on that day, Jhall there £<?duft-, datknefs fhall cover them. Thefe are the unbelievers,
the wicked.
CHA P . LXXXI.
Intitled, The Folding up; revealed, at M e c c a .
In the name of the moft merciful G od.
WH E N the fun fhall be folded up *; and when the ftars fhall fall 5 and
when the mountains fhall be made to pafs away 5 and when the camels
ten months gone with young fhall be neglefted 1 and when the wild beafts (hall be
gathered togetherc s and when the feas fhall boil “ s and'when the fouls fhall be
joined awn to their bodies; and when the girl who hath been buried alive fhall
be afked for what crime fhe was put to death|; and when the books fhall be laid
open ; and when the heaven fhall be removed 15 and when hell fhall burn fiercely
and when paradife fhall be brought near: every foul fhall know what it
hath wrought. Verily I fwear* by the ftars which are retrograde, which move
fwiftlv, and which hide themfelvesh; and by the night, when it cometh on; and
bv the morning, when itappeareth; that thefe are the words of an honourable
meffenger1, endued with ftrength, of eftablifhed dignity in the fight of the pof-
feffor of the throne, obeyed by the angels under his authority, and faithful: and
vour companion M o h a m m e d is not diftrafted. He had already feen him in
the clear horizon k : and he fufpe&ed not1 the fecrets revealed unto him. Neither
* W h in th e f u n f h a l l b e fo ld ed u p ;] As a garment
that is to be laid by.
b See the Prelim. Difc. A IV. p. 82.
f See ibid. p. 83, and 86.
JSee ibid. p. 82.
»<Ihe damfil who hath hern buried alive;} f or it
was cuftomary among the ancient Arabs to bury
their daughters alive, as foon as they were born ;
for fear theyihould beimpoverifhed by providing
for them, or ihould fuffer difgrace on their account.
See chap. 16. p. 218. __ . ,
< W h en th e heaven p a l l be removed ,J Or plucK-
ed away from its place, as th e sk in is piteiked o f f
from a camel which is flaying; for that is the
proper fignification of the verb here ufed. M a r -
r a c c i fancies the paffage alludes to that in the
Plaltns1, where, according to the verfions of the
Septuagint and the V u lg a te , G od is faid to have
Jlretched out the heaven like a skin.
g I fwear;] Or, I wilt not fwear9 &c. See
chap. 56. p. 436. not. f.
h By the ftars which are retrograde,. &c.] Some
underftand hereby the ftars in general, but the
more exadt commentators, five of the planets, viz.
the two which accompany the fun, and the
three fuperior planets; which have both a retrograde
and a dirett motion, and hide themfelves
in the rays of the fun, or when they fet.
1 An honourable mejfenger»] i. e. Gabriel.
k See chap. 53. p. 426.
1 He fufpetted not;] Some copies, by a change ’
of one letter only,, inftead of dhaninin, read
dantnin j and then the words Ihould be rendered
He is not tenacious of, or grudges not to communicate
to you, the fecret revelations which he hat
received.
* Pfalm civ. 2.
ther are thefe the words of an accurfed devil *. Whither, therefore, are ye
going ? This is no other than an admonition unto all creatures s unto him a-
mong you who fhall be willing to walk uprightly : but ye fhall not will, Holers
G od willeth, the L ord of all creatures.
* Neither are thefe the words- of an accurfed de*
vil,] Who has overheard, by ftealth, the dif-
courfe of the angels. The verfe is an anfwer
to a calumny of the infidels, who faid the Koran
was only a piece of divination, or magic: for
the Arabs fuppofe the foothfayer, or magician,
receives his intelligence from thofe evil fpirits,,
who are continually liftening to learn what they
can from the inhabitants of heaven.
CHAP. LXXXII.
Intitled, The Cleaving in funder; revealed at M e cc a.
In the name o f the moft merciful G od.
WHEN the heaven fhall be cloven in funder; and when the ftars fhall be
feattered and when the feas fhall be fuffered to join their waters; and
when the graves fhall be turned upfide down : every foul fhall know what it
hath committed, and what it hath omitted. O man, what hath feduced thee
againft thy gracious L o r d , who hath created thee, and put thee together, and
rightly difpofed thee ? In what form he pleafed hath he fafhioned thee. Af-
furedly. But ye deny the laft judgment as a falfhood. Verily there are appoint-
ed over you guardian angels % honourable in the fight of G od, writing dowa
your- atlions •, who know that which ye do. The juft fhall furely he in a place
of delight: but the wicked Jhall furely he in hell; they fhall be call therein to
be burned, on the diy of judgment, and they Jhall not he abfent therefrom
for ever. What fhall caufe thee to underftand what the day of judgment is ?
Again, What fhall caufe thee to underftand what the day of judgment is ?
It is a day whereon one foul fhall not be able to obtain any thing in behalf of
another foul: and the command, on that day, Jhall be G o d ’ s.
* See chap. 5 a p. 420, and the Preliminary Difc. §. iv. p. 72.
CHAP. LXXXIIL
Intitled, Thofe who give fhortmeafure or weight; revealed
at M e c c a .
In the name of the moft merciful G od.
WO be unto thofe who give lhort meafure or weight -, who, when they
receive by meafure from other men, take the full i but when they
'Q q q 2 meafure