CHAPTER XI.

CHAPTER XI.

ENTITLED, HUD;t REVEALED AT MECCA.

IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD.

AL. R.u THIS book, the verses whereof are guarded against corruption, and are also distinctly explained,y is a revelation from the wise, the knowing God: that ye serve not any other GOD: (verily I am a denouncer of threats, and a bearer of good tidings unto you from him;)

t The story of which prophet is repeated in this chapter. u See the Prelim. Disc. p. 46, &c. x According to the various senses which the verb ohkimat, in the original, may bear, the commentators suggest as many different interpretations. Some suppose the meaning to be, according to our version, that the Korân is not liable to be corrupted,1 as the law and the gospel have been, in the opinion of the Mohammedans; others, that every verse in this particular chapter is in full force, and not one of them abrogated; others, that the verses of the Korân are disposed in a clear and perspicuous method, or contain evident and demonstrative arguments; and others, that they comprise judicial declarations, to regulate both faith and practice.2 y The signification of the verb fossilat, which is here used, being also ambiguous, the meaning of this passage is supposed to be, either that the verses are distinctly proposed or expressed in a clear manner; or that the subject matter of the whole may be distinguished or divided into laws, monitions, and examples; or else that the verses were revealed by parcels.

1 See the Prelim. Disc. p. 53. 2 Al Beidâwi, Jallalo'ddin, al Zamakhshari, &c.

and that ye ask pardon of your LORD, and then be turned unto him. He will cause you to enjoy a plentiful provision, until a prefixed time: and unto every one that hath merit by good works will he give his abundant reward. But if ye turn back, verily I fear for you the punishment of the great day: unto GOD shall ye return; and he is almighty. Do they not double the folds of their breasts,z that they may conceal their designs from him? When they cover themselves with their garments, doth not he know that which they conceal, and that which they discover? For he knoweth the innermost parts of the breasts of men.a There is no creature which creepeth on the earth, but GOD provideth its food; and he knoweth the place of its retreat, and where it is laid up.b The whole is written in the perspicuous book of his decrees. It is he who hath created the heavens and the earth in six days, (but his throne was above the waters before the creation thereof),c that he might prove you, and see which of you would excel in works. 10 If thou say, Ye shall surely be raised again, after death; the unbelievers will say, This is nothing but manifest sorcery. And verily if we defer their punishment unto a determined season, they will say, What hindereth it from falling on us? Will it not come upon them on a day, wherein there shall be none to avert it from them; and that which they scoffed at shall encompass them? Verily, if we cause man to taste mercy from us, and afterwards take it away from him; he will surely become desperate,d and ungrateful. And if we cause him to taste favor, after an affliction hath befallen him, he will surely say, The evils which I suffered are passed from me, and he will become joyful and insolent: except those who persevere with patience, and do that which is right; they shall receive pardon, and a great reward. Peradventure thou wilt omit to publish part of that which hath been revealed unto thee, and thy breast will become straitened, lest they say, Unless a treasure be sent down unto him, or an angel come with him, to bear witness unto him, we will not believe. Verily thou art a preacher only; and GOD is the governor of all things. Will they say, He hath forged the Koran? Answer, Bring therefore ten chapterse like unto it, forged by yourselves: and call on whomsoever ye may to assist you, except GOD, if ye speak truth.

z Or, as it may be translated, Do they not turn away their breasts, &c. a This passage was occasioned by the words of certain of the idolaters, who said to one another, When we let down our curtains (such as the women use in the east to screen themselves from the sight of the men when they happen to be in the room), and wrap ourselves up in our garments, and fold up our breasts, to conceal our malice against Mohammed, how should he come to the knowledge of it? Some suppose the passage relates to certain hypocritical Moslems; but this opinion is generally rejected, because the verse was revealed at Mecca, and the birth of hypocrisy among the Mohammedans happened not till after the Hejra. b i.e., Both during its life and after its death; or the repository of every animal, before its birth, in the loins and wombs of the parents. c For the Mohammedans suppose this throne, and the waters whereon it stands, which waters they imagine are supported by a spirit or wind, were, with some other things, created before the heavens and earth. This fancy they borrowed from the Jews, who also say that the throne of glory then stood in the air, and was borne on the face of the waters, by the breath of GOD'S mouth.1 d Casting aside all hopes of the divine favour, for want of patience and trust in GOD. e This was the number which he first challenged them to compose; but they not being able to do it, he made the matter still easier, challenging them to produce a single chapter only,2 comparable to the Korân in doctrine and eloquence.

1 Rashi, ad Gen. i. 2. Vide Reland. de Relig. Moh. p. 50, &c. 2 See c. 2, p. 3; c. 10, p. 153, &c.

But if they whom ye call to your assistance hear you not; know that this book hath been revealed by the knowledge of GOD only,f and that there is no GOD but he. Will ye therefore become Moslems? Whoso chooseth the present life, and the pomp thereof, unto them will we give the recompense of their works therein, and the same shall not be diminished unto them. These are they for whom no other reward is prepared in the next life, except the fire of hell: that which they have done in this life shall perish; and that which they have wrought shall be vain. 20 Shall he therefore be compared with them, who followeth the evident declaration of his LORD, and whom a witness from himg attendeth, preceded by the book of Moses,h which was revealed for a guide, and out of mercy to mankind? These believe in the Koran: but whosoever of the confederate infidels believeth not therein, is threatened the fire of hell, which threat shall certainly be executed: be not therefore in a doubt concerning it; for it is the truth from thy LORD: but the greater part of men will not believe. Who is more unjust than he who imagineth a lie concerning GOD? They shall be set before the LORD, at the day of judgment, and the witnessesi shall say, These are they who devised lies against their LORD. Shall not the curse of GOD fall on the unjust; who turn men aside from the way of GOD, and seek to render it crooked, and who believe not in the life to come? These were not able to prevail against God on earth, so as to escape punishment; neither had they any protectors besides GOD: their punishment shall be doubled unto them.k They could not hear, neither did they see These are they who have lost their souls; and the idols which they falsely imagined have abandoned them. There is no doubt but they shall be most miserable in the world to come. But as for those who believe and do good works, and humble themselves before their LORD, they shall be the inhabitants of paradise; they shall remain therein forever. The similitude of the two partiesl is as the blind and the deaf, and as he who seeth and heareth: shall they be compared as equal? Will ye not therefore consider? We formerly sent Noahm unto his people; and he said, Verily I am a public preacher unto you; that ye worship GOD alone; verily I fear for you the punishment of the terrible day. But the chiefs of the people, who believed not, answered, We see thee to be no other than a man, like unto us; and we do not see that any follow thee, except those who are the most abject among us, who have believed on thee by a rash judgment;n neither do we perceive any excellence in you above us: but we esteem you to be liars. 30 Noah said, O my people, tell me; if I have received an evident declaration from my LORD, and he hath bestowed on me mercy from himself, which is hidden from you, do we compel you to receive the same, in case ye be averse thereto?

 f Or containing several passages wrapped up in dark and mysterious
expressions, which can proceed from and are perfectly comprehended by none but
GOD.3
 g The Korân; or, as others suppose, the angel Gabriel.
 h Which bears testimony thereto.
 i That is, the angels, and prophets, and their own members.
 k For they shall be punished both in this life and in the next.
 l i.e., The believers and the infidels.
 m See chapter 7, p. 110, &c.
 n For want of mature consideration, and moved by the first impulse of
their fancy.

3 See c. 3, p. 32.

O my people, I ask not of you riches, for my preaching unto you: my reward is with GOD alone. I will not drive away those who have believed:o verily they shall meet their LORD, at the resurrection; but I perceive that ye are ignorant men. O my people, who shall assist me against GOD, if I drive them away? Will ye not therefore consider? I say not unto you, The treasures of GOD are in my power; neither do I say, I know the secrets of God: neither do I say, Verily I am an angel;p neither do I say of those whom your eyes do contemn, GOD will by no means bestow good on them: (GOD best knoweth that which is in their souls;) for then should I certainly be one of the unjust. They answered, O Noah, thou hast already disputed with us, and hast multiplied disputes with us; now therefore do thou bring that punishment upon us wherewith thou hast threatened us, if thou speakest truth. Noah said, Verily GOD alone shall bring it upon you, if he pleaseth; and ye shall not prevail against him, so as to escape the same. Neither shall my counsel profit you, although I endeavor to counsel you aright, if GOD shall please to lead you into error. He is your LORD, and unto him shall ye return. Will the Meccans say, Mohammed hath forged the Koran? Answer, If I have forged it, on me be my guilt: and let me be clear of that which ye are guilty of. And it was revealed unto Noah, saying, Verily none of thy people shall believe, except he who hath already believed: be not therefore grieved, for that which they are doing. But make an ark in our presence, according to the form and dimensions which we have revealed unto thee: and speak not unto me in behalf of those who have acted unjustly; for they are doomed to be drowned. 40 And he built the ark; and so often as a company of his people passed by him, they derided him:q but he said, Though ye scoff at us now, we will scoff at you hereafter, as ye scoff at us; and ye shall surely know on whom a punishment shall be inflicted, which shall cover him with shame, and on whom a lasting punishment shall fall.

 o For this they asked him to do, because they were poor mean people.
The same thing the Koreish demanded of Mohammed, but he was forbidden to
comply with their request.1
 p See chapter 6, p. 93.
 q For building a vessel in an inland country, and so far from the sea;
and for that he was turned carpenter after he had set up for a prophet.2

 1 See cap. 6, p. 93. 2 Al Beidâwi. 3 Idem.
 4 Jallalo'ddin, &c. 5 Vide D'Herbelot, Bibl. Orient. Art.
Noah. 6 Vide Hyde, de Rel. Vet. Persar, and Lord's Account of the
Relig. of the Persees, p. 9.

