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• The QurÁn.
• Chapter Xli.: Entitled Surat Al Fussilat (explanation). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Xlii.: Entitled Surat Al ShorÍ (consultation). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Xliii.: Entitled Surat Al ZuḲhrÁf (the Ornaments of Gold). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Xliv.: Entitled Surat Al DuḲhan (smoke). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Xlv.: Entitled Surat Al JÁsÍyah (kneeling). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Xlvi.: Entitled Surat Al AhqÁf (the Sandhills). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Xlvii.: Entitled Surat Muhammad. Revealed At Madína.
• Chapter Xlviii.: Entitled Surat Al Fatah (victory). Revealed At Madína.
• Chapter Xlix.: Entitled Surat Al HujrÁt (the Inner Apartments). Revealed At Madína.
• Chapter L.: Entitled Surat Al QÁf (q.). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Li.: Entitled Surat Al ZÁriyÁt (the Dispersing). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Lii.: Entitled Surat Al TÚr (the Mountain). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Liii.: Entitled Surat Al Najm (the Star). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Liv.: Entitled Surat Al Qamr (the Moon). Revealed At Makkah
• Chapter Lv.: Entitled Surat Al RahmÁn (the Merciful). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Lvi.: Entitled Surat Al WÁqÍa (the Inevitable). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Lvii.: Entitled Surat Al HadÍd (iron). Revealed At Madína.
• Chapter Lviii.: Entitled Surat Al MujÁdalah (she Who Disputed). Revealed At Madína.
• Chapter Lix.: Entitled Surat Al Hashr (the Emigration). Revealed At Madína.
• Chapter Lx.: Entitled Surat Al Mumtahina (she Who Is Tried). Revealed At Madína.
• Chapter Lxi.: Entitled Surat Al Saf (battle-array). Revealed At Madína.
• Chapter Lxii.: Entitled Surat Al Juma (the Assembly). Revealed At Madína.
• Chapter Lxiii.: Entitled Surat Al MunÁfiqÚn (the Hypocrites). Revealed At Madína.
• Chapter Lxiv.: Entitled Surat Al TaghabÚn (mutual Deceit). Revealed At Madína.
• Chapter Lxv.: Entitled Surat Al TalÁq (divorce). Revealed At Madína.
• Chapter Lxvi.: Entitled Surat Al TahrÍm (prohibition). Revealed At Madína.
• Chapter Lxvii.: Entitled Surat Al Mulk (the Kingdom). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Lxviii.: Entited Surat Al Qalam (the Pen). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Lxix.: Entitled Surat Al HÁqqat (the Infallible). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Lxx.: Entitled Surat Al MaÁrij (the Steps). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Lxxi.: Entitled Surat NÚh (noah). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Lxxii.: Entitled Surat Al Jinn (the Genii). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Lxxiii.: Entitled Surat Al Muzzammil (wrapped Up). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Lxxiv.: Entitled Surat Al Muddassir (the Covered). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Lxxv.: Entitled Surat Al QÍyÁmat (the Resurrection). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Lxxvi.: Entitled Surat Al InsÁn (man). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Lxxvii.: Entitled Surat Al MursalÁt (the Messengers). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Lxxviii.: Entitled Surat Al NabÁ (the News). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Lxxix.: Entitled Surat Al NÁziÁt (those Who Tear Forth). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Lxxx.: Entitled Surat Al Abas (he Frowned). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Lxxxi.: Entitled Surat Al TakwÍr (the Folding Up). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Lxxxii.: Entitled Surat Al InfitÁr (the Cleaving In Sunder). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Lxxxiii.: Entitled Surat Al TatfÍf (those Who Give Short Measure). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Lxxxiv.: Entitled Surat Al InshiqÁq (the Rending In Sunder). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Lxxxv.: Entitled Surat Al BurÚj (the Celestial Signs). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Lxxxvi.: Entitled Surat Al TÁriq (the Star Which Appeared By Night). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Lxxxvii.: Entitled Surat Al ÁlÁ (the Most High). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Lxxxviii.: Entitled Surat Al GhÁshiya (the Overwhelming). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Lxxxix.: Entitled Surat Al Fajr (the Daybreak). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter XC.: Entitled Surat Al Balad (the Territory). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter XCI.: Entitled Surat Al Shams (the Sun). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter XCII.: Entitled Surat Al Lail (the Night). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter XCIII.: Entitled Surat Al ZuhÁ (the Brightness). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter XCIV.: Entitled Surat Al InshirÁh (have We Not Opened?). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter XCV.: Entitled Surat Al TÍn (the Fig). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter XCVI.: Entitled Surat Al Alaq (congealed Blood). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter XCVII.: Entitled Surat Al Qadr (night of Power). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter XCVIII.: Entitled Surat Al Baiyana (the Evidence). Revealed At Madína.
• Chapter XCIX.: Entitled Surat Al ZilzÁl (the Earthquake). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter C.: Entitled Surat Al AdiyÁt (the War-horses Which Run Swiftly). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter CI.: Entitled Surat Al QÁrÍa (the Striking). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter CII.: Entitled Surat Al TakÁsur (the Emulous Desire of Multiplying). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter CIII.: Entitled Surat Al Asar (the Afternoon). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter CIV.: Entitled Surat Al Hamza (the Slanderer). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter CV.: Entitled Surat Al FÍl (the Elephant). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter CVI.: Entitled Surat Al Quraish (the Quraish). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter CVII.: Entitled Surat Al MÁÚn (necessaries). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter CVIII.: Entitled Surat Al Kauthar (abundance). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter CIX.: Entitled Surat Al KÁfirÚn (the Unbelievers). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter CX.: Entitled Surat Al Nasr (assistance). Revealed At Madína.
• Chapter CXI.: Entitled Surat Al Abu Lahab. Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter CXII.: Entitled Surat Al IḲhlÁs (declaration of God’s Unity). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter CXIII.: Entitled Surat Al Falaq (the Daybreak). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter CXIV.: Entitled Surat Al NÁs (men). Revealed At Makkah.

