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

CHAP. XTU. AL KORAN. 235
oome, and falsehood is vanished :* for falsehood is of short continiiance.''
We send down of the Koran that which is a medicine and mercy unto the
true believers ; but it shall only increase the perdition of the unjust.
When we bestow favours on man, he retireth and withdi-aweth himself
ungratefully frovi us : but when evil toucheth him, he despaireth of our
mercy. Say, Every one acteth after his own manner : • but your Lord best
knoweth who is most truly directed in Ms way. They -will ask thee con-
cerning the spirit :" answer, The spirit was created at the command of my
Lord :° but ye have no knowledge given unto you, except a little." If we
pleased, we should certainly take away that which we have revealed
unto thee ;P in such case thou couldst not find any to assist thee therein
against us, unless through mercy fi'om thy Lord ; for his favour towards
thee hath been gi-eat. Say, Verily if men and genii were purposely assem-
bled, that they might produce a hook like this Koran, they could not pro-
duce one like unto it, although the one of them assisted the other. And
we have variously propounded unto men in this Koran, every kind oj
figurative argument;! but the greater part of men refuse to receive it
merely out of infidelity. And they say, We will by no means believe on
thee, until thou cause a spring of water to gush forth for us out of the
earth j*^ or thou have a garden of palm-trees and vines, and thou cause
* " Say, Lord, cause the truth * to preside over my entering in ; cause it to pre-
side over my going out ; cover me with the shield of thy power." — Savary.
^ These words Mohammed repeated, when he entered the temple of Mecca, after
the taking of that city, and cleansed it of the idols ; a great number of which are
said to have fallen down on his touching them with the end of the stick he held ia
his hand.*
' t. e. According to his judgment or opinion, be it true or false: or according to
the bent of his mind, and the natural constitution of his body.*
■^ Or, the soul of man. Some interpret it of the angel Gabriel, or of the divine
revelation.^
" Viz., by the word Eiin, i. e. Be ; consisting of an immaterial substance, and
not generated, like the body. But, according to a diflerent opinion, this passage
should be translated, The spirit is of those tilings, the knoivledge of which thy Lord
hath reserved to himself. For it is said that the Jews bid the Koreish ask Moham-
med to relate the history of those who slept in the cave,^ and of Dhu'lkarnein,^ and
to give them an account of the soul of man ; adding, that if he pretended to answer
all the three questions, or could answer none of them, they might be sure he was
no prophet ; but if he gave an answer to one or two of the questions, and was silent
as to the other, he was really a prophet. Accordingly, when they propounded the
questions to him, he told them the two histories, but acknowledged his ignorance as
to the origin of the human soul.^
" All your knowledge being acquired from the information of your senses, which
must necessarily fail you in spiritual speculations, without the assistance of divino
revelation. 2
P Viz., the Koran : by razing it both from the written copies, and the memories
of men.
t " In it we have given instructions to man concerning all his duties; but, ob-
stinate in his unbelief, he rejects the light." — Savary.
1 This and the following miracles were demanded of Mohammed by the Koreish,
as proofs of his rr'--" —
* " When Mohammed entered Mecca in triumph, tlie temple was surrounded by
three hundred and sixty idols. He struck them with a wand which he had in his
hand, exclaiming, till they were overthrown, Truth has appeared; falsehood is
about to vanish." — Savary.
* lidem. Vide Gagnier, Vie de Mohammed, torn. 2, p. 127. « Al Beiddwl
^ Idem. 8 See the next chapter. » See ibid. ^ Al Boidawi. » Idem.