Thus were they employed until our sentence was put in execution, and the oven poured forth water.r And we said unto Noah, Carry into the ark of every species of animals one pair;s and thy family,t (except him on whom a previous sentence of destruction hath passed),u and those who believe.x But there believed not with him except a few.y And Noah said, Embark thereon, in the name of GOD; while it moveth forward, and while it standeth still;z for my LORD is gracious and merciful. And the ark swam with them between waves like mountains:a and Noah called unto his son,b who was separated from him, saying, Embark with us, my son, and stay not with the unbelievers. He answered, I will get on a mountain, which will secure me from the water. Noah replied, There is no security this day from the decree of GOD, except for him on whom he shall have mercy. And a wave passed between them, and he became one of those who were drowned.

r Or, as the original literally signifies, boiled over; which is consonant to what the Rabbins say, that the waters of the Deluge were boiling hot. This oven was, as some say, at Cûfa, in a spot whereon a mosque now stands; or, as others rather think, in a certain place in India, or else at Ain warda in Mesopotamia;3 and its exundation was the sign by which Noah knew the flood was coming.4 Some pretend that it was the same oven which Eve made use of to bake her bread in, being of a form different from those we use, having the mouth in the upper part, and that it descended from patriarch to patriarch, till it came to Noah.5 It is remarkable that Mohammed, in all probability, borrowed this circumstance from the Persian Magi, who also fancied that the first waters of the Deluge gushed out of the oven of a certain old woman named Zala Cûfa.6 But the word tannûr, which is here translated oven, also signifying the superficies of the earth, or a place whence waters spring forth, or where they are collected, some suppose it means no more in this passage than the spot or fissure whence the first eruption of waters brake forth. s Or, as the words may also be rendered, and some commentators think they ought, two pair, that is, two males and two females of each species; wherein they partly agree with divers Jewish and Christian writers,1 who from the Hebrew expression, seven and seven and two and two, the male and his female,2 suppose there went into the ark fourteen pair of every clean, and two pair of every unclean species. There is a tradition that GOD gathered together unto Noah all sorts of beasts, birds, and other animals (it being indeed difficult to conceive how he should come by them all without some supernatural assistance), and that as he laid hold on them, his right hand constantly fell on the male, and his left on the female.3 t Namely, thy wife, and thy sons and their wives.4 u This was an unbelieving son of Noah,5 named Canaan,6 or Yam;7 though others say he was not the son of Noah, but his grandson by his son Ham, or his wife's son by another husband; nay, some pretend he was related to him no farther than by having been educated and brought up in his house.8 The best commentators add, that Noah's wife, named Wâïla, who was n infidel, was also comprehended in this exception, and perished with her son.9 x Noah's family being mentioned before, it is supposed that by these words are intended the other believers, who were his proselytes, but not of his family: whence the common opinion among the Mohammedans, of a greater number than eight being saved in the ark, seems to have taken its rise.10 y viz., His other wife, who was a true believer, his three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japhet, and their wives, and seventy-two persons more.11 z That is, omit no opportunity of getting on board. According to a different reading, the latter words may be rendered, Who shall cause it to move forward, and to stop, as there shall be occasion. The commentators tell us that the ark moved forwards, or stood still, as Noah would have it, on his pronouncing only the words, In the name of GOD.12 It is to be observed that the more judicious commentators make the dimensions of the ark to be the same with those assigned by Moses:13 Notwithstanding, others have enlarged them most extravagantly,14 as some Christian writers15 have also done. They likewise tell us that Noah was two years in building the ark, which was framed of Indian plane-tree,16 that it was divided into three stories, of which the lower was designed for the beasts, the middle one for the men and women, and the upper for the birds;17 and that the men were separated from the women by the body of Adam, which Noah had taken into the ark.18 This last is a tradition of the eastern Christians,19 some of whom pretend that the matrimonial duty was superseded and suspended during the time Noah and his family were in the ark;20 though Ham has been accused of not observing continency on that occasion, his wife, it seems, bringing forth Caanan in the very ark.21 a The waters prevailing fifteen cubits above the mountains.22 b See above, note u.

1 Aben Ezra, Justin Martyr, Origen, &c. 2 Gen. vii. 2. 3 Jallalo'ddin. 4 Al Beidâwi. 5 Yahya. 6 Jallalo'ddin, al Beidâwi. 7 Ebn Shohnah. 8 Al Zamakhshari. Vide D'Herbel. Bibl. Orient. p. 676. 9 Jallalo'ddin, al Zamakhshari, al Beidâwi. 10 See c. 7, p. 111. 11 See ibid. note x. 12 Al Beidâwi, &c. 13 Idem, &c. 14 Yahya. Vide Marracc. in Alcor. p. 340. 15 Origen. Contr. Cels. l. 4. Vide Kircher. de Arca Noe, c. 8. 16 Al Beidâwi. Vide D'Herbel. p. 675, and Eutych. p. 34. 17 Al Beidâwi. Vide Eutych. Annal. p. 34. 18 Yahya. 19 Jacob, Edessenus, apud Barcepham de Parad. part i. c. 14. Eutych. ubi sup. Vide etiam Eliezer. pirke c. 23. 20 Ambros. de Noa et Arca, c. 21. 21 Vide Heidegger. Hist. Patriarchar. vol. i. p. 409. 22 Al Beidâwi.

And it was said, O earth, swallow up thy waters, and thou, O heaven, withhold thy rain. And immediately the water abated, and the decree was fulfilled, and the ark rested on the mountain Al Judi;c and it was said, Away with the ungodly people! And Noah called upon his LORD, and said, O LORD, verily my son is of my family, and thy promise is true;d for thou art the most just of those who exercise judgment. God answered, O Noah, verily he is not of thy family;e this intercession of thine for him is not a righteous work.f Ask not of me therefore that wherein thou hast no knowledge: I admonish thee that thou become not one of the ignorant. Noah said, O LORD, I have recourse unto thee for the assistance of thy grace, that I ask not of thee that wherein I have no knowledge; and unless thou forgive me, and be merciful unto me, I shall be one of those who perish. 50 It was said unto him, O Noah, come down from the ark,g with peace from us, and blessings upon thee, and upon part of those who are with thee:h but as for a part of them,i we will suffer them to enjoy the provision of this world; and afterwards shall a grievous punishment from us be inflicted on them, in the life to come. This is a secret history, which we reveal unto thee: thou didst not know it, neither did thy people, before this. Wherefore persevere with patience: for the prosperous issue shall attend the pious. And unto the tribe of Ad we sent their brother Hud.k He said, O my people, worship GOD; ye have no GOD besides him: ye only imagine falsehood, in setting up idols and intercessors of your own making.

c This mountain is one of those which divide Armenia, on the south, from Mesopotamia, and that part of Assyria which is inhabited by the Curds, from whom the mountains took the name of Cardu, or Gardu, by the Greeks turned into Gordyæi, and other names.1 Mount al Jûdi (which name seems to be a corruption, though it be constantly so written by the Arabs, for Jordi, or Giordi) is also called Thamanin,2 probably from a town at the foot of it,3 so named from the number of persons saved in the ark, the word thamanin signifying eighty, and overlooks the country of Diyâr Rabîah, near the cities of Mawsel, Forda, and Jazîrat Ebn Omar, which last place one affirms to be but four miles from the place of the ark, and says that a Mohammedan temple was built there with the remains of that vessel, by the Khalif Omar Ebn Abd'alaziz, whom he by mistake calls Omar Ebn al Khattâb.4 The tradition which affirms the ark to have rested on these mountains, must have been very ancient, since it is the tradition of the Chaldeans themselves:5 the Chaldee paraphrasts consent to their opinion,6 which obtained very much formerly, especially among the eastern Christians.7 To confirm it, we are told that the remainders of the ark were to be seen on the Gordyæan mountains: Berosus and Abydenus both declare there was such a report in their time;8 the first observing that several of the inhabitants thereabouts scraped the pitch off the planks as a rarity, and carried it about them for an amulet: and the latter saying that they used the wood of the vessel against many diseases with wonderful success. The relics of the ark were also to be seen here in the time of Epiphanius, if we may believe him;9 and we are told the emperor Heraclius went from the town of Thamanin up to the mountain al Jûdi, and saw the place of the ark.10 There was also formerly a famous monastery, called the monastery of the ark, upon some of these mountains, where the Nestorians used to celebrate a feast day on the spot where they supposed the ark rested; but in the year of Christ 776, that monastery was destroyed by lightning, with the church, and a numerous congregation in it.11 Since which time it seems the credit of this tradition hath declined, and given place to another, which obtains at present, and according to which the ark rested on Mount Masis, in Armenia, called by the Turks Aghir dagh, or the heavy or great mountain, and situate about twelve leagues south-east of Erivan.12 d Noah here challenges GOD'S promise that he would save his family. e Being cut off from it on account of his infidelity. f According to a different reading, this passage may be rendered, For he hath acted unrighteously. g The Mohammedans say that Noah went into the ark on the tenth of Rajeb, and came out of it the tenth of al Moharram, which therefore became a fast. So that the whole time of Noah's being in the ark, according to them, was six months.1 h viz., Such of them as continued in their belief. i That is, such of his posterity as should depart from the true faith, and fall into idolatry. k See chapter 7, p. 111.

