The Qur'ân, Part II — Chapters XVII–CXIV — SBE Vol. 9 (trans. E. H. Palmer, Clarendon Press, 1880)

[55] And had it not been for the favour of my Lord, I should have been among the arraigned. —‘ What! shall we not die save our first death ? and shall we not be tormented ?—Verily, this is mighty bliss! for the like of this then let the -workers work.’

[60] Is that better as an entertainment, or the tree of Ez Zaqqim?? Verily, we have made it a trial to the unjust. Verily, it is a tree that comes forth from the bottom of hell; its spathe is as it were the heads of devils; verily, they shall eat therefrom, and fill their bellies therefrom. [65] Then shall they have upon it a mixture of boiling water ; then, verily, their return shall be to hell.

Verily, they found their fathers erring, and they hurried on in their tracks; but there had erred before them most of those of yore, [70] and we had sent warners amongst them. Behold, then, what was the end of those who were warned, save God's sincere servants !

1 Ez Zaqqim is a foreign tree with an exceedingly bitter fruit, the name of which is here used for the infernal tree.

2 The unbelievers objected that the tree could not grow in hell, where the very stones (see Part I, p. 4, note 1) were fuel for the fire.

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Noah did call upon us, and a gracious answer did we give; and we saved him and his people from a mighty trouble ; [75] and we made his seed to be the survivors; and we left for him amongst posterity ‘peace upon Noah in the worlds; verily, thus do we reward those who do well; verily, he was of our believing servants.’ [80] Then we drowned the others.

And, verily, of his sect was Abraham; when he came to his Lord with a sound heart; when he said to his father and his people, ‘What is it that you serve? with a lie do you desire gods beside God? [85] What then is your thought respecting the Lord of the worlds ?’

And he looked a look at the stars and said, ‘Verily, I am sick!’ and they turned their backs upon him fleeing?. And he went aside unto their gods and said, ‘ Will you not eat? [90] What ails you that you will not speak?’ And he went aside to them smiting with the right hand.

And they? rushed towards him. Said he, ‘Do you serve what you hew out, when God has created you, and what you make?’

[95] Said they, ‘Build for him a pyre, and throw him into the flaming hell!’ They desired to plot against him, but we made them inferior. Said he, ‘Verily, I am going to my Lord, He will guide me. My Lord! grant me (a son), one of the

1 Mohammedan commentators say that he pretended to a knowledge of astrology and made as though he saw a presage of coming sickness for himself in the stars, whereupon the others fled for fear of contagion, and Abraham took the opportunity of absenting himself from the festival which was being held in honour of the idols.

2 The people of the city.

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righteous ;’ and we gave him glad tidings of a clement boy.

2 The people of the city.

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righteous ;’ and we gave him glad tidings of a clement boy.

[100] And when he reached the age to work with him, he said, ‘O my boy! verily, I have seen in a dream that I should sacrifice you!, look then what you seest right.’

Said he, ‘O my sire! do what you are bidden; you will find me, if it please God, one of the patient !’

And when they were resigned, and Abraham had thrown him down upon his forehead, we called to him, ‘O Abraham! [105] you have verified the vision ; verily, thus do we reward those who do well. This is surely an obvious trial.’ And we ransomed him with a mighty victim; and we left for him amongst posterity, ‘Peace upon Abraham ; [110] thus do we reward those who do well; verily, he was of our servants who believe!’ And we gave him glad tidings of Isaac, a prophet among the righteous ; and we blessed him and Isaac ;—of their seed is one who does well, and one who obviously wrongs himself.

And we were gracious unto Moses and Aaron. [115] We saved them and their people from mighty trouble, and we helped them and they had the upper hand; and we gave them both the perspicuous Book ; and we guided them to the right way; and we left for them amongst posterity, [120] ‘Peace upon Moses and Aaron; verily, thus do we reward those who do well; verily, they were both of our servants who believe !’ .

1 The Mohammedan theory is that it was Ishmael and not
Isaac who was taken as a sacrifice,

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And verily Ely4s! was of the apostles; when he said to his people, ‘Will you not fear ? [125] do you call upon Baal and leave the best of Creators, God your Lord and the Lord of your fathers of yore ?’

But they called him liar; verily, they shall surely be arraigned, save God’s sincere servants. And we left for him amongst posterity, [130] ‘Peace upon Elydsin?; verily, thus do we reward those who do well; verily, he was-of our servants who believe!’

And, verily, Lot was surely among the apostles ; when we saved him and his people altogether, [135] except an old woman amongst those who lingered ; then we destroyed the others; verily, you pass by them in the morning and at night; have you then no sense ?

And, verily, Jonah was amongst the apostles; [140] when he ran away? into the laden ship; and he cast lots and was of those who lost; and a fish. swallowed him, for he was to be blamed; and had it not been that he was of those who celebrated

1 Supposed by the Mohammedans to be the same as Al ‘Hid/r. and Idris.

into the laden ship; and he cast lots and was of those who lost; and a fish. swallowed him, for he was to be blamed; and had it not been that he was of those who celebrated

1 Supposed by the Mohammedans to be the same as Al ‘Hid/r. and Idris.

® This is probably another form of the word Ely4s, on the model of many Hebrew words which have survived in the later Arabic dialect. The Mohammedan commentators however conjecturally interpret it in various ways, some consider it to be a plural form, including Elias and his followers ; others divide the wotd and read it Al-ya-stn, i.e. ‘the family of Ya-sin,’ namely, Elias and his father. Others imagine it to mean Mohammed or the Qur’én. Most probably however the final syllable -in was nothing more than a prolonged utterance of the case-ending, here improperly used in order to preserve the rhyme or final cadence of the verse. The modern Bedawin frequently do the same, and I have heard them singing a song commencing ‘ Zaidfin, Zaidfin, Zaidfn,’ when they should say, Zaidu, ‘O Zaid!’ &c. Trans.

5 The word used in the text is always applied to runaway slaves.

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God’s praises he would surely have tarried in the belly thereof to the day when men shall be raised.

[145] But we cast him on to the barren shore ; and he was sick; and we made to grow over him a gourd tree; and we sent him to a hundred thousand or more, and they believed; and we gave them enjoyment for a season.

Ask them}, ‘Has your Lord daughters while they have sons?? [150] or have we created the angels females while they were witnesses ?’ is it not of their lie that they say, ‘God has begotten ?’ verily, they are liars.

Has he preferred daughters to sons? what ails you? how you judge! [155] will you not be mindful, or have you obvious authority? then bring your Book if you do speak the truth.

And they made him to be related to the ginns, while the ginns know that they shall be arraigned ; celebrated be God’s praises from what they attribute !—[160] save God’s sincere servants.

‘Verily, you and what you worship shall not try any one concerning him, save him who shall broil in hell; there is none amongst us but has his appointed place, and, [165] verily, we are ranged, and, verily, we celebrate His praises’

And yet they say, ‘Had we a reminder from those of yore we should surely have been of God’s sincere servants.’

[170] But they misbelieved in it*; but soon shall they know.

1 The Meccans.

2 See Part I, p. 256, note 2.

8 This speech is supposed to be the words of the angel Gabriel.
“ Le. in the Quran.

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But our word has been passed to our servants who were sent that they should be helped; that, verily, our hosts should gain mastery for them. |

Then turn you your back upon them for a time,
[175] and look upon them, for soon they too shall
look.