C H A P. XLVI.
jEntitled, A l A h k a f 3; revealed at M e c c a '.
In the name of the moft merciful G o d .
XXVI. *T T-M b. The revelation of this book it from the mighty, the wife God.
F I We have not created the heavens, and the earth, and whatever is
between them, otherwife than in truth', and for a determined period“ : but
the unbelievers turn away from the warning which is given them. Say,
What think ye ? Shew me what fa r t of the earth the idols which ye invoke,
befides G o d , have created ? Or had they any fhare in the creation of
the heavens ? Bring me a book o f fc ripture revealed before this, or fome
footftep of ancient knowledge, to countenance your idolatrous practices-, if ye are,
men of veracity. Who is in a wider error than he who invoketh, befides
G o d , that which cannot return him an anfwer, to the day of refurre&ion •
and idols which regard not their calling on them: and which, when men
lhall be gathered together to judgment, will become their enemies’, and
will ungratefully deny their worfhip? When our evident figns are rehearfed
.unto them, the unbelievers fay of the truth', when it cometh unto them,
This is a manifeft piece of forcery. Will they fay, M ohammed hath forged
it ? Anfwer, If I have forged it, verily ye lhall not obtain for me any
fa v o u r from G o d : he well knoweth the injurious language which ye utter
concerning it : he is a fufficient witnefs between me and you; and he is
gracious and merciful. Say, I am not Angular among the apoftlesf; neither
• do I know what will be done with me or with you hereafter : I follow
no other than what is revealed unto me ; neither am I any more than a
public warner. Say, What is your opinion ? If this book be from G o d ,
and ye believe not therein j and a witnefs of the children of I s r a e l bear
witnefs to its confonancy with the law1, and believeth therein ; and ye
proudly
a A l Ahkdf is the plural of Hekf, and fignifies
lands which lie in a crooked or winding mangier
; whence it became the name of a territory
in the province of Hadramaut, where the Adites
.dwelt. It is mentioned about the middle of the
. chapter.
b See the Prelim. Difc. IH. p. 59, &c.
c See chap. 21. p. 266. and ch. 38. p. 374, &c.
d For a determined period;] Being to laft but
a certain fpace of time, and not for ever.
* The truth ;] i. e. Any part of the revelations
o f the Koran.
[ J amnotfinguldr among the apofles j] That
is, I do not teach a do&rine different from whit
the former apoftles and prophets have taught:
nor am I able to do what they could n ot; particularly
to fhew the ligns which every one lhall
think lit to , demand 1.
f W a witnefs o f the children of Ifrael bear
witnefs of its confonancy to the law, See.] This
witnefs is generally fuppofed to have been the
Jew Abd' allah Ebn Sa/drn, who declared that
Mohammed was the prophet foretold by Mofes.
Some, however, fuppofe the witnefs here meant
to have been Mofes himfelf a.
1 ^ / B e ipaw i. % Idem, J allalo’ddin.
proudly reject the fam e : are ye not unjufi doers ? Verily G o d diredleth not
unjuft people. But thofe who believe not, fay of the true believers, If the
do Urine o f the K oran had been good, they had not embraced the fame before usa.
And when they are not guided thereby, they fay, This is an antiquated lye.
Whereas the book of M o s e s was revealed befort the K oran , to he a guide
and a mercy : and this is a book confirming the fame, delivered in the
Arabic tongue ; to denounce threats unto thofe who atft unjuftly, and to bear
good tidings unto the righteous doers. A s to thofe who fay, Our L o r d is G o d ; and who behave uprightly: on them fh a ll no fear come, neither fhall
they be grieved. Thefe fh a ll he the inhabitants ©f paradife, they fhall remain
therein for ever : in recompenfe for that which they have wrought. We
have commanded man to fh ew kindnefs to his parents: his mother beareth
him in her womb with pain, and bringeth him forth with pain : and the fpace
o f his being carried in her womb, and o f his weaning,* is thirty months *; until,
when he attaineth his age of ftrength, and attaineth the age o f forty years,
he faith % O L o r d , excite me, by thy infpiration, that I may be grateful
for thy favours,- wherewith thou haft favoured me and my parents’; and
that I may work righteoufnefs, which may pleafe thee: and be gracious unto
me in my iffue ; for I am turned unto thee, and am a Moflem. Thefe are
they from whom we accept the good work which they have wrought, and
whofe evil works we pafs by ; and they fh a ll he among the inhabitants of
paradife: this is a true promife, which they arfe promifed in this world. He
who faith unto his parents, Fie on you! Do ye promife me that I fhall
be taken forth from the grave, and reftored to l i f e ; when many generations
have palTed away before me, and none o f them have -returned hackd ? And his
■parents implore G o d ’ s affiftance, and fay to their fon, Alas for thee ! Believe
: for the promife of Gob is true. But he anfwereth, This is no other
than filly fables of the ancients. Thefe are they whom the fentence pajfed
on the nations which have been before them, of genii and of men, juftly
fitteth : they fhall furely perifhe. For every one is prepared a certain degree
o f happinefs or mifery, according to that which they fhall have wrought;
that
* I f the doElrine of the Koran had been good,
they had not embraced the fame before us.] Thefe
words were fpoken, as fome think, by the Jews,
when Abdallah profefled IJlam j or, according
to others, by the Koreifh, becaufe the firft followers
of Mohammed were for the moft part
poor and mean people ; or elfe by the tribes
of Amer, Ghatfan and Afad, on the converfion
of thofe of Joheinah, Mozeinah, Afam and
Gbifar 1.
b Thirty months;] At the leaft. For if the
full time of fuckling an infant be two years *,
or twenty four months, there remain but flx
months for the fpace of his being carried in the
womb'} which is the leaft that can be allowed3.
c He faith, &c.] Thefe words, it is faid,were
revealed on account of Abu Beer, who profefled
IJlam in the fortieth year of his age, two years
after Mohammed's million ; and was the only
perfon, either of the Mohajerin or the Anfars,
whofe father and mother were alfo converted :
his fon Abdalrahmdn, and his grandfon Abu
A t ik likewife embracing the fame faith •*.
d He who faith to his parents, Fie on you, &c. J
The words feem to" be general: but it is faid
they were revealed particularly on occafion of
Abd alrahmdn, the fon of Abu Beer j who ufed
thefe expreflions to his father and mother, before
he profefled I f am I .
e They fhall furely perifh Unlefs they redeem
their fault by repentance, and embracing the
true faith ; as did Abd'alrahmdn.
* See chap. 2. p. 27. 3 Al B e id 1 Iident. aw i . 4 Idem, Ja l e a l , 5 ^/Bi ip aw i .