 1 See Bochart. Phaleg. l. I, c. 3. 2 Geogr. Nub. p. 202.
 3 Vide D'Herbel. Bibl. Orient. p. 404 and 676, and Agathiam, l. 14, p.
135. 4 Benjamin. Itiner. p. 61. 5 Berosus, apud Joseph.
Antiq. l. I, c. 4. 6 Onkelos et Jonathan, in Gen. viii. 4.
 7 Vide Eutych. Annal. p. 41. 8 Berosus, apud Joseph. ubi sup.
Abydenus, apud Euseb. Præp. Ev. l. 9, c.4. 9 Epiph. Hæres. 18.
 10 Elmacin. l. I, c. I. 11 Vide Chronic. Dionysii Patriarch.
Jacobitar. apud Asseman. Bibl. Orient. t. 2, p. 113. 12 Al Beidâwi.
 1 Idem. See D'Herbel. ubi sup.

O my people, I ask not of you for this my preaching, any recompense: my recompense do I expect from him only who hath created me. Will ye not therefore understand? O my people, ask pardon of your LORD; and be turned unto him: he will send the heaven to pour forth rain plentifully upon you,l and he will increase your strength by giving unto you farther strength:m therefore turn not aside, to commit evil. They answered, O Hud, thou hast brought us no proof of what thou sayest; therefore we will not leave our gods for thy saying, neither do we believe thee We say no other than that some of our gods have afflicted thee with evil.n He replied, Verily I call GOD to witness, and do ye also bear witness that I am clear of that which ye associate with God, besides him. Do ye all therefore join to devise a plot against me, and tarry not; for I put my confidence in GOD, my LORD and your LORD. There is no beast, but he holdeth it by its forelock:o verily my LORD proceedeth in the right way. 60 But if ye turn back, I have already declared unto you that with which I was sent unto you: and my LORD shall substitute another nation in your stead; and ye shall not hurt him at all: for my LORD is guardian over all things. And when our sentence came to be put in execution, we delivered Hud, and those who had believed with him,p through our mercy; and we delivered them from a grievous punishment. And this tribe of Ad wittingly rejected the signs of their LORD, and were disobedient unto his messengers, and they followed the command of every rebellious perverse person. Wherefore they were followed in this world by a curse, and they shall be followed by the same on the day of resurrection. Did not Ad disbelieve in their LORD? Was it not said, Away with Ad, the people of Hud? And unto the tribe of Thamud we sent their brother Saleh.q He said unto them, O my people, worship GOD; ye have no GOD besides him. It is he who hath produced you out of the earth, and hath given you an habitation therein. Ask pardon of him therefore, and be turned unto him; for my LORD is near, and ready to answer. They answered, O Saleh, thou wast a person on whom we placed our hopes before this.r Dost thou forbid us to worship that which our fathers worshipped? But we are certainly in doubt concerning the religion to which thou dost invite us, as justly to be suspected. Saleh said, O my people, tell me; if I have received an evident declaration from my LORD, and he hath bestowed on me mercy from himself; who will protect me from the vengeance of GOD, if I be disobedient unto him? For ye shall not add unto me, other than loss. And he said, O my people, this she-camel of GOD is a sign unto you; therefore dismiss her freely, that she may feed in GOD'S earth, and do her no harm, lest a swift punishment seize you.

 l For the Adites were grievously distressed by a drought for three
years.2
 m By giving you children; the wombs of their wives being also rendered
barren during the time of the drought, as well as their lands.3
 n Or madness; having deprived thee of thy reason for the indignities
thou hast offered them.
 o That is, he exerciseth an absolute power over it. A creature held in
this manner being supposed to be reduced to the lowest subjection.
 p Who were in number four thousand.4
 q See chapter 7, p. 112.
 r Designing to have made thee our prince, because of the singular
prudence and other good qualities which we observed in thee; but thy
dissenting from us in point of religious worship has frustrated those hopes.5

 2 See the notes to cap. 7, p. 111. 3 Al Beidâwi. 4
Idem. 5 Idem.

Yet they killed her; and Saleh said, Enjoy yourselves in your dwellings for three days:s after which ye shall be destroyed. This is an infallible prediction. And when our decree came to be executed, we delivered Saleh and those who believed with him, through our mercy, from the disgrace of that day; for thy LORD is the strong, the mighty God. 70 But a terrible noise from heaven assailed those who had acted unjustly; and in the morning they were found in their houses, lying dead and prostrate: as though they had never dwelt therein. Did not Thamud disbelieve in their LORD? Was not Thamud cast far away? Our messengerst also came formerly unto Abraham, with good tidings: they said, Peace be upon thee. And he answered, and on you be Peace! And he tarried not, but brought a roasted calf. And when he saw that their hands did not touch the meat, he misliked them, and entertained a fear of them.u But they said, Fear not: for we are sent unto the people of Lot.x And his wife Sarah was standing by,y and she laughed;z and we promised her Isaac, and after Isaac, Jacob. She said, Alas! shall I bear a son, who am old; this my husband also being advanced in years?a Verily this would be a wonderful thing. The angels answered, Dost thou wonder at the effect of the command of GOD? The mercy of God and his blessings be upon you, the family of the house:b for he is praiseworthy, and to be glorified. And when his apprehension had departed from Abraham, and the good tidings of Isaac's birth had come unto him, he disputed with us concerning the people of Lot;c for Abraham was a pitiful, compassionate, and devout person. The angels said unto him, O Abraham, abstain from this; for now is the command of thy LORD come, to put their sentence in execution, and an inevitable punishment is ready to fall upon them.

s viz., Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.1 See chapter 7, p. 113, note m. t These were the angels who were sent to acquaint Abraham with the promise of Isaac, and to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. Some of the commentators pretend they were twelve, or nine, or ten in number; but others, agreeably to scripture, say they were but three, viz., Gabriel, Michael and Israfîl.2 u Apprehending they had some ill design against him, because they would not eat with him. x Being angels, whose nature needs not the support of food.3 y Either behind the curtain, or door of the tent; or else waiting upon them. z The commentators are so little acquainted with scripture, that, not knowing the true occasion of Sarah's laughter, they strain their invention to give some reason for it. One says that she laughed at the angels discovering themselves, and ridding Abraham and herself of their apprehensions; and another, that it was at the approaching destruction of the Sodomites (a very probable motive in one of her sex). Some, however, interpret the original word differently, and will have it that she did not laugh, but that her courses, which had stopped for several years, came upon her at this time, as a previous sign of her future conception.4 a Al Beidâwi writes that Sarah was then ninety or ninety-nine years old, and Abraham a hundred and twenty. b Or the stock whence all the prophets were to proceed for the future. Or the expression may perhaps refer to Abraham and Ismael's building the Caaba, which is often called, by way of excellence, the house. c That is, he interceded with us for them.5 Jallalo'ddin, instead of the numbers mentioned by Moses, says that Abraham first asked whether GOD would destroy those cities if three hundred righteous persons were found therein, and so fell successively to two hundred, forty, fourteen, and at last came to one: but there was not one righteous person to be found among them, except only Lot and his family.

1 Idem. 2 Idem, Jallalo'ddin. See Gen. xviii. 3 Idem. 4 Idem, Jallalo'ddin, al Zamakhshari. 5 Vide Gen. xviii. 23, &c.

And when our messengers came unto Lot, he was troubled for them,d and his arm was straightened concerning them;e and he said, This is a grievous day. 80 And his people came unto him, rushing upon him, and they had formerly been guilty of wickedness. Lot said unto them, O my people, these my daughters are more lawful for you: therefore fear GOD, and put me not to shame by wronging my guests. Is there not a man of prudence among you? They answered, Thou knowest that we have no need of thy daughters; and thou well knowest what we would have. He said, If I had strength sufficient to oppose you, or I could have recourse unto a powerful support, I would certainly do it. The angels said, O Lot, verily we are the messengers of thy LORD; they shall by no means come in unto thee.f Go forth, therefore, with thy family, in some part of the night, and let not any of you turn back: but as for thy wife,g that shall happen unto her, which shall happen unto them. Verily the prediction of their punishment shall be fulfilled in the morning: is not the morning near? And when our command came, we turned those cities upside down,h and we rained upon them stones of baked clay,i one following another, and being markedk from thy LORD; and they are not far distant from those who act unjustly.l And unto Madian we sent their brother Shoaib:m he said, O people, worship GOD: ye have no GOD but him: and diminish not measure and weight. Verily I see you to be in a happy condition:n but I fear for you the punishment of the day which will encompass the ungodly. O my people, give full measure and just weight; and diminish not unto men aught of their matters; neither commit injustice in the earth, acting corruptly. The residue which shall remain unto you as the gift of GOD, after ye shall have done justice to others, will be better for you, than wealth gotten by fraud, if ye be true believers. I am no guardian over you.

d Because they appeared in the shape of beautiful young men, which must needs tempt those of Sodom to abuse them.6 e i.e., He knew himself unable to protect them against the insults of his townsmen. f Al Beidâwi says that Lot shut his door, and argued the matter with the riotous assembly from behind it; but at length they endeavoured to get over the wall: whereupon Gabriel, seeing his distress, struck them on the face with one of his wings, and blinded them; so that they moved off, crying out for help, and saying that Lot had magicians in his house. g This seems to be the true sense of the passage; but according to a different reading of the vowel, some interpret it, Except thy wife; the meaning being that Lot is here commanded to take his family with him except his wife. Wherefore the commentators cannot agree whether Lot's wife went forth with him or not; some denying it, and pretending that she was left behind and perished in the common destruction; and others affirming it, and saying that when she heard the noise of the storm and overthrow of the cities, she turned back lamenting their fate, and was immediately struck down and killed by one of the stones mentioned a little lower.1 A punishment she justly merited for her infidelity and disobedience to her husband.2 h For they tell us that Gabriel thrust his wing under them, and lifted them up so high, that the inhabitants of the lower heaven heard the barking of the dogs and the crowing of the cocks; and then, inverting them, threw them down to the earth.3 i The kiln wherein they were burned some imagine to have been hell. k That is, as some suppose, streaked with white and red, or having some other peculiar mark to distinguish them from ordinary stones. But the common opinion is that each stone had the name of the person who was to be killed by it written thereon.4 The army of Abraha al Ashram was also destroyed by the same kind of stones. l This is a kind of threat to other wicked persons, and particularly to the infidels of Mecca, who deserved and might justly apprehend the same punishment. m See chap. 7, p. 113, &c. n That is, enjoying plenty of all things; and therefore having the less occasion to defraud one another, and being the more strongly bound to be thankful and obedient unto GOD.

