Thanksgiving
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r This verse was revealed on occasion of the unwillingness of MohammedÕs men to accompany him in the lesser expedition of Bedr.2 s Tima Ebn Obeirak, of the sons of Dhafar, one of MohammedÕs companions, stole a coat of mail from his neighbour, Kit‰da Ebn al Nom‰n, in a bag of meal, and hid it at a JewÕs named Zeid Ebn al Sam”n; Tima, being suspected, the coat of mail was demanded of him, but he denying he knew anything of it, they followed the track of the meal, which had run out through a hole in the bag, to the JewÕs house, and there seized it, accusing him of the theft; but he producing witnesses of his own religion that he had it of Tima, the sons of Dhafar came to Mohammed and desired him to defend his companionÕs reputation, and condemn the Jew; which he having some thoughts of doing, this passage was revealed, reprehending him for his rash intention, and commanding him to judge not according to his own prejudice and opinion, but according to the merit of the case.3 t Al Beid‰wi, as an instance of the divine justice, adds, that Tima, after the fact above mentioned, fled to Mecca, and returned to idolatry; and there undermining the wall of a house, in order to commit a robbery, the wall fell in upon him and crushed him to death. u That is, when they secretly contrive means, by false evidence or otherwise, to lay their crimes on innocent persons. x Meaning the sons of Dhafar. y By instructing them in the knowledge of right and wrong, and the rules of justice. 1 See before, c. 3, p. 52. 2 Al Beid‰wi. 3 Idem, JallaloÕddin, Yahya. z viz., Error, and false notions of religion. a Namely, All‰t, al Uzza, and Men‰t, the idols of the Meccans; or the angels, whom they called the daughters of GOD.4 b Or, as the original may be translated, a part destined or predetermined to be seduced by me. c Which was done out of superstition by the old pagan Arabs. Some more of this custom in the notes to the fifth chapter. d Either by maiming it, or putting it to uses not designed by the Creator. Al Beid‰wi supposes the text to intend not only the superstitious amputations of the ears and other parts of cattle, but the castration of slaves, the marking their bodies with figures, by pricking and dyeing them with wood or indigo (as the Arabs did and still do), the sharpening their teeth by filing; and also sodomy, and the unnatural amours between those of the female sex, the worship of the sun, moon, and other parts of nature, and the like. e i.e., By leaving the service of GOD, and doing the works of the devil. f That is, the promises of GOD are not to be gained by acting after your own fancies, nor yet after the fancies of the Jews or Christians, but by obeying the commands of GOD. This passage, they say, was revealed on a dispute which arose between those of the three religions, each preferring his own, and condemning the others. Some, however, suppose the persons here spoken to in the second person were not the Mohammedans, but the idolaters.1 g Therefore the Mohammedans usually call that patriarch, as the scripture also does, Khal”l Allah, the Friend of God, and simply al Khal”l; and they tell the following story: That Abraham in a time of dearth sent to a friend of his in Egypt for a supply of corn; but the friend denied him, saying in his excuse, that though there was a famine in their country also, yet had it been for AbrahamÕs own family, he would have sent what he desired, but he knew he wanted it only to entertain his guests and give away to the poor, according to his usual hospitality. The servants whom Abraham had sent on this message, being ashamed to return 4 See the Prelim. Discourse, Sect. I. 1 Al Beid‰wi, JallaloÕddin, Yahya, empty, to conceal the matter from their neighbours, filled their sacks with fine white sand, which in the east pretty much resembles meal. Abraham being informed by his servants, on their return of their ill success, the concern he was under threw him into a sleep; and in the meantime Sarah, knowing nothing of what had happened, opening one of the sacks, found good flour in it, and immediately set out about making of bread. Abraham awaking and smelling the new bread, asked her whence she had the flour? Why, says she, from your friend in Egypt. Nay, replied the Patriarch, it must have come from