[a] 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.

[b] The brute cattle, &c.] As camels, oxen, and sheep; and also wild cows, antelopes, &c. ^[1] ; but not swine, nor what is taken in hunting during the pilgrimage.

[1] Jallalo’ddin, Al Beidawi.

[c] The holy rites of God;] i.e The ceremonies used in the pilgrimage of Mecca.

[d] See the Prelim. Disc. §. VII.

[e] Nor the offering, nor the ornaments hung thereon;] 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] .

[2] See the Prelim. Disc. §. IV.

[f] In that they hindered you from entering the sacred temple;] In the expedition of al Hodeibiya ^[3] .

[3] See the Prelim. Disc. §. II. p. 52.

[g] On which the name of any besides God hath been invocated;] 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 Allât, or al Uzza ^[4] .

[4] See ch. 2. p. 20.

[h] Which hath been eaten by a wild beast;] Or by a creature trained up to hunting ^[5] .

[5] Al Beidawi.

[i] Except what ye shall kill your selves;] That is, unless ye come up time enough to find life in the animal, and to cut its throat.

[k] Idols.] 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] .

[6] Idem.

[l] See Prelim. Disc. §. V.

[m] On this day;] 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] .

[7] Idem. See Prid. Life of Mahom. p. 99.

[a] This day have I perfected your religion for you;] And therefore the commentators say, that after this time, no positive or negative precept was given ^[1] .

[1] Abulfrf. vit. Moh. p. 131.

[b] And have completed my mercy upon you;] By having given you a true and perfect religion; or, by the taking of Mecca, and the destruction of idolatry.

[c] Such things as are good;] Not such as are filthy, or unwholesome.

[d] Animals of prey;] Whether beasts or birds.

[e] And commemorate the name of God thereon;] Either when ye let go the hound, hawk, or other animal, after the game; or when ye kill it.

[f] viz. Slain or dressed by Jews or Christians.

[g] We have heard and will obey;] 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] .

[2] V. ib. p. 43, and the Prelim. Disc. §. II. p. 48.

[h] When certain men designed to stretch forth their hands against you, but he restrained them;] The commentators tell several stories as the occasion of this passage. One says, that Mohammed and some of his followers being at Osfân (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 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 Jahâsh 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 desart 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 Arab ’s 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] . Abûlfeda ^[2] tells the same story, with some variation of circumstances.

[1] Al Beidawi.

[2] Vit. Moh. p. 73.

[a] God appointed out of them twelve leaders: I am with you;] 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 secrecy; but they being terrified at the prodigious size and strength of the inhabitants, disheartened the people by publickly telling them what they had seen, except only Caleb the son of Yufanna (Jephunneh) and Joshua the son of Nun ^[4] .

[3] See Num. i. 4, 5.

[4] Al Beidawi. See Num. iii. and xiv.

[b] And lend unto God on good usury;] By contributing towards this holy war.

[c] Forgive them, and pardon them;] 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] .

[5] Al Beidawi.

[d] To make manifest unto you many things which ye concealed in the scriptures;] Such as the verse of stoning adulterers ^[6] , the description of Mohammed, and Christ’s prophecy of him by the name of Ahmed ^[7] .

[6] See chap. 3. p. 37.

[7] Al Beidawi.

[e] And to pass over many things;] i.e. Those which it was not necessary to restore.

[a] During the cessation of apostles;] 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.

[b] And constituted you kings;] This was fulfilled either by God’s 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.

[c] And bestowed on you what he hath given to no other nation;] Having divided the Red Sea for you, and guided you by a cloud, and fed you with quails and manna, &c ^[1] .

[1] Al Beidawi.

[d] A gigantic people;] 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] .

[2] V. Marracc. in Alcor. p. 231, &c. D’Herbel. Bibl. Orient. p. 336.

[e] Two men;] Namely, Caleb and Joshua.

[f] The land shall be forbidden them forty years; during which time they shall wander like men astonished;] The commentators pretend that the Israelites, while they thus wandered in the desart, were kept within the compass of about eighteen (or as some say twenty-seven) miles; and that tho’ they travelled from morning to night, yet they constantly found themselves the next day at the place from whence they set out ^[1] .

[1] Al Beidawi, Jallalo’ddin.

[a] The the two sons of Adam;] viz. Cain and Abel, whom the Mohammedans call Kâbil and Hâbil.