 6 Jallalo'ddin, al Beidâwi. Vide Joseph. Ant. l. I, c. II.
 1 Idem interpretes. 2 See cap. 66.
3 Jallalo'ddin, al Beidâwi. 4 Idem.

They answered, O Shoaib, do thy prayers enjoin thee, that we should leave the gods which our fathers worshipped; or that we should not do what we please with our substance?o Thou only, it seems, art the wise person, and fit to direct. 90 He said, O my people, tell me: if I have received an evident declaration from my LORD, and he hath bestowed on me an excellent provision, and I will not consent unto you in that which I forbid you; do I seek any other than your reformation, to the utmost of my power? My support is from GOD alone: on him do I trust, and unto him do I turn me. O my people, let not your opposing of me draw on you a vengeance like unto that which fell on the people of Noah, or the people of Hud, or the people of Saleh: neither was the people of Lot far distant from you.p Ask pardon, therefore, of your LORD; and be turned unto him: for my LORD is merciful and loving. They answered, O Shoaib, we understand not much of what thou sayest; and we see thee to be a man of no powerq among us: if it had not been for the sake of thy family,r we had surely stoned thee, neither couldst thou have prevailed against us. Shoaib said, O my people, is my family more worthy in your opinion than GOD? and do ye cast him behind you with neglect? Verily my LORD comprehendeth that which ye do. O my people, do ye work according to your condition; I will surely work according to my duty.s And ye shall certainly know on whom will be inflicted a punishment which shall cover him with shame, and who is a liar. Wait, therefore, the event; for I also will wait it with you. Wherefore, when our decree came to be executed, we delivered Shoaib and those who believed with him, through our mercy: and a terrible noise from Heaven assailed those who had acted unjustly; and in the morning they were found in their houses lying dead and prostrate, as though they had never dwelt therein. Was not Madian removed from off the earth, as Thamud had been removed? And we formerly sent Moses with our signs, and manifest power unto Pharaoh and his princes;t but they followed the command of Pharaoh; although the command of Pharaoh did not direct them aright. 100 Pharaoh shall precede his on the day of resurrection, and he shall lead them into hell fire; an unhappy way shall it be which they shall be led. They were followed in this life by a curse, and on the day of resurrection miserable shall be the gift which shall be given them. This is a part of the histories of the cities, which we rehearse unto thee. Of them there are some standing; and others which are utterly demolished.u

o For this liberty they imagined was taken from them, by his prohibition of false weights and measures, or to diminish or adulterate their coin.5 p For Sodom and Gomorrah were situate not a great way from you, and their destruction happened not many ages ago; neither did they deserve it, on account of their obstinacy and wickedness, much more than yourselves. q The Arabic word daîf, weak, signifying also, in the Hamyaritic dialect, blind, some suppose that Shoaib was so, and that the Midianites objected that to him as a defect which disqualified him for the prophetic office. r i.e., For the respect we bear to thy family and relations, whom we honour as being of our religion, and not for any apprehension we have of their power to assist you against us. The original word, here translated family, signifies any number from three to seven or ten, but not more.6 s See chapter 6, p. 101, note o. t See chapter 7, p. 115, &c. u Literally, mown down; the sentence presenting the different images of corn standing, and cut down, which is also often used by the sacred writers.

5 Al Beidâwi. 6 Idem.

And we treated them not unjustly, but they dealt unjustly with their own souls: and their gods which they invoked, besides GOD, were of no advantage unto them at all, when the decree of thy LORD came to be executed on them, neither were they any other than a detriment unto them. And thus was the punishment of thy LORD inflicted, when he punished the cities which were unjust; for his punishment is grievous and severe. Verily herein is a sign unto him who feareth the punishment of the last day: that shall be a day, whereon all men shall be assembled, and that shall be a day whereon witness shall be borne; we defer it not, but to a determined time. When that day shall come, no soul shall speak to excuse itself, or to intercede for another, but by the permission of God. Of them, one shall be miserable, and another shall be happy. And they who shall be miserable, shall be thrown into hell fire; there shall they wail and bemoan themselves:x they shall remain therein so long as the heavens and the earth shall endure;y except what thy LORD shall please to remit of their sentence;z for thy LORD effecteth that which he pleaseth. 110 But they who shall be happy, shall be admitted into paradise; they shall remain therein so long as the heavens and the earth endure: besides what thy LORD shall please to add unto their bliss; a bounty which shall not be interrupted. Be not therefore in doubt concerning that which these men worship: they worship no other than what their fathers worshipped before them; and we will surely give them their full portion, not in the least diminished. We formerly gave unto Moses the book of the law; and disputes arose among his people concerning it: and unless a previous decree had proceeded from thy LORD, to bear with them during this life, the matter had been surely decided between them. And thy people are also jealous and in doubt concerning the Koran. But unto every one of them will thy LORD render the reward of their works; for he well knoweth that which they do. Be thou steadfast, therefore, as thou hast been commanded; and let him also be steadfast who shall be converted with thee; and transgress not; for he seeth that which ye do. And incline not unto those who act unjustly, lest the fire of hell touch you: for ye have no protectors, except GOD; neither shall ye be assisted against him. Pray regularly morning and evening;a and in the former part of the night,b for good works drive away evils. This is an admonition unto those who consider: wherefore persevere with patience; for GOD suffereth not the reward of the righteous to perish.

x The two words in the original signify properly the vehement drawing in and expiration of one's breath, which is usual to persons in great pain and anguish; and particularly the reciprocation of the voice of an ass when he brays. y This is not to be strictly understood as if either the punishment of the damned should have an end, or the heavens and the earth should endure for ever; the expression being only used by way of image or comparison, which need not agree in every point with the thing signified. Some, however, think the future heavens and earth, into which the present shall be changed, are here meant.1 z See the Prelim. Disc. Sect. IV. p. 72, 73. a Literally, in the two extremities of the day. b That is, after sunset and before supper, when the Mohammedans say their fourth prayer, called by them Salât al moghreb, or the evening prayer.2

1 Al Beidâwi. 2 Idem.

Were such of the generations before you, endued with understanding and virtue, who forbade the acting corruptly in the earth, any more than a few only of those whom we delivered; but they who were unjust followed the delights which they enjoyed in this world,c and were wicked doers:d and thy LORD was not of such a disposition as to destroy the cities unjustly,e while their inhabitants behaved themselves uprightly. 120 And if thy LORD pleased, he would have made all men of one religion: but they shall not cease to differ among themselves, unless those on whom thy LORD shall have mercy: and unto this hath he created them; for the word of thy LORD shall be fulfilled, when he said, Verily I will fill hell altogether with genii and men. The whole which we have related of the histories of our apostles do we relate unto thee, that we may confirm thy heart thereby; and herein is the truth come unto thee, and an admonition, and a warning unto the true believers. Say unto those who believe not, Act ye according to your condition; we surely will act according to our duty:f and wait the issue; for we certainly wait it also. Unto GOD is known that which is secret in heaven and earth; and unto him shall the whole matter be referred. Therefore worship him, and put thy trust in him; for thy LORD is not regardless of that which ye do.

______

CHAPTER XII.

ENTITLED, JOSEPH;g REVEALED AT MECCA.

IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD.

     AL. R.h These are the signs of the perspicuous book;
     which we have sent down in the Arabic tongue, that, peradventure, ye
might understand.
     We relate unto thee a most excellent history, by revealing unto thee this
Korân,i whereas thou wast before one of thek negligent.

c Making it their sole business to please their luxurious desires and appetites, and placing their whole felicity therein. d Al Beidâwi says that this passage gives the reason why the nations were destroyed of old; viz., for their violence and injustice, their following their own lusts, and for their idolatry and unbelief. e Or, as the commentator just named explains it, for their idolatry only, when they observed justice in other respects. f See chapter 6, p. 110, note o. g The Koreish, thinking to puzzle Mohammed, at the instigation and by the direction of certain Jewish Rabbins, demanded of him how Jacob's family happened to go down into Egypt, and that he would relate to them the history of Joseph, with all its circumstances: whereupon he pretended to have received this chapter from heaven, containing the story of that patriarch.1 It is said, however, to have been rejected by two Mohammedan sects, branches of the Khârejites, called the Ajâredites and the Maimûnians, as apocryphal and spurious. h See the Prelim. Disc. p. 46, &c. i Or this particular chapter. For the word Korân, as has been elsewhere observed,2 properly signifying no more than a reading or lecture, is often used to denote, not only the whole volume, but any distinct chapter or section of it. k i.e., So far from being acquainted with the story, that it never so much as entered into thy thoughts; a certain argument, says al Beidâwi, that it must have been revealed to him from heaven.