CHAPTER LXIV.

ENTITLED SURAT AL TAGHABÚN (MUTUAL DECEIT).

Revealed at Madína.

INTRODUCTION.

The title of this chapter is taken from words found in ver. 9, but there is no connection between it and the matter of the composition.

The revelations are hortatory in their character, but exceedingly confused. In the beginning the exhortation is to faith in God and his power to raise the dead. Farther on the subject is faith in the Qurán. Then we have words of comfort for those in distress, who are urged to trust God, since nothing occurs without his permission. The exhortation then turns to the duty of obeying God and Muhammad; and, finally, married Muslims are urged to contribute towards the cause of God, especially by way of almsgiving, not allowing the cares of family and children to interfere with the performance of this duty.

Probable Date of the Revelations.

Neither Muslim commentators nor modern writers are agreed as to whether this chapter belongs to Makkah or Madína. Noëldeke thinks there can be no doubt about vers. 14-18 being Madínic. He thinks this is also probably true of vers. 11-13. Rodwell thinks ver. 7 and the phrase “God and the Apostle” in vers. 8 and 12, together with the subject-matter, confirm the view of those who regard the chapter as Madínic. Weil and Muir regard it as Makkan. Vers. 2-7 are in their form and matter like the ordinary Makkan Suras, and the sentence in ver. 12, “the duty of our Apostle is only a public preaching,” looks also towards Makkah.

On the whole, we think the chapter should be regarded as Madínic, though it includes passages imported into it from Makkah, either by Muhammad or the compilers. As to date, Noëldeke places it just before chap. lxii., which would make its date about a.h. 2.

Principal Subjects.

IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD.

