Thanksgiving
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l The infidels not conceiving how a tree could grow in hell, where the stones themselves serve for fuel. m Or of serpents ugly to behold; the original word signifies both. n Some suppose that the entertainment mentioned will be the welcome given the damned before they enter that place; and others, that they will be suffered to come out of hell from time to time, to drink their scalding liquor. o For Noah and he agreed in the fundamental points both of faith and practice; though the space between them was no less than 2640 years.1 p He made as if he gathered so much from the aspect of the heavensÐthe people being greatly addicted to the superstitions of astrologyÐand made it his excuse for being absent from their festival, to which they had invited him. q Fearing he had some contagious distemper.2 r See chapter 21, p. 246, &c. s Whither he hath commanded me. 1 Al Beid‰wi. 2 Idem. t He was then thirteen years old.3 u The commentators say, that Abraham was ordered in a vision, which he saw on the eighth night of the month DhuÕlhajja, to sacrifice his son; and to assure him that this was not from the devil, as he was inclined to suspect, the same vision was repeated a second time the next night, when he knew it to be from GOD, and also a third time the night following, when he resolved to obey it, and to sacrifice his son; and hence some think the eighth, ninth, and tenth days of DhuÕlhajja are called Yawm altarwiya, yawm ar afat, and yawm alnehr, that is, the day of the vision, the day of knowledge, and the day of the sacrifice. It is the most received opinion among the Mohammedans that the son whom Abraham offered was Ismael, and not Isaac, Ismael being his only son at that time: for the promise of IsaacÕs birth is mentioned lower, as subsequent in time to this transaction. They also allege the testimony of their prophet, who is reported to have said, I am the son of the two who were offered in sacrifice; meaning his great ancestor, Ismael, and his own father AbdÕallah: for AbdÕalmotalleb had made a vow that if GOD would permit him to find out and open the well Zemzem, and should give him ten sons, he would sacrifice one of them. Accordingly, when he had obtained his desire in both respects, he cast lots on his sons, and the lot falling on AbdÕallah, he redeemed him by offering a hundred camels, which was therefore ordered to be the price of a manÕs blood in the Sonna.1 x The commentators add, that Abraham went so far as to draw the knife with all his strength across the ladÕs throat, but was miraculously hindered from hurting him.2 y The epithet of great or noble is here added, either because it was large and fat, or because it was accepted as the ransom of a prophet. Some suppose this victim was a ram, and, if we may believe a common tradition, the very same which Abel sacrificed, having been brought to Abraham out of paradise; others fancy it was a wild goat, which came down from Mount Thab”r, near Mecca, for the Mohammedans lay the scene of this transaction in the valley of Mina; as a proof of which they tell us that the horns of the victim were hung upon the spout of the Caaba, where they remained till they were burnt, together with that building, in the days of AbdaÕllah Ebn Zobeir;3 though others assure us that they had been before taken down by Mohammed himself, to remove all occasion of idolatry.4 z This prophet the Mohammedans generally suppose to be the same with al Khedr, and confound him with Phineas,5 and sometimes with Edris, or Enoch. Some say he was the son of Yasin, and nearly related to Aaron; and others suppose him to have been a different person. He was sent to the inhabitants of Baalbec, in Syria, the Heliopolis of the Greeks, to reclaim them from the worship of their idol Baal, or the sun, whose name makes part of that of the city, which was anciently called Becc.6 3 Idem. 1 Idem, JallaloÕddin, al Zamakh. 2 Idem, JallaloÕddin. 3 Idem. 4 Vide DÕHerbel. Bibl. Orient. Art. Ismail. 5 See cap. 18, p. 223, note 6 JallaloÕddin, al Beid‰wi. a The commentators do not well know what to make of this word. Some think it is the plural of Elias, or, as the Arabs write it, Ily‰s, and that both that prophet and his followers, or those who resembled him, are meant thereby; others divide the word, and read ‰l Yas”n, i.e., the family of Yasin, who was the father of Elias according to an opinion mentioned above; and others imagine it signifies Mohammed, or the Kor‰n, or some other book of scripture. But the most probable conjecture is that Ily‰s and Ily‰sin are the same name, or design one and the same person, as Sinai and Sinin denote one and the same mountain; the last syllable being added here, to keep up the rhyme or cadence, at the close of the verse. b See chapter 7, p. 113, &c., and chapter 11, p. 166, &c. c See chapter 10, p. 157. d See chapter 21, p. 248. e Al Beid‰wi says the ship stood stock-still, wherefore they concluded that they had a fugitive servant on board, and cast lots to find him out. f i.e., He was taken by the lot. g When the lot fell on Jonas he cried out, I am the fugitive; and immediately threw himself into the sea.7 h The words seem to relate particularly to JonasÕs supplication while in the whaleÕs belly.8 i By reason of what he had