1 Al Beidâwi. 2 Prelim. Disc. Sect. III. p. 44.

When Joseph said unto his father,l O my father, verily I saw in my dream eleven stars,m and the sun and the moon; I saw them make obeisance unto me: Jacob said, O my child, tell not thy vision to thy brethren, lest they devise some plot against thee;n for the devil is a professed enemy unto man; and thus, according to thy dream, shall thy LORD choose thee, and teach thee the interpretation of dark sayings,o and he shall accomplish his favor upon thee and upon the family of Jacob, as he hath formerly accomplished it upon thy fathers Abraham and Isaac; for thy LORD is knowing and wise. Surely in the history of Joseph and his brethren there are signs of God's providence to the inquisitive; when they said to one another, Joseph and his brotherp are dearer to our father than we, who are the greater number: our father certainly maketh a wrong judgment. Wherefore slay Joseph, or drive him into some distant or desert part of the earth, and the face of your father shall be cleared towards you;q and ye shall afterwards be people of integrity. 10 One of themr spoke and said; Slay not Joseph, but throw him to the bottom of the well; and some travellers will take him up, if ye do this. They said unto Jacob, O father, why dost thou not intrust Joseph with us, since we are sincere well-wishers unto him? Send him with us to-morrow, into the field, that he may divert himself, and sport,s and we will be his guardians. Jacob answered, It grieveth me that ye take him away; and I fear lest the wolf devour him,t while ye are negligent of him. They said, Surely if the wolf devour him, when there are so many of us, we shall be weak indeed.u

l Who was Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham.3 m The commentators give us the names of these stars (which I think it needless to trouble the reader with), as Mohammed repeated them, at the request of a Jew, who thought to entrap him by the question.2 n For they say, Jacob, judging that Joseph's dream portended his advancement above the rest of the family, justly apprehended his brethren's envy might tempt them to do him some mischief. o That is, of dreams; or, as others suppose, of the profound passages of scripture, and all difficulties respecting either religion or justice. p viz., Benjamin, his brother by the same mother. q Or, he will settle his love wholly upon you, and ye will have no rival in his favour. r This person, as some say, was Judah, the most prudent and noble- minded of them all; or, according to others, Reuben, whom the Mohammedan writers call Rubîl.3 And both these opinions are supported by the account of Moses, who tells us that Reuben advised them not to kill Joseph, but to throw him into a pit privately, intending to release him;4 and that afterwards Judah, in Reuben's absence, persuaded them not to let him die in the pit, but to sell him to the Ishmaelites.5 s Some copies read, in the first person plural, that we may divert ourselves, &c. t The reason why Jacob feared this beast in particular, as the commentators say, was, either because the land was full of wolves, or else because Jacob had dreamed he saw Joseph devoured by one of those creatures.6 u i.e., It will be an instance of extreme weakness and folly in us, and we shall be justly blamed for his loss.

1 Al Beidâwi, &c. 2 Idem, al Zamakhshari. 3 Idem. 4 Gen. xxxvii. 21, 22. 5 Ibid. v. 26, 27. 6 Al Beidâwi, Jallalo'ddin, al Zamakhshari.

And when they had carried him with them, and agreed to set him at the bottom of the well,x they executed their design: and we sent a revelation unto him,y saying, Thou shalt hereafter declare this their action unto them; and they shall not perceive thee to be Joseph. And they came to their father at even, weeping, and said, Father, we went and ran races with one another,z and we left Joseph with our baggage, and the wolf hath devoured him; but thou wilt not believe us, although we speak the truth. And they produced his inner garment stained with false blood. Jacob answered, Nay, but ye yourselves have contrived the thing for your own sakes:a however patience is most becoming, and GOD'S assistance is to be implored to enable me to support the misfortune which ye relate. And certain travellersb came, and sent onec to draw water for them; and he let down his bucket,d and said, Good news!e this is a youth. And they concealed him,f that they might sell him as a piece of merchandise: but GOD knew that which they did. 20 And they sold him for a mean price, for a few pence,g and valued him lightly. And the Egyptian who bought himh said to his wife,i Use him honourably; peradventure he may be serviceable to us, or we may adopt him for our son.k Thus did we prepare an establishment for Joseph in the earth, and we taught him the interpretation of dark sayings: for GOD is well able to effect his purpose; but the greater part of men do not understand.

x This well, say some, was a certain well near Jerusalem, or not far from the river Jordan; but others call it the well of Egypt or Midian. The commentators tell us that, when the sons of Jacob had gotten Joseph with them in the field, they began to abuse and to beat him so unmercifully, that they had killed him, had not Judah, on his crying out for help, insisted on the promise they had made not to kill him, but to cast him into the well. Whereupon they let him down a little way; but, as he held by the sides of the well, they bound him, and took off his inner garment, designing to stain it with blood, to deceive their father. Joseph begged hard to have his garment returned him, but to no purpose, his brothers telling him, with a sneer, that the eleven stars and the sun and the moon might clothe him and keep him company. When they had let him down half-way, they let him fall thence to the bottom, and, there being water in the well (though the scripture says the contrary), he was obliged to get upon a stone, on which, as he stood weeping, the angel Gabriel came to him with the revelation mentioned immediately.1 y Joseph being then but seventeen years old, al Beidâwi observes that herein he resembled John the Baptist and Jesus, who were also favoured with the divine communication very early. The commentators pretend that Gabriel also clothed him in the well with a garment of silk of paradise. For they say that when Abraham was thrown into the fire by Nimrod,2 he was stripped; and that Gabriel brought this garment and put it on him; and that from Abraham it descended to Jacob, who folded it up and put it into an amulet, which he hung about Joseph's neck, whence Gabriel drew it out.3 z These races they used by way of exercise; and the commentators generally understand here that kind of race wherein they also showed their dexterity in throwing darts, which is still used in the east. a This Jacob had reason to suspect, because, when the garment was brought to him, he observed that, though it was bloody, yet it was not torn.4 b viz., A caravan or company travelling from Midian to Egypt, who rested near the well three days after Joseph had been thrown into it. c The commentators are so exact as to give us the name of this man, who, as they pretend, was Malec Ebn Dhór, of the tribe of Khozâah.5 d And Joseph, making use of the opportunity, took hold of the cord, and was drawn up by the man. e The original words are Ya boshra: the latter of which some take for the proper name of the water-drawer's companion, whom he called to his assistance; and then they must be translated, O Boshra. f The expositors are not agreed whether the pronoun they relates to Malec and his companions or to Joseph's brethren. They who espouse the former opinion say that those who came to draw water concealed the manner of their coming by him from the rest of the caravan, that they might keep him to themselves, pretending that some people of the place had given him to them to sell for them in Egypt. And they who prefer the latter opinion tell us that Judah carried victuals to Joseph every day while he was in the well, but not finding him there on the fourth day, he acquainted his brothers with it; whereupon they all went to the caravan and claimed Joseph as their slave, he not daring to discover that he was their brother, lest something worse should befall him; and at length they agreed to sell him to them.6 g Namely, twenty or twenty-two dirhems, and those not of full weight neither; for having weighed one ounce of silver only, the remainder was paid by tale, which is the most unfair way of payment.1 h His name was Kitfîr, or Itfîr (a corruption of Potiphar); and he was a man of great consideration, being superintendent of the royal treasury.2 The commentators say that Joseph came into his service at seventeen, and lived with him thirteen years; and that he was made prime minister in the thirty-third year of his age, and died at a hundred and twenty. They who suppose Joseph was twice sold differ as to the price the Egyptian paid for him; some saying it was twenty dinârs of gold, a pair of shoes, and two white garments; and others, that it was a large quantity of silver or of gold. i Some call her Raïl; but the name she is best known by is that of Zoleikha. k Kitfîr having no children. It is said that Joseph gained his master's good opinion so suddenly by his countenance, which Kitfîr, who, they pretend, had great skill in physiognomy, judged to indicate his prudence and other good qualities.

 1 Idem. 2 See cap. 21. 3 Al Beidâwi, al Zamakhshari.
  4 Al Beidâwi.
5 Idem. 6 Idem. 1 Al Beidâwi. 2 Idem.

And when he had attained his age of strength, we bestowed on him wisdom, and knowledge; for thus do we recompense the righteous. And she, in whose house he was, desired him to lie with her; and she shut the doors and said, Come hither. He answered, GOD forbid! verily my lordl hath made my dwelling with him easy; and the ungrateful shall not prosper. But she resolved within herself to enjoy him, and he would have resolved to enjoy her, had he not seen the evident demonstration of his LORD.m So we turned away evil and filthiness from him, because he was one of our sincere servants. And they ran to get one before the other to the door;n and she rent his inner garment behind. And they met her lord at the door. She said, What shall be the reward of him who seeketh to commit evil in thy family, but imprisonment, and a painful punishment? And Joseph said, She asked me to lie with her. And a witness of her familyo bore witness, saying, If his garment be rent before, she speaketh truth, and he is a liar: but if his garment be rent behind, she lieth, and he is a speaker of truth. And when her husband saw that his garment was torn behind, he said, This is a cunning contrivance of your sex; for surely your cunning is great. O Joseph, take no farther notice of this affair: and thou, O woman, ask pardon for thy crime; for thou art a guilty person. 30 And certain women said publiclyp in the city, The nobleman's wife asked her servant to lie with her; he hath inflamed her breast with his love; and we perceive her to be in manifest error.

l viz., Kitfîr. But others understand it to be spoken of GOD. m That is, had he not seriously considered the filthiness of whoredom, and the great guilt thereof. Some, however, suppose that the words mean some miraculous voice or apparition, sent by GOD to divert Joseph from executing the criminal thoughts which began to possess him. For they say that he was so far tempted with his mistress's beauty and enticing behaviour that he sat in her lap, and even began to undress himself, when a voice called to him, and bade him beware of her; but he taking no notice of this admonition, though it was repeated three times, at length the angel Gabriel, or, as others will have it, the figure of his master, appeared to him: but the more general opinion is that it was the apparition of his father Jacob, who bit his fingers' ends, or, as some write, struck him on the breast, whereupon his lubricity passed out at the ends of his fingers.3 For this fable, so injurious to the character of Joseph, the Mohammedans are obliged to their old friends the Jews,4 who imagine that he had a design to lie with his mistress, from these words of Moses,5 And it came to pass-that Joseph went into the house to do his business, &c. n He flying from her, and she running after to detain him. o viz., A cousin of hers, who was then a child in the cradle.6 p These women, whose tongues were so free with Zoleikha's character on this occasion, were five in number, and the wives of so many of the king's chief officers-viz., his chamberlain, his butler, his baker, his jailer, and his herdsman.1

3 Idem, al Zamakhshari, Jallalo'ddin, Yahya. 4 Talm. Babyl. Sed. Nashim, p. 36. Vide Bartolocc. Bibl. Rabb. part iii. p. 509. 5 Gen. xxxix. II. 6 Supra citati interpretes 1 Al Beidâwi.

