474. SU K.UJXS11V. ^HAP. 75,
fingers But man choofeth to be wicked, f o r th e time which- is before him.
He aflceth, When w i l l the day of refurreftion be ? But when, the fight Ihall
be dazzled, and the moon Ihall be eclipfed, and the fun and the moon ihall
be in coniundion *s on that day man ihall fay, Where 1 a place of refuge I
By no means: th e r e f l a i l be no place to fly unto. With thy L o r d f l a i l be
the fure manfion of reft on that day: on that day ihall a man be told that which
he hath done firft and laft *>• t e a ; a man f l a i l be an evidence againft himfelf: and
though he offer his excufes, they f l a i l not be r e c eiv ed . Move not thy tongue,
O M o h a m m e d , in repeating the revelations brought thee by G a b r i e l , before be
Shall have finifled the fame, that thou mayeft quickly committhem tomemory : for
the collecting the K o r a n in thy mind,and the teaching thee the true reading thereof
are incumbent on us. But when we ihall have read the fame unto thee by the
tongue of the angel, do thou follow the reading thereof: and afterwards it
Shall be our part to explain it unto thee. By no means flalt thou be thus hafty
for the future. But ye love that which hafteneth away c, and negleft the life
to come. Some countenances, on that day, flail be bright, looking towards
their L o r d and fame countenances, on that day, flall be difmal: they ihall.
think that a cruihing calamity ihall be brought upon them. Affuredly. When
„ man's foul ihall come up to his throat, in his laft agony ; and theftanders-by ihall
fay Who bringeth a charm to recover him? and ihall think it to be his
departure out of this world; and one leg ihall be joined with the other leg 4:
en that day unto thy L ord ihall he be driven. For he believed not', neither
did he pray; but he accufed G od' s apoftte of impofture, and turned back front
obeying him: then he departed unto his family, walking with a haughty
mien. Wherefore, wo be unto thee ; wo 1 And again, Wo be unto- thee s wo !
Doth man think that he ihall be left at full liberty, without controul ?' Was
he not a drop of feed, which was emitted ? Afterwards he became a little-
eoagulated blood s and G od formed him-, and faihioned him with juft proportion
: and made of him two fexes, the male and the female. Is not he
who hath done this able to quicken the dead ?.
» And the fun and the moon p a ll he in conficnc- intimate die natural haftmefs and impatience of
Rifmg both in the weft1 : which con- man M who takes up with a prefent enjoy-
iunftion is no contradiftion to what is mention- ment, though Ihort, and bitter in its confe-
id juft before, of the moon's being eclipfed; quences, rather than to wait fonreal happinefs m
becaufe thofe words are not to be underftood of futurity.
a regular eclipfei but metaphorically, of the d And one leg p a ll he Joined with the other leg jj
moon’s lofing her light, at the laft day, in a i. e. And when he (hall ftretch forth his-legs to-
oreternatural manner. Some think the mean- gether; as is ufual with dying perfons. The.
ina rather to be, that the fun and the moon fliall words may alfo be tranflated, And~when one af-
ht ioined in, the lois of their light1 . fiiliion p a ll he joined with another affiiBion.
i n a t which be hath done firft and H l | Or | He believed not\ \ Or, He did not give alms } .
the good which he hath done, and that which or, He was not a man o f veracity. Somefuppofe
he hath left undone, (Ac- Abu Jahl, and others one Adi Ebn Rabiayto
c ye \me tt,at which hafteneth away;] i. e. be particularly inveighed againft.in this chapter.
The fleeting pleafures of this life. The words
t See the Prelim. Dip. p. 79, * At Beidawi. 3 Seechap. iy .p . aaS.
C hap. 76. A l K O R A N . $ 7 5
CHAP . LXXVI.
Intitled, Man; revealed at Mecca’.
In the name of the moft merciful G o v>:
DI D there not pafs over man a long fpace of time ; during which he was
a thing not worthy of remembrance b ? Verily we have created man
of the mingled feed of both fexes, that we might prove him : and we have
made him to hear and to lee c. We have furely directed nim in the way ;
whether he be grateful, or ungrateful. Verily we have prepared for the unbelievers
chains, and collars, and burning fire. B u t the juft Ihall drink of a
cup of wine, mixed, with the water of C a f u r 4, a fountain whereof the fer-
vants of G od Ihall drink; they Ihall convey the fame by channels ivhilhcr-
foever they pleafe. Thefe fulfil their vow, and dread the day, the evil whereof
will difperfe itfelf far abroad; and give food unto the poor, and the orphan,
and the bondman, for his fake, faying, We feed you for G o d ’ s fake
only : we defire no recompenfe from you, nor any thanks: verily we dread,
from our L o r d , a difmal and calamitous daye. Wherefore G od Ihall
deliver them from the evil of that day, and Ihall caft on them brightnefs of
countenance, and joy ; and ihall reward them, for their patient perfevering,,
with a garden, and filk 'garments: therein fliall they repofe themfelves on
p p p 2 couches sa
It is fomewhat doubtful, whether this
chapter was revealed at Mecca, or at Medina.
b Did there not pafs over man a long fpace of
time, See. ] Some take thefe words to be fpoken
of Adam, whofe body, according to the Mohammedan
tradition, was at firft a figure of clay,
and was left forty years to dry, before G od
breathed life into i t 1 : Others underftand them
of man in general, and of the time he lies in
the womb.
c We have made him to hear and to fee} ] That
he might be capable of receiving the rules and
directions given by G od for his guidance % \
arid of meriting reward or puniftiment for his
obfervance or negleCt of them.
d Cafur ] Is the name of a fountain in pa-
radife, fo called from its refembling camphire
(which the word fignifies) in odour,and whitenefs.
Some take the word for an appellative, and think
the wine of paradife will be mixed with camphire,
becaufe of its agreeable coolnefs and fmell3.
* See the notes to chap, 2. p. 4.
e Wefefulfil their vow, &c.] Iris related that
Hafan and Hofein, Mohammed's grandchildren,
on a certain time being both fick, the prophet;
among others, vifitedthemj and they wi/hed Ale
to make fome vow to G od for the recovery o f
his fohs: whereupon A liy and Fdterna, and
Fidia, their maid-fervant, vowed a fall: of three-
days in cafe they did well; as it happened they
did. This vow was performed with fp great
ftri&nefs, that the firft day, having no proviii-
ons in the houfe, A lt was obliged to borrow
three meafures of barley of one Simeon, a Jew
of Khaibar; one meafure of which Fatema
ground the fame day, and baked five cakes of
the meal; and they, were fet before them, to
break their fall with, after fun fet: but a poor
man coming to them, they gave all their bread
to him, and palled the night without tailing any
thing, except water. The next day, Fdterna
made another meafure into bread, for the fame
purpofe; but an orphan begging fome food,
they
% A l Be id a w 1. s Idem