J. F. Campbell Collection > Koran: or, Alcoran of Mohammed

78 Ah KORAN. CHAP. IV.
surely give the faithful a great reward. And how should God go about to
punish you, if ye be thankful and believe ? for God is grateful and wise.
[* VI.] God loveth not the speaking ill of any one in public, unless he who
is injured call for assistance; and God heareth and knoweth : whether ye
publish a good action, or conceal it, or forgive evil, verily God is gracious
and powerful. They who believe not in God, and his apostles, and would
make a distinction between God and his apostles,'^ and say, We believe iu
8ome of the prophets and reject others of them, and seek to take a middle
way in this matter ; these are really unbelievers ; and we have prepared
for the unbelievers an ignominious launishment. But they who believe
in God and his apostles, and make no distinction between any of them,
tmto those will we surely give their reward ; and God is gracious and
merciful. They who have received the scriptures ° will demand of thee,
and thou cause a book to descend unto them from heaven : they formerly
asked of Moses a gi-eater thi7ig than this ; for tliey said, Show us God
visibly.^ Wherefore a storm of fire from heaven destroyed them, because
of their iniquity. Then they took the calf for their God,^ after that evident
proofs of the divine unity had come unto them : but we forgave ihein that,
and gave Moses a manifest power to punish them.^ And we lifted the
mountain of Sinai over them,* when we exacted from them their covenant;*
and said unto them, Enter the gate of the cily worshipping.'^ We also said
unto them. Transgress not on the sabbath day. And we received from
them a firm covenant, that they would observe these things. Therefore for
that ' they have made void their covenant, and have not believed in the
signs of God, and have slain the prophets unjustly, and have said, Our
hearts are uncircumcised ; (but God hath sealed them up, because of
their unbelief; therefore they shall not believe, except a few of tJiem :)
and for that they have not believed in Jesus, and have spoken against
Maiy a grievous calumny ; °* and have said. Verily we have slain
Christ Jesus the Son of Alary, the ajiostle of God ; yet they slew
ftim not, neither crucified liim, but he was represented by one in his
iikeness;"^ and verily they ^?fho disagreed concerning him° were in a doubt
* See chap. ii. p. 35, note g.
* That is, the Jews, who demanded of Mohammed, as a proof of his mission, tliat
*fiey might see a book of revelatir>ns descend to him from heaven, or that he would
produce one written in a celestial character, like the two tables of Moses.
' See chap. ii. p. 7.
This story seems to be an addition to what Moses says of the seventy elders, who
went up to the mountain with him, and with Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and saw
the God of Israel.*
e See chap. ii. p. 7. •■ See ibid. p. 7. note m. • See ibid. p. 9.
* " We raised up Mount Sinai as a pledge of our covenant." — Savary.
k See ibid. p. 7.
' There being nothing in the following words of this sentence to answer to the
causal /or that, Jallalo'ddin supposes something to be understood to complete the
sense, as, therefore we have cursed them, or the like.
" By accusing her of foraication.* "■ See chap. iii. p. 42. and the notes there.
« For some maintained that he was justly and really crucitied ; some insisted that
it was not Jesus who suffered, but another who resembled him in the face, pre-
tending the other parts of his body, by their unlikeness, plainly discovered the
' Exod. xxiv. 9, 10, 11. « See the Koran, ch. six. and that virulent book en-
titled Toldoth Jesu.