suffered; his body becoming like that of a new-born child.9 It is said that the fish, after it had swallowed Jonas, swam after the ship with its head above water, that the prophet might breathe, who continued to praise GOD till the fish came to land and vomited him out. The opinions of the Mohammedan writers as to the time Jonas continued in the fishÕs belly differ very much: some suppose it was part of a day, others three days, others seven, others twenty, and others forty.10 k The original word signifies a plant which spreads itself upon the ground, having no erect stalk or stem to support it, and particularly a gourd; though some imagine JonasÕs plant to have been a fig, and others the small tree or shrub called Mauz,1 which bears very large leaves, and excellent fruit.2 The commentators add, that this plant withered the next morning, and that Jonas being much concerned at it, GOD made a remonstrance to him in behalf of the Ninivites, agreeable to what is recorded in scripture. l See chapter 16, p. 199. 7 Idem. 8 See cap. 21, p. 248. 9 Al Beid‰wi. 10 Idem. 1 Idem. 2 Vide J Leon. Descr. Afric. lib. 9. Gab. Sionit. de Urb. Orient. ad calcem Geogr. Nub. p. 32, et Hottinger. Hist. Orient. p. 78, &c. m That is, the angels, who are also comprehended under the name of genii, being a species of them. Some say that the infidels went so far as to assert that GOD and the devil were brothers,3 which blasphemous expression may have been occasioned by the magian notions. n These words are supposed to be spoken by the angels, disclaiming the worship paid to them by the idolaters, and declaring that they have each their station and office appointed them by GOD, whose commands they are at all times ready to execute, and whose praises they continually sing. There are some expositors, however, who think they are the words of Mohammed and his followers; the meaning being, that each of them has a place destined for him in paradise, and that they are the men who range themselves in order before GOD, to worship and pray to him, and who celebrate his praise by rejecting every false notion derogatory to the divine wisdom and power. o The meaning of this letter is unknown:1 some guess it stands for Sidk, i.e., Truth; or for Sadaka, i.e., He (viz., Mohammed) speaketh the truth; and others propose different conjectures, all equally uncertain. p Something must be understood to answer this oath, which the commentators variously supply. 3 Al Beid‰wi. 1 See the Prelim. Disc. Sect. III. p. 46, &c. q On the conversion of Omar, the Koreish being greatly irritated, the most considerable of them went in a body to Abu Taleb, to complain to him of his nephew MohammedÕs proceedings; but being confounded and put to silence by the prophetÕs arguments, they left the assembly, and encouraged one another in their obstinacy.2 r Namely, to draw us from their worship. s i.e., In the religion which we received from our fathers; or, in the religion of Jesus, which was the last before the mission of Mohammed.3 t For they say Pharaoh used to tie those he had a mind to punish by the hands and feet to four stakes fixed in the ground, and so tormented them.4 Some interpret the words, which may also be translated the lord or master of the stakes, figuratively, of the firm establishment of PharaohÕs kingdom; because the Arabs fix their tents with stakes;5 but they may possibly intend that princeÕs obstinacy and hardness of heart. u See chapter 15, p. 194. x The commentators suppose that ability to undergo the frequent practice of religious exercises is here meant. They say David used to fast every other day, and to spend one-half of the night in prayer.1 y See chapter 21, p. 247. z These were two angels, who came unto David in the shape of men, to demand judgment in the feigned controversy after mentioned. It is no other than NathanÕs parable to David,2 a little disguised. 2 Al Beid‰wi. 3 Idem. 4 JallaloÕddin. 5 Al Beid‰wi. 1 Idem. interp. 2 2 Sam. xii. a Because they came suddenly upon him, on a day of privacy: when the doors were guarded, and no person admitted to disturb his devotions. For David, they say, divided his time regularly, setting apart one day for the service of GOD, another day for rendering justice to his people, another day for preaching to them, and another day for his own affairs.3 b The crime of which David had been guilty, was the taking the wife of Uriah, and ordering her husband to be set in the front of the battle to be slain.4 Some suppose this story was told to serve as an admonition to Mohammed, who, it seems, was apt to covet what was anotherÕs. c So as to permit injustice to go unpunished, and righteousness unrewarded. d Some say that Solomon brought these horses, being a thousand in number, from Damascus and Nisibis, which cities he had taken; others say that they were left him by his father, who took them from the Amalekites; while others, who prefer the marvellous, pretend that they came up out of the sea, and had wings. However, Solomon, having one day a mind to view these horses, ordered them to be brought before him, and was so taken up with them that he spent the remainder of the day, till after sunset, in looking on them; by which means he neglected the prayer, which ought to have been said at that time, till it was too late; but when he perceived his omission, he was so greatly concerned at it, that ordering the horses to be brought back, he killed them all as an offering to GOD, except only a hundred of the best of them. But GOD made him ample amends for the loss of these horses, by giving him dominion over the winds.5 3 Al Beid‰wi, JallaloÕddin. 