19 Made them to be highly praised.  Beidh.

20 Enoch.  Beidhawi derives the name Edris from the Ar. darasa, to search out, with reference to his knowledge of divine mysteries.  The Heb.  Enoch, in like manner, means initiated.

21 Comp.  Gen. v. 24, and the tract Derek Erez in Midr.  Jalkut, c. 42, where Enoch is reckoned among the nine according to other Talmudists, thirteen (Schroeder’s Talm. und Rabb.  Judenthum)-individuals who were exempted from death and taken straight to Paradise.  It should be observed that both here and Sura xxi. 85, Edris is named after Ismael.

22 Maracci and Beidhawi, in absentid.  Sale, as an object of faith.  Beidhawi ad f. in reward for their secret faith.  Ullmann für die verborgene Zukunft.

23 This verse is to be understood as an answer on the part of Gabriel to Muhammad’s complaints of the long intervals between the revelations.

24 The idolaters called their deities Gods, but as Polytheists were unused to the singular Allah, God.

25 Even the pious on their way to Paradise are to pass the confines of Hell.

26 The Koreisch, or the Muslims.

27 Or, glory, strength.

28 To call down judgments upon them.

29 As ambassadors come into the presence of a prince.  Sale.  This is implied in the original.

SURA XXXVIII.-SAD [LIX.]

Mecca.-88 Verses

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

Sad.1 By the Koran full of warning!  In sooth the Infidels are absorbed in pride, in contention with thee.

How many generations have we destroyed before them!  And they cried for mercy but no time was it of escape!

And they marvel that a warner from among themselves hath come to them; and the Infidels say, “This is a sorcerer, a liar: 

Maketh he the gods to be but one god?  A strange thing forsooth is this!”

And their chiefs took themselves off.  “Go, said they, and cleave steadfastly2 to your gods.  Ye see the thing aimed at.

We heard not of this in the previous creed.3 It is but an imposture: 

To him alone of us all hath a book of warning been sent down?” Yes! they are in doubt as to my warnings, for they have not yet tasted my vengeance.

Are the treasures of the mercy of thy Lord, the Mighty, the bounteous, in their hands?

Is the kingdom of the heavens and of the earth and of all that is between them theirs?  Then let them mount up by cords!

Any army of the confederates4 shall here be routed.

Before them the people of Noah and Ad and Pharaoh the impaler5 treated their prophets as impostors;

And Themoud, and the people of Lot, and the dwellers in the forest:  these were the confederates.

Nought did they all but charge the apostles with falsehood:  Just, therefore, the retribution.