no other than my friend GOD Almighty.2 h i.e., As to the share they are to have in the distribution of the inheritances of their deceased relations; for it seems that the Arabs were not satisfied with MohammedÕs decision on this point, against the old customs. i i.e., He hath already made his will known unto you, by revealing the passages concerning inheritances in the beginning of this chapter. k Or the words may be rendered in the affirmative, and whom ye desire to marry. For the pagan Arabs used to wrong their female orphans in both instances; obliging them to marry against their inclinations, if they were beautiful or rich; or else not suffering them to marry at all, that they might keep what belonged to them.3 l That is, male children of tender years, to whom the Arabs, in the time of paganism, used to allow no share in the distribution of their parentsÕ estate.4 m By the wifeÕs remitting part of her dower or other dues. n So that the woman, on the one side, is unwilling to part with any of her right; and the husband, on the other, cares not to retain one he has no affection for; or, if he should retain her, she can scarce expect he will use her in all respects as he ought.1 o i.e., Though you cannot use her equally well with a beloved wife, yet observe some measures of justice towards her; for if a man is not able perfectly to perform his duty, he ought not, for that reason, entirely to neglect it.2 p Or like one that neither has a husband, nor is divorced, and at liberty to marry elsewhere. q That is, either will bless them with a better and more advantageous match, or with peace and tranquility of mind.3 r Wanting the service of no creature. s i.e., Either another race of men or a different species of creatures. 2 Al Beid‰wi. See DÕHerbel. Bibl. Orient. p. 14, and MorganÕs Mahometism Explained, vol. i. p. 132. 3 Al Beid‰wi. 4 See before, p. 54, note c. 1 Al Beid‰wi. 2 Idem. 3 Idem. t It is said that AbdaÕllah Ebn Sal‰m and his companions told Mohammed that they believed in him, and his Kor‰n, and in Moses, and the Pentateuch, and in Ezra, but no farther; whereupon this passage was revealed, declaring that a partial faith is little better than none at all, and that a true believer must believe in all GODÕS prophets and revelations without exception.4 u These were the Jews, who first believed in Moses, and afterwards fell into idolatry by worshiping the golden calf; and though they repented of that, yet in after ages rejected the prophets who were sent to them, and particularly Jesus, the son of Mary, and now filled up the measure of their unbelief by rejecting of Mohammed.5 x Mohammed here means those who hypocritically pretended to believe in him but really did not, and by their treachery did great mischief to his party.1 y Cap. 6. z i.e., Did we not assist you? Therefore give us part of the spoil.2 a Would not our army have cut you off if it had not been for our faint assistance, or rather desertion, of the Moslems, and our disheartening them?3 b That is, with the tongue, and not with the heart. c Halting between two opinions, and being staunch friends neither to the Moslems nor the infidels. 4 Al Beid‰wi. 5 Idem. 1 Idem. 2. Idem. 3 Idem. d See the Preliminary Discourse, Sect. IV. e See c. 2, p. 31, note h. f That is, the Jews; who demanded of Mohammed, as a proof of his mission, that they might see a book of revelations descend to him from heaven, or that he would produce one written in a celestial character, like the two tables of Moses. g See chapter 2, p. 6. This story seems to be an addition to what Moses says of the seventy elders, who went up to the mountain with him, and with Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and saw the GOD of Israel.1 h See chapter 2, p. 6. i See ibid. p. 6, note m. k See ibid. p. 8. l See ibid. p. 7. m There being nothing in the following words of this sentence, to answer to the causal for that, JallaloÕddin supposes something to be understood to complete the sense, as therefore we have cursed them, or the like. n By accusing her of fornication.2 o See chapter 3, p. 38, and the notes there. 1 Exod. xxiv. 9, 10, 11. 