his body fell down, the genii plainly perceived that if they had known that
which is fecret, they had not continued in a vile punifhment *. The defcendants
of Saba b had heretofore a fign in their dwellings ; namely, two gardens, on
the right hand and on the leftc: and it was faid unto them, Eat ye of the
provifion of your L ord, and give thanks unto him ; ye have a good country,
and a gracious L ord. But they turned afide from what we had commanded
them; wherefore we fent againft them the inundation of al A rem d, and we
changed their two gardens for them into two gardens producing bitter fruit, and
tamarifks', and fome little fruit of the lote-tree. This we gave them in
reward, becaufe they were ungrateful : is any thus rewarded except the»
ungrateful ? And we placed between them and the cities which we ha*
bleffed', cities fituate near each other; and we made the journey eafy between
them E, faying, Travel through the fame by night and by day, in fecu-
rity. But they faid, O L ord, put a greater diftance between our journeys
b: and they were unjuft unto themfelves ; and we made them the fub-
jedt of difcourfe, and difperfed them with a total difperfion Verily herein are
a They had not continued in a vile punijhment;]
i. e. They had not continued in fervile fuBjec-
tion to the command of Solomon, nor had gone
on with the work of the temple.
b The defcendants of Saba;] Saba was the fon
of Yafhhab, the fon of Yarab, the fon of Kahtan,
whofe pofterity dwelt in Taman, in the city of
Mdreb, called alfo Saba, about three days journey
from Sanaa.
c Two gardens, one on the right hand, and the
other on the le ft;] That is, two trails of land,
one on this fide of their city, and the other on
that, planted with trees, and made into gardens,
which lay fo thick and clofe together, that each
trail feemed to be one continued garden: or,
it may be, every houfe had a garden on each
hand of it l .
d The inwidation of al Arem •,] The commentators
fet down feveral fignifications of the word
al Arem, which are fcarce worth mentioning :
it moft properly fignifies mounds or dams for the.
flopping or containing of water, and is here
ufed for that ftupendous mound ox building which
formed the vaft refervoir above the#city of Saba,
defcribed in another place *, and which, for the
great impiety, pride, and infolence of the inhabitants,
was broken down in the night by a
mighty flood, and occasioned a terrible deftruc-
fion 3. A l Beidawi fuppofes this mound was
the work of queen Balkis, and that the above-
mentioned cataftrophe happened after the time
©f J esu s C h r i s t ; wherein he feems to be
miflaken.
e Tamarisks;] A low fhrub bearing no fruit,
and delighting in faltifh and barren ground.
f The. cities which we have bleffed j] viz. The
cities of Syria.
s We made the journey eafy between them »] By
reafon of their near diftance, fo that during the
whole journey a traveller might reft in one town
during the heat of the day, and in another at
night; nor was he obliged to carry provifions
with him +.
h Put a greater diftance between our journeys']
This petition they made out of covetoufnefs,
that the poor being obliged to be longer on the
road, they might make greater advantage in letting
out their cattle, and furnilhing the travellers
with provifion: and God was pleafedto
punilh them by granting them their wifh, and
permitting moft of the cities, which were between
Saba and Syria, to be ruined and abandoned
1 We made them the fubjeft of difcourfe, and
difperfed them with a total difperfion j] For the
neighbouring nations juftly wondred at fo hidden
and unforefeen a revolution in the affairs of
this once flourifhing people : whence it became
a proverbial faying, to exprefs a total difperfion»
that they were gone and ft ottered like Saba 6.
Of the defcendmts of Saba who quitted their
country, and fought new fettlements on this inundation,
the tribe of Ghaffan went into Syria, the
tribe of Anmar to Tatbreb, the tribe of Jodbdtn
to
1 A l Beidawi . * See the Prelim. Dift. §. I. p. 19. , 3 See ibid. 4 Jallal.
Beidawi. 3 lidem. 6 ^/Beidawi. V. G ol. nqt. it? Alfrag. p, 87.
are figns, unto every patient, grateful perfon: And E blis found his opinion
of them to be true 1 : and they followed him, except a party of the true
believers b: and he had no power over them, unlefs to tempt them, that we
might know him who believed in the life to come, from him who doubted
thereof. Thy L ord obferveth all things. Say unto the idolaters, Call upon
thofe whom ye imagine to be gods, belides God : they are not mafters of the
weight of an ant in heaven or on earth, neither have they any lhare in the
creation or government o f the fame ; nor is any of them affiftant to him
therein. No interceffion will be o f fervice in his prefence, except the inter-
cejfon of him to whorji he fhall grant permifiion to intercede fo r others| : and
they p a l l wait in fufpenfe until, when the terror fhall be taken off from their
hearts'1, they fhall fay to one another, What doth your L ord fay? They
fhall anfwer, That which is juft : and he is the high, the great G od. Say,
Who provideth food for you from heaven and earth? Anfwer, G od : and
either we, or ye, follow the true direction, or are in a manifeft error.
Say, Yp fhall not be examined concerning what, we fhall have committed :
neither fhall we be examined concerning what ye fhall have done. Say, Our
L ord will affemble us together at the laft day: then will he judge between
us with truth ; and he is the judge, the knowing. Say, Shew me thofe
whom ye have joined as partners with him ? Nay •, rather he is the mighty,
the wife G od. We have not fent thee otherwife than unto mankind in general,
a bearer of good tidings, and a denouncer of threats: but the greater
part of men do not underftand. And they fay, When w ill this threat be
fulfilled, if ye fpeak truth? Anfwer, A threat is denounced unto you of a
day which ye fhall not retard one hour, neither fhall ye haften. The unbelievers
fay, We will by no means believe in this K oran, nor in that which
hath been revealed before it '. But if thou couldeft fee when the unjuft
doers fhall be fet before their L ord ! They will iterate difcourfe with one
another : thofe who were efteemed weak fhall fay unto thofe who behaved
themfelves arrogantly f, Ha d it not been fo r you, verily we had been true be-
Z z 2 lievers.
to Tehamah, the tribe of al Azd to Oman1, a When tie terror Jhall be taken off from their
the tribe of Tay to Najd, the tribe of Kbozdah hearts;] i. e. From the hearts of the intercefiors,
to Bate Marr near Mecca, Banu Amela to a and of thofe for whom G od fhall allow them
mountain, thence called the mountain of Amela, to intercede, by the permiiEon which he fhall
near Damafcus, and others went to Hira in then grant them; for no angel or prophet fhall
Irak 3 ; &c. dare to fpeak at the laft day without the divine
a Eblis found his opinion of them to be true i] leave.
Either his opinion of the Sabmans, when he faw ® Nor in that which hath been revealed before
them addifted to pride and ingratitude, and the it ;] It is faid that the infidels of Mecca, having
fatisfying their lulls; or elfe the opinion he en- inquired of the Jews and Chriftians concerning
tertained of all mankind at the fall of Adam, or the million of Mohammed, were allured by them,
at his creation, when he heard the angels fay, that they found him defcribed as the prophet
Wilt thou place in the earth one who w ill do evil who fhould come, both in the Pentateuch and
therein, and Jhed blood3 P in the Gofpel; at which they were very angry,
b Except a party of the true believers;] Who and brake out' into the words here recorded 4.
were faved from the common deftruftion. f See chap. 14. p. 207. not. a.
c See chap. 19. p. 255.
1 A l Beidawi. 1 V Poc. fpec. p- 42, 4 ;, Esf 66. 3 See chap. 2. p. 4. chap. 7.
a. 117. and chap. 15. p. 212, fcjfr. 4 ^/ Beidawi.