meafure unto them, or weigh unto them, defraud! Do not theft think they
fhall be raifed again, at the great day ; the day whereon mankind fliall frand
before the L or? of all creatures '? By no means. Yenly the regifter of the
eSHons of the wicked it furely in S e j j in *. And what lhall- make thee to underftand
what S e j j in is? Ids a book diftinftly written. Wo be, on that
dav unto thofe who accufed the prophets of impofture ; who denied the day
of iudfoment as a falfhood! And none denieth the fame as a falfhood except
every uniuft and flagitious perfon: who, when our figns are rehearfed unto
him, faith, They are fables of the ancients. By no means: but rather their
lufts have caft a vail over their hearts. By no means. Verily they Jhall he
fhut out from their L ord on that day •, and they fhall be fent into hell to be
burned - then fhall it be faid unto them, by the infernal guards, This « what ye
denied as a falfhood. Affuredly. But the regifter of the atlions of the righteous
is in I l l ivyuyb: and what fhall caufe thee to underftand what I l l i y y u m
is 1 It is a book diftinftly written: thofe who approach near unto God, are
witneffts thereto % Verily the righteous Jhall dwell among delights : fcatei'
on couches they fhall behold objects of pleafure y thou fhalt fee in their faces the
briahtnefs of joy. They fhall be given to drink of pure wine, fealed ; the
feafwhereof fhall he musk-1 *: and to this let thofe afpire, who afpire to happt-
nefs: and the water mixed therewith Jhall be of T a sn im e, a fountain whereof:
thofe fhall drink who approach near unto the divine prefence1. They who act:
wickedly laugh the true believers to fcorn and when they pafs by them, they
wink at one another: and when'they turn afide to their people, they turn alide-
making fcurrilous iefts: and whenthey.feethem,they fay,Verily theft are mitta-
ken men. But they are not fent to he keepers over thems; Wherefore one day
day x. I f we prefer the latter opinion, the words,
And whatJhallmake thee to underftand what Uliyyun1
is ? fhould likewife be inclofed in a parenthefis.
c Are witnejftes thereto»]., Or, are prefent witb9.
and keep the fame.
S Sejjin] Is the name of the genera] regifler,
wherein the aflions of all the wicked, both men
and genii, are diftinftly, entred. Sejn fignifies a
trifom and this, book, as feme think, derives
its name from thence, becaufe. it will occafion
thofe whofe deeds are there recorded,, to be tm-
prifoned in hell.. Sejjin l or Stjin, is alfo the name
of the dungeon beneath the feventh earth, the reii-
dence of Eblis and his hoft; where it is fuppof-
ed, by fome, that this book is kept, and where
the fouls of the wicked will be detained till the
refurredion ' . I f the latter explication be admit,
ted, the words, And tobat Jball make thee to underhand
what Sejjin is ? ihould be inclofed with-
jn apparent hefis. .
b Itlfyyun;}» The word is a plural, and dignifies
high places. Some fay it is the general regifter
wherein the aflions of the righteous, whether
angels, men, or genii, are diftin&ly recorded.
Others will have it to be a.place in the
7th heaven, under the throne of God; where
this book is kept, and where the fouls of the
-juft, as many think, wilt remain till the laft
d The feal whereof jhall be musk ;] i. e. The
veffels containing the. fame fhall . be fealed with*,
musk, inftead of clay. * Some underftand by the
feal o i this w ine,. its farewel, or the flavour it
wiil leave in the mouth after it is drank.
1 JaJsLa l , Al Be id aw i. See the prelim. Dife.:
ubi fup. 3 A l B hid awl]
c Wdjtfm ]. Is the name of a fountain in para-
dife,' fo Called from Its being conveyed to the
higheft apartments.
f Whereof thofe Jhall drink who approach near
unto the divine prefence.'] For they fliall drink the
water of Taffiim pure and unmixed,' being- continually
and wholly employed in the contemplation
of G od 5 but the other inhabitants of pa-
dife fhall drink it.mixed with their wine3,.
g They are not fent to be keepers over them;] i. e.
The infidels are not commiflioned by God to
call the believers to account,, or to judge of their
adtibns.
§. iv. p. 78. Ja l la e . See the Prelim. Difcthe
true believers, in th e ir tu rn, fliall laugh the infidels to fcorna: lying on
couches they fliall look down upon them in hell. Shall not the infidels be rewarded
for that which they have done ?
• 7he believersJ h a ll laugh the in f dels to fcorn;] they, lhall be bidden to go In j but when they
When they fhall fee them ignominioufly driven come near the door, ft fhall be fuddenly fhut-»
into hell. It is alfo faid, that a door fhall be and the believers withili fhall laugh at them-1,
fhewn the damned, opening into paradife, and
1 Idem.
CHA P . LXXXIV.
Infilled, The Rending in funder j revealed at M e c c a v
In the name of the moft merciful G od.
WH EN the heaven fhall be rent in funder, and fliall obey its L ord,.
and fhall be capable thereof-, and when the earth fliall be ftretched out”;
and fhall caft forth that which« therein,, and fliall remain empty, and fliall o-
bey its L ord, and fhall be capable thereof: O man, verily labouring thou la-
boureft to meet thy L ord, and thou fhalt meet him4. And he who fliall have
his book given into his right hand, fliall be called to an eafy account, and fliall
turn unto his familyc with joy : but he who fhall have his book given him behind
his back f, fliall invoke deftruftion to fa ll upon him, and he fliall be fent into
hell to be burned ; becaufe he rejoiced infoiently amidft his family on earth.
V e r i ly he thought that he fhould never return unto God: yea verily ; buchis
L ord beheld him. Wherefore I fwear s by the rednefs of the sky after fun-fet,
and by the night, and the animals which it driveth together, and by the moon
when fhe is at the full ; ye fliall furely be transferred fucceffively from ftate to
ftateh. What aileth them, therefore, that they believe not the refurrection
and that, when the Koran is read unto them, they worfhip not1 ? Yea: the
unbelievers accufe the fame of impofture : but G od well.knoweth the malice
which
a There are fome who take this chapter to have
teen revealed at Medina.
• b When the earth jhall be ftretched outl] Like a
skin ; every mountain and hill being levelled.
c And Jhall caftforth that which is therein j] As
the treafures hidden in its bowels, .and the dead •
bodies which lie in their graves. .
• d And thou fhalt meet himi] Or, And thou fhalt
meet thy labour; »whether thy works be good, or.
whether,they be evil. •
e Hisfamily ;] ft e. His relations or friends who
are true believers; or.rather,- to his wives and
fervants, of the damfels and youths of paradife,
who wait to receive him 1.
f Behind his back s] That is, into his left hand;
for the wicked will have that hand bound behind
their back, and their right hand to their neck,
s I fwear i) Or, I will not fweari See chap.
56. p- 436. not. f.
h Ye fhall furely be transferred from one ftate to
another;] ft. e. From the ftate of the living, to
that of the dead ; and from the ftate of the dead,-
to a new ftate of life in another world.
1 They worfhip not,]:Or, humble not tbemftlves.
1 Idem.