∥ (1) Whatever is in heaven and earth celebrateth the praises of God: his is the kingdom, and unto him is the praise due; for he is almighty. (2) It is he who hath created you; and one of you is predestined to be an unbeliever, and another of you is predestined to be a believer: and God beholdeth that which ye do. (3) He hath created the heavens and the earth with truth; and he hath fashioned you, and given you beautiful forms: and unto him must ye all go. (4) He knoweth whatever is in heaven and earth: and he knoweth that which ye conceal, and that which ye discover; for God knoweth the innermost part of men’s breasts. (5) Have ye not been acquainted with the story of those who disbelieved heretofore, and tasted the evil consequence of their behaviour? And for them is prepared in the life to come a tormenting punishment. (6) This shall they suffer, because their apostles came unto them with evident proofs of their mission, and they said, Shall men direct us? Wherefore they believed not, and turned their backs. But God standeth in need of no person; for Godis self-sufficient, and worthy to be praised. (7) The unbelievers imagine that they shall not be raised again. Say, Yea, by my Lord, ye shall surely be raised again; then shall ye be told that which ye have wrought; and this is easy with God.(8) Wherefore believe in God and his Apostle, and the light which we have sent down; for Godis well acquainted with that which ye do. (9) On a certain day he shall assemble you, at the day of the general assembly: that will be the day of mutual deceit. And whoso shall believe in God, and shall do that which is right, from him will he expiate his evil deeds, and he will lead him into gardens beneath which rivers flow, to remain therein for ever. This will be great felicity. (10) But they who shall not believe, and shall accuse our signs of falsehood, those shall be the inhabitants of hell-fire, wherein they shall remain for ever; and a wretched journey shall it be thither!

∥ (11) No misfortune happeneth but by the permission of God; and whoso believeth in God, he will direct his heart: and God knoweth all things. (12) Wherefore obey God, and obey the Apostle: but if ye turn back, verily the duty incumbent on our Apostle is only public preaching. (13)God! there is no God but he: wherefore in God let the faithful put their trust. (14) O true believers, verily of your wives and your children ye have an enemy: wherefore beware of them. But if ye pass over their offences, and pardon and forgive them,Godis likewise inclined to forgive, and merciful. (15) Your wealth and your children are only a temptation; but with Godis a great reward. (16) Wherefore fear God as much as ye are able; and hear and obey: and give alms for the good of your souls; for whoso is preserved from the covetousness of his own soul, they shall prosper. (17)(17) If ye lend unto God an acceptable loan, he will double the same unto you, and will forgive you: for God is grateful and long-suffering, (18) knowing both what is hidden and what is divulged; the Mighty, the Wise.

[(8) ]God and his Apostle. See note on chap. viii. 20. Rodwell thinks this expression an argument in favour of the view of those who regard this chapter as Madínic. The style and the matter of all that precedes it, however, count decidedly for Makkah. Indeed it must be admitted that even Makkan chapters may have been emended at Madína, and that expressions, common to Madína chapters, may have occasionally found their way into those of Makkah.

[(9) ]The day of mutual deceit. “When the blessed will deceive the damned, by taking the places which they would have had in Paradise had they been true believers, and contrariwise.”—Sale, Baidháwi, Yahya.

Expiate his evil deeds. See note on chap. iii. 194.

[(12) ]Only public preaching. This is another mark pointing to Makkah as the place where this revelation was given. There he was uniformly a preacher only. See note to chap. ii. 119.

[(13) ]Wives and children, &c. “For these are apt to distract a man from his duty, especially in time of distress; a married man caring for the things that are of this world, while the unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord (1 Cor. vii. 25).”—Sale.

If ye pass over, &c. “Considering that the hindrance they may occasion you proceeds from their affection, and their ill bearing your absence in time of war, &c.”—Sale.

[(16, 17) ]See note on chap. lxiii. 10.

[(17) ]God is grateful. See notes on chaps. ii. 159 and iv. 146.