And when she heard of their subtle behaviour, she sent unto them,q and prepared a banquet for them, and she gave to each of them a knife; and she said unto Joseph, Come forth unto them. And when they saw him, they praised him greatly;r and they cut their own hands,s and said, O GOD! this is not a mortal; he is no other than an angel, deserving the highest respect. And his mistress said, This is he, for whose sake ye blamed me: I asked him to lie with me, but he constantly refused. But if he do not perform that which I command him, he shall surely be cast into prison, and he shall be made one of the contemptible. Joseph said, O LORD, a prison is more eligible unto me than the crime to which they invite me; but unless thou turn aside their snares from me, I shall youthfully incline unto them, and I shall become one of the foolish. Wherefore his LORD heard him, and turned aside their snare from him; for he both heareth and knoweth. And it seemed good unto themt even after they had seen the signs of innocency, to imprison him for a time. And there entered into the prison with him two of the king's servants.u One of themx said, it seemed to me in my dream that I pressed wine out of grapes. And the other said, It seemed unto me in my dream that I carried bread on my head, whereof the birds did eat. Declare unto us the interpretation of our dreams, for we perceive that thou art a beneficent person. Joseph answered, No food, wherewith ye may be nourished, shall come unto you, but I will declare unto you the interpretation thereof, before it come unto you.y This knowledge is a part of that which my LORD hath taught me: for I have left the religion of people who believe not in GOD, and who deny the life to come; and I follow the religion of my fathers, Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob. It is not lawful for us to associate anything with GOD. This knowledge of the divine unity hath been given us of the bounty of GOD towards us, and towards mankind; but the greater part of men are not thankful. O my fellow-prisoners, are sundry lords better, or the only true and mighty GOD? 40 Ye worship not, besides him other than the names which ye have named,z ye and your fathers, concerning which GOD hath sent down no authoritative proof: yet judgment belongeth unto GOD alone; who hath commanded that ye worship none besides him. This is the right religion; but the greater part of men know it not.

q The number of all the women invited was forty, and among them were the five ladies above mentioned.2 r The old Latin translators have strangely mistaken the sense of the original word acbarnaho, which they render menstruatoe sunt; and then rebuke Mohammed for the indecency, crying out demurely in the margin, O fodum et obsconum prophetam! Erpenius3 thinks that there is not the least trace of such a meaning in the word; but he is mistaken: for the verb cabara in the fourth conjugation, which is here used, has that import, though the subjoining of the pronoun to it here (which possibly the Latin translators did not observe) absolutely overthrows that interpretation. s Through extreme surprise at the wonderful beauty of Joseph; which surprise Zoleikha foreseeing, put knives into their hands, on purpose that this accident might happen. Some writers have observed, on occasion of this passage, that it is customary in the east for lovers to testify the violence of their passion by cutting themselves, as a sign that they would spend their blood in the service of the person beloved; which is true enough, but I do not find that any of the commentators suppose these Egyptian ladies had any such design. t That is, to Kitfîr and his friends. The occasion of Joseph's imprisonment is said to be, either that they suspected him to be guilty, notwithstanding the proofs which had been given of his innocence, or else that Zoleikha desired it, feigning, to deceive her husband, that she wanted to have Joseph removed from her sight, till she could conquer her passion by time; though her real design was to force him to compliance. u viz., His chief butler and baker, who were accused of a design to poison him. x Namely, the butler. y The meaning of this passage seems to be, either that Joseph, to show he used no arts of divination or astrology, promises to interpret their dreams to them immediately, even before they should eat a single meal; or else, he here offers to prophesy to them beforehand, the quantity and quality of the victuals which should be brought them, as a taste of his skill. z See c. 7, p. 111, note d.

2 Idem. 3 In not. ad Hist. Josephi.

O my fellow-prisoners, verily the one of you shall serve wine unto his lord, as formerly; but the other shall be crucified, and the birds shall eat from off his head. The matter is decreed, concerning which ye seek to be informed. And Joseph said unto him whom he judged to be the person who should escape of the two, Remember me in the presence of thy lord. But the devil caused him to forget to make mention of Joseph unto his lord;a wherefore he remained in the prison some years.b And the king of Egyptc said, Verily, I saw in my dream seven fat kine, which seven lean kine devoured, and seven green ears of corn, and other seven withered ears. O nobles, expound my vision unto me, if ye be able to interpret a vision. They answered, They are confused dreams, neither are we skilled in the interpretation of such kind of dreams. And Joseph's fellow-prisoner who had been delivered, said, (for he remembered Joseph after a certain space of time,) I will declare unto you the interpretation thereof; wherefore let me go unto the person who will interpret it unto me. And he went to the prison, and said, O Joseph, thou man of veracity, teach us the interpretation of seven fat kine, which seven lean kine devoured; and of seven green ears of corn, and other seven withered ears, which the king saw in his dream; that I may return unto the men who have sent me, that peradventure they may understand the same. Joseph answered, Ye shall sow seven years as usual: and the corn which ye shall reap, do ye leave in its ear,d except a little whereof ye may eat. Then shall there come, after this, seven grievous years of famine, which shall consume what ye shall have laid up as a provision for the same, except a little which ye shall have kept. Then shall there come, after this, a year wherein men shall have plenty of rain,e and wherein they shall press wine and oil.

a According to the explication of some, who take the pronoun him to relate to Joseph, this passage may be rendered, But the devil caused him (i.e., Joseph) to forget to make his application unto his Lord; and to beg the good offices of his fellow-prisoner for his deliverance, instead of relying on GOD alone, as it became a prophet, especially, to have done.1 b The original word signifying any number from three to nine or ten, the common opinion is that Joseph remained in prison seven years, though some say he was confined no less than twelve years.2 c This prince, as the oriental writers generally agree, was Riyân, the son of al Walîd, the Amalekite,3 who was converted by Joseph to the worship of the true GOD, and died in the lifetime of that prophet. But some pretend that the Pharaoh of Joseph and of Moses were one and the same person, and that he lived (or rather reigned) four hundred years.4 d To preserve it from the weevil.5 e Notwithstanding what some ancient authors write to the contrary,6 it often rains in winter in the lower Egypt, and even snow has been observed to fall at Alexandria, contrary to the express assertion of Seneca.7 In the upper Egypt, indeed, towards the cataracts of Nile, it rains very seldom.8 Some, however, suppose that the rains here mentioned are intended of those which should fall in Ethiopia, and occasion the swelling of the Nile, the great cause of the fertility of Egypt; or else of those which should fall in the neighbouring countries, which were also afflicted with famine during the same time.

1 Al Beidâwi. 2 Idem, Jallalo'ddin. 3 See the Prelim. Disc. p. 7. 4 Al Beidâwi. See c. 7, p. 115, note d. 5 Idem. 6 Plato, in Timæo. Pomp. Mela. 7 Nat. Quæst. l. 4. 8 See Greaves's Descr. of the Pyramids, p. 74, &c. Ray's Collection of Travels, tom. ii. p. 92.