2 See the Kor. c. 19, and that virulent book entitled Toldoth Jesu. p For some maintained that he was justly and really crucified; some insisted that it was not Jesus who suffered, but another who resembled him in the face, pretending the other parts of his body, by their unlikeness, plainly discovered the imposition; some said he was taken up into heaven; and others, that his manhood only suffered, and that his godhead ascended into heaven.3 q This passage is expounded two ways. Some, referring the relative his, to the first antecedent, take the meaning to be, that no Jew or Christian shall die before he believes in Jesus: for they say, that when one of either of those religions is ready to breathe his last, and sees the angel of death before him, he shall then believe in that prophet as he ought, though his faith will not then be of any avail. According to a tradition of Hej‰j, when a Jew is expiring, the angels will strike him on the back and face, and say to him, O thou enemy of GOD, Jesus was sent as a prophet unto thee, and thou didst not believe on him; to which he will answer, I now believe him to be the servant of GOD; and to a dying Christian they will say, Jesus was sent as a prophet unto thee, and thou hast imagined him to be GOD, or the son of GOD; whereupon he will believe him to be the servant of GOD only, and his apostle. Others, taking the above-mentioned relative to refer to Jesus, suppose the intent of the passage to be, that all Jews and Christians in general shall have a right faith in that prophet before his death, that is, when he descends from heaven and returns into the world, where he is to kill Antichrist, and to establish the Mohammedan religion, and a most perfect tranquility and security on earth.1 r i.e., Against the Jews, for rejecting him; and against the Christians, for calling him GOD, and the son of GOD.2 s See chapter 3, p. 38 and 42, and the notes there. t As AbdaÕllah Ebn Sal‰m, and his companions.3 3 Al Beid‰wi. 1 JallaloÕddin, Yahya, al Zamakhshari, and al Beid‰wi. See the Prelim. Disc. Sect. IV. 2 Al Beid‰wi. 3 Idem. u Either by rejecting and contemning of Jesus as the Jews do; or raising him to an equality with GOD, as do the Christians.4 x Namely, God, Jesus, and Mary.1 For the eastern writers mention a sect of Christians which held the Trinity to be composed of those three;2 but it is allowed that this heresy has been long since extinct.3 The passage, however, is equally levelled against the Holy Trinity, according to the doctrine of the orthodox Christians, who, as al Beid‰wi acknowledges, believe the divine nature to consist of three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; by the Father understanding GODÕS essence; by the Son his knowledge, and by the Holy Ghost his life. y That is, Mohammed and his Kor‰n. z viz., Into the religion of Isl‰m, in this world, and the way to paradise in the next.4 a See the beginning of this chapter, p. 53. b And the other half will go to the public treasury. c That is, he shall inherit her whole substance. 4 Al Beid‰wi. 1 Idem, JallaloÕddin, Yahya. 2 Elmacin. p. 227. Eutych. p. 120. See the Prelim. Disc. Sect. II 3 Ahmed Ebn AbdÕal Halim. 4 Al Beid‰wi. d The title is taken from the Table, which, towards the end of the chapter, is fabled to have been let down from heaven to Jesus. It is sometimes also called the chapter of Contracts, which word occurs in the first verse. e As camels, oxen, and sheep; and also wild cows, antelopes, &c.;1 but not swine, nor what is taken in hunting during the pilgrimage. f i.e., The ceremonies used in the pilgrimage of Mecca. g See the Prelim. Disc. Sect. VII. h The offering here meant is the sheep led to Mecca, to be there sacrificed, about the neck of which they used to hang garlands, green boughs, or some other ornament, that it may be distinguished as a thing sacred.2 i In the expedition of Al Hodeibiya.3 k For the idolatrous Arabs used, in killing any animal for food, to consecrate it, as it were, to their idols, by saying, In the name of All‰t, or al Uzza.4 l Or by a creature trained up to hunting.5 m That is, unless ye come up time enough to find life in the animal, and to cut its throat. n The word also signifies certain stones, which the pagan Arabs used to set up near their houses, and on which they superstitiously slew animals, in honour of their gods.6 o See Prelim. Disc. Sect. V. p This passage, it is said, was revealed on Friday evening, being the day of the pilgrims visiting Mount Arafat, the last time Mohammed visited the temple of Mecca, therefore called the pilgrimage of valediction.7 q And therefore the commentators say, that after this time, no positive or negative precept was given. 