dance of riches? And the wicked lhall not be afked to difcover their
crimes. And Karvn went forth unto his people, In his pomp *. And they
who loved this prefent life, faid, Oh that we had the like wealth, as hath been
given unto K arun ! verily he is matter of a great fortune. But thofe on
whom knowledge had been bellowed, anfwered, Alas for you ! the reward
of God in the next life, will be better unto him who lhall believe and do
good works: but none lhall attain the fame, except thofe who perfevere
with conftancy. And we caufed the ground to cleave in funder, and to fwal-
low up him and his palace: and he had no forces to defend him, befides
God ; neither was he refcued from punijhment. And the next morning, thofe
who had coveted his condition the day before, faid, Aha ! verily God be-
ftoweth abundant provilion on fuch of his fervants as he pleafeth ; and he is
fparing unto whom he ■ pleafeth. Unlefs God had been gracious unto us, certainly
the earth had fwallowed us up alfo. Aha ! the unbelievers lhall not
profper. As to this future manlion of paradife, we will give it unto them who
feek not to exalt themfelves in the earth, or to do wrong ; for the happy iffue
lhall attend the pious. Whofo doth good, lhall receive a reward which lhall
exceed the merit thereof: but as to him who doth evil, they who work evil lhall
be rewarded according to tf>e merit only of that which they lhall have wrought.
Verily he who hath given thee the K oran for a rule of faith and practice,
will certainly bring thee back home unto Mecca b. Say, My L ord beft
knoweth who cometh with a true diredtion, and who is in a manifeft error.
Thou didft not expeft that the book of the Koran Ihould be delivered unto
thee: but thou haft received it through the mercy of thy L ord. Be not therefore
alfifting to the unbelievers ; neither let them turn thee alide from the
figns of G od, after they have been fent down unto thee : and invite men unto
thy L ord. And be not thou an idolater; neither invoke any other god,
together with the true God : there is no god but he. Every thing lhall perilh,
except himfelf: unto him belongeth judgment; and before him lhall ye be
affembled at the laft day.
CHAP.
a In bis pomp;] It is faid he rode on a white
mule adorned with trappings of gold, and that
he was cloathed in purple, and attended by four
thoufand men, all well mounted and richly
dreft.
b He who bath given thee the Koran, will
bring thee back unto Mecca;] This verfe, fome
fay, was revealed to Mohammed when he arrived
at jfobfa, in his flight from Mecca to Medina, to
comfort him, and Hill his complaints.
C H A R XXIX.
Intitled, The Spider a; revealed at Mecca11.
In the name of the mod merciful God.
[A . L. M c. Do men imagine that it .lhall be fufficient for themd to fay,
We believe; while they be not proved * ? We heretofore proved thofe
who were before them ; for G od will furely know them who are fincere, and
he will furely know the liars. Do they who work evil think that they lhall
prevent us from taking vengeance on them ? An ill judgment do they make.
Whofo hopeth to meet God, verily God’s appointed time will certainly come ;
and he both heareth and knoweth. Whoever ftriveth to promote the true-
religion, ftriveth for the advantage of his own foul; for God needeth not any
of his creatures : and as to thofe who believe and work righteoufneft, we will
expiate their evil deeds from them ; and we will give them a reward according
to the utmoft merit of their adtions. We have commanded man to fhew
kindnefs towards his parents : but if they endeavour to prevail with thee to
alfociate with me that concerning which thou hall no knowledge, obey them-
notf. Unto me lhall ye return 5 and I will declare unto you what ye have
done. Thofe who lhall believe, and lhall work righteoufnefs, we will furely
introduce into paradife, among the upright. There are fome men who fay,
We believe in God : but when fuch a one is afflidled for God’s fake, he-
efteemeth the perfecution of men to be as grievous as the punilhment of God.
Yet if fuccels cometh from thy L ord, they fay, Verily we are with you::
Doth not G od well know that which is in the breafts of his creatures ? Verily .
God well knoweth the true believers, and he well knoweth the hypocrites.-
The
* Tranfient mention is made of this infedl,
towards the middle of the chapter.
b Some think the firft ten verfes, ending with
thefe words, And he well knoweth the hypocrites,
were revealed at Medina, and the reft at
Mecca; and others believe the reverfe.
c See the prelim. Difc. §. III. p. 59, &c.
* Ibat it Jhall be fufficient fo r them j] Literally,
That they Jhall be let alone, &c.
e While they be not proved.] This paflage
reprehends the impatience of fome of the prophet’s
companions, under the hardlhips which
they fuftained in defence of their religion,
and the lofles which they fuffered from
the infidels; reprefenting to them that fuch
trials and aflliftions were neceflary to diftinguilh
the fincere perfon from the hypocrite, and the
fteady from the wavering. Some fuppofe it to-
have been occafioned by the death of Mahjay
Omar's Have, killed by an arrow at the battle of
Bedr, which was deeply lamented and laid to
heart by his wife and parents 1 .
f I f they endeavour to prevail with thee to officiate, 1
with me, that concerning which thou haß no know*
ledge}] That is, I f they endeavour to pervert--
thee to idolatry. The paflage is faid to have
been revealed on account ofSaadEbnAbiWakkas,
and his mother Hamna, who, when Ihe heard
that her fon had embraced Mohammedifm, fwore
that Ihe would neither eat nor drink till he returned
to his old religion, and kept her oath for
three days *.