nefs unto the unbelievers. Let me, alone, with him whom 1 have created %
I t j n I have bellowed .abundant riches^, .and,' children dwelling in his
prefence •>,' and ‘for whom I have djrpofed 1 ajf&rs 'in £ fmooth and eafy manner',
and who defireth that I will yet add other Ueffings. unto ;bm. By no
means: becaufe he is' an adverfary to our figns ». I will afflifl him with grievous
calamities': for he hath Tlevifed and prepared contumelious efpreffions to
ridicule (be KoAM,. Tfiis! Jie'ipe cijrfqdi: how malicioujly hath he prepared
fanie ! ' And again, !'may'.he be qurfed : how malicioujly hath he prepared tjbe.
fame ! Thai he looked, and frowned, and put on an^ auftere countenance:
then he turned back, and was elated with pride j and he faid, This is no othei
than a piece of magic, borrowed from others 1 thefc are only the words of a
man. I will caft him to be burned in hell. And what fhall make thee to underhand
what hell is? It leaveth not any thing unconfumed, neither doth it
iuffer any thing to efcape : it fcofcheth mens flefh : over the fame are nineteen
angels appointed. We have appointed none but ar.gels to; prefule over hell
fire f’: and we have exprefied the number of them only for an. occafion of
difcord to the unbelievers 8; that they to whom the fcriptures have been given,
may be c#rtain of the veracity of this hook “, and the true believers may encreafe
in faith •, and that thofe to whom the fcriptures have been given, and the
true believers may not doubt hereafter ; and that thofe in whofe hearts there
i s an infirmity, and the.unbelievers may fay,. What my.ftery doth G od intend
by this number? .Thus doth G,ot> caufe to .err .whom he pleafeth;
and he direð whom he pleafeth. None knoweth the armies of thy L ojcd 1,
befides him 1 and thisk is no other than a memento unto- mankind. Afiured-
• I • ■ I - ....I . . . I I ]y,
a Jjpt me alone- with' biift.wb'om 1-fi.ap.e created,-
Sec. ] The per fori' here mkant is;generall/ fup-
pofed to have been al Walid Ebn al Mogheira I,
a principal man,among th^.Koreifh. , .
6 And children ' dwelling' in pis' prefence; J
Being well provided for, and not obliged to go
abroad to feek their livings, ?s moft others of
the Meccans were z.
c Andifor whom I have difpofed things in ah
eafy manner',] By facilitating his advancement
to power and dignity » which were fo confider-
able that he' was fur named Ribana Koreifb, or
<The fweet odour of tbe Koreifh, and al Wahidt
i. e. Tbe only oney \ or The incomparable 3.
d By no means, See. ] On the revelation of
this palTage it is faid thitWalid's profperity began
to decay, and continued daily fo to do to
the time of his death 4.
e I w ill afflitt him with grievous calamities
Or, as the words may be ftriftly rendred, I
w ill drive him up the crag of a mountain', which
fome underftarid of a mountain of fire, agreeably
to a tradition of their prophet, importing,
that al Vffalid will be. condem.ned to afeend this
mo'untain,'and' then 'to be caft'down from thence,
alternately for ever; and that he will be feventy
years in climbipg up, and as many in .falling
down
f We have appointed none but angels to prefide
over bell fire ; j The reafon of which is. faid to
be, that they might be of a different nature and
fpecies from thdfe who are to be tormented,
left they Ihould have a fellow feeling of, and
compaflionate their fufferings ; or elfe, becaufe of
their great ftrength, and feverity of temper '6.
® For an occafion of. difcord to the unbelievers ;]
Or, For a trial of them: becaufe they might
fay this was a particular borrowed by Mohammed
of the ’Jews'.
r - h They to whom the fcriptures have been given i]
And efpecially the Jews ; this being, conformable
to what is contained in their books 7.
* The armies of thy Lord f\ i. e. All his creatures,;
or particularly the number and ftrength
of the guards of; hell.
k Tbit/; ] The antecedentieecns to be hell.
■ Al Be id aw i. v3 Idem. 4 Idem. * Idem.
ly. By the moon, and the night when it retreateth, and the morning when
it reddeneth, I fw e a r that this is one of the moft terrible calamities, giving
warning unto men, as well unto him among you who defireth to go forward,
as unto h im w h o xhoofeth to remain behind. Every foul is given in pledge for
that which.it fhall have wrought3: except the companions of the right
hand b ; w h o f h a l l dw e ll in gardens, and fhall afk one another queftions concerning
the wicked, an d f h a l l alfo afk th e w ic k ed th em fe lv e s , fa y in g , What
hath brought you into hell ? They fhall anfwer, We were not of thofe who
were conftant at prayer, neither did we feed the poor; and we waded in vain
difputes, with the fallacious reafoners; and we denied the day of judgment,
until death c overtook us: and the interceflion of the interceders fhall not
avail them. What aileth them, therefore, that they turn afide from the
admonition o f th e K o r a n , as though they w e r e timorous afiës flying from a
lion ? But every man among them defireth that he may have expanded fcrolls
delivered to him f r om G od d. By no means. They fear not the life to come.
By no means: verily this is a fu f fic ie n t warning. Whofo is willing to he
w a rn ed , him fhall it warn: but they fhall not be warned, unlefs God fhall
pleafe. He is worthy to be feared ; and he is inclined to forgivenefs.
a See chap. 52. p. 424.
b Except the companions of the right hand; ]
i. e. The bleffed 1 ; who •fhall redeem themfelves
by their good works. Some fay thefe are
the angels; and others, fuch as die infants *.
Q Death,] Literally, That which is certain.
d That he may have expanded fcrolls delivered
to him from G od ; ] For the infidels told Mohammed
that they would never obey him as 2
prophet, till he brought each man a writing
from heaven, to this effect, viz. From G od
to fuch a one: Follow Mohammed 3.
See chap. 56../. 434. not. b. * A l Beidawi. 3 Idem.
• C H A P . LXXV.
In ti tied) The Refurre&ion; revealed at Mecca.
In the name of the moft merciful God.
VE R IL Y I fwear * by the day of refurredtion ; and I fwear by the foul
which accufeth itfelf b: doth man chink that we will not gather his
bones together ? Yea : we are able to put together the fmalleft bones of his
P p p fingers.
a 7fwear', ] Or, I w ill not fwear. See chap, thers, at the laft day, for having been remifs in
56* P- 43 6.-not. f. their devotions, &c. Some underftand the
b The foul which accufeth itfelf; ] Being con- words of the foul of Adam, in particular; who
{clous of having offended, and of failing of is continually blaming himfelf for having loft
perfection, notwithftanding its endeavours to do paradife by his difofcedience x.
its duty : or, the pious foul which Jball blame 0-
11 Idem.