And put thy trust in Him that is the Mighty, the Merciful,

Who seeth thee when thou standest in prayer,

And thy demeanour amongst those who worship;

For He heareth, knoweth all.

Shall I tell you on whom Satan descend?

They descend on every lying, wicked person:

They impart what they have heard;22-but most of them are liars.

It is the POETS23 whom the erring follow:

Seest thou not how they rove distraught in every valley?

And that they say that which they do not?

Save those who believe and do good works, and oft remember God;

And who defend themselves when unjustly treated. But they who treat them
unjustly shall find out what a lot awaiteth them.


_______________________

1 This Sura belongs to about the seventh year of Muhammad's prophetic life.

2 See Sura 1xviii. I, p. 32.

3 Lit. to which their necks would humble themselves.

4 Lit. my tongue is not free. This verse appears to be a studied
simplification of Ex. iv. 10-13.

5 The murder of the Egyptian. See Geiger, 159.

6 Lit. and thou hast done thy deed which thou hast done. See xxviii. 15.

7 Thus Pirke R. Elieser § 48. "He placed his hand in his bosom, and drew it
forth, white as snow with leprosy."

8 "The Pharaoh who lived in the days of Moses was a great magician." Mid.
Jalkut, c. 182. Comp. Sura xxviii. 38, where, in accordance with the Rabbinic
traditions Pharaoh claims to be a God.

9 See ii. 58, and Midr. Jalkut on Ex. xii. c. 208.

10 Lit. except.

11 Lit. a tongue of truth, i.e. high repute. Or, grant that my words may be
believed among posterity. See [lviii.] xix. 47.

12 Of their motives in embracing Islam.

13 The Adites are mentioned in vii. and xi.

14 This is to be understood of the small forts erected by the nomades of the
Hejaz along the route of the caravans to guarantee their safety. Comp. Gen.
xi. 1-10, and Sura lxxxix. 6, p. 54.

15 The Madian and the El-Aika of other Suras are unquestionably one and the
same place, as they have the same prophet Shoaib (or Sho'eyb), the Jethro of
Scripture-a name perhaps altered from Hobab (Numb. x. 29)-and because the
same sin is laid to the charge of both. See Winer's Realw”rterbuch on Jethro.
The Midr. Rabbah on Ex. ii. I6, Par. I, makes Jethro renounce idolatry, and
his office of Priest, and undergo banishment from the Midianites.

16 Gabriel. See Sura lxxxi. 19, p. 46.

17 See Sura xiii. 36. This verse is said to have been revealed at Medina by
Itq. 34.

18 The unbelieving Meccans. Lit. that the knowing (Doctors, Uhlemas) knew it.

19 Lit. have introduced it, i.e. infidelity; or, the Koran. Beidh. The latter
interpretation seems most accordant with the context.

20 Comp. Sura xxxvii. 7, 8, p. 79.

21 It is probable that within three or four years from his entry upon the
prophetic office, Muhammad had made about 40 converts. Some biographers refer
to this passage, and not to Sura lxiv. I, as the first call to preach. But
this Sura is itself late, and bears evidence of the opposition to which the
prophet had become exposed, and of adherents to his cause, now become
numerous. The diffuseness and feeblenss of the style clearly point to a late
origin.

22 They impart to their votaries on earth what they have learned by stealth
and partially, in heaven.

23 Muhammad found it necessary to employ the pens of certain poets to defend
himself and his religion from the ridicule and satire of other poets, whose
productions were recited at the great annual fair held at Okatz, the Olympus
of the Hejaz. The poems which were judged the best were written up in letters
of gold, or suspended (hence called Moallakat) in the Caaba. These poetical
contests were subsequently suppressed by Muhammad, as offering openings for


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