[b] When they offered their offering;] The occasion of their making this offering is thus related, according to the common tradition in the east ^[2] . Each of them being born with a twin sister, when they were grown up, Adam, by God’s direction, ordered Cain to marry Abel’s twin sister, and that Abel should marry Cain’s (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 Cain’s offering was a sheaf of the very worst of his corn, but Abel’s a fat lamb, of the best of his flock.

[2] V. Abulfarag, p. 6, 7; Eutych. annal. p. 15, 16; and D’Herbelot, Bibl. Orient. Art. Cabil.

[3] Al Beidawi.

[c] And it was accepted from one of them;] 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] .

[4] Idem, Jallalo’ddin.

[d] I will not stretch forth my hand against thee;] To enhance Abel’s patience, al Beidâwi tells us, that he was the stronger of the two, and could easily have prevailed against his brother.

[e] The conversation between the two brothers is related somewhat to the same purpose in the Jerusalem Targum and that of Jonathan ben Uzziel.

[f] And he slew him;] 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 shewed him how to do it, by crushing the head of a bird between two stones ^[6] .

[5] V. Eutych. ubi supra.

[6] V. D’Herbelot, ubi sup.

[g] God sent a raven which scratched the earth, and shewed him how to hide his brother’s shame;] 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] .

[7] Jallalo’ddin, Al Beidawi.

[8] V. R. Eliezer, Pirke, c. 20.

[a] Without committing wickedness in the earth;] Such as idolatry, or robbing on the high-way ^[1] .

[1] Al Beidawi.

[b] Shall be as if he had slain all mankind;] Having broken the commandment which forbids the shedding of blood.

[c] 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] .

[2] Idem, Jallalo’ddin.

[3] Al Beidawi.

[d] Cut off their hands;] But this punishment, according to the Sonna, is not to be inflicted, unless the value of the thing stolen amount to four dinârs, 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] .

[4] Idem, Jallalo’ddin, Al Beidawi.

[e] But whoever shall repent and amend, God will be turned unto him, &c.] That is, God will not punish him for it hereafter; but his repentance does not supersede the execution of the law here, nor excuse him from making restitution. Yet, according to al Shâfeï, he shall not be punished if the party wronged forgive him before he be carried before a magistrate ^[5] .

[5] Iidem.

[f] Who hasten to infidelity;] i.e. Who take the first opportunity to throw off the mask, and join the unbelievers.

[g] Who say, We believe, with their mouths, &c.] viz. The hypocritical Mohammedans.

[h] Who hearken to a lie, and hearken to other people;] These words are capable of two senses; and may either mean that they attended to the lies and forgeries of their Rabbins, neglecting the remonstrances of Mohammed; or else, that they came to hear Mohammed as spies only, that they might report what he said to their companions, and represent him as a liar ^[1] .

[1] Al Beidawi.

[a] See chap. 4. p. 67, Note. b.

[b] If this be brought unto you, receive it; but if it be not brought unto you, beware of receiving ought else;] That is, if what Mohammed tells you agrees with scripture, as corrupted and dislocated by us, then you may accept it as the word of God; but if not, reject it. These words, it is said, relate to the sentence pronounced by that prophet on an adulterer and an adulteress ^[2] , both persons of some figure among the Jews. For they, it seems, tho’ they referred the matter to Mohammed, yet directed the persons who carried the criminals before him, that if he ordered them to be scourged, and to have their faces blackened (by way of ignominy), they should acquiesce in his determination; but in case he condemned them to be stoned, they should not. And Mohammed pronouncing the latter sentence against them, they refused to execute it, till Ebn Sûriya (a Jew), who was called upon to decide the matter, acknowledged the law to be so- whereupon they were stoned at the door of the mosque ^[3] .

[2] See chap. 3. p. 37. not. c.

[3] Al Beidawi.

[c] And eat that which is forbidden;] Some understand this of unlawful meats; but others of taking or devouring, as it is expressed, of usury and bribes ^[4] .

[4] Idem.

[d] Either judge between them, or leave them;] i.e. Take thy choice, whether thou wilt determine their differences or not. Hence al Shâfeï was of opinion that a judge was not obliged to decide causes between Jews or Christians; tho’ if one or both of them be tributaries, or under the protection of the Mohammedans, they are obliged: this verse not regarding them. Abu Hanîfa, however, thought that the magistrates were obliged to judge all cases which were submitted to them ^[5] .

[5] Idem.