50 And when the chief butler had reported this, the king said, Bring him unto me. And when the messenger came unto Joseph, he said, Return unto thy lord, and ask of him, what was the intent of the women who cut their hands;f for my LORD well knoweth the snare which they laid for me.g And when the women were assembled before the king, he said unto them, What was your design, when ye solicited Joseph to unlawful love? They answered, GOD be praised! we know not any ill of him. The nobleman's wife said, Now is the truth become manifest: I solicited him to lie with me; and he is one of those who speak truth. And when Joseph was acquainted therewith, he said, This discovery hath been made, that my lord might know that I was not unfaithful unto him in his absence, and that God directeth not the plot of the deceivers. Neither do I absolutely justify myself:h since every soul is prone unto evil, except those on whom my LORD shall show mercy; for my LORD is gracious and merciful. And the king said, Bring him unto me: I will take him into my own peculiar service. And when Joseph was brought unto the king, and he had discoursed with him, he said, Thou art this day firmly established with us, and shalt be intrusted with our affairs.i Joseph answered, Set me over the storehouses of the land; for I will be a skilful keeper thereof. Thus did we establish Joseph in the land, that he might provide himself a dwelling therein, where he pleased. We bestow our mercy on whom we please, and we suffer not the reward of the righteous to perish: and certainly the reward of the next life is better, for those who believe, and fear God.

f Joseph, it seems, cared not to get out of prison till his innocence was publicly known and declared. It is observed by the commentators that Joseph does not bid the messenger move the king to inform himself of the truth of the affair, but bids him directly to ask the king, to incite him to make the proper inquiry with the greater earnestness. They also observe that Joseph takes care not to mention his mistress, out of respect and gratitude for the favours he had received while in her house.1 g Endeavouring both by threats and persuasion to entice me to commit folly with my mistress. h According to a tradition of Ebn Abbâs, Joseph had no sooner spoken the foregoing words, asserting his innocency, than Gabriel said to him, What, not when thou wast deliberating to lie with her? Upon which Joseph confessed his frailty.2 i The commentators say that Joseph being taken out of prison, after he had washed and changed his clothes, was introduced to the king, whom he saluted in the Hebrew tongue, and on the king's asking what language that was, he answered that it was the language of his fathers. This prince, they say, understood no less than seventy languages, in every one of which he discoursed with Joseph, who answered him in the same; at which the king greatly marvelling, desired him to relate his dream, which he did, describing the most minute circumstances: whereupon the king placed Joseph by him on his throne, and made him his Wazîr, or chief minister. Some say that his master Kitfîr dying about this time, he not only succeeded him in his place, but, by the king's command, married the widow, his late mistress, whom he found to be a virgin, and who bare him Ephraim and Manasses.3 So that according to this tradition, she was the same woman who is called Asenath by Moses. This supposed marriage, which authorized their amours, probably encouraged the Mohammedan divines to make use of the loves of Joseph and Zoleikha, as an allegorical emblem of the spiritual love between the Creator and the creature, GOD and the soul; just as the Christians apply the Song of Solomon to the same mystical purpose.4

1 Al Beidâwi, &c. 2 Idem, &c. 3 Idem, Kitab Tafasir, &c. 4 Vide D'Herbelot. Bibl. Orient. Art. Jousouf.

Moreover, Joseph's brethren came,k and went in unto him; and he knew them, but they knew not him. And when he had furnished them with their provisions, he said, Bring unto me your brother, the son of your father; do ye not see that I give full measure, and that I am the most hospitable receiver of guests? 60 But if ye bring him not unto me, there shall be no corn measured unto you from me, neither shall ye approach my presence. They answered, We will endeavor to obtain him of his father, and we will certainly perform what thou requirest. And Joseph said to his servants, Put their money,l which they have paid for their corn; into their sacks, that they may perceive it, when they shall be returned to their family: peradventure they will come back unto us. And when they were returned unto their father, they said, O father, it is forbidden to measure out corn unto us any more, unless we carry our brother Benjamin with us: wherefore send our brother with us, and we shall have corn measured unto us; and we will certainly guard him from any mischance. Jacob answered, Shall I trust him with you with any better success than I trusted your brother Joseph with you heretofore? But GOD is the best guardian; and he is the most merciful of those that show mercy. And when they opened their provision, they found their money had been returned unto them; and they said, O father, what do we desire farther? this our money hath been returned unto us; we will therefore return, and provide corn for our family: we will take care of our brother; and we shall receive a camel's burden more than we did the last time. This is a small quantity.m Jacob said, I will by no means send him with you, until ye give me a solemn promise, and swear by GOD that ye will certainly bring him back unto me, unless ye be encompassed by some inevitable impediment. And when they had given him their solemn promise, he said, GOD is witness of what we say. And he said, My sons, enter not into the city by one and the same gate; but enter by different gates. But this precaution will be of no advantage unto you against the decree of GOD; for judgment belongeth unto GOD alone: in him do I put my trust, and in him let those confide who seek in whom to put their trust.

k Joseph, being made Wazîr, governed with great wisdom; for he not only caused justice to be impartially administered, and encouraged the people to industry and the improvement of agriculture during the seven years of plenty, but began and perfected several works of great benefit; the natives at this day ascribing to the patriarch Joseph almost all the ancient works of public utility throughout the kingdom; as particularly the rendering the province of al Feyyûm, from a standing pool or marsh, the most fertile and best cultivated land in all Egypt.5 When the years of famine came, the effects of which were felt not only in Egypt, but in Syria and the neighbouring countries, the inhabitants were obliged to apply to Joseph for corn, which he sold to them, first for their money, jewels, and ornaments, then for their cattle and lands, and at length for their persons; so that all the Egyptians in general became slaves to the king, though Joseph, by his consent, soon released them, and returned them their substance. The dearth being felt in the land of Canaan, Jacob sent all his sons, except only Benjamin, into Egypt for corn. On their arrival, Joseph (who well knew them) asked them who they were, saying he suspected them to be spies; but they told him they came only to buy provisions, and that they were all the sons of an ancient man, named Jacob, who was also a prophet. Joseph then asked how many brothers there were of them; they answered, Twelve; but that one of them had been lost in a desert. Upon which he inquired for the eleventh brother, there being no more than ten of them present. They said he was a lad, and with their father, whose fondness for him would not suffer him to accompany them in their journey. At length Joseph asked them who they had to vouch for their veracity; but they told him they knew no man who could vouch for them in Egypt. Then, replied he, one of you shall stay behind with me as a pledge, and the others may return home with their provisions; and when ye come again, ye shall bring your younger brother with you, that I may know ye have told me the truth. Whereupon, it being in vain to dispute the matter, they cast lots who should stay behind, and the lot fell upon Simeon. When they departed, Joseph gave each of them a camel, and another for their brother.1 l The original word signifying not only money, but also goods bartered or given in exchange for other merchandise, some commentators tell us, that they paid for their corn, not in money, but in shoes and dressed skins,2 m The meaning may be, either that the corn they now brought was not sufficient for the support of their families, so that it was necessary for them to take another journey, or else, that a camel's load, more or less, was but a trifle to the king of Egypt. Some suppose these to be the words of Jacob, declaring it was too mean a consideration to induce him to part with his son.

5 Vide Golii not. in Alfragan. p. 175, &c. Kircher. Oedip. Ægypt vol. i. p. 8. Lucas, Voy. tom. ii. p. 205, and tom. iii. p. 53. 1 Al Beidâwi. 2 Idem.

And when they entered the city, as their father had commanded them, it was of no advantage unto them against the decree of GOD; and the same served only to satisfy the desire of Jacob's soul, which he had charged them to perform: for he was endued with knowledge of that which we had taught him; but the greater part of men do not understand. And when they entered into the presence of Joseph, he received his brother Benjamin as his guest, and said, Verily I am thy brother,n be not therefore afflicted for that which they have committed against us. 70 And when he had furnished them with their provisions, he put his cupo in his brother Benjamin's sack. Then a crier cried after them, saying, O company of travellers, ye are surely thieves. They said, (and turned back unto them,) What is it that ye miss? They answered, We miss the prince's cup: and unto him who shall produce it, shall be given a camel's load of corn, and I will be surety for the same. Joseph's brethren replied, By GOD, ye do well know, that we come not to act corruptly in the land,p neither are we thieves. The Egyptians said, What shall be the reward of him, who shall appear to have stolen the cup, if ye be found liars? Joseph's brethren answered, As to the reward of him, in whose sack it shall be found, let him become a bondman in satisfaction of the same: thus do we reward the unjust, who are guilty of theft.q Then he began by their sacks, before he searched the sack of his brother;r and he drew out the cup from his brother's sack. Thus did we furnish Joseph with a stratagem. It was not lawful for him to take his brother for a bondman, by the law of the king of Egypt,s had not GOD pleased to allow it, according to the offer of his brethren. We exalt to degrees of knowledge and honour whom we please: and there is one who is knowing above all those who are endued with knowledge. His brethren said, If Benjamin be guilty of theft, his brother Joseph hath been also guilty of theft heretofore.t But Joseph concealed these things in his mind, and did not discover them unto them: and he said within himself, Ye are in a worse condition than us two; and GOD best knoweth what ye discourse about.

n It is related that Joseph, having invited his brethren to an entertainment, ordered them to be placed two and two together, by which means Benjamin, the eleventh, was obliged to sit alone, and bursting into tears, said, If my brother Joseph were alive, he would have sat with me. Whereupon Joseph ordered him to be seated at the same table with himself, and when the entertainment was over, dismissed the rest, ordering that they should be lodged two and two in a house, but kept Benjamin in his own apartment, where he passed the night. The next day Joseph asked him whether he would accept of himself for his brother, in the room of him whom he had lost, to which Benjamin replied, Who can find a brother comparable unto thee? yet thou art not the son of Jacob and Rachel. And upon this Joseph discovered himself to him.1 o Some imagine this to be a measure holding a saá (or about a gallon), wherein they used to measure corn or give water to the beasts. But others take it to be a drinking-cup of silver or gold. p Both by our behaviour among you, and our bringing again our money, which was returned to us without our knowledge. q This was the method of punishing theft used by Jacob and his family; for among the Egyptians it was punished in another manner. r Some suppose this search was made by the person whom Joseph sent after them; others by Joseph himself, when they were brought back to the city. s For there the thief was not reduced to servitude, but was scourged, and obliged to restore the double of what he had stolen.2 t The occasion of this suspicion, it is said, was, that Joseph having been brought up by his father's sister, she became so fond of him that, when he grew up, and Jacob designed to take him from her, she contrived the following stratagem to keep him: -Having a girdle which had once belonged to Abraham, she girt it about the child, and then, pretending she had lost it, caused strict search to be made for it; and it being at length found on Joseph, he was adjudged, according to the above-mentioned law of the family, to be delivered to her as her property. Some, however, say that Joseph actually stole an idol of gold, which belonged to his mother's father, and destroyed it; a story probably taken from Rachel's stealing the images of Laban: and others tell us that he once stole a goat, or a hen, to give to a poor man.3