4 Idem. 5 Al Beid‰wi, al Zamakh., Yahya. e The most received exposition of this passage is taken from the following Talmudic fable.1 Solomon, having taken Sidon, and slain the king of that city, brought away his daughter Jer‰da, who became his favourite; and because she ceased not to lament her fatherÕs loss, he ordered the devils to make an image of him for her consolation: which being done, and placed in her chamber, she and her maids worshipped it morning and evening, according to their custom. At length Solomon being informed of this idolatry, which was practised under his roof, by his vizir As‰f, he broke the image, and having chastised the woman, went out into the desert, where he wept and made supplications to GOD; who did not think fit, however, to let his negligence pass without some correction. It was SolomonÕs custom, while he eased or washed himself, to entrust his signet, on which his kingdom depended, with a concubine of his named Am”na: one day, therefore, when she had the ring in her custody, a devil, named Sakhar, came to her in the shape of Solomon, and received the ring from her; by virtue of which he became possessed of the kingdom, and sat on the throne in the shape which he had borrowed, making what alterations in the law he pleased. Solomon, in the meantime, being changed in his outward appearance, and known to none of his subjects, was obliged to wander about, and beg alms for his subsistence; till at length, after the space of forty days, which was the time the image had been worshipped in his house, the devil flew away, and threw the signet into the sea: the signet was immediately swallowed by a fish, which being taken and given to Solomon, he found the ring in its belly, and having by this means recovered the kingdom, took Sakhar, and tying a great stone to his neck, threw him into the lake of Tiberias.2 f i.e., That I may surpass all future princes in magnificence and power. g See chapter 21, p. 247; chapter 27, p. 284, &c. h Some suppose these words to relate to the genii, and that Solomon is thereby empowered to release or to keep in chains such of them as he pleased. i See chapter 21, p. 247. k Some say there were two springs, one of hot water, wherein he bathed; and the other of cold, of which he drank.3 l The original not expressing what this handful was to consist of, one supposes it was to be only a handful of dry grass or of rushes, and another that it was a branch of a palm-tree.4 m The commentators are not agreed what fault JobÕs wife had committed to deserve this chastisement: we have mentioned one opinion already.5 Some think it was only because she stayed too long on an errand. n For he had sworn to give her a hundred stripes if he recovered. 1 Vide Talm. En Jacob, part ii. et Yalkut in lib. Reg. p. 182. 2 Al Beid‰wi, JallaloÕddin, Abulfeda. 3 Al Beid‰wi. 4 See the notes to cap. 21, p. 247. 5 See ibid. o Or, as the words may be interpreted, according to al Zamakhshari, We have purified them, or peculiarly destined and fitted them for paradise. p See chapter 6, p. 96. q See chapter 21, p. 248. Al Beid‰wi here takes notice of another tradition concerning this prophet, viz., that he entertained and took care of a hundred Israelites, who fled to him from certain slaughter, from which action he probably had the name of DhuÕlkefl given him, the primary signification of the verb cafala being to maintain or take care of another. If a conjecture might be founded on this tradition, I should fancy the person intended was Obadiah, the governor of AhabÕs house.6 r i.e., About thirty or thirty-three.1 s That is, the angels. t See chapter 2, p. 4. 6 See I Kings xviii. 4. 1 See the Prelim. Disc. Sect. IV. p. 77. u See chapter 7, p. 106, and chapter 15, p. 192, &c. x This title is taken from the latter end of the chapter, where it is said the wicked shall be sent to hell, and the righteous admitted into paradise by troops. y Except the verse beginning, Say, O my servants, who have transgressed against your own souls, &c.1 z Because, says Al Beid‰wi, there is no being besides himself but what hath been created by him, since there cannot be two necessarily-existent beings; and hence appears the absurdity of the imagination here condemned, because no creature can resemble the Creator, or be worthy to bear the relation of a son to him. a Literally, He hath sent down; from which expression some have imagined that these four kinds of beasts were created in paradise, and thence sent down to earth.2 1 JallaloÕddin, al Beid‰wi. 2 Al Zamakh. b See chapter 6, p. 102. c See chapter 22, p. 250. d i.e., The belly, the womb, and the membranes which enclose the embryo. e Or, He forgetteth the evil which he before prayed against. f Or, They who do good, shall obtain good even in this world. g Wherefore let him who cannot safely exercise his religion where he was born or resides, fly to a place of liberty and security.1 h i.e., The first of the Koreish who professeth the true religion, or the leader in chief of the Moslems. 