[e] And how will they submit to thy decision, since they have the law, &c.] In the following passage Mohammed endeavours to answer the objections of the Jews and Christians, who insisted that they ought to be judged, the former by the law of Moses, and the latter by the gospel. He allows that the law was the proper rule of judging till the coming of Jesus Christ, after which the gospel was the rule; but pretends that both are set aside by the revelation of the Korân, which is so far from being contradictory to either of the former, that it is more full and explicit; declaring several points which had been stifled or corrupted therein, and requiring a rigorous execution of the precepts in both, which had been too remissly observed, or rather neglected, by the latter professors of those religions.

[f] Then will they turn their backs after this;] That is, notwithstanding their outward submission, they will not abide by thy sentence, tho’ conformable to the law, if it contradict their own false and loose decisions.

[g] These are not true believers;] As gainsaying the doctrine of the books which they acknowledge for scripture.

[h] And they were witnesses thereof;] That is, vigilant, to prevent any corruptions therein.

[i] Life;] The original word is soul.

[a] See Exod. xxi. 24, &c.

[b] He had made you one people;] i.e. He had given you the same laws, which should have continued in force through all ages, without being abolished or changed by new dispensations; or he could have forced you all to embrace the Mohammedan religion ^[1] .

[1] Idem.

[c] And follow not their desires; but beware of them, lest they cause thee to err, &c.] It is related that certain of the Jewish priests came to Mohammed with a design to entrap him; and having first represented to him that if they acknowledged him for a prophet, the rest of the Jews would certainly follow their example, made this proposal that if he would give judgment for them in a controversy of moment which they pretended to have with their own people, and which was agreed to be referred to his decision, they would believe him; but this Mohammed absolutely refused to comply with ^[2] .

[2] Idem.

[d] If they turn back;] Or refuse to be judged by the Korân.

[e] The judgment of the time of ignorance;] That is, to be judged according to the customs of paganism, which indulge the passions and vicious appetites of mankind: for this, it seems, was demanded by the Jewish tribes of Koreidha and al Nadîr ^[3] .

[3] Idem.

[f] We fear lest some adversity befal us;] These were the words of Ebn Obba, who, when Obâdah Ebn al Sâmat publickly renounced the friendship of the infidels, and professed that he took God and his apostle for his patrons, said that he was a man apprehensive of the fickleness of fortune, and therefore would not throw off his old friends, who might be of service to him hereafter ^[1] .

[1] Idem.

[a] A command from him;] To extirpate and banish the Jews; or to detect and punish the hypocrites.

[b] Are these the men who have sworn, &c.] These words may be spoken by the Mohammedans either to one another or to the Jews; since these hypocrites had given their oaths to both ^[2] .

[2] Idem.

[c] Whoever of you apostatizeth from his religion, God will certainly bring other people to supply his place, &c.] This is one of those accidents which, it is pretended, were foretold by the Korân long before they came to pass. For in the latter days of Mohammed, and after his death, considerable numbers of the Arabs quitted his religion, and returned to Paganism, Judaism, or Christianity. Al Beidâwi reckons them up in the following order. 1. Three companies of Banu Modlaj, seduced by Dhu’lhamâr al Aswad al Ansi, who set up for a prophet in Yaman, and grew very powerful there ^[3] . 2. Banu Honeifa, who followed the famous false prophet Moseilama ^[4] . 3. Banu Asad, who acknowledged Toleiha Ebn Khowailed, another Banu Asad, who acknowledged Toleiha Ebn Khowailed, another pretender to divine revelation ^[5] , for their prophet. All these fell off in Mohammed’s lifetime. The following, except only the last, apostatized in the reign of Abu Becr. 4. Certain of the tribe of Fezârah, headed by Oyeyma Ebn Hosein. 5. Some of the tribe of Ghatfân, whose leader was Korrah Ebn Salma. 6. Banu Soleim, who followed al Fajâah Ebn Ad Yalîl. 7. Banu Yarbu, whose captain was Malec Ebn Noweirah Ebn Kais. 8. Part of the tribe of Tamîm, the proselytes of Sajâj the daughter of al Mondhar, who gave herself out for a prophetess ^[6] . 9. The tribe of Kendah, led by al Asháth Ebn Kais. 10. Banu Becr Ebn al Wayel, in the province of Bahrein, headed by al Hotam Ebn Zeid. And, 11. Some of the tribe of Ghassân, who with their prince Jabalah Ebn al Ayham, renounced Mohammedism in the time of Omar, and returned to their former profession of Christianity ^[7] .
But as to the persons who fulfilled the other part of this prophecy, by supplying the loss of so many renegades, the commentators are not agreed. Some will have them to be the inhabitants of Yaman, and others the Persians; the authority of Mohammed himself being vouched for both opinions. Others, however, suppose them to be 2000 of the tribe of al Nakhá (who dwelt in Yaman), 5000 of those of Kendah and Bajîlah, and 3000 of unknown descent ^[8] , who were present at the famous battle of Kadesia, fought in the Khalîfat of Omar, and which put an end to the Persian empire ^[9] .

