The Koran Part 132

67 Freyt. Lex. vol. ii. p. 477 Quid eos agere coegit quemadmodum d.a.m.nati agunt? But Mar. Quanta erit sustinentia corum!

68 To whom his brother, that is, any Arab or believer, shall remit the penalty of death.

69 Of the stricter Mosaic lex talionis, as well of the ante-Islamitic Arabian custom, by which the killing of a slave was avenged by the death of a free man, and the killing of a woman by taking the life of a man. See Freyt. Einl.

p. 193. Comp. Ex. xxi. 23.

70 That is, by killing the manslayer.

71 On the word Furquan, see Sura [1xv.] xxi. 49.

72 A mutual comfort to each other.

73 Thus Misch. Berachoth, 1, 2, "Prayer is to be said as soon as one can distinguish between a blue and white thread."

74 Judging from the minuteness of the precepts laid down in this and the following verses to 193, it would appear that they were added at a late period of Muhammad's residence at Medina.

75 Such appears to have been the superst.i.tious custom of the Arabs after their return from pilgrimages to Mecca.

76 Their driving you out of Mecca; or, the temptation (to idolatry).

77 Lit. the sacred month for the sacred month, and the sacred precincts or things (for) reprisals. The meaning of this difficult pa.s.sage is that in wars for the cause of religion, the sacred month and the temple of Mecca may be made the time and scene of contests, which then and there are usually prohibited. For the most accurate information as to the Pilgrimage, see Freytag, Einl. 418.

78 This shows that Muhammad inculcated the doctrine of entire freedom of the will.

79 The greater Pilgrimage, which every Muslim is bound to perform once in his life, is the Hadjat el Farz (the one obligatory Pilgrimage), or the Hadjat el Islam. The Umrah, or little pilgrimage, may be performed at any time except the pilgrimage season, and its ceremonies are much fewer. They are described by Lieut. Burton in his "Pilgrimage," vol. iii. ch. xxviii.

80 Namely, Shawal, Dhu'lkaada, and Dhu'lhajja.

81 By trading during the Hadj.

82 The pilgrims move on very rapidly when in the immediate neighbourhood of the Holy Places.

83 From the valley of Mina.

84 Said to have been one Al Akhnas Ibn Shoraik, a dissembler with Muhammad.

85 Sohaib, when he joined the standard of Muhammad, left all his property in the hands of the infidels.

86 Verses 204-210 are probably addressed to those Muslims who were desirous to observe certain parts of the Jewish law.

87 The Koran.

88 That is, there was originally but one religion in the world.

89 Comp. Sura [c.] iv. 42, and [cxiv.] v. 99, 100.

90 Limits, fences. The word is Talmudic. Thus Pirke Aboth, i. "The men of the great synagogue said ... Make a fence for the law;" and iii. 13, "Tradition is a fence to the law."

91 Comp. Sura [lx.x.xii.] x.x.xi. 13.

92 Within the four months and ten days.

93 Either the asr, midway between noon and nightfall (see verse 104 above) or the prayer immediately after midday. See note on Sura [c.] iv. 46.

94 This verse is certainly older than the commencement of Sura iv. which alters the law here laid down.

95 Comp. Ezek. x.x.xvii. 1-10. These Jews are said by some commentators to have abandoned their dwellings through fear of a pestilence (comp. Talmud Sanhed.

92); by others, for fear of being compelled to serve in the wars of G.o.d.

96 This and the seven following verses shew that Muhammad, foreseeing an open rupture with the people of Medina at no distant period, felt it necessary to stimulate the zeal and courage of his partisans by examples from Jewish history.

97 Ar. Shechinah. See Freytag Lex. in v. This word, as well as the Arabic word for ark (p. 95, n.) betray in their form a Rabbinic origin.

98 The shoes and rod of Moses, the mitre of Aaron, the vase of manna, the fragments of the two tables of the law.

99 Observe the confusion between Gideon and Saul.

100 See verse 81.

101 The drift of these words, which are of such frequent recurrence in the Koran, is, that the former revelations had been abused, and instead of leading them to Islam broke them up into sects and dissentient parties.

102 This verse must have been revealed before Muhammad felt himself secure in his new position at Medina.

103 A name applied to an idol or idols especially Allat and Ozza, the ancient idols of the Meccans. The termination of the word Thagout is more Hebraic than pure Arabic, and literally means error.

104 Nimrod.

105 Ozair or Esdras doubted whether Jerusalem could be rebuilt after its destruction by Nebuchadnezzar, and the miracle here narrated, was wrought for his a.s.surance. The fable has its origin in the circuit made by Nehemiah around the ruined city. Neh. ii. 13.

106 Lit. it was falling on its roofs.

107 Comp. Gen. xv. 9.

108 That is, Satan would dissuade you from liberal contributions by instilling the fear of poverty.

109 Comp. Matt. vi. 3, 4. 110 This contradicts verse 254, as well as several verses in Sura [1viii.] xix.

SURA XCVIII.-CLEAR EVIDENCE [XCII.]

MEDINA.-8 Verses

In the Name of G.o.d, the Compa.s.sionate, the Merciful

THE unbelievers among the people of the Book, and the Polytheists, did not waver, until the CLEAR EVIDENCE had come to them;

A messenger from G.o.d, reciting to them the pure pages wherein are true Scriptures!