The Koran Part 157

And other booty, over which ye have not yet had power: but now hath G.o.d compa.s.sed them for you; for G.o.d is over all things Potent.

If the Infidels shall fight against you, they shall a.s.suredly turn their backs; then, neither protector nor helper shall they find!

Such is G.o.d's method carried into effect of old; no change canst thou find in G.o.d's mode of dealing.

And He it was who held their hands from you and your hands from them in the valley of Mecca,7 after that He had given you the victory over them: for G.o.d saw what ye did.

These are they who believed not, and kept you away from the sacred Mosque, as well as the offering which was prevented from reaching the place of sacrifice. And had it not been that ye would have trodden down believers, both men and women, whom ye knew not, so that a crime might have lighted on you without your knowledge on their account, and that G.o.d would bring whom He will within His mercy, this would have been otherwise ordered. Had they been apart,8 we had surely punished such of them as believed not, with a sore punishment.

When the unbelievers had fostered rage in their hearts-the rage of ignorance (of heathens)-G.o.d sent down His peace on His Apostle and on the faithful, and stablished in them the word of piety, for they were most worthy and deserving of it: and G.o.d knoweth all things.

Now hath G.o.d in truth made good to His Apostle the dream9 in which he said, "Ye shall surely enter the sacred Mosque, if G.o.d will, in full security, having your heads shaved and your hair cut: ye shall not fear; for He knoweth what ye know not; and He hath ordained you, beside this, a speedy victory."

It is He who hath sent His Apostle with "the Guidance," and the religion of truth, that He may exalt it above every religion. And enough for thee is this testimony on the part of G.o.d.

Muhammad is the Apostle of G.o.d; and his comrades are vehement against the infidels, but full of tenderness among themselves. Thou mayst see them bowing down, prostrating themselves, imploring favours from G.o.d, and His acceptance.

Their tokens10 are on their faces, the marks of their prostrations. This is their picture in the Law, and their picture in the Evangel:11 they are as the seed which putteth forth its stalk; then strengtheneth it, and it groweth stout, and riseth upon its stem,12 rejoicing the husbandman-that the infidels may be wrathful at them. To such of them as believe and do the things that are right, hath G.o.d promised forgiveness and a n.o.ble recompense.

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1 This Sura was probably revealed shortly after the peace of Hudaibiya. Ann.

Hej. 6. Some commentators, however, understand the Victory of the taking of Mecca two years-later the preterite being used in the prophetic style for the future-others of the taking of Chaibar, or Muta (?), a town of the Roman empire.

2 Lit. were left behind.

3 On the return to Medina. See Weil's Leben M. p. 173 (n.).

4 The law relative to booty, viz. that those who were not at Hudaibiya should have no share in the booty to be obtained from the Jews at Chaibar. Muhammad marched against them in Hej. 7.

5 When the rumour reached Muhammad at Hudaibiya that Othman Ibn Affan, whom he had sent to inform the Meccans that he was merely coming to visit their temple, and with peaceable intentions, had been slain by them.

6 At Chaibar.

7 The valley of Mecca may mean Hudaibiya. But the commentators explain this verse of different events. It probably, however, refers to the 50 (according to Djalalein 80) prisoners whom Muhammad dismissed freely at Hudaibiya.

8 Had the believers been separate from the infidels.

9 This dream Muhammad had at Medina, before he set out for al Hudaibiya. His followers expected its fulfilment within the year, but when the truce frustrated their hopes, this verse was revealed to pacify them.

10 Dust from the pavement. The Muhammadans who say their prayers on carpets often place little bricks before them which they touch in prostration with their forehead.

11 Comp. Mark iv. 28.

12 Lit. legs.

SURA LXVI.-THE FORBIDDING [CIX.]

MEDINA.-12 Verses

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

WHY,1 O Prophet! dost thou hold that to be FORBIDDEN which G.o.d hath made lawful to thee, from a desire to please thy wives, since G.o.d is Lenient, Merciful?

G.o.d hath allowed you release from your oaths; and G.o.d is your master: and He is the Knowing, Wise.

When the prophet told a recent occurrence as a secret to one of his wives, and when she divulged it and G.o.d informed him of this, he acquainted her with part and withheld part.2 And when he had told her of it, she said, "Who told thee this?" He said, "The Knowing, the Sage hath told it me.

"If ye both be turned to G.o.d in penitence, for now have your hearts gone astray ... .3 but if ye conspire against the Prophet, then know that G.o.d is his Protector, and Gabriel, and every just man among the faithful; and the angels are his helpers besides.

"Haply if he put you both away, his Lord will give him in exchange other wives better than you, Muslims, believers, devout, penitent, obedient, observant of fasting, both known of men and virgins."

O Believers! save yourselves and your families from the fire whose fuel is men and stones, over which are set angels fierce and mighty: they disobey not G.o.d in what He hath commanded them, but execute His behests.

O ye Infidels! make no excuses for yourselves this day; ye shall surely be recompensed according to your works.

O Believers! turn to G.o.d with the turning of true penitence; haply your Lord will cancel your evil deeds, and will bring you into the gardens 'neath which the rivers flow, on the day when G.o.d will not shame the Prophet, nor those who have shared his faith: their light shall run before them, and on their right hands! they shall say, "Lord perfect our light, and pardon us: for thou hast power over all things."

O Prophet! make war on the infidels and hypocrites, and deal rigorously with them. h.e.l.l shall be their abode! and wretched the pa.s.sage to it!

G.o.d setteth forth as an example to unbelievers the wife of Noah and the wife of Lot; they were under two of our righteous servants, both of whom they deceived: but their husbands availed them nought against G.o.d: and it shall be said "Enter ye into the fire with those who enter."

G.o.d also holdeth forth to those who believe the example of the wife of Pharaoh,4 when she said, "Lord, build me an house with thee in Paradise, and deliver me from Pharaoh and his doings; and deliver me from the wicked:"

And Mary, the daughter of Imran, who kept her maidenhood, and into whose womb5 we breathed of our spirit, and who believed in the words of her Lord and His Scriptures, and was one of the devout.

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1 The first verses of this Sura were revealed (Hej. 7.) on occasion of Muhammad's reviving affection for Mary, a Copt slave sent him by the governor of Egypt, from whom he had recently (verse 3) sworn to his wife Hafsa to separate entirely. Hafsa, who had been greatly incensed at their amour, of which Muhammad had himself informed her, communicated the matter in confidence to Ayesha, from whose altered manner, probably, the prophet found that his secret had been betrayed. To free Muhammad from his obligation to Hafsa was the object of this chapter.

2 Muhammad withheld the fact that Ayesha, as well as G.o.d, was his informant, but taxed Hafsa with not having kept his secret.

3 Supply G.o.d will pardon you.

4 Asia, a name, perhaps, corrupted from that of Pharaoh's daughter Bithiah. 1 Chron. iv.18.

5 See Sura xxi. 91. Lit. quae rimam suam tuita est, in quam (rimam) inflavimus Spiritus nostri partem. Thus Beidh.

SURA1 LX.-SHE WHO IS TRIED [CX.]

MEDINA.-13 Versus

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

O YE who believe! take not my foe2 and your foe for friends, shewing them kindness, although they believe not that truth which hath come to you: they drive forth the Apostles and yourselves because ye believe in G.o.d your Lord!