468 A l K O R A N . C hap,,72:
ble difcourfe •, which direð unto the right inftitution : wherefore we believe
therein, and we will by no means affociate any -other vvich our L ord. He
(may the majefty of our L ord be exalted!) hath taken no wife, nor hath
he begotten any iffue. Yet the foolilh among us 3 hath fpoken that which is
extreamly falfe of G od: but we verily thought that neither man nor genius
would by any means have uttered a lie concerning Goo. And there are certain
men who fly for refuge unto certain of the geniib 5 but they increafe
their folly and tranfgreffion : and they alfo thought, as ye thought3, that
G od would not raife any one to life. And we formerly attempted to pry into
what yeas tranfading in heaven ■, but we found the fame filled with a ftrong
o-uard of angels, and with flaming darts: and we fat on fome of the feats thereof to
hear the difcourfe of its'inhabitants; but whoever liftenethnow, findeth a flame
laid in ambufh for him, to guard the celejlial confines K And we know not whether
evil be hereby intended againft thofewho are-in the earth, or whether their
L ord intendeth to diredt them aright. There are fome among us who are
upright-, and there are fome among us who are otherwife: we are of different
ways. And we verily thought that we could by no means fruftrate G od
irFthe earth, neither could we efcape him by flight: wherefore, when we had,
heard the direction contained in the Koran, we believed therein. And whoever
believeth in his L ord, need not fear any diminution of ,his-reward, nor
any injuftice. There are fome Moflems among us 5 and there are others. o f us
who fwerve from righteoufnefs.V And whofo embraceth Islam, they ear-
neftly feek true direction : but thofe who fwerve from righteoufnefs, fhall be
fewel for hell. If they tread in the way of truth, we will furely water them
with abundant rainf ; that we may prove them thereby: but whofo turneth
afide from the admonition of his L ord, him will he fend into a lpvere torment'.
Verily the places of worfhip are fet apart Unto G od : wherefore invoke not
any other therein together with God. When the fervant of God 8 ftood up
to invoke him, it wanted little but that the genii had prefled on him in
crouds, Jo hear him rehearfe the Koran. Say, Verily' I call upon my L ord
only, and l affociate no other god with him.- Say, Verily I am not able, of
myfelf, to procure you either hurt, or a right inftitution. Say, Verily none
can proteft me againft God ; neither fhall I find any refuge befides him. I
* ' ■ ' can
k The fmtijb among usi J Viz. Eblis, or the
rebellious genii.
b \There are certain men who fly for refuge unto
certain of the genii; ] For the Arabs, when
they found themfelves in a defartjn the evening,
( the genii being fuppofed to haunt fuch
places about that time ) ufed to fay, I fly for
refuge unto the Lord of this valley, that he
may defend me from the foolijh among his
people1 • . .
c They alfo thought, as ye thought, See. } It is
uncertain which of thefe pronouns is to be. referred
to mankind, and which to the genii : fome
expolitors taking that of the third perfon to relate
to the former, andthat'of the fecond perfon, to the
latter; and others being of the contrary opinion.
I; ;d See chap. 15.; p. 2.11,
e See the 'Prelim. Difc. §. IV. p; 72, 65V.
f We w ill water them with abundant rain ; J
i'.. e. We will grant them plenty of all good
things. Some think by thefe words rain is pro*
mifed to the Meccans, after their feven years,
drought, on their embracing Iflam.
s The fervant of God ; \ viz. Mohammed.
1 A lB e id aw i ..
C hap. 73. A l K O R A N . 4 6 9
can do no more than publifh what hath been revealed unto me from God,
and his meffages. And whofoever fhall be difobedient unto God and his
apoftle, for him is thé fire of hell prepared-, they fhall remain therein for
ever. Until they fee the vengeance with which they are threatened, they will
not ceafe their oppofitiori: but then fhall they know who were the weaker in a
proteftor, and the fewer* in number. Say, I know not whether the punifh-
ment with which ye are threatned £<? nigh, or whether my L ord will appoint
for It a diftant term. He knoweth the fecrets of futurity j and he doth not
communicate his fecrets unto any, except an apoftle in whom he is well
pleafed : and he caufeth a guard of angels to march before him, and behind
him -, that he may know that they have executed the commiflions of their
L o r d 3: he comprehendeth whatever is with them and counteth all things
by number.
.a That he may know that they have executed velation, have communicated it to him pure
the commiflions of their Lo rd ; ] That is to fay, and free from any diabolical fuggeftions; or that
Either that the prophet may know that Gabriel God may know that the prophet has publilhed.
and the other angels, who bring down the re- the fame to mankind .
1 Idem .
CHA P . LXXIII.
Intitled, The Wrapped up; revealed at M e c c a 5.
In the name of the mod merciful G o d .
OThou wrapped upb, arife to prayi
except a fmall partc ; that is t
a Some will have the laft verfe, beginning
at thefe words, Verily thy Lord knoweth, &c.
to have been revealed at Medina.
b O thou wrapped up’, ] When this revelation
was brought to Mohammed, he was wrapped up
in his garments, being affrighted at the appearance
of Gabrieli or, as'fome fay, he lay fleep-
and continue therein during the night,
fay, during one half thereof: or do-
ing unconcernedly, .or, according to others,
praying, wrapped up in one part of a large
mantle, or rug, with the other part of which
Ayejha had covered herfelf to fleep 1.
This epithet of wrapped up, and, another of
the fame import given to Mohammed in the next
chapter, have been imagined, by feveral learn*
1 A l Z amakh. A l Beidawi. ‘ 2 Hotting
p. 763. V. G aCnier. not. ad A bulf. vit. Mob.
p. i 6. and the authors there cited. 4 See O ckley
* A l Beidaw*,
thoued
men 2, pretty plainly, to intimate his being
fubjedt to the falling ficknefs ^ a malady generally
attributed to him by the Chriflians =
but mentioned 'by no Mohammedan writer.
Though fuch an inference may be made, yet I
think it fcarce probable, much lefs neceffaiy
c Except a final/ part; ] F or a half is fuch,
with refpeft to the whole. Or, as the fen fence
may be rendred, Pray half the night, within a
fmall matter, &c- Some expound thefe words
as an exception to nights in general; according,
to whom the fenfe will be, Spend one
half of every night in prayer,- except fome few
nights in the year,. See. s
. Hiß. Orient: If 1. c. 2. Marracq. in Ale.
P* 9* . 3 See Prideaux, Life of Mah.
’s Hiß. of the SaracensyrVol. 1. p. 300,' &c,