[3] See the Prelim. Disc. §. III.

[4] See ib.

[5] See ib.

[6] See ib.

[7] See ib. §. p. 11.

[8] V. D’Herbel. Bibl. Orient. p. 226.

[9] Al Beidawi.

[d] Take not those for your friends who make a laughing-stock and a jest of your religion.] This passage was primarily intended to forbid the Moslems entering into a friendship with two hypocrites named Refâa Ebn Zeid, and Soweid Ebn al Hareth, who, tho’ they had embraced Mohammedism, yet ridiculed it on all occasions, and were notwithstanding greatly beloved among the prophet’s followers.

[a] Nor those who when ye call to prayer, make a jest of it;] These words were added on occasion of a certain Christian, who hearing the Muadhdhin, or cryer, in calling to prayers, repeat this part of the usual form, I profess that Mohammed is the apostle of God, said aloud, May God burn the liar: but a few nights after his own house was accidentally set on fire by a servant, and himself and his family perished in the flames ^[1] .

[1] Idem.

[b] Having changed some of them into apes and swine;] The former were the Jews of Ailah, who broke the sabbath ^[2] ; and the latter those who believed not in the miracle of the Table which was let down from heaven to Jesus ^[3] . Some, however, imagine that the Jews of Ailah only are meant in this place, pretending that the young men among them were metamorphosed into apes, and the old men into swine ^[4] .

[2] See chap. 2. p. 9.

[3] See towards the en of this chapter.

[4] Al Beidawi.

[c] See chap. 2. p. 31.

[d] See before, p. 88.

[e] God’s hand is tied up;] That is, he is become niggardly and close-fisted. These were the words of Phineas Ebn Azûra (another indecent expression of whom, almost to the same purpose, is mentioned elsewhere ^[5] ) when the Jews were much impoverished by a dearth, which the commentators will have to be a judgment on them for their rejecting of Mohammed; and the other Jews who heard him, instead of reproving him, expressed their approbation of what he had said ^[6] .

[5] chap. 3. p. 57.

[6] Al Beidawi.

[f] Their hands shall be tied up;] i.e. They shall be punished with want and avarice. The words may also allude to the manner wherein the reprobates shall appear at the last day, having their right hands tied up to their necks ^[7] ; which is the proper signification of the Arabic word.

[7] See the Prelim. Disc. §. IV. p. 89.

[g] Viz. The Korân.

[h] So often as they shall kindle a fire for war, God shall extinguish it;] Either by raising feuds and quarrels among themselves, or by granting the victory to the Moslems. Al Beidâwi adds, that on the Jews neglecting the true observance of their law, and corrupting their religion, God has successively delivered them into the hands, first of Bakht Nasr or Nebuchadnezzar, then of Titus the Roman, and afterwards of the Persians, and has now at last subjected them to the Mohammedans.

[a] They shall eat of good things both from above them, and from under their feet;] That is, they shall enjoy the blessings both of heaven and earth.

[b] If thou publish not the whole, thou dost not, in effect, publish any part thereof;] That is, if thou do not complete the publication of all thy revelations without exception, thou dost not answer the end for which they were revealed; because the concealing of any part, renders the system of religion which God has thought fit to publish to mankind by thy ministry lame and imperfect ^[1] .

[1] Al Beidawi, Jallalo’ddin.

[c] God will defend thee, &c.] Until this verse was revealed, Mohammed entertained a guard of armed men for his security, but on his receiving this assurance of God’s protection, he immediately dismissed them ^[2] .

[2] Iidem

[d] See chap. 2. p. 8.

[e] And they became blind and deaf;] Shutting their eyes and ears against conviction and the remonstrance of the law; as when they worshipped the calf.

[f] Then was God turned unto them;] i.e. Upon their repentance.

