CHAP. XXXVI.
Intitled, Y. S; revealed at Mecca.
In the name of the most merciful God.
[a] The meaning of these letters is unknown [1] : some, however, from a tradition of Ebn Abbas, pretend they stand for Ya insân, i.e. O man. This chapter, it is said, had several other titles given it by Mohammed himself, and particularly that of The heart of the Korân. The Mohammedans read it to dying persons in their last agony [2] .
[1] See the Prelim. Disc. §. III. p. 59, &c.
[2] V. Bobov. De visit. ægrot. p. 17.
[b] Our sentence;] viz. The sentence of damnation, which God pronounced against the greater part of genii and men at the fall of Adam [3] .
[3] See chap. 7, p. 118; chap. II, p. 187, &c.
[c] Yokes;] Or collars, such as are described pag. 201, note a.
[d] We have set a bar before them, and a bar behind them;] That is, we have placed obstacles to prevent their looking either forwards or backwards. The whole passage represents the blindness and invincible obstinacy, with which God justly curses perverse and reprobate men.
[e] It is said that when the Koreish, in pursuance of a resolution they had taken, had sent a select number to beset Mohammed’s house, and to kill him [4] , the prophet, having caused Ali to lye down on his bed to deceive the assassins, went out and threw a handful of dust at them, repeating the nine first verses of this chapter, which end here; and they were thereupon stricken with blindness, so that they could not see him [5] .
[4] See the Prelim. Disc. p. 50.
[5] V. Abulf. vit Moh. p. 50.
[a] And their footsteps which they shall have left behind them;] As their good or evil example, doctrine, &c.
[b]
When the apostles of Jesus came to Antioch;] To explain this passage, the commentators tell the following story:
The people of Antioch being idolaters, Jesus sent two of his disciples
thither to preach to them; and when they drew near the city they found Habîb,
surnamed al Najjâr, or the carpenter, feeding sheep, and acquainted him with
their errand; whereupon he asked them what proof they had of their veracity,
and they told him they could cure the sick, and the blind, and the lepers; and
to demonstrate the truth of what they said, they laid their hands on a child
of his who was sick, and immediately restored him to health. Habîb was
convinced by this miracle, and believed; after which they went into the city
and preached the worship of one true God, curing a great number of people of
several infirmities; but at length, the affair coming to the prince’s ear, he
ordered them to be imprisoned for endeavouring to seduce the people. When
Jesus heard of this, he sent another of his disciples, generally supposed to
have been Simon Peter, who, coming to Antioch, and appearing as a zealous
idolater, soon insinuated himself into the favour of the inhabitants and of their prince, and at length
took an opportunity to desire the prince would order the two persons who, as
he was informed, had been put in prison for broaching new opinions, to be
brought before him to be examined; and accordingly they were brought: when
Peter, having previously warned them to take no notice that they knew him,
asked them who sent them, to which they answered, God, who had created all
things, and had no companion. He then required some convincing proof of their
mission, upon which they restored a blind person to his sight and performed
some other miracles, with which Peter seemed not to be satisfied, for that,
according to some, he did the very same miracles himself, but declared that,
if their God could enable them to raise the dead, he would believe them; which
condition the two apostles accepting, a lad was brought who had been dead
seven days, and at their prayers he was raised to life; and thereupon Peter
acknowledged himself convinced, and ran and demolished the idols, a great many
of the people following him, and embracing the true faith; but those who
believed not were destroyed by the cry of the angel Gabriel
[1]
.
[1] Al Zamakh., al Beidâwi, &c. V. etiam Marracc. in Alc. p. 580.
[c] We sent unto them two of the said apostles;] Some say these two were John and Paul; but others name different persons.
[d] A bird] viz. Simon Peter.
[e] Your evil presage is with yourselves;] i.e. If any evil befal you, it will be the consequence of your own obstinacy and unbelief. See chap. 27. p. 313. not. h.
[f] A certain man;] This was Habîb al Najjâr, whose martyrdom is here described. His tomb is still shown near Antioch, and is much visited by the Mohammedans [2] .
[2] V. Schultens, Indic. Geogr. ad calcem Vitæ Saladini, voce Antiochia.
[a] Nor the other instruments of destruction, which we sent down on unbelievers in former days As a deluge, or a shower of stones, or a suffocating wind, &c. The words may also be translated, Nor did we determine to send down such executioners of our justice.
[b] See chap. 29. p. 326. not. e.
[c] The sun hasteneth to his place of rest;] That is, he hasteneth to run his daily course, the setting of the sun resembling a traveller’s going to rest. Some copies vary in this place, and instead of limostakarrin laha, read la mostakarra laha; according to which the sentence should be rendered, The sun runneth his course without ceasing, and hath not a place of rest.
[d] Certain mansions;] viz. These are twenty eight constellations, through one of which the moon passes every night, thence called the mansions or houses of the moon [1] .
[1] See the Prelim. Disc. §. I. p. 31.
[e] Until she change and return to be like the old branch of a palm-tree;] For when a palm-branch grows old, it shrinks, and becomes crooked and yellow, not ill representing the appearance of the new moon.
[f] That we carry their offspring in the ship filled with merchandise;] Some suppose that the deliverance of Noah and his companions in the ark is here intended; and then the words should be translated, That we carried their progeny in the ark filled with living creatures.
[a] Other conveniences like unto it;] As camels, which are the land-ships; or lesser vessels and boats.
[b] Fear that which is before you, and that which is behind you;] i.e. The punishment of this world and of the next.
[c] Shall we feed him whom God can feed, if he pleases;] When the poor Moslems asked alms of the richer Koreish, they told them that if God could provide for them, as they imagined, and did not, it was an argument that they deserved not his favour so well as themselves: whereas God permits some to be in want, to try the rich and exercise their charity.
[d] See the Prelim. Disc. §. IV. p. 82, 83, and the notes to chap. 39.
[e] See ibid.
[f] Who hath awakened us from our bed;] For they shall sleep during the interval between these two blasts of the trumpet, and shall feel no pain [1] .
[1] Jallalo’ddin.
[a] See the Prelim. Disc. §. IV. p. 88.
[b] If we pleased we could put out their eyes, &c.] That is, They deserve to be thus treated for their infidelity and disobedience; but we bear with them out of mercy, and grant them respite.
[c] We have not taught Mohammed the art of poetry.] That is in answer to the infidels, who pretended the Korân was only a poetical composition.
[d] Him who is living;] i.e. Indued with understanding; the stupid and careless being like dead persons [1] .
[1] Al Beidâwi.
[e] See chap. 16. p. 215. not. a.
[f] Who giveth you fire out of the green tree.] The usual way of striking fire in the east is by rubbing together two pieces of wood, one of which is commonly of the tree called Markh, and the other of that called Afâr: and it will succeed even tho’ the wood be green and wet [2] .
[2] V. Hyde, de Rel. Vet. Pers. c. 25, p. 333, &c.