1 JallaloÕddin, al Beid‰wi. 2 See the Prelim. Disc. Sect. IV. 3 See the Prelim. Disc. Sect. II. 4 See c. 2, p. 18. 5 Al Beid‰wi. 6 Idem. 7 Idem. See Prid. Life of Mahom. p. 99. 1 Vide Abulfed. Vit. Moh. p. 131. r By having given you a true and perfect religion; or, by the taking of Mecca, and the destruction of idolatry. s Not such as are filthy, or unwholesome. t Whether beasts or birds. u Either when ye let go the hound, hawk, or other animal, after the game; or when ye kill it. x viz., Slain or dressed by Jews or Christians. y These words are the form used at the inauguration of a prince; and Mohammed here intends the oath of fidelity which his followers had taken to him at al Akaba.2 z The commentators tell several stories as the occasion of this passage. One says, that Mohammed and some of his followers being at Osf‰n (a place not far from Mecca, in the way to Medina), and performing their noon devotions, a company of idolaters, who were in view, repented they had not taken that opportunity of attacking them, and therefore waited till the hour of evening prayer, intending to fall upon them then: but GOD defeated their design, by 2 Vide Abulfed. ibid. p. 43, and the Prelim. Disc. Sect. II. revealing the verse of fear. Another relates, that the prophet going to the tribe of Koreidha (who were Jews) to levy a fine for the blood of two Moslems, who had been killed by mistake, by Amru Ebn Ommeya al Dimri, they desired him to sit down and eat with them, and they would pay the fine; Mohammed complying with their request, while he was sitting, they laid a design against his life, one Amru Ebn Jah‰sh undertaking to throw a millstone upon him; but GOD withheld his hand, and Gabriel immediately descended to acquaint the prophet with their treachery, upon which he rose up and went his way. A third story is, that Mohammed having hung up his arms on a tree, under which he was resting himself, and his companions being dispersed some distance from him, an Arab of the desert came up to him and drew his sword, saying, Who hindereth me from killing thee? To which Mohammed answered, GOD; and Gabriel beating the sword out of the ArabÕs hand, Mohammed took it up, and asked him the same question, Who hinders me from killing thee? the Arab replied, nobody, and immediately professed Mohammedism.1 Abžlfeda2 tells the same story, with some variation of circumstances. a After the Israelites had escaped from Pharaoh, GOD ordered them to go against Jericho, which was then inhabited by giants, of the race of the Canaanites, promising to give it into their hands; and Moses, by the divine direction, appointed a prince or captain over each tribe, to lead them in that expedition,3 and when they came to the borders of the land of Canaan, sent the captains as spies to get information of the state of the country, enjoining them secresy; but they being terrified at the prodigious size and strength of the inhabitants, disheartened the people by publicly telling them what they had seen, except only Caleb the son of Yufanna (Jephunneh) and Joshua the son of Nun.4 b By contributing towards this holy war. c That is, if they repent and believe, or submit to pay tribute. Some, however, think these words are abrogated by the verse of the sword.5 d Such as the verse of stoning adulterers,6 the description of Mohammed, and ChristÕs prophecy of him by the name of Ahmed.7 e i.e., Those which it was not necessary to restore. 1 Al Beid‰wi. 2 Vit. Moh. p. 73. 3 See Numb. i. 4. 5. 4 Al Beid‰wi. Numb. xiii. and xiv 5 Al Beid‰wi. 6 See c. 3, p. 34. 