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104 THE CORÂN.

believe in him, &c."

وهم الأنبياء المذكورون ومتابعوهم وقيل الأنصار أو أصحاب النبي أو كل من آمن به الخ
Baidhâwi,

It, is immaterial to whom, in particular, the allusion applies, What is clear, and of main importance, is that the Corân here refers to the Jewish and Christian Scriptures then extant, as authoritative, inspired, and genuine;—Scriptures which, though rejected by the idolatrous Coreish, God had made over, or would make over, in safe custody to a believing people. Did the promise then become of none effect, seeing that the Mussulmans of the present day suspect those Scriptures of corruption or interpolation? Did the guardianship by the believing people, spoken of in the text, prove false? Surely the Mahometans will not so discredit the words of the Corân.

XXXVII.—SURA VI., v. 92[91].

سورة الأنعام

وَمَا قَدَرُواْ اللّهَ حَقَّ قَدْرِهِ إِذْ قَالُواْ مَا أَنزَلَ اللّهُ عَلَى بَشَرٍ مِّن شَيْءٍ قُلْ مَنْ أَنزَلَ الْكِتَابَ الَّذِي جَاء بِهِ مُوسَى نُورًا وَهُدًى لِّلنَّاسِ تَجْعَلُونَهُ قَرَاطِيسَ تُبْدُونَهَا وَتُخْفُونَ كَثِيرًا وَعُلِّمْتُم مَّا لَمْ تَعْلَمُواْ أَنتُمْ وَلاَ آبَاؤُكُمْ قُلِ اللّهُ ثُمَّ ذَرْهُمْ فِي خَوْضِهِمْ يَلْعَبُونَ

(For تبدون تجعلون and تخفون some copies of the Corân have يجعلون يبدون and يخفون Jelalooddeen.)

TESTIMONY TO THE HOLY SCRIPTURES. 105

And they do not estimate God with a just estimation, when they say,—God hath not sent down—(i.e. revealed) anything to Man. Say, who sent down the book, which Moses brought, a light and a direction to mankind? Ye (var. read they) make (or transcribe) it upon sheets of paper which ye (or they) show, and ye (or they) conceal much: and ye are taught that which ye knew not, neither did your fathers. Say,—God: then leave them to sport in their follies.

The passage is thus explained by Jelalooddeen: "They, that is the Jews, do not estimate, &c.," ما قدروا أي اليهود ;—"When they say, that is to Mahomet, in their disputations with him concerning the Corân," أذ قالوا للنبي وقد خاصموه في القرآن ;—"They (or ye) make it upon sheets of paper, i.e. write it in separate parts," (meaning scrolls of parchment, paper, or leather,—the manner of the Jews having been from time immemorial to transcribe the different books of the Old Testament upon such separate scrolls,) تجعلونه قراطيس أي يكتبونه في دفاتر مقطعة —"They (or ye) show it, viz., that which they desire to appear thereof," تبدونها أي ما يحبون أبداءه منه —"and they (or ye) conceal much, viz., of that which is in it, such as the description of Mahomet." ويخفوا كثيراً مما فيها كنعت محمد

According to the above Commentary, the text is addressed to the Jews. The greater part of this Sura (VI., Ináâm,) was delivered at Mecca, but the text itself may probably have been added to it after Mahomet went to Medina, and the Jews had commenced their opposition to him. They are alleged

           

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