Verily, Abraham was a leader in religion:23 obedient to God, sound in faith:24 he was not of those who join gods with God. Grateful was he for His favours: God chose him and guided him into the straight way; And we bestowed on him good things in this world: and in the world to come he shall be among the just. We have moreover revealed to thee that thou follow the religion of Abraham, the sound in faith. He was not of those who join gods with God. The Sabbath was only ordained for those who differed about it: and of a truth thy Lord will decide between them on the day of resurrection as to the subject of their disputes. Summon thou to the way of thy Lord with wisdom and with kindly warning: dispute with them in the kindest manner: thy Lord best knoweth those who stray from his way, and He best knoweth those who have yielded to his guidance. If ye make reprisals,25 then make them to the same extent that ye were injured: but if ye can endure patiently, best will it be for the patiently enduring. Endure then with patience. But thy patient endurance must be sought in none but God. And be not grieved about the infidels, and be not troubled at their devices; for God is with those who fear him and do good deeds. _______________________ 1 See Sura [lxxxiv.] x. 5, n. 2 Ex gutta spermatis. Pirke Aboth iii. Unde venisti? ex guttá foetidâ. This verse is said to be an allusion to a difficulty proposed by an idolatrous Arab, who brought a carious leg-bone to Muhammad, and asked whether it could be restored to life. Compare a similar argument for the Resurrection, Tr. Sanhedrin, fol. 91 a. 3 Lit. there is beauty in them for you, i.e. they win you credit. 4 In allusion to Gen. xi. 1-10. 5 An Arabian idol. 6 Ps. xxxv. 9. 7 Lit. the family of the admonition, i.e. Jews and Christians versed in the Pentateuch and Gospel. 8 The idolatrous Arabians regarded Angels as females and daughters of God. But their own preference was always for male offspring. Thus Rabbinism teaches that to be a woman is a great degradation. The modern Jew says in his Daily Prayers, fol. 5, 6, "Blessed art thou, O Lord our God! King of the Universe! who hath not made me a woman." 9 See Sura lxxxi. 8, p. 45. It is said that the only occasion on which Othman ever shed a tear was when his little daughter, whom he was burying alive, wiped the dust of the grave-earth from his beard. 10 Lit. the likeness of evil to those, etc. 11 The Arabs are curious in and fond of honey: Mecca alone affords eight or nine varieties-green, white, red, and brown. Burton's Pilgr. iii. 110. 12 Ex. xx. 4. 13 The slave, and the dumb in verse following, are the idols. 14 See Sura [xcvii.] iii. 34, and n. 1, p. 114. 15 Gabriel.