Note [original edition] : While they dispute concerning God;] This passage was revealed on the following occasion:
Amer Ebn al
Tofail and
Arbad Ebn Rabîah, the brother of
Labîd, went to
Mohammed with an
intent to kill him; and
Amer began to dispute with him concerning the chief
points of his doctrine, while
Arbad, taking a compass, went behind him to
dispatch him with his sword; but the prophet, perceiving his design, implored
God’s protection; whereupon
Arbad was immediately struck dead by thunder, and
Amer was struck with a pestilential boil, of which he died in a short time, in
a miserable condition
5.
Jallalo’ddin, however, tells another story saying that
Mohammed, having
sent one to invite a certain man to embrace his religion, the person put this
question to the missionary,
Who is this apostle, and what is God?
Is he of
gold, or of silver, or of brass? Upon which a thunderbolt struck off his
skull, and killed him.
-
5
Al Beidawi. v. Golii. not. in Adagia Arab. adject. ad Gram Erpenii, p. 99.