[g] See chap. 4. p. 81.

[h] His mother was a woman of veracity;] Never pretending to partake of the divine nature, or to be the mother of God ^[3] .

[3] Jallalo’ddin.

[a] They both eat food;] Being obliged to support their lives by the same means, and being subject to the same necessities and infirmities as the rest of mankind, and therefore no Gods ^[1] .

[1] Idem, Al Beidawi.

[b] See chap. 4. p. 80. But here the words are principally directed to the Christians.

[c] Neither follow the desires of people who have heretofore erred, &c.] That is, of their prelates and predecessors, who erred in ascribing divinity to Christ, before the mission of Mohammed ^[2] .

[2] Iidem.

[d] See before, p. 91. not. b.

[e] See chap. 2. p. 11. not. h.

[f] And are not elated with pride;] Having not that high conceit of themselves, as the Jews have; but being humble and well disposed to receive the truth; qualities, says al Beidâwi, which are to be commended even in infidels.

[g] And when they hear that which hath been sent down to the apostle, read unto them, their eyes overflow with tears, &c.] The persons directly intended in this passage were, either Ashama, king of Ethiopia, and several bishops and priests, who, being assembled for that purpose, heard Jaafar Ebn Abi Taleb, who fled to that country in the first flight ^[3] , read the 29th and 30th, and afterwards the 18th and 19th chapters of the Korân; on hearing of which the king and the rest of the company burst into tears, and confessed what was delivered therein to be conformable to truth; that prince himself, in particular, becoming a proselyte to Mohammedism ^[4] : or else, thirty, or as others say, seventy persons, sent ambassadors to Mohammed by the same king of Ethiopia, to whom the prophet himself read the thirty sixth chapter, Intitled Y. S. Whereupon they began to weep, saying, How like is this to that which was revealed unto Jesus! and immediately professed themselves Moslems ^[5] .

[3] See the Prelim. Disc. p. 44, 45.

[4] Al Beidawi, Al Thalabi. V. Abulfed., vit. Moh. p. 25, &c. Marracc. Prodr. ad Refut. Alcor. part. 1. p. 45.

[5] Al Beidawi, Jallalo’ddin. V. Marracc. ubi sup.

[a] Forbid not the good things which God hath allowed you;] These words were revealed when certain of Mohammed’s companions agreed to oblige themselves to continual fasting and watching, and to abstain from women, eating flesh, sleeping on beds, and other lawful enjoyments of life, in imitation of some self-denying Christians; but this the prophet disapproved, declaring that he would have no monks in his religion ^[1] .

[1] Jallalo’ddin, Al Beidawi.

[b] See chap. 2. p. 26.

[c] The commentators give us the different opinions of the doctors, as to the quantity of food and clothes to be given in this case; which I think scarce worth transcribing.

[d] Shall fast three days;] That is, three days together, says Abu Hanîfa. But this is not observed in practice, being neither explicitly commanded in the Korân, nor ordered in the Sonna ^[2] .

[2] Al Beidawi.

[e] Wine and lots;] That is, all inebriating liquors, and games of chance. See the Prelim. Disc. §. V. and chap. 2. p. 25.

[f] Images;] Al Beidâwi and some other commentators expound this of idols; but others, with more probability, of the carved pieces or men, with which the pagan Arabs played at chess, being little figures of men, elephants, horses, and dromedaries; and this is supposed to be the only thing Mohammed disliked in that game: for which reason the Sonnites play with plain pieces of wood or ivory; but the Persians and Indians, who are not so scrupulous, still make use of the carved ones ^[3] .

[3] V. Prl. Disc. §. V.

[g] See the Prelim. Discourse, §. V.

[h] See ibid. §. II. p. 48, &c.

[i] The commentators endeavour to excuse the tautology of this passage, by supposing the threefold repetition of fearing and believing refers either to the three parts of time, past, present, and future, or to the threefold duty of man, towards God, himself, and his neighbour, &c ^[4] .

[4] Al Beidawi.

[a] God will surely prove you, in offering you plenty of game, &c.] This temptation or trial was at al Hodeibiya, where Mohammed’s men, who had attended him thither with an intent to perform a pilgrimage to the Caaba, and had initiated themselves with the usual rites, were surrounded by so great a number of birds and beasts that they impeded their march; for which unusual accident, some of them concluded that God had allowed them to be taken; but this passage was to convince them of the contrary ^[1] .

