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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 LXXXI.

ENTITLED SURAT AL TAKWÍR (THE FOLDING UP).

Revealed at Makkah.

INTRODUCTION.

The title of this chapter is taken from the first verse. The only matter worthy of notice here is the allusion it makes to the vision of Gabriel which Muhammad claimed he had in Mount Hira. This vision is here referred to as a Divine attestation to his apostleship. Noeldeke thinks this vision to have been “a night vision,” and, from vers. 15-18, he concludes “the revelation took place toward the end of the night, when the light of the stars was waning and the dawn about to break.”

Probable Date of the Revelations.

What is said in this chapter of Muhammad’s vision is so like the statement of chapter liii. as to suggest that the date is probably the same. The style and language agrees very well with this opinion.

Principal Subjects.

IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD.

∥ (1) When the sun shall be folded up; (2) and when the stars shall fall; (3) and when the mountains shall be made to pass away; (4) and when the camels ten months gone with young shall be neglected; (5) and when the wild beasts shall be gathered together; (6) and when the seas shall boil: (7) and when the souls shall be joined again to their bodies:(8) and when the girl who hath been buried alive shall be asked (9) for what crime she was put to death; (10) and when the books shall be laid open; (11) and when the heaven shall be removed; (12) and when hell shall burn fiercely: (13) and when Paradise shall be brought near: (14) every soul shall know what it hath wrought. (15) Verily I swear by the stars which are retrograde, (16) which move swiftly, and which hide themselves; (17) and by the night, when it cometh on; (18) and by the morning, when it appeareth; (19) that these are the words of an honourable messenger, (20) endued with strength, of established dignity in the sight of the possessor of the throne, (21) obeyed by the angels under his authority, and faithful: (22) and your companion Muhammad is not distracted. (23) He had already seen him in the clear horizon: (24) and he suspected not the secrets revealed unto him.(25) Neither are these the words of an accursed devil. (26) Whither, therefore, are you going? (27) This is no other than an admonition unto all creatures; (28) unto him among you who shall be willing to walk uprightly; (29) but ye shall not will, unless God willeth, the Lord of all creatures.

[(1) ]Folded up. “As a garment that is to be laid by.”—Sale.

[(4-6) ]See Prelim. Disc., p. 135.

[(8) ]Buried alive “For it was customary among the ancient Arabs to bury their daughters alive as soon as they were born, for fear they should be impoverished by providing for them, or should suffer disgrace on their account.”—Sale.

See also note on chap. xvi. 60.

[(11) ]The heaven . . . removed. “Or plucked away from its place, as ‘the skin is plucked off’ from a camel which is flaying, for that is the proper signification of the verb here used. Marracci fancies the passage alludes to that in the Psalms (Ps. civ. 2), where, according to the versions of the Septuagint and the Vulgate, God is said to have “stretched out the heaven like a skin.”—Sale.

[(16) ]Which hide, &c. “Some understand hereby the stars in general, but the more exact commentators, five of the planets, viz., the two which accompany the sun and the three superior planets, which have both a retrograde and a direct motion, and hide themselves in the rays of the sun, or when they set.”—Sale.

[(19) ]An honourable messenger. “Gabriel.”—Sale.

[(20) ]Endued with strength. See note on chap. liii. 6.

[(23) ]See notes on chap. liii. 7-11.

[(24) ]And he suspected not. “Some copies, by a change of one letter only, instead of dhanínin read danínin, and then the words should be rendered, ‘He is not tenacious of, or grudges not to communicate to you, ‘the secret revelations’ which he has received.”—Sale.

[(25) ]An accursed devil. “Who has overheard by stealth the discourse of the angels. The verse is an answer to a calumny of the infidels, who said the Qurán was only a piece of divination or magic; for the Arabs suppose the soothsayer or magician receives his intelligence from those evil spirits who are continually listening to learn what they can from the inhabitants of heaven.”—Sale.

See notes on chap. xv. 17 18.