drinketh. Thi^ fhall be their entertainment on the day of judgment. We
have created you: will ye not therefore-believe that we can raife you from
the dead? What think ye? The feed which ye emit, do ye create the
fame on are we the creators thereof? We have decreed death unto you
i l l - and*we fhall not .be prevented. We are able to fubftitute others like
unto vou in your Jtead, and to produce you again in the condition or form
which ye know not. Ye know the original production by creation ; will ye
not therefore coitfider that we are able to reproduce you by refufcHation ?
What think ye ? The grain which ye fow, do ye caufe the fame to fprmg
forth or do we caufe it to fpring forth ? If we pleafed, verily We could
render the fame dry and fruitlefs, fo that ye would not ceafe to wonder“,
fa-iino Verily we have contrafted debts" for feed and labour-, but we are not
permitted ‘ to reap the f ru it thereof. What think ye ? The water which ye
Arink do ve fend down Ehe fame from the clouds, or are we the fenders thereof.?
If we’ pleafed we could render the fame brackifh: Will ye not therefore
tive thanks? What think ye ? The fire which ye ftrike, do ye produce
the tree whence ye obtain the fame1, or are we the producers thereof ?
We have ordained the fame for an admonition', and an advantage unto
rhofe who travel through the defarts. Wherefore praife the name of thy
L ord the great God. Moreover I fwearf by the fettmg of the ftars s
1 1 1 1 1 finely a great oath, if ye knew it ;) that this 8 the excellent K oran,
the original whereof is written in the preferved book: none lhall touch the
fame except thofe who are clean*. I t is a revelation from the L ord of all
creatures Will ye, therefore, defpife this new revelation ? And do ye make
this return for your food which ye receive from God, that ye deny yourfelves
to be oblized to him for the fame"? When the foul of a dytngferfoncometh
un to his throat, and ye at the fame time are looking on ; (andwe are mgher
unto him than ye, but ye fee not his true condition:) would ye not, if ye are
» To wonders] Or to repent of your time and
labour bellowed to little purpofe, &c.
b ff/e have contracted debts, &c.] Or, We are
unC We are not permitted, &c.J Or, We are unfortunate
wretches, who are denied the necefla-
ries of life- .
d See chap. 36. p. 365. not. t. . , .
e Ah admonition;] To put men in mind of
the refurre&ion 1 ; which the production ot
fire in fome fort refembles : or, of the fire ot
H 1 ., , . ■ 1 f I/wear;]. The particle /a is generally fup-
pofed to be intenfive in this place; but if it be
taken for a negative,, the words mufi be tran-
fiated, Tw ill not or do not fwear,. becaufe what
is here aflerted is too manifeft to need’ the confirmation
of an oath 3.
* None fhall touch the fame, except thofe who
are clean j ] Or, Let none touch the fame, Sec.
Purity both of body and mind being requilite in
him who would ufe this book with the refpeft
he ought, and hope» to edify by i t : for. which
reafon thefe words are ufually written, on the
cover4. '
h That ye deny yourfelves to be obliged to him
for the fame;] By aferibing the rains, which fertilize
your lands, to the influence of the
liars *.
Some copies inftead of nizkacom, i. e. your
food, read Jhocracorn, i- e. your gratitude; and
then the paflage may be rendered thus, And do
ye make this return of gratitude, for G od’s revealing
the Koran, that ye rejeSt the fame as a
f fiion ?
■- See chap- }6. p. j6 y. * el! Bb iu awi .
J)ip. $. I I I . p. 6 9. ' See lb. J. bM 3.1 > 3 2,
3 Idem* 4 See the Prelim*
not to be rewarded for your actions hereafter, caufe the fame to return into
the body, if ye fpeak trutha ? And whether he be of thofe who fhall
approach near unto God b, his reward fhall be reft, and mercy, and a garden
of delights: or whether he be of the companions of the right hand, he
thall be faluted with the falutation, Peace be unto thee ! by the companions
of the right hand his brethren : or whether he be of thofe who have rejected
the true faith, and gone affray, his entertainment lhall conftft of boiling water,
and the burning of hell fire. Verily this is a certain truth. Wherefore
praife the name of thy L ord, the great God.
* When the foul of a dying perfon cometh up to to his body; for ye may as ealily do that, as
bit throat, &c. ] The meaning of this obfeure avoid the general judgment ■ .
paflage is, I f ye lhall not be obliged to give an b O f thofe who/hallapproach near unto G od ;}
account of your adlions at the laft day, as by your That is, of the leaders, or firft profeflors of the
denying the refurreClion ye feem to believe, faith,
caufe the foul of the dying perfon to return in-
1 J: A L L AL. # B e 1DAWI .
CHA P . LVII.
Intitled, Iron*; revealed at M e c c a , or a f M e d i n a 6.
In the name of the moft merciful G od .
WHatever is in heaven and earth fingeth praife unto G od ; and fie is
mio-hty andvnle. His is the kingdom of heaven and earth; hegiv-
eth life, and he putteth to death ; and he is almighty. He «the firft, and the
laft; the manifeft, and the hidden : and he knoweth all things. I t is he who created
the heavens and the earth in fix days ; and then afeended his throne. He
knoweth that which entreth into the earth, and that which iffueth out of the
fame; and that which defeendeth from heaven, and that which afeendeth
thereto: and he is with you, wherefoever ye be : for G od feeth that which ye
do. His is the kingdom of heaven and earth ; and unto G od-fhall all things
return. He caufeth the night to fucceed the day, and he caufeth the day to
fucceed the night ; and he knoweth the innermoft part of men's, breafts. Believe
in' G od and his apoftle, and lay out in alms a part of the wealth whereof
God hath made you inheritors: for unto fuch of you as believe, and beftow
alms, fhall be given a great reward. And what aileth you, that ye believe
not in G od, when the apoftle inviteth you to believe in your L ords and he
hath received your covenant ■’ ‘concerning this matter, if ye believe any propofition
I
- The word occurs toward the end of the
chapter.
b It is uncertain which of the two places
was the feene of revelation of this chapter.
c He hath received your covenant ;] That is,-.
Ye are obliged to believe in hin&by the ftrong.-
eft arguments and motives.