[1] Idem, Jallalo’ddin.

[b] While ye are on pilgrimage;] Literally, while ye are Mohrims, or have actually initiated yourselves as pilgrims, by putting on the garment worn at that solemnity. Hunting and fowling are hereby absolutely forbidden to persons in this state, tho’ they are allowed to kill certain kinds of noxious animals ^[2] .

[2] See the Prelim. Disc. §. V.

[c] Shall restore the like in domestic animals, &c.] That is, he shall bring an offering to the temple of Mecca, to be slain there and distributed among the poor, of some domestic or tame animal, equal in value to what he shall have killed; as a sheep, for example, in lieu of an antelope, a pigeon for a partridge, &c. And of this value two prudent persons were to be judges. If the offender was not able to do this, he was to give a certain quantity of food to one or more poor men; or, if he could not afford that, to fast a proportionable number of days ^[3] .

[3] Jallalo’ddin, Al Beidawi..

[d] This, says Jallalo’ddin, is to be understood of fish that live altogether in the sea, and not of those that live in the sea and on land both, as crabs, &c. The Turks, who are Hanifites, never eat this sort of fish; but the sect of Malec Ebn Ans, and perhaps some others, make no scruple of it.

[e] See above note b.

[f] An establishment;] That is, the place where the practice of their religious ceremonies is chiefly established; where those who are under any apprehension of danger may find a sure asylum, and the merchant certain gain, &c ^[4] .

[4] Iidem.

[g] The sacred month;] Al Beidâwi understands this of the month of Dhu’lhajja, wherein the ceremonies of the pilgrimage are performed; but Jallalo’ddin supposes all the four sacred months are here intended ^[5] .

[5] See the Prelim. Disc. §. VII.

[h] See before, p. 82.

[i] See the Prelim. Discourse, §. II. p. 48.

[k] Evil and good shall not be equally esteemed of, tho’ the abundance of evil pleaseth thee;] For judgment is to be made of things not from their plenty or scarcity, but from their intrinsic good or bad qualities ^[6] .

[6] Al Beidawi.

[a] Inquire not concerning things which if they be declared unto you may give you pain, &c.] The Arabs continually teasing their prophet with questions, which probably he was not always prepared to answer, they are here ordered to wait, till God should think fit to declare his pleasure by some farther revelation; and, to abate their curiosity, they are told, at the same time, that very likely the answers would not be agreeable to their inclinations. Al Beidâwi says, that when the pilgrimage was first commanded, Sorâka Ebn Malec asked Mohammed whether they were obliged to perform it every year? To this question the prophet at first turned a deaf ear, but being asked it a second and a third time, he at last said, No; but if I had said yes it would have become a duty, and, if it were a duty, ye would not be able to perform it; therefore give me no trouble as to things wherein I give you none: whereupon this passage was revealed.

[b] God hath not ordained any thing concerning Bahîra, nor Sâïba, nor Wasîla, nor Hâmi, &c.] These were the names given by the pagan Arabs to certain camels or sheep which were turned loose to feed, and exempted from common services, in some particular cases; having their ears slit, or some other mark, that they might be known; and this they did in honour of their gods ^[1] . Which superstitions are here declared to be no ordinances of God, but the inventions of foolish men.

[1] See the Prelim. Disc. §. V.

[c] He who erreth shall not hurt you, &c.] This was revealed when the infidels reproached those who embraced Mohammedism and renounced their old idolatry, that by so doing they arraigned the wisdom of their forefathers ^[2] .

[2] Al Beidawi.

[d] Two just men from among you;] That is, of your kindred, or religion.

[e] Or two others of a different tribe or faith;] They who interpret these words of persons of another religion, say they are abrogated, and that the testimony of such ought not to be received against a Moslem ^[3] .

[3] Idem.

[f] Ye shall shut them both up after the afternoon prayer, &c.] In case there was any doubt, the witnesses were to be kept apart from company, lest they should be corrupted, till they gave their evidence, which they generally did when the afternoon prayer was over, because that was the time of people’s assembling in public, or, say some, because the guardian angels then relieve each other, so that there would be four angels to witness against them if they gave false evidence. But others suppose they might be examined after the hour of any other prayer, when there was a sufficient assembly ^[4] .

[4] Idem.

