The Koran Part 92

And all that we have related to thee of the histories of these Apostles, is to confirm thy heart thereby. By these hath the truth reached thee, and a monition and warning to those who believe.

But say to those who believe not, "Act as ye may and can: we will act our part: and wait ye; we verily will wait."

To G.o.d belong the secret things of the Heavens and of the Earth: all things return to him: wors.h.i.+p him then and put thy trust in Him: thy Lord is not regardless of your doings.20

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1 See Sura lxviii. p. 32.

2 Or, will bestow his grace on every gracious one, or will bestow his abundance on every one who hath abundance (of merit). The difficulty of rendering this pa.s.sage arises from the word fadhl, which means merit as applied to man, favour as applied to G.o.d.

3 That is, before the Creation. Precisely the same statement occurs in Raschi on Gen. i. 2, also in the modern catechism. Tsenah ur'enak b'noth Tsion, authoritatively put forth by the Polish and German Talmudist Rabbins. "At the first creation of Heaven and Earth ... the throne of glory of the Blessed G.o.d stood in the air above the waters." Comp. Ps. civ. 3.

4 Men, heaven, and earth. Comp. Tr. Aboth, v. Mischna 1.

5 Comp. verse 37 and Sura [xci.] ii. 21. It should be observed that the challenge in these pa.s.sages is not to produce a book which shall equal the Koran in point of poetry or rhetoric, but in the importance of its subject- matter with reference to the Divine Unity, the future retribution, etc. Upon these topics Muhammad well knew that he had preoccupied the ground. And we may infer from the fragments of the Revelations of Musailima and Sajah (Hisam. 946; Attabari (ed. Kosegarten) i. 134, 136, 152; Tab. Agani, 339), which are mere imitations of the Koran, that he felt this to be the case.

6 "They laughed and jeered at him in their words." Midr. Tanchuma. "The pa.s.sage Job xii. 5, refers to the righteous Noah who taught them and spake to them words severe as flames: but they scorned him, and said, 'Old man! for what purpose is this ark?"' Sanhedr. 108. Comp. Midr. Rabbah on Gen. 30, and 33 on Eccl. ix. 14.

7 Or, oven: according to others, reservoir. Geiger thinks that the expression the oven boiled up may be a figurative mode of expressing the Rabbinic idea that "the generation of the Deluge were punished by hot water." Rosch.

Haschanah, 16, 2; Sanhedr. 108. Comp. Weil's Legenden, p. 44.

8 The Montes Gordyoei, perhaps.

9 According to another reading: He hath done amiss. The origin of this story is probably Gen. ix. 20-25.

10 A Prophet, so far as we know, of Muhammad's own invention, unless Muir's conjecture be admitted that he was a Christian or Jewish missionary whose adventures and persecution were recast into this form.-The name may have been suggested by, Methusaleh, upon whose piety the Midrasch enlarges.

11 That is, we had intended to make thee our chief. Beidh.

12 Thus, in contradiction to Gen. xviii. 8, the Rabbins; comp. Tr. Baba Mezia, fol. 86, "They made as though they ate."

13 Or, menstrua pa.s.sa est, in token of the possibility of her bearing a child.

14 Lit. his arm was straitened concerning them.

15 Lit. column.

16 With the name, it is said, of the person each should strike.

17 See Sura [lvi.] xxvi. 176.

18 That is, after giving fair measure.

19 Seizure, for punishment. Hence, the punishment itself.

20 In the later period of his life Muhammad attributed his gray hairs to the effect produced upon him by this Sura and its "Sisters." While Abu Bekr and Omar sat in the mosque at Medina, Muhammad suddenly came upon them from the door of one of his wives' houses. ... And Abu Bekr said, "Ah! thou for whom I would sacrifice father and mother, white hairs are hastening upon thee!" And the Prophet raised up his beard with his hand and gazed at it; and Abu Bekr's eyes filled with tears. "Yes," said Muhammad, "Hd and its sisters have hastened my white hairs." "And what," asked Abu Bekr, "are its sisters?"

"The Inevitable (Sura lvi.) and the Blow (Sura ci.)." Kitab al Wackidi, p.

84, ap. Muir.

SURA XIV.-ABRAHAM, ON WHOM BE PEACE [LXXVI.]

MECCA.-52 Verses

In the Name of G.o.d, the Compa.s.sionate, the Merciful

ELIF. LAM. RA. This Book have we sent down to thee that by their Lord's permission thou mayest bring men out of darkness into light, into the path of the Mighty, the Glorious-

Of G.o.d; to whom belongeth whatever is in the Heavens and whatever is on the Earth: and woe! for their terrible punishment, to the infidels,

Who love the life that now is, above that which is to come, and mislead from the way of G.o.d, and seek to make it crooked. These are in a far-gone error.

And in order that He might speak plainly to them, we have not sent any Apostle, save with the speech of his own people; but G.o.d misleadeth whom He will, and whom He will he guideth: and He is the Mighty, the Wise.

Of old did we send Moses with our signs: and said to him, "Bring forth thy people from the darkness into the light, and remind them of the days of G.o.d."

Verily, in this are signs for every patient, grateful person:

When Moses said to his people, "Remember the kindness of G.o.d to you, when he rescued you from the family of Pharaoh who laid on you a cruel affliction, slaughtering your male children, and suffering only your females to live." In this was a sore trial from your Lord-

And when your Lord caused it to be heard that, "If we render thanks then will I surely increase you more and more: but if ye be thankless... . Verily, right terrible my chastis.e.m.e.nt."

And Moses said, "If ye and all who are on the Earth be thankless, yet truly G.o.d is pa.s.sing Rich, and worthy of all praise."

Hath not the story reached you of those who were before you, the people of Noah, and Ad, and Themoud,

And of those who lived after them? None knoweth them but G.o.d. When their prophets came to them with proofs of their mission, they put their hands on their mouths and said, "In sooth, we believe not your message; and in sooth, of that to which you bid us, we are in doubt, as of a thing suspicious."

Their prophets said: "Is there any doubt concerning G.o.d, maker of the Heavens and of the Earth, who calleth you that He may pardon your sins, and respite you until an appointed time?"

They said, "Ye are but men like us: fain would ye turn us from our fathers'

wors.h.i.+p. Bring us therefore some clear proof."

Their Apostles said to them, "We are indeed but men like you. But G.o.d bestoweth favours on such of his servants as he pleaseth, and it is not in our power to bring you any special proof,

But by the leave of G.o.d. In G.o.d therefore let the faithful trust.

And why should we not put our trust in G.o.d, since He hath already guided us in our ways. We will certainly bear with constancy the harm you would do to us. In G.o.d let the trustful trust."

And they who believed not said to their Apostles, "Forth from our land will we surely drive you, or, to our religion shall ye return." Then their Lord revealed to them, "We will certainly destroy the wicked doers,

And we shall certainly cause you to dwell in the land after them. This for him who dreadeth the appearance at my judgment-seat and who dreadeth my menace!"

Then sought they help from G.o.d, and every proud rebellious one perished:

h.e.l.l is before him: and of tainted water shall he be made to drink:

He shall sup it and scarce swallow it for loathing; and Death shall a.s.sail him on every side, but he shall not die: and before him shall be seen a grievous torment.