1 Al Beid‰wi i For his hands shall be chained to his neck, and he shall not be able to oppose anything but his face to the fire.1 k i.e., No contradiction, defect, or doubt. l This passage represents the uncertainty of the idolater, who is distracted in the service of different masters; and the satisfaction of mind which attends the worshipper of the only true GOD.2 m For the prophet will represent his endeavours to reclaim them from idolatry, and their obstinacy; and they will make frivolous excuses, as that they obeyed their chiefs, and kept to the religion of their fathers, &c.3 n i.e., Mohammed and his followers. Some suppose that by the latter words Abu Becr is particularly intended, because he asserted the prophetÕs veracity in respect to his journey to heaven. 1 Al Beid‰wi. 2 Idem. 3 Idem. o The Koreish used to tell Mohammed that they feared their gods would do him some mischief, and deprive him of the use of his limbs, or of his reason, because he spoke disgracefully of them. It is thought by some that this passage was verified in Kh‰led Ebn al Wal”d; who, being sent by Mohammed to demolish the idol al Uzza, was advised by the keeper of her temple to take heed what he did, because the goddess was able to avenge herself severely; but he was so little moved at the manÕs warning, that he immediately stepped up to the idol, and broke her nose. To support the latter explication, they say that what happened to Kh‰led is attributed to Mohammed, because the former was then executing the prophetÕs orders.1 A circumstance not much different from the above mentioned is told of the demolition of Allat.2 p That is, seemingly and to outward appearance, sleep being the image of death. q Not permitting them to return again into their bodies. r viz., Into their bodies, when they awake.3 s For none can or dare presume to intercede with him, unless by his permission. 1 Idem. 2 Vide Gagnier, not. in Abulf. Vit. Moh. p. 127. 3 Al Beid‰wi. t Or by means of my own wisdom. u As did Karžn in particular.1 x As it happened accordingly: for they were punished with a sore famine for seven years and had the bravest of their warriors cut off at the battle of Bedr.2 y To those who sincerely repent and profess his unity: for the sins of idolaters will not be forgiven.3 z See chapter 6, p. 97, note a. a The first time, says Al Beid‰wi; who consequently supposes there will be no more than 1 See cap. 28, p. 295. 2 Al Beid‰wi. 3 See p. 10, note h. two blasts (and two only are distinctly mentioned in the Kor‰n), though others suppose there will be three.1 b These, some say, will be the angels Gabriel, Michael, and Israfil, and the angel of death, who yet will afterwards all die, at the command of GOD;2 it being the constant opinion of the Mohammedan doctors, that every soul, both of men and of animals, which live either on land or in the sea, and of the angels also, must necessarily taste of death:3 others suppose those who will be exempted are the angels who bear the throne of GOD,4 or the black-eyed damsels, and other inhabitants of paradise.5 The space between these two blasts of the trumpet will be forty days, according to Yahya and others; there are some, however, who suppose it will be as many years.6 c See the Prelim. Disc. Sect. IV. p. 68. d See chapter 74, and the Prelim. Disc. Sect. IV. p. 72. e See chapter 7, p. 106; chapter 11, p. 169, &c. It seems as if the damned, by these words, attributed their ruin to GODÕS decree of predestination. f This is a metaphorical expression, representing the perfect security and abundance which the blessed will enjoy in paradise. 1 See the Prelim. Disc. Sect. IV. p. 65. 2 Al Beid‰wi, Yahya. 3 Vide Pocock. not. in Port. Mosis. p. 266. 4 Al Beid‰wi. 5 JallaloÕddin 6 See the Prelim. Disc. ubi sup. g This title is taken from the passage wherein mention is made of one of PharaohÕs family who believed in Moses. h See the Prelim. Disc. Sect. III. p. 46, &c. i By trading into Syria and Yaman. See chapter 3, p. 52, note m. k These are the Cherubim, the highest order of angels, who approach nearest to GODÕS presence.1 l Having first created us in a state of death, or void of life and sensation, and then given life to the inanimate body;2 and afterwards caused us to die a natural death, and raised us again at the resurrection. Some understand the first death to be a natural death, and the second that in the sepulchre, after the body shall have been there raised to life in order to be examined;3 and consequently suppose the two revivals to be those of the sepulchre and the resurrection.4 1 Al Beid‰wi. 2 See c p. 2, p. 4. 3 See Prelim Disc. Sect. IV. p. 60, &c. 4 Al Beid‰wi. Jallal. m When the Creator and his creatures,5 the inhabitants of heaven and of earth, the false deities and their worshippers, the oppressor and the oppressed, the labourer and his works, shall meet each other.6 n i.e., Pursue the resolution which has been formerly taken, and execute it more strictly for the future. See chapter 7, p. 117, note r. o For they advised him not to put Moses to death, lest it should be thought he was not able to oppose him by dint of argument.1 p By raising of commotions and seditions, in order to introduce his new religion. Yüklə 2,27 Mb. Dostları ilə paylaş:
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