[a] The occasion of the preceding passage is said to have been this. Tamîn al Dâri and Addi Ebn Yâzid, both Christians, took a journey into Syria to trade, in company with Bodeil, the freed man of Amru Ebn al As, who was a Moslem. When they came to Damascus, Bodeil fell sick, and died, having first wrote down a list of his effects on a piece of paper, which he hid in his baggage, without acquainting his companions with it, and desired them only to deliver what he had to his friends of the tribe of Sahm. The survivors, however, searching among his goods, found a vessel of silver of considerable weight, and inlaid with gold, which they concealed, and on their return delivered the rest to the deceased’s relations, who, finding the list of Bodeil’s writing, demanded the vessel of silver of them, but they denied it; and the affair being brought before Mohammed, these words, viz. O true believers, take witnesses, &c., were revealed, and he ordered them to be sworn at the pulpit in the mosque, just as afternoon prayer was over, and on their making oath that they knew nothing of the plate demanded, dismissed them. But afterwards, the vessel being found in their hands, the Sahmites, suspecting it was Bodeil’s, charged them with it, and they confessed it was his, but insisted that they had bought it of him, and that they had not produced it because they had no proof of the bargain. Upon this they went again before Mohammed, to whom these words, And if it appear, &c., were revealed; and thereupon Amru Ebn al As and al Motalleb Ebn Abi Refâa, both of the tribe of Sahm, stood up, and were sworn against them; and judgment was given accordingly ^[1] .

[1] Idem.

[b] On a certain day;] That is, on the day of judgment.

[c] We have no knowledge, &c.] That is, we are ignorant whether our proselytes were sincere, or whether they apostatized after our deaths; but thou well knowest, not only what answer they gave us, but the secrets of their hearts, and whether they have since continued firm in their religion or not.

[d] See chap. 2. p. 12.

[e] See chap. 3. p. 41.

[f] See ibid.

[g] See ibid. p. 42.

[a] Is thy Lord able to cause a table to descend unto us from heaven, &c.] This miracle is thus related by the commentators. Jesus having, at the request of his followers, asked it of God, a red table immediately descended, in their sight, between two clouds, and was set before them; whereupon he rose up, and having made the ablution, prayed, and then took off the cloth which covered the table, saying, In the name of God, the best provider of food. What the provisions were with which this table was furnished is a matter wherein the expositors are not agreed. One will have them to be nine cakes of bread and nine fishes; another bread and flesh; another, all sorts of food, except flesh; another all sorts of food, except bread and flesh; another, all except bread and fish; another, one fish, which had the taste of all manner of food; and another, fruits of paradise; but the most received tradition is that when the table was uncovered, there appeared a fish ready dressed, without scales or prickly fins, dropping with fat, having salt placed at its head and vinegar at its tail, and round it all sorts of herbs, except leeks, and five loaves of bread, on one of which there were olives, on the second honey, on the third butter, on the fourth cheese, and on the fifth dried flesh. They add that Jesus, at the request of the apostles, shewed them another miracle, by restoring the fish to life, and causing its scales and fins to return to it, at which the standers-by being affrighted, he caused it to become as it was before; that 1,300 men and women, all afflicted with bodily infirmities or poverty, ate of these provisions, and were satisfied, the fish remaining whole as it was at first; that then the table flew up to heaven in the sight of all; and every one who had partaken of this food were delivered from their infirmities and misfortunes; and that it continued to descend for forty days together at dinner-time, and stood on the ground till the sun declined, and was then taken up into the clouds. Some of the Mohammedan writers are of opinion that this table did not really descend, but that it was only a parable; but most think the words of the Korân are plain to the contrary. A further tradition is, that several men were changed into swine for disbelieving this miracle, and attributing it to magic art; or, as others pretend, for stealing some of the victuals from off it ^[1] . Several other fabulous circumstances are also told, which are scarce worth transcribing ^[2] .

[1] Idem, Al Thalabi.

[2] V. Marracc. in Alc. p. 238, &c.

[b] A festival day;] Some say the table descended on a Sunday, which was the reason of the Christians observing that day as sacred. Others pretend this day is still kept among them as a very great festival; and it seems as if the story had its rise from an imperfect notion of Christ’s last supper and the institution of the Eucharist.

[a] Since thou hast taken me to thy self;] Or, since thou hast caused me to die: but as it is a dispute among the Mohammedans whether Christ actually died or not, before his assumption ^[1] , and the original may be translated either way, I have chosen the former expression, which leaves the matter undecided.

[1] See chap. 3. p. 43.