166 The CORÂN

Mahomet is the prophet of God; and those who follow him are fierce against the unbelievers, but compassionate among themselves. Thou mayest see them bowing down, prostrating themselves, seeking the favour of God and his pleasure. Their signs are in their faces from the marks of their prostration. This is the likeness of them in the Pentateuch and the likeness of them in the Gospel,—as a seed which putteth forth its stalk and strengtheneth it, and swelleth and riseth on its stem, and delighteth the sower thereof,—that the unbelievers may be indignant thereat.

The reference may possibly be to some of the images in the Psalms, or to the parable of the Sower in the Gospel.

 XCV.—SURA LXI., v. 6.

سورة الصف

وَإِذْ قَالَ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ يَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ إِنِّي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ إِلَيْكُم مُّصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيَّ مِنَ التَّوْرَاةِ وَمُبَشِّرًا بِرَسُولٍ يَأْتِي مِن بَعْدِي اسْمُهُ أَحْمَدُ فَلَمَّا جَاءهُم بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ قَالُوا هَذَا سِحْرٌ مُّبِينٌ

And when Jesus, the Son of Mary, said;--Oh children of Israel, verily I am an Apostle of God unto you, attesting that which is before me of the Tourât, and giving glad tidings of an apostle that shall come after me, whose name is Ahmad (the Praised).

The verse is quoted by Mahomet as the message of Jesus to his people. It admits the purity and the authority of the Jewish Scripture as extant in the

TESTIMONY TO THE HOLY SCRIPTURES 167

time of Jesus. The Old Testament was then complete, and its canon closed as it now is. We see therefore that the "Tourât " spoken of in the Corân is the entire Old Testament;—the Law, the Psalms, and the Prophets, as used and acknowledged in the time of Jesus.

The passage seems to refer to the promise by Jesus of the Paraclete or Comforter; which being read Periclyte is thus appropriated by Mahomet as a prophecy of himself.

 XCVI.—SURA IV., v. 43[44-47].

سورة النساء

أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ نَصِيبًا مِّنَ الْكِتَابِ يَشْتَرُونَ
الضَّلاَلَةَ وَيُرِيدُونَ أَن تَضِلُّواْ السَّبِيلَ وَاللّهُ أَعْلَمُ
بِأَعْدَائِكُمْ وَكَفَى بِاللّهِ وَلِيًّا وَكَفَى بِاللّهِ نَصِيرًا
مِّنَ الَّذِينَ هَادُواْ يُحَرِّفُونَ الْكَلِمَ عَن مَّوَاضِعِهِ
وَيَقُولُونَ سَمِعْنَا وَعَصَيْنَا وَاسْمَعْ غَيْرَ مُسْمَعٍ
وَرَاعِنَا لَيًّا بِأَلْسِنَتِهِمْ وَطَعْنًا فِي الدِّينِ وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ
قَالُواْ سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا وَاسْمَعْ وَانظُرْنَا لَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَّهُمْ
وَأَقْوَمَ وَلَكِن لَّعَنَهُمُ اللّهُ بِكُفْرِهِمْ فَلاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ إِلاَّ قَلِيلاً
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْكِتَابَ آمِنُواْ بِمَا نَزَّلْنَا مُصَدِّقًا
لِّمَا مَعَكُم مِّن قَبْلِ أَن نَّطْمِسَ وُجُوهًا فَنَرُدَّهَا عَلَى
أَدْبَارِهَا أَوْ نَلْعَنَهُمْ كَمَا لَعَنَّا أَصْحَابَ السَّبْتِ
وَكَانَ أَمْرُ اللّهِ مَفْعُولاً