SAY: Specially am I commanded to worship the Lord of this land, which He hath sanctified. All things are His: and I am commanded to be one of those who surrender them to God (a Muslim) And to recite the Koran: and whoever is rightly guided, assuredly will be rightly guided to his own behoof. And as to him who erreth, SAY, I truly am a warner only.And SAY, Praise be to God! He will shew you His signs, and ye shall acknowledge them: and of what ye do, thy Lord is not regardless. _______________________ 1 See Sura lxviii., p. 32, n. 2 Not really leprous. 3 Lit. when our visible signs came to them. 4 This tradition may be derived from 1 Kings iv. 33. Comp. Geiger, p. 185. The legend of Solomon's power over the Genii originates in a mistranslation of Eccl. ii. 8. Comp. also for other points in this story Prov. vi. 6; 1 Kings x. 1-10. 5 "Demons obeyed him (Solomon) . . . and evil spirits were subjected to him." Targ. 2. on Esther 1, 2. From the same source Muhammad has adopted, with slight variations, the whole story of Solomon's intercourse with the Queen of Saba. Comp. also Tr. Gittin, fol. 68, and Midr. Jalkut on 1 Kings vi. ch. 182. 6 Lit. unless ye bear me witness. 7 That is, malignant. "The efreets are generally believed to differ from the other djinn in being very powerful and always malicious; but to be in other respects of a similar nature" (Lane's Modern Egyptians, i. 285). "The ghosts of dead persons are also called by this name" (ib. 289). 8 Or, before thy glance can be withdrawn from an object. 9 Lit. we have consulted the flight of birds: hence presage. 10 Lit. your bird, augury. 11 Comp. Sura [lxvi.] xxv. 55. 12 Lit. their knowledge attaineth to the next life. 13 Lit. art on clear truth. 14 Al Jassaca, the Spy. 15 Or, shall derive advantage from them. SURA XVIII.-THE CAVE [LXIX.] MECCA.-110 Verses In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful PRAISE be to God, who hath sent down the Book to his servant, and hath not made it tortuous1 But direct; that it may warn of a grievous woe from him, and announce to the faithful who do the things that are right, that a goodly reward, wherein they shall abide for ever, awaiteth them; And that it may warn those who say, "God hath begotten a Son." No knowledge of this have either they or their fathers! A grievous saying to come out of their mouths! They speak no other than a lie! And haply, if they believe not in this new revelation, thou wilt slay thyself, on their very footsteps, out of vexation. Verily, we have made all that is on earth as its adornment, that we might make trial who among mankind would excel in works: But we are surely about to reduce all that is thereon to dust! Hast thou reflected that the Inmates of THE CAVE and of Al Rakim2 were on our wondrous signs? When the youths betook them to the cave they said, "O our Lord! grant us mercy from before thee, and order for us our affair aright."