make thee to ufttlerfland how frightful the pit of hell is ? It is a burning
fire.
CHAP. CII.
Intitled, The emulous Defire of multiplying; 'where it
was revealed is difputed.
In the name of the moll merciful G od.
TH E emulous defire of multiplying riches and children employeth you,
until ye vilit the graves a. By no means Jhould ye thus employ your time:
hereafter Ihall ye know your folly. Again, By no means: Hereafter fhall ye
know your folly. By no means: if ye knew the conference hereof with certainty
of knowledge, ye would not aft thus. Verily ye Ihall fee hell: again, ye Ihall
furely fee it with the eye of certainty. Then Ihall ye be examined, on that day,
concerning the pleafures with which ye have amufed yourfelves in this life.
* The emulous iejire of multiplying riches end which of the two families were the more nu-
ehiliren employeth you, until ye vifit the graves i] merous ; and it being found, on calculation,
i. e. Until ye die. According to the cxpofiti- that the children of Aid Menaf exceeded thofe
bn of fome commentators, the words Ihould be of Sabm, the Sahmites faid that their numbers
rendred thus; The contending or vying in num- had been much diminiflied by wars in the time
hers wholly employeth you, fo that ye vijlt even of ignorance, and infilled that the dead, as well
the graves, to number the dead ; to ex- as the living, Ihould be taken into the account;
plain which, they relate that there was a great and by this way of reckoning they were found
difpute and contention between the defcendants to be more than the defcéndants of Aid
of Aid Menaf and the defcendants of Sabm, Menaf
1 A l Z aMAKH. .f/BElDAWI, Ja LLAL.
CHA P . CHI.
Intitled, The Afternoon; revealed at M ecca.
In the name of the mofl merciful G od.
By the afternoona; verily man employeth himfelf in that which will prove of
lofs: except thofe who believe, and do that which is right; and who
mutually recommend the truth, and mutually recommend perfeverance unto
each other.
a By the afternoon; ] Or the time from the ginal word alfo fignifies, The age, or time as
fun’s declination to his fetting: which is one of general.
»he five appointed times of prayer. The ori-
5 ° *
CHAP. CIV.
Intitled, The Slanderer ; revealed at Mecca.
In the name of the moft merciful G o d .
WO unto every Qanderer, and backbitera : who heapeth up riches, and
prepareth the fame for the time to come ! He thinketh that his riches
will render him immortal. By no means. He Ihall furely be call into a l
H otama b. And what fhall caufe thee to uhderftand what a l H otama is ?
It is the kindled fire of God c ; which fhall mount above the hearts of
thofe who fhall he caft therein. Verily it fhall he as an arched vault above
them, on columns o f vaft extent.
* Wo Unto every flanierer and backbiter, Sec. ] h A l Hotama i ] Is one of the names of hell,
This paffage is faid to have been revealed again!! or the name of one of its apartments * ; which
al Akbnas Ehn Shoreik, or al Walid Ebn al is fo called becaufe it will break in pieces what-
Mogheira, or Omeyya Ehn Kbalf, who were ever Ihall be thrown into it.
all guilty of flandermg others, and efpecially the c It is the kindled fire of G od ; ] And there,-
prophet1. fore Ihall not be extinguilbed by any ! .
1 IiJem. 2 See the Prelim, liifc. | IV. p. 92- 3 ^ /B bidawi.
CHA P . CV
Intitled, The Elephant; revealed at M e c c a .
In the name of the moft merciful G od.
HA S T thou not feen how thy L o rd dealt with the matters of the elephant
»? Did he not make their treacherous defign an occalion of
drawing them into error and fend againft them flocks of birds, which caft
down
a How thy L ord dealt with the mafiers of thet religion, having built a magnificent church at
elephant t ] This chapter relates to the following Sanaa, with a defign to draw the Arabs to go
piece of hiftory, which is famous among the A- in pilgrimage thither, inftead of vifiting the
rabs. Abraha Ebn al Sabah, Imrumei al AJbrash, temple of Mecca, the Koreijh, obferving the de-
i. e. the Slit-nofed, king or vice-roy of Taman, votion and concourfe of the pilgrims at the
who was an Ethiopian l , and of the Chrifiian Caaba began confiderably to diminilh, fent
. one