to laugh, and caufeth to weep; and that he putteth to death, and giveth
life •, and that he createth the two fexes, the male and the female,' of
feed when it is emitted; and that unto him apperJaineth another production*,
namely, the raiftng of the dead again to life Jrfreafter ; and that he inricheth,
and caufeth to acquire poffeffions ; and that he is the L o r d of the dog-ftar1 ;
and that he deftroyed the ancient tribe of A d , and T h am u d , and left not
my of them alive; and alfo the people of N o a h , before them ; for they
were moft unjuft and wicked : and he overthrew the cities ’which'were turned
upfide downb; and that which covered them, covered them. Which,
therefore, of thy L ord’ s benefits, O man, wilt thou call in queftioft ? This
our apt)file is a preacher like the preachers who preceded him. The approaching
day of judgment draweth near: there is none who can reveal the ex
(kt time of the fame, befides G o d . Do ye, therefore, wonder at this new
revelation ; and do ye laugh, and not weep, fpending your time in idle
diverHons ? But rather worlhip G od, and ferve him.
a Be is the L oud of the dog-ftar \\ Sirius, or b The cities which were turned upfide down 5]
the greater dog-ftar, was worlhipped by fome of Viz. Sodom, and the other cities involved in her
the old Arabs1. ™in. See chap. u . p. 184.
1 See the Prelim. Difc. §. 1./. 17. and Hy d . not. in XJlug Beig, Tab. Stel/.fix. p. 53.
C H A P . LIV.
In filled, The Moon; revealed at Mecca.
In the name of the moft merciful G o d .
TH E hour of judgment approacheth ; and the moon hath been fplitin
funder*: but if the unbelievers fee a fign, they turn afide, faying,
This is a powerful charmb. And they accufe thee, O M o h am m ed , of impofture,
and follow their own lufts: but every thing will he immutably
fixed.
* The moon hath been fplit in funder.] This paf-
fage is expounded two different ways. Some imagine
the words refer to a famous miracle fup-
pofed to have been performed by Mohammed:
.for it is faid that, on the infidels demanding a
fign o f him, the moon appeared cloven in two \
one part vanifhing, and the other remaining ;
and Ebn Mafud affirmed that he faw mount
Hard interpofe between the two fe&ions. O-
thers thinlc the preter tenfe is here ufed, in the
prophetic ftile, for the future, and that the paffage
Ihould be rendred, The moon fhall be fplit
in funder: for this, they fay, is to happen at the
refurredtion. The former opinion is fiipport-
ed by reading, according to lome copies,
wakad infhakka Hkamaro, i. e. fince the moon hath
already been fplit in funder ,• the fplitting of the
moon being reckoned by fome to be one of the
previous figns of the laft day *.
b A powerful charm j] Or, as the participle
here ufed may alfo fignify, a continued feries of
magict or, a tranfient magic illpfion.
fixed . And now hath a mefiage b come unto them, wherein is a determent
from obftinate infidelity, the fame being confummate wifdom: but war-
ners profit them not ; wherefore do thou withdraw from them. The day
whereon the fummoner fhall fummon mankind to an ungrateful bufinefs*, they
frail come forth from their graves with down-caft looks : numerous as locufts
fcattered far abroad ; haftening with terror unto the fummoner. The unbelievers
fhall fay,. This is a day of diftrefs.. The people of N oah accufed
that ^prophet of impofture, before thy people repealed thee: they accufed our
fervant of impofture, faying, He is a madman; and he was^ rejected with
reproach. He .called, therefore, upon his L ord, faying, Verily I ^ o v e r powered
*, wherefore avenge me d. So we opened the gates of heaven, with;
water pouring down, and we caufed the earth to break forth into fprings ;
fo that the water of heaven and earth met, according to the decree which
had been eftabldhed. And we bare him on a vefifel compofed of planks
and nails; which moved forward under our eyes*: as a recompenfe unto
him who had been ungratefully rejected. And we left the faid veffel for a
fign: but is any one warned thereby ? And how fevere was my vengeance,
and my threatening ! Now have we made the K oran eafy for admonition:
but 'is any one admoniftied thereby ? A d charged their prophet with im-
pofture: but how fevere was my vengeance, and my threatening ! Verily
we fent againft them a roaring f wind, on a day of continued ill-luck8 :
it carried men away, as though they had been roots of palm trees forcibly
tom uph. And how fevere was my vengeance, and my threatening! Now
have we made the K oran .eafy for admonition: but is any one admoniftied
thereby ? T hamud charged the admonitions of their prophet with falfe-
hood, and faid, Shall we follow a Tingle man among us ? verily we fhould
then be guilty of error, and prepofterous madnefs: is the office of admonition
committed unto him preferably to the reft of us.? Nay; he is a liar,
and an infolent fellow. But G od faid to Sa l e h , To morrow lhall they
know who is the liar, and the infolent perfon : for we will furely fend
the
a Every thing w ill be immutably fixed;] Or
will reach a final period of ruin or fuccefs in this
world, and of mifery or happinefs in the next,
which will be conclufive and unchangeable
thenceforward for ever 1.
b A mefiage:] i. e. The Koran, containing
ftories of former nations which have been cha-
ftifed for their incredulity, and threats of a more
dreadful punifhment hereafter.
c The day whereon the fummoner fhall fummon
?nankind to an ungrateful bufinefs j] That is, When
the angel Ijrafil fhall call men to judgment.
d lam overpowered; wherefore avenge mel\ This
petition was not preferred by Noah till after he
had fuftered repeated violence from his people :
for it is related, that one of them having fallen upon
him and almoftftrangled him, when he came,
to himfelf he faid, O L ord forgive them, for
they know not what they do 2.
e Under our eyes',] i.e. Under our fpecial regard
and keeping.
f A roaring,] Or, a cold wind.
% On a day of continued ill-luck;] Viz. On a
Wednefday. See chap. 41. p.390. not. d.^
h It carried men away, as they had been roots
of palm-trees, &c.]; It is related that they fought
Shelter in the clefts of rocks, and in pits, holding
faft by one another ; but that the wind im-
petuoufly tore them away, and threw them
down dead 3.
1 AlBrEIDAWI. * Idem. 3 Idem.