CHAP. LIII.
Intitled, The Star ; revealed at Mecca.
In the Name of the moft merciful God.
BY the ftar a, when it fetteth b *, your companion M ohammed erreth not r
nor is he led aftray : neither doth he fpeakof his own will. It is no
other than a revelation, which hath been revealed unto him. One mighty
in power, indued with underftanding, taught it himc and he appearedd in
the hio-heft part of the horizon. Afterwards he approached the prophet
e, °and drew near unto him *, until he was at the diftance of two
bows lengthf from him, or yet nearer : and he revealed unto his fer-
vant that which he revealed.' The heart of M ohammed did not falfly
reprefent that which he faws. Will ye therefore difpute with him concerning
that which he faw ? He alfo faw him another time, by the lote-
tree beyond which there is no patting*: near it is the garden of eternal
abode. When the lote-tree covered that which it covered/, his eye-fight
turned not afide, neither did it wander: and he really beheld feme of the
greateft figns-of his L ord k. What think ye of A l lat , and A l U z za , and
M anah, that other third goddefs1 ? Have ye male children, and God female
?
a By the ft an] Some fuppofethe liars in general,
and others the Pleiades in particular, to
be meant in this place.
b When it fettetb;] Or, according to a contrary
lignification of the verb here ufed, when
it rifeth.
c One mighty in power, &c.] Namely, the angel
Gabriel. .
* He appeared i\. In his natural form,, in which
G od created him, and in the eaflern part of the
aky. It is faid that this angel appeared in his
proper ftwpe to none of the prophets, except
Mohammed; and to him only twice h once when
he received the. firfi revelation of the Koran, and
a fecond time when he took his night-journey
to heaven ; as it follows in the text.
e Afterwards he approached ;] In a human fhape.
f <T-wo bows length;] Or, as the word alfo fig-
nilies, two cubits length.
g fhe heart of Mohammed did not falfely reprefent
that which he few,]. But he faw it in reality.
h The lote-tree beyond which there is nopaftingi]
This tree, fay the commentators, Hands in the
feventh heaven, on the right hand of the throne
of G od ; and is the utmoft bounds beyond
which the angels themfelves mull not pafs ; or,
as fome rather imagine, beyond which no creature's
knowledge can extend.
1 When the lote-tree covered that which it covered.].,
The words feem to fignify, that what
was under this tree exceeded all defcription and.
number. Some fuppofe the whole hoft of angels
worfhipping beneath if 1 are intended; and
others, the birds which-fit on its branches *.
k And he beheld feme of the great eft figns of his
L o r d ;] Seeing the wonders both of the fenfi-
ble and the intelleélual world 3 .■
1 What think ye of Allât, and al Uzza, and
Manah ;] .Thofe were three idols of the ancient
Arabs, of which we have fpoken in: the Preliminary
Difcourfe K
As, to the blafphemy which fome pretend Mohammed
once uttered, tliro’ inadvertence, as he
was reading this paflage, fee chap. 22. p. 279.
not. c.
1 Idem. Jallalo’ddin. 3 ^ / B b i d a w i . §. I. pag. 17, öfft
male1? This, therefore, is an unjuft partition. They are no other than
empty names, which ye and your fathers have named goddeffes. G od hath not
revealed concerning them any thing to authorize their worfhip. They follow
no other than a vain opinion, and what their fouls defire: yet hath the true
dire&ion come unto them from their L ord. Shall man have whatever he
wifheth for *> ? The life to come, and the prefent life are Gods: and how
many angels foever there he in the heavens, their interceffion fhall be of
no avail, until after G od fhall have granted permifiion unto whom he fhall
pleafe and fhall accept. Verily they who believe not in the life to come
give unto the angels a female appellation. But they have no knowledge
herein: they follow no other than a bare opinion ■, and a bare opinion attained
not any thing of truth. Wherefore withdraw from him who turne
d away from our admonition, and feeketh only the prefent life. This is
their higheft pitch of knowledge. Verily thy L ord well knowerh him who
erreth from his way ; and he well knoweth him who is rightly directed.
Unto G od helongeth whatever is in heaven and earth: that he may reward
thofe who do evil, according to that which they fhall have wrought; and
may reward thofe who do well, with the moft excellent reward. As to
thofe who avoid great crimes, and hainous fins, and are guilty only of lighter
faults ; verily thy L ord will he. extenfive in mercy towards them. He well
knew you when he produced you out of the earth, and when ye were
embryo’s in your mothers wombs: wherefore juftify not your felves: he
beft knoweth the man who feareth him. What thinkeft thou of him who
turned afide from following the truth, and giveth little, and covetoufly flopped
his hand'? Is the knowledge of futurity with him, fo that he feed
the famei ? Hath he not been informed of that which is contained in the
books of M oses, and of A braham who faithfully performed his engagements
? To wit: that a burdened foul fhall not bear the burthen of another
; and that nothing fhall be imputed to a man for righteoufnefs, except
his own labour ; and dat his labour fhall furely be made manifeft hereafter,
and that he fhall be rewarded for the fame with a moft abundant reward;
and that unto thy L ord will be the end of all things ; and that he caufeth
Ii i 2 to
a See chap. 16. p. 218, &c.
b Shall man have whatever he wifheth for ?]
i. e. Shall he diftate to G od, and name whom
he pleafes for his interceflors, or for his prophet;
or fhall he chufe a religion according to his own
fancy, and prefcribe the terms on which he may
claim the reward of this life and the next1 ?
c What thinkeft thou of him, &c.] This paflage,
it is faid, was revealed on account of al Waltd
Ebn al Mogheira, who following the prophet one
day, was reviled by an idolater for leaving the
religion of the Koreijh, and giving occafion of
fcandal; to which he anfwercd, that what he
did was out of apprehenfion of the divine
vengeance: whereupon the man offered, for a
certain fum, to take the guilt of his apollacy on
himfelf j and the bargain being made, al W alii
returned to his idolatry, and paid the man part
of what had been agreed on, but afterwards, on
farther confideration, he thought it too muclv
and kept back the remainder *.
d Is the knowledge of futurity with him.?] That
is, Ps he aflured that the perfon with whom he
made the abovemen tioned agreement, will be
allowed to fuffer in his Head hereafter 3 ?
* A lBeidawi, Jallalo’ddïn. * j47Beidawi. 3 Idem.-