7 Al Beid‰wi. f The Arabic word al Fatra signifies the intermediate space of time between two prophets, during which no new revelation or dispensation was given; as the interval between Moses and Jesus, and between Jesus and Mohammed, at the expiration of which last, Mohammed pretended to be sent. g This was fulfilled either by GODÕS giving them a kingdom, and a long series of princes; or by his having made them kings or masters of themselves, by delivering them from the Egyptian bondage. h Having divided the Red Sea for you, and guided you by a cloud, and fed you with quails and manna, &c.1 i The largest of these giants, the commentators say, was Og, the son of Anak; concerning whose enormous stature, his escaping the Flood, and the manner of his being slain by Moses, the Mohammedans relate several absurd fables.2 k Namely, Caleb and Joshua. l The commentators pretend that the Israelites, while they thus wandered in the desert, were kept within the compass of about eighteen (or as some say twenty-seven) miles; and that though they travelled from morning to night, yet they constantly found themselves the next day at the place from whence they set out.1 m viz., Cain and Abel, whom the Mohammedans call K‰bil and H‰bil. n The occasion of their making this offering is thus related, according to the common tradition in the east. Each of them being born with a twin sister, when they were grown up, Adam, by GodÕs direction, ordered Cain to marry AbelÕs twin sister, and that Abel should 1 Al Beid‰wi. 2 Vide Marraacc. in Alcor. p. 231, &c. DÕHerbel. Bibl. Orient. p. 336. 1 Al Beid‰wi, JallaloÕddin. 2 Vide Abulfarag, p. 6, 7; Eutych. Annal. p. 15, 16; and DÕHerbelot, Bibl. Orient. Art. Cabil. marry CainÕs (for it being the common opinion that marriages ought not to be had in the nearest degrees of consanguinity, since they must necessarily marry their sisters, it seemed reasonable to suppose they ought to take those of the remoter degree), but this Cain refusing to agree to, because his own sister was the handsomest, Adam ordered them to make their offerings to GOD, thereby referring the dispute to his determination.3 The commentators say CainÕs offering was a sheaf of the very worst of his corn, but AbelÕs a fat lamb, of the best of his flock. o Namely, from Abel, whose sacrifice GOD declared his acceptance of in a visible manner, by causing fire to descend from heaven and consume it, without touching that of Cain.4 p To enhance AbelÕs patience, al Beid‰wi tells us, that he was the stronger of the two, and could easily have prevailed against his brother. q The conversation between the two brothers is related somewhat to the same purpose in the Jerusalem Targum and that of Jonathan ben Uzziel. r Some say he knocked out his brains with a stone;5 and pretend that as Cain was considering which way he should effect the murder, the devil appeared to him in a human shape, and showed him how to do it, by crushing the head of a bird between two stones.6 s i.e., His dead corpse. For Cain, having committed this fratricide, became exceedingly troubled in his mind, and carried the dead body about on his shoulders for a considerable time, not knowing where to conceal it, till it stank horridly; and then God taught him to bury it by the example of a raven, who having killed another raven in his presence, dug a pit with his claws and beak, and buried him therein.7 For this circumstance of the raven Mohammed was beholden to the Jews, who tell the same story, except only that they make the raven to appear to Adam, and that he thereupon buried his son.8 t Such as idolatry, or robbing on the highway.1 u Having broken the commandment which forbids the shedding of blood. x The lawyers are not agreed as to the applying of these punishments. But the commentators suppose that they who commit murder only are to be put to death in the ordinary way; those who murder and rob too, to be crucified; those who rob without committing murder, to have their right hand and their left foot cut off; and they who assault persons and put them in fear, to be banished.2 It is also a doubt whether they who are to be crucified shall be crucified alive, or be first put to death, or whether they shall hang on the cross till they die.3 3 Al Beid‰wi. 4 Idem, JallaloÕddin. 5 Vide Eutych. ubi supra. 6 Vide DÕHerbelot, ubi sup. 7 JallaloÕddin, al Beid‰wi. 8 Vide R. Eliezer, Pirke, c. 20. 1 Al Beid‰wi. 2 Idem, JallaloÕddin. 3 Al Beid‰wi. y But this punishment, according to the Sonna, is not to be inflicted, unless the value of the thing stolen amount to four din‰rs, or about forty shillings. For the first offence, the criminal is to lose his right hand, which is to be cut off at the wrist; for the second offence, his left foot, at the ankle; for the third, his left hand; for the fourth, his right foot; and if he continue to offend, he shall be scourged at the discretion of the judge.4 Yüklə 2,27 Mb. Dostları ilə paylaş:
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