1 Al Beidâwi. 2 Idem, Jallalo'ddin.

They said unto Joseph, Noble lord, verily this lad hath an aged father; wherefore take one of us in his stead; for we perceive that thou art a beneficent person. Joseph answered, GOD forbid that we should take any other than him with whom we found our goods; for then should we certainly be unjust. 80 And when they despaired of obtaining Benjamin, they retired to confer privately together. And the elder of themu said, Do ye not know that your father hath received a solemn promise from you, in the name of GOD, and how perfidiously ye behaved heretofore towards Joseph? Wherefore I will by no means depart the land of Egypt, until my father give me leave to return unto him, or GOD maketh known his will to me; for he is the best judge. Return ye to your father, and say, O father, verily thy son hath committed theft; we bear witness of no more than what we know, and we could not guard against what we did not foresee: and do thou inquire in the city, where we have been, and of the company of merchants, with whom we are arrived, and thou wilt find that we speak the truth. And when they were returned, and had spoken thus to their father, he said, Nay, but rather ye yourselves have contrived the thing for your own sakes, but patience is most proper for me; peradventure GOD will restore them allx unto me; for he is knowing and wise. And he turned from them and said, Oh how I am grieved for Joseph! And his eyes became white with mourning,y he being oppressed with deep sorrow. His sons said, By GOD, thou wilt not cease to remember Joseph until thou be brought to death's door, or thou be actually destroyed by excessive affliction. He answered, I only represent my grief, which I am not able to contain, and my sorrow unto GOD, but I know by revelation from GOD that which ye know not.z O my sons, go and make inquiry after Joseph and his brother; and despair not of the mercy of GOD; for none despaireth of GOD's mercy, except the unbelieving people. Wherefore Joseph's brethren returned into Egypt: and when they came into his presence, they said, Noble lord, the famine is felt by us and our family, and we are come with a small sum of money:a yet give unto us full measure, and bestow corn upon us as alms; for GOD rewardeth the almsgivers.

u viz., Reuben. But some think Simeon or Judah to be here meant; and instead of the elder, interpret it the most prudent of them. x i.e., Joseph, Benjamin, and Simeon. y That is, the pupils lost their deep blackness and became of a pearl colour (as happens in suffusions), by his continual weeping: which very much weakened his sight, or, as some pretend, made him quite blind.4 z viz., That Joseph is yet alive, of which some tell us he was assured by the angel of death in a dream; though others suppose he depended on the completion of Joseph's dream, which must have been frustrated had he died before his brethren had bowed down before him.5 a Their money being clipped and adulterated. Some, however, imagine they did not bring money, but goods to barter, such as wool and butter, or other commodities of small value.6

3 Jallalo'ddin. 4 Al Beidâwi. 5 Idem. 6 Idem.

Joseph said unto them, Do ye know what ye did unto Joseph and his brother, when ye were ignorant of the consequences thereof?b 90 They answered, Art thou really Joseph?c He replied, I am Joseph; and this is my brother. Now hath GOD been gracious unto us. For whoso feareth God, and persevereth with patience, shall at length find relief; since GOD will not suffer the reward of the righteous to perish. They said, By GOD, now hath GOD chosen thee above us; and we have surely been sinners. Joseph answered, Let there be no reproach cast on you this day. GOD forgiveth you; for he is the most merciful of those who show mercy. Depart ye with this my inner garment,d and throw it on my father's face; and he shall recover his sight: and then come unto me with all your family. And when the company of travellers was departed from Egypt on their journey towards Canaan, their father said, unto those who were about him, Verily I perceive the smell of Joseph;e although ye think that I dote. They answered, By GOD, thou art in thy old mistake.f But when the messenger of good tidingsg was come with Joseph's inner garment, he threw it over his face; and he recovered his eyesight. And Jacob said, Did I not tell you that I knew from GOD, that which ye knew not? They answered, O father, ask pardon of our sins for us, for we have surely been sinners. He replied, I will surely ask pardon for you of my LORD;h for he is gracious and merciful. 100 And when Jacob and his family arrived in Egypt, and were introduced unto Joseph, he received his parents unto him,i and said, Enter ye into Egypt, by GOD'S favor, in full security.

b The injury they did Benjamin was the separating him from his brother; after which they kept him in so great subjection, that he durst not speak to them but with the utmost submission. Some say that these words were occasioned by a letter which Joseph's brethren delivered to him from their father, requesting the releasement of Benjamin, and by their representing his extreme affliction at the loss of him and his brother. The commentators observe that Joseph, to excuse his brethren's behaviour towards him, attributes it to their ignorance, and the heat of youth.1 c They say this question was not the effect of a bare suspicion that he was Joseph, but that they actually knew him, either by his face and behaviour, or by his foreteeth, which he showed in smiling, or else by putting off his tiara, and discovering a whitish mole on his forehead.2 d Which the commentators generally suppose to be the same garment with which Gabriel invested him in the well; which having originally come from paradise, had preserved the odour of that place, and was of so great virtue as to cure any distemper in the person who was touched with it.3 e This was the odour of the garment above mentioned, brought by the wind to Jacob, who smelt it, as is pretended, at the distance of eighty parasangs;4 or, as others will have, three, or eight days' journey off.5 f Being led into this imagination by the excessive love of Joseph. g viz., Judah, who, as he had formerly grieved his father by bringing him Joseph's coat stained with blood, now rejoiced him as much by being the bearer of this vest, and the news of Joseph's prosperity.6 h Deferring it, as some fancy, till he should see Joseph, and have his consent. i viz., His father and Leah, his mother's sister, whom he looked on as his mother after Rachel's death.7 Al Beidâwi tells us that Joseph sent carriages and provisions for his father and his family; and that he and the king of Egypt went forth to meet them. He adds that the number of the children of Israel who entered Egypt with him was seventy-two; and that when they were led out thence by Moses, they were increased to six hundred thousand five hundred and seventy men and upwards, besides the old people and children.

1 Idem. 2 Idem. 3 Idem, Jallalo'ddin. 4 Idem. 5 Jallalo'ddin. 6 Al Beidâwi. 7 Idem. See Gen. xxxvii. 10.

And he raised his parents to the seat of state, and they, together with his brethren, fell down and did obeisance unto him.k And he said, O my father, this is the interpretation of my vision, which I saw heretofore: now hath my LORD rendered it true. And he hath surely been gracious unto me, since he took me forth from the prison, and hath brought you hither from the desert; after that the devil had sown discord between me any my brethren: for my LORD is gracious unto whom he pleaseth; and he is the knowing, the wise God. O LORD, thou hast given me a part of the kingdom, and hast taught me the interpretation of dark sayings. The Creator of heaven and earth! thou art my protector in this world, and in that which is to come: make me to die a Moslem, and join me with the righteous.l This is a secret history which we reveal unto thee, O Mohammed, although thou wast not present with the brethren of Joseph, when they concerted their design, and contrived a plot against him. But the greater part of men, although they earnestly desire it, will not believe. Thou shalt not demand of them any reward for thy publishing the Koran; it is no other than an admonition unto all creatures. And how many signs soever there be of the being, unity, and providence of God, in the heavens and the earth; they will pass by them, and will retire afar off from them. And the greater part of them believe not in GOD, without being also guilty of idolatry.m Do they not believe that some overwhelming affliction shall fall on them, as a punishment from GOD; or that the hour of judgment shall overtake them suddenly, when they consider not its approach? Say unto those of Mecca, This is my way: I invite you unto GOD, by an evident demonstration; both I and he who followeth me; and, praise be unto GOD! I am not an idolater. We sent not any apostles before thee, except men, unto whom we revealed our will, and whom we chose out of those who dwelt in cities.n Will they not go through the earth, and see what hath been the end of those who have preceded them? But the dwelling of the next life shall surely be better for those who fear God. Will they not therefore understand? 110 Their predecessors were borne with for a time, until, when our apostles despaired of their conversion, and they thought that they were liars, our help came unto them, and we delivered whom we pleased; but our vengeance was not turned away from the wicked people. Verily in the histories of the prophets and their people, there is an instructive example unto those who are endued with understanding. The Koran is not a new invented fiction: but a confirmation of those scriptures which have been revealed before it, and a distinct explication of everything necessary in respect either to faith or practice, and a direction and mercy unto people who believe.

k A transposition is supposed to be in these words, and that he seated his father and mother after they had bowed down to him, and not before.1 l The Mohammedan authors write that Jacob dwelt in Egypt twenty-four years, and at his death ordered his body to be buried in Palestine by his father, which Joseph took care to perform; and then returning into Egypt, died twenty-three years after. They add that such high disputes arose among the Egyptians concerning his burial, that they had like to have come to blows; but at length they agreed to put his body into a marble coffin, and to sink it in the Nile-out of a superstitious imagination, that it might help the regular increase of the river, and deliver them from famine for the future; but when Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, he took up the coffin, and carried Joseph's bones with him into Canaan, where he buried them by his ancestors.2 m For this crime Mohammed charges not only on the idolatrous Meccans, but also on the Jews and Christians, as has been already observed more than once. n And not of the inhabitants of the deserts; because the former are more knowing and compassionate, and the latter more ignorant and hard- hearted.3

1 Idem. 2 Idem. 3 Idem. See the Prelim. Disc. Sect. I. p. 24.