whofe praife is juftly to be celebrated. No other is faid unto thee by the
infidels of Mecca, than what hath been formerly faid unto the apoftles before
thee : verily thy L ord is inclined to forgivenefs, and is alfo able to chaftife
feverely. If we had revealed the K o r a n in a foreign language *, they had
furely laid, Unlefs the figns thereof be diftinftly explained, we will not receive
the fame: is the book written in a foreign tongue, and thé perfon unto whom it
is directed, an Arabian ? Anfwer, It is, unto thofe who believe, a fure guide,
and a remedy for doubt and uncertainty : but unto thofe who believe not, it is
a thicknefs of hearing in their ears, and it is a darknefs which covereth them;
thefe are as they who are called unto fromadiftant placeb. We heretofore
gave the book of the law unto Moses •, and a difpute arofe concerning the
fame: and if a previous decree had not proceeded from thy L ord, to ref
pite the oppofers of that revelation, verily the matter had been decided between
them, bythe definition of the infidels-, for they were in a very great doubt as
to the fame. He who doth right, jdoth it to the advantage of his own foul;
and he who doth evil, doth it againft the fame : for thy L ord is not unjuft
XXV. towards his fervants. * Unto him is referved the knowledge of the hour of
judgment: and no fruit cometh forth from the knops which involve i t ; neither
doth any female conceive in her womb, nor is fhe delivered of her burthen,
but with his knowledge. On the day whereon he fhall call them to him,
faying, Where are my companions which ye afcribed unto me ? they fhall anfwer,
We affure thee there is no witnefs of this matter among usc: and the
idols which they called on before, fhall withdraw themfelves from them ; and
they fhall perceive that there will be no way to efcape. Man -is not wearied
with afking good ; but if evil befal him, he defpondeth, and defpaireth.
And if we caufe him to tafte mercy from us, after affliction hath touched him,
he furely faith, This is due to me on account of my deferts.: I do not think
the hour of judgment will ever come -, and if I be brought before my L ord,
I fhall furely attain, with him, the mod excellent condition. But we‘ will
then declare unto thofe who fhall not have believed, that which they have
wrought; and we will furely caufe them to tafte a moft fevere punifhment. When
we confer favours on man, he turneth afide, and departeth without returning
thanks: but when evil toucheth him, he is frequent at prayer. Say, What
think ye ? if the K o r a n be from God, and ye believe not therein •, who will
lie under a greater error, than he who diffenteth widely therefrom ? Hereafter
we will fhew them our figns in the regions of the earth, and in themfelvesd;
until it become manifeftunto them that this book is the truth. Is it not fuf-
ficient/or thee that thy L ord is witnefs of all things ? Are they not in a doubt
as to the meeting of their L ord at the refurretlion? Doth not heencompafs
all things ? . i 'C
H A P .
a See chap. 16. p. 223, See. matter among us;] For they lhall difclaim their
b Tbefe are as they who are called unto from a idols at the refurre&ion.
difiant place j] Being fo far off that they hear d We w ill Jhew them our figns in the regiotis of
.not, or underftand not the voice of him who the earthy and in tbemfelvey,] By the furprizing
, calls to them. ‘ victories and conquests -of Mohammed, and his
* .They fhall anfwer, There is no witnefs of this fucceffors 1.
1 if/ .B s iD AW I.
C H A P . XLII.
Intitled, Confultationa; revealed at Me cca15.
In the name of the moft merciful G od.
H. M . A. S. K c. Thus doth the mighty, the wife G od reveal his will
unto thee ; and in like manner did he reveal it unto the prophets who were
before thee. Unto him belongeth whatever is in heaven, and in earth -, and he
is the high, the great G o d . It wanteth little but that the heavens be rent
in funder from above, at the awfulnefs.of his majefty: the angels celebrate the
praife of their L o r d , and afk pardon for thofe who dwell in the earth. Is not
G od the forgiver of Jins, the merciful ? But as to thofe who take other gods for
their patrons, befides him, G od obferveth their allions: for thou art not a
fteward over them. Thus have we revealed unto thee an Arabic K o r a n , that
thou mayeft warn the metropolis of M e c c a , and the Arabs who dwell round
ahout i t ; and mayeft threaten them with the day of the general afiembly, of
which .there is no doubt: one part Jhall then be placed in paradife, and another
partin hell. If G od had pleafed, he had made them all of one religion : but
he leadeth whom he pleafeth into his mercy s and the unjuft lhall have no patron
or helper. Do they take other patrons, befides him ? whereas G o d is the
only true patron : he quickeneth the dead and he is almighty. Whatever
matter ye difagree about, the decifion thereof appertained unto G o d . This
is G o d , my L ord : in him do I truft, and unto him do I turn me; the
Creator of heaven and earth: he hath given you wives of your own fpecies,
and cattle both male and female; by which means he multiplieth you: there
is nothing like him 5 and it is he who heareth and feeth. His are the keys of
heaven and earth: he beftoweth provifion abundantly on whom he pleafeth,
and he is fparing unto whom he pleafeth -, for he knoweth all things. He hath
ordained you the religion which he commanded N o a h , and which we have
revealed unto thee, O M o h a m m e d , and which we commanded A braham,
and Moses, and Jesus'1 : faying, Obfervethis religion, and be not divided therein.
The worfhip of one G o d , to which thou inviteft them, is grievous unto the unbelievers
: God will eleft thereto whom he pleafeth, and will diredl unto the
fame him who fhall repent. Thofe who lived in times paft were not divided
among themfelves, until after that the knowledge of G o d s unity had come unto
E e e them;
* The title is taken from the verfe wherein
the believers are commended, among other
things, for ufing deliberation in their affairs, and
confulting together in order to adt for the beft.
Some, inilead of this word, prefix the five iingle
letters with which the chapter begins.
b J a lla lo 'd d in excepts three verfes beginning
with thefe words, Sa y, I ask not o f y ou, f o r th is
my p r ea ch in g, a ny -reward, See.
c See the Prel. Difc. §. III. p. 59, &c,
d See ibid. §. IV. p. 70, and 75.