SURA XXVIII.-THE STORY [LXXIX.]
Project Gutenberg EPUB3 edition
Rodwell, J. M. (John Medows)
And Korah went forth to his people in his pomp. Those who were greedy for this present life said, "Oh that we had the like of that which hath been bestowed on Korah! Truly he is possessed of great good fortune."
But they to whom knowledge had been given said, "Woe to you! the reward of God is better for him who believeth and worketh righteousness, and none shall win it but those who have patiently endured."
And we clave the earth for him and for his palace, and he had no forces, in the place of God,24 to help him, nor was he among those who are succoured.
And in the morning those who the day before had coveted his lot said, "Aha! God enlargeth supplies to whom he pleaseth of his servants, or is sparing. Had not God been gracious to us, He had caused it to cleave for us. Aha! the ungrateful can never prosper."
As to this future mansion, we will bestow it on those who seek not to exalt them in the earth or to do wrong: And there is a happy issue for the God- fearing.
Whoso doeth good shall have reward beyond its merits, and whoso doeth evil, they who do evil shall be rewarded only as they shall have wrought.
He who hath sanctioned the Koran to thee will certainly bring thee to thy home.25 SAY: My Lord best knoweth who hath guidance, and who is in undoubted error.
Thou didst never expect that the Book would be given thee. Of thy Lord's mercy only hath it been sent down. Be not thou helpful then to the unbelievers:
Neither let them turn thee aside from the signs of God after they have been sent down to thee, but bid men to thy Lord; and be not among those who add gods to God:
And call not on any other god with God. There is no god but He! Everything shall perish except Himself! Judgment is His, and to Him shall ye return!
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1 See Sura lxviii. 1, p. 32.
2 Lit. Imâms.
3 Comp. [xci.] ii. 58.
4 That is, This child will be a comfort to us. See Sura [lviii.] xix. 26.
5 "Why must the nurse be a Hebrew woman? (Ex. ii. 7.) This shews that he refused the breast of all the Egyptian women. For the Holy, blessed be He, had said, Shall the mouth that is to speak with me suck an unclean thing?" Sotah. xii. 2.
6 Lit. in the time of neglect on the part of its people, i.e. at the hour of the noon sleep.
7 Lit. I have acted unjustly to my soul.
8 Comp. Ex. ii. 16, 17, where the daughters are said to be seven.
9 That is, of a wife.
10 The compact (Gen. xxix. 15-39) between Laban and Jacob must have been present to the mind of Muhammad when composing this tale.
11 Lit. he was cried to. According to Muhammad, Moses had resolved to quit Madian previously to the Vision of the Bush, which, according to Ex. iii., was the real occasion.
12 Lit. thy wing.
13 Lit. kindle upon the clay. Comp. [lxxviii.] xl. 38-49. "He (Pharaoh) said to them: From the first have ye spoken an untruth, for Lord of the Worlds am I. I created myself and the Nile, as it is said (Ez. xxix. 3), 'My river is mine own and I have made it for myself."' (E.T.) Mid. Rab. on Ex. Par. 5.
14 So that the oral traditions would be easily handed down.
15 Or, yet have we sent thee as an Apostle to them.
16 Supply, we will not believe.
17 That is, the Pentateuch and the Koran.
18 The Meccan Jews and Christians who had formerly embraced Islam, and could now affirm that they had always held the same faith. This passage could not have been written after Muhammad's experience of Jewish unbelief at Medina.
19 Lit. the guidance with thee.
20 But their own imaginations and passions.
21 Lit. the account shall be blind or dark to them. Sie werden vor Bestürzung keine Rechenschaft geben. Ullm.
22 Potestas judiciaria. Mar. Richteramt. Ullm.
23 Ar. Karun. "Joseph concealed three treasures in Egypt, one of which became known to Korah . . . the keys of Korah's treasure chambers were a burden for 300 white mules." Midr. Jalkut on Eccl. v. 12, "Riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt,"-which may have furnished Muhammad with the nucleus of this story. Compare also Tract. Psachim. fol. 119 a.
24 Or, against God.
25 Probably to Paradise, according to others to Mecca, as a conqueror. But this latter interpretation involves the revelation of this verse at least, at Medina.