80 THE CORÂN.

jealousy, and envy among themselves, that these differences sprang up; not from any imperfection in their Scriptures.

XI.—SURA XXXVII., v. 36[35-37].

سورة الصافات

إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا إِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ لا إِلَهَ إلا اللَّه يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ
وَيَقُولُونَ أَئِنَّا لَتَارِكُوا آلِهَتِنَا لِشَاعِرٍ مَّجْنُونٍ
بَلْ جَاء بِالْحَقِّ وَصَدَّقَ الْمُرْسَلِينَ

Verily when it is said unto them;—
There is no God but the Lord; they arrogantly reply, —
What! shall we give up our gods for a phrenzied poet? 
Nay, he cometh with the truth, 
and attesteth (the Revelations,) 
of the (former) apostles.

Thus, in replying to his opponents at Mecca, the main justification of the Prophet against their accusation of his being a phrenzied poet, was that he brought the truth, and bore witness to the Revelations of former Apostles.

XII.—SURA XXXVII, v. 114 [-118].

سورة الصافات

وَلَقَدْ مَنَنَّا عَلَى مُوسَى وَهَارُونَ
وَنَجَّيْنَاهُمَا وَقَوْمَهُمَا مِنَ الْكَرْبِ الْعَظِيمِ
وَنَصَرْنَاهُمْ فَكَانُوا هُمُ الْغَالِبِينَ
وَآتَيْنَاهُمَا الْكِتَابَ الْمُسْتَبِينَ
وَهَدَيْنَاهُمَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ

And verily We were gracious to Moses and Aaron,
and saved them and their people from great tribulation;

TESTIMONY TO THE HOLY SCRIPTURES. 81

and We brought them assistance, 
and they were the conquerors; 
and We gave them the perspicuous book, 
and directed them into the right way.

"The perspicuous Book;— هو التوراة that is, the Tourât."—Baidhâwi; Jelalooddeen.

XIII.—SURA XXVI., v. 191[192-197].

سورة الشعراء

وَإِنَّهُ لَتَنزِيلُ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ
نَزَلَ بِهِ الرُّوحُ الْأَمِينُ
عَلَى قَلْبِكَ لِتَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُنذِرِينَ
بِلِسَانٍ عَرَبِيٍّ مُّبِينٍ
وَإِنَّهُ لَفِي زُبُرِ الْأَوَّلِينَ
أَوَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُمْ آيَةً أَن يَعْلَمَهُ عُلَمَاء بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ

Verily it is a revelation from the Lord of creation;
The faithful Spirit hath caused it to descend
On thy heart, that thou mightest be one of the warners,
In the plain Arabic tongue.
And verily it is in the former Scriptures.
What! is it not a sign unto them that the wise men of the
Children of Israel recognize it?

In proof that the Corân is a true Revelation, Mahomet, addressing his fellow-citizens of Mecca, asserts that "it is in the former Scriptures";—that is, as being mentioned therein, or more probably, as containing a Revelation of similar purport. Thus Baidhâwi; إن ذكره أو معناه لفي الكتب المتقدمة "verily the mention of it (the Corân,) or the purport of it, is in the preceding Scriptures." The former Scriptures