifhment await-
eth in this life ; and in that which is to come they fhall be the! greateft
lofers. Thou haft certainly received the K o r a n from the prefence of a
wife, a knowing G o d . Remember when M oses faid unto his family, Verily
I perceive fire : I will bring you tidings thereof, or I will bring you a lighted
brand, that- ye may be warmed'. And when he was come near unto it, a
voice cried unto him, faying, Blefied be he-who is in the fire, and whoever is
about i t 11; and praife be unto G o d , the L ord of all creatures ! O M oses,
verily I am G o d , the mighty, the wife: caft down now thy rod. And when
he faw it, that it moved, as though it had been a ferpent, he retreated and
fled, and returned not. And G od faid, O M oses, fear not; for my mefiengers
are not.difturbed with fear in my fight: except he who fhall have done
amifs, and fhall have afterwards fubftituted good in lieu of evil; for I am
gracious and mercifulMoreover put thy hand into thy bofom 3 it fhall
come
a In this chapter is related, among o-
ther ftrange things, an odd ftory of the ant,
which has therefore been pitched on for the
title.
b We have prepared their works.for them',]
By rendring them pleafing and agreeable to their
corrupt natures and inclinations,
f See chap. 20. p- 256.
d Bleffed be he who is in thé fire, and about
i t ;] Some fuppofe G od to be intended by the
former words, and by the latter, the angels who
were prefent1 ; others think Mofes and the angels
are here meant, or all perfons in general in
this holy plain, and the country round it *.
c Except be who Jhall have done amifs, &c.j
This exception was defigned to qualify the preceding