CHAP. XV.
Intitled, Al Hejr
[a]
; revealed at Mecca.
In the name of the most merciful God.
[a] Al Hejr is a territory in the province of Hejaz, between Medina and Syria, where the tribe of Thamûd dwelt [1] ; and is mentioned towards the end of the chapter.
[1] See the Prelim. Disc. p. 7.
[b] See the Prelim. Disc. §. III. p. 59, &c.
[c] When the unbelievers shall wish that they had been Moslems;] viz. When they shall see the success and prosperity of the true believers; or when they shall come to die; or at the resurrection.
[d] The admonition;] i.e. The revelations which compose the Korân.
[e] A just occasion;] When the divine wisdom shall judge it proper to use their ministry, as in bearing his revelations to the prophets, and the executing his sentence on wicked people; but not to humour you with their appearance in visible shapes, which, should your demand be complied with, would only increase your confusion, and bring God’s vengeance on you the sooner.
[f] See the Prelim. Disc. IV. p. 75.
[g] And they should ascend thereto;] i.e. The incredulous Meccans themselves; or, as others rather think, the angels in visible forms.
[a] We guard them from every devil, &c.] For the Mohammedans imagine that the devils endeavour to ascend to the constellations, to pry into the actions and overhear the discourse of the inhabitants of heaven, and to tempt them. They also pretend that these evil spirits had the liberty of entering any of the heavens till the birth of JESUS, when they were excluded three of them; but that on the birth of Mohammed they were forbidden the other four [1] .
[1] Al Beidawi.
[b] See chap. 3. p. 39. not. d.
[c] At whom a visible flame is darted;] For when a star seems to fall or shoot, the Mohammedans suppose the angels, who keep guard in the constellations, dart them at the devils who approach too near.
[d] And for him whom ye do not sustain;] viz. Your family, servants, and slaves, whom ye wrongly imagine that ye feed yourselves; tho’ it is God who provides for them as well as you [2] : or, as some rather think, the animals, of whom men take no care [3] .
[2] Idem.
[3] Jallalo’ddin.
[e] The heirs of all things;] i.e. Alone surviving, when all creatures shall be dead and annihilated.
[f] We know those among you who go before; and we know those who stay behind;] What these words particularly drive at is uncertain. Some think them spoken of the different times of men’s several entrance into this world, and their departure out of it; others of the respective forwardness and backwardness of Mohammed’s men in battle; and a third says, the passage was occasioned by the different behaviour of Mohammed’s followers, on seeing a very beautiful woman at prayers behind the prophet; some of them going out of the Mosque before her, to avoid looking on her more nearly, and others staying behind, on purpose to view her [4] .
[4] Al Beidawi.
[g] See chap. 2. p. 4, &c.
[a] See ibid. and chap. 7. p. 117.
[b] This is the right way with me;] viz. The saving of the elect, and the utter reprobation of the wicked, according to my eternal decree.
[c] See the Prelim. Disc. §. IV. p. 92.
[d] We will remove all grudges from their breasts;] That is, all hatred and ill-will which they bore each other in their life time [1] ; or, as some choose to expound it, all envy or heart-burning on account of the different degrees of honour and happiness to which the blessed will be promoted according to their respective merits.
[1] See chap. 7. p. 120. not. c.
[e] Sitting over against one another;] Never turning their backs to one another [2] ; which might be construed a sign of contempt.
[2] Jallalo’ddin.
[f] See chap. 11. p. 182, &c.
[g] We are afraid of you;] What occasioned Abraham’s apprehension was, either their sudden entering without leave or their coming at an unseasonable time; or else their not eating with him.
[h] Whither ye are commanded;] Which was into Syria; or into Egypt [3] .
[3] Al Beidawi, Jallalo’ddin.
[a] Some will have these words spoken by the angels to Lot; others, by God to Mohammed.
[b] The inhabitants of the wood;] To whom Shoaib was also sent, as well as to the inhabitants of Midian; they being of the same tribe.
[c] We took vengeance on them;] Destroying them, for their incredulity and disobedience, by a hot suffocating wind [1] .
[1] Iidem.
[d] The inhabitants of Al Hejr;] Who were the tribe of Thamûd [2] .
[2] See chap. 7. p. 124, &c. and Prel. Disc. p. 7.
[e] This verse, it is said, was abrogated by that of the sword.
[f] Seven verses, &c.] That is, the first chapter of the Korân, which consists of so many verses: tho’ some suppose the seven long chapters [3] are here intended.
[3] See chap. 9. p. not. a.
[g] Cast not thine eyes on the good things which we have bestowed on several of the unbelievers, &c.] That is, Do not envy or covet their worldly prosperity, since thou hast received, in the Korân, a blessing, in comparison whereof all that we have bestowed on them ought to be contemned as of no value. Al Beidâwi mentions a tradition, that Mohammed meeting at Adhriât (a town of Syria) seven caravans, very richly laden, belonging to some Jews of the tribes of Koreidha and al Nadîr, his men had a great mind to plunder them, saying, That those riches would be of great service for the propagation of God’s true religion. But the prophet represented to them, by this passage, that they had no reason to repine, God having given them the seven verses, which were infinitely more valuable than those seven caravans [4] .
[4] Al Beidawi.
[h] The dividers;] Some interpret the original word, the obstructers, who hindered men from entering Mecca, to visit the temple, lest they should be persuaded to embrace Islâm: and this, it is said, was done by ten men, who were all slain at Bedr. Others translate the word, who bound themselves by oath; and suppose certain Thamûdites, who swore to kill Saleh by night, are here meant. But the sentence more probably relates to the Jews and Christians, who (say the Mohammedans) receive some part of the scriptures, and reject others; and also approved of some passages of the Korân, and disapproved of others, according to their prejudices; or else to the unbelieving Meccans, some of whom called the Korân a piece of witchcraft; others, flights of divination; others, old stories; and others, a poetical composition [1] .
[1] Idem, Jallalo’ddin.
[a] We will surely take thy part against the scoffers;] This passage, it is said, was revealed on account of five noble Koreish, whose names were al Walîd Ebn al Mogheira, al As Ebn Wayel, Oda Ebn Kais, al Aswad Ebn Abd Yaghûth, and al Aswad Ebn al Motalleb. These were inveterate enemies of Mohammed, continually persecuting him, and turning him into ridicule; wherefore at length Gabriel came and told him that he was commanded to take his part against them; and on the angel’s making a sign towards them one after another, al Walîd passing by some arrows, one of them hitched in his garment, and he, out of pride, not stooping to take it off, but walking forward, the head of it cut a vein in his heel, and he bled to death; al As was killed with a thorn, which stuck into the sole of his foot, and caused his leg to swell to a monstrous size; Oda died with violent and perpetual sneezing; al Aswad Ebn Abd Yaghûth ran his head against a thorny tree and killed himself; and al Aswad Ebn al Motalleb was struck blind [2] .
[2] Al Beidawi.
[b] Death;] Literally, That which is certain.