over him a ? He faith, I have wafted plenty of riches b. Doth he think that
none feeth him ? Have we not made him two eyes, and a tongue, and two
lips; and fhewn him the two highways of good and evil? Yet he attempt-
eth not the cliff. What lhall make thee to underftand what the cliff is ? It
is to free the captive ; or to feed, in the day of famine, the orphan who is
of kin, or the poor man who lieth on the ground. JVhofo doth this, and is
one of thofe who believe, and recommend perfeverance unto each other, and
recommend mercy unto each other ; thefe Jhall he the companions óf the
right-hand c. But they who lhall disbelieve our figns, lhall be the companions
of the left-hand d: above them Jhaü hi arched fire.
a Doth be think that none Jhall prevail over make him fall, though they tore the skin to
him f ] Some expofitors take a--particular perfon pieces *.
to be here intended, who was one of Mob am- b I have wajled plenty of riches; ] In a vain
mod's moft inveterate adverfaries ? as A l Walid and oftentatious manner; or, in oppofing of
Ebn al Mogbeira 1 : others fuppofe Abu'l Ajbadd Mohammed 3.
Ebn Calda to be the man; who was fo very c See chap. 56. p. 434.
ilrong, that a large skin being fpread under his * See ibid.
feet, and ten men pulling at it, they could not
1 A l Z/AMakh. a u^/Beidawi. 3 Idem.
CHA R XCI.
Intitled, The Sun; revealed at Mecca.
In the name of the moft merciful God.
BY the Sun, and its riling brightnefs; by the moon, when lhe followeth
him a; by the day, when it Iheweth his fplendor; by the night, when it
covereth him with darknefs; by the heaven, and him who built it; by the
earth,and him who Ipread it forth; by the foul,and him who compleatly formed
it,and infpiredinto the fame its faculty ofdiJtingui/hing,and power of cbooJing,v/\ck.-
ednels and piety : now is he who hath purified the fame,, happy ; but he
who hath corrupted the fame, is miferable. T hamud accufed their prophet
S a l e h of impofture, through the excefs of their wickednefs: when the
wretch b among them was lent to flay the camel; and the apoftle of God faid
unto them, Let alone the camel of God ; and hinder not her drinking. But
they charged him with impofture; and they flew her. . Wherefore their
L ord deftroyed them, for their crime, and made their punijhment equal unto
them all: and he feareth not the ififue thereof
a When Jhe follAaetb himi ] i, e. When the happens when (he is a little paft the full r.
rifes juft after him, as ihe does at the beginning “ The wretch t ] Viz. Keddr Ebn Sale/. See
of the month; or when lhe lets after him, as chap. 7.. p, 125. and chap. 54. p.430.
* Idem.
CHA R XCII.
Intitled, The Night; revealed at M e c c a .
In the name of the moft merciful G od.
BY the night, when it covereth a ll things with darknefs ; by the day,
when it Ihineth forth ; by him who hath created the male, and the female
: verily your endeavour is different. Now whofo is obedient, and feareth
God, and profefleth the truth of that fa ith which is moft excellent; unto
him will we facilitate the way to happinefs: but wholo lhall be covetous, and
lhall be wholly'taken up w ith this world, and lhall deny the truth of that which
is moft excellent; unto him will we facilitate the way to mifery ; and his riches
lhall not profit him, when he lhall fall headlong into hell. Verily unto us apfier-
taineth the dire&ion of mankind: and ours is the life to come, and the prefent life.
Wherefore I threaten you with fire which burneth fiercely, which none lhall
enter to be burned except the moft wretched ; who lhall have disbelieved, and
turned back. But he who ftriftly bewareth idolatry and rebellion, lhall be
removed far from the fame ; who giveth his fubftance in alms, and by whom,
no benefit is heftowed on any, that it may be recompenfed, but who bejlow-
eth the fame for the fake of his L ord, the moft High “ : and hereafter he
lhall be well fatisfied with his reward..
a By mhotn no benefit is lefimed on any, that dhin, or cryer to prayers) who had been put to.
it may be recompenfed, tec.'] JalLlo'ddin thinks the rack on account of his faith, the infidels,
this whole defcription belongs peculiarly to faid he did it only, out of a view of intereft ;
Abu Beer: for when he had purchafed Belli, upon which.this paftage was revealed,
the Ethiopian (afterwards the prophet’s Muedhr
CHAR XCIII.
Antitied, The Brightnefs; revealed at Mecca.
In the name of the moft merciful G o a
p ) Y the brightnefs of the morning a ; and by the night, when it groweth dark :
thy
■ The brightnefs of the morning ; J The orî- the day, when the fun ihines full out, three or
ginat word properly lignifies the bright part of four hours after it is rifen.