Ch. II.]
THE COW
9
Title and Subject-matter.
The name of this chapter is taken from the story narrated in vv. 67-71 regarding the slaughter of a cow. As this chapter deals chiefly with the Jews, and as cow-worship, as shown in foot-notes 84 and 108, was the particular form of idolatry which took a hold among the Jews, the importance of that incident seems to have been rightly estimated in giving this chapter the name that it bears.
This chapter deals mainly with the Jews and their contentions against Islam, and hence it is that much of the legislation, details of which necessarily differ from the Jewish law, and most of the Jewish objections to the prophethood of Muhammad—may peace and the blessings of Allah be upon him—are dealt with in this chapter. A perusal of the analysis of the chapter will show how the various sections fit into each other, the allegation of confusedness in the arrangement being simply due to want of reflection. The chapter opens with brief statement of the fundamental principles of Islam, and, after mentioning the consequences of their acceptance or rejection in the first section, and dealing with lip-professions in the second, draws an inference of the truth of those principles, and more partioularly of Divine Unity, by referring to the work of God in nature in the third. The fourth section proceeds to show that man is endowed with vast capabilities, but suffers the consequences of wasting his opportunity, and this is illustrated in the story of Adam. Then in the fifth section the case of the Israelite nation is introduced, and they are told how the Qur-án fulfils the prophecies met with in their books, and the next two sections are devoted to Divine favours on them and their stubbornness, being followed by three others which speak of their degeneration, their hard-heartedness, and their violation of covenants. The eleventh section speaks of their objections to the Holy Prophet, and the twelfth refers to their great enmity and to their plans against him. The thirteenth states that former scriptures are abrogated and a better and more advanced code is given in the form of Islam, the religion of entire submission. The next section points out that partial good is met with in all religions, but it is only in Islam that religion attains to perfection. The fifteenth reminds the Israelites of the covenant with Abraham, which required the raising of a prophet from among the Ishmaelites, being followed by another dealing with the religion of the great patriarch. The subject of Qiblah being transferred to the Ka’ba, the house rebuilt by Abraham, is thus introduced, and the next two sections, while declaring the Ka’ba to be the new centre of spiritual activity, also give reasons for the change. The nineteenth warns the Muslims that they must undergo hard trials before they obtain mastery of the Sacred House, which was henceforth to be the centre of the Muslims, though the idolatry prevailing there was certainly destined to disappear, while Unity must ultimately obtain the triumph, this being made clear in the twentieth section. Certain minor differences with the Jewish law are then introduced as against the common principle of the doctrine of Unity, and thus the laws relating to foods, retaliation, transfer of property on decease, fasting, fighting, pilgrimage, wine, gambling, orphans, marital obligations, divorce, and widowhood are discussed in the eleven sections that follow. The next two make a reversion to the subject of fighting, which was necessary if the Muslims would escape national death, and illustrations are given from the Israelite history. We are then told in the thirty-fourth section of the mighty power of Allah to give life to the dead, and the Muslims are told that they should not use compulsion in the matter of religion, as their opponents had done. Two instances are then quoted in the followitig section, one from the history of Abraham and the other from the Israelitish history, showing how dead nations are raised to life. But national growth and prosperity, we are immediately told in the thirty-sixth and thirty-seventh sections, depends on acts of sacrifice and every penny spent in the cause of truth yields seven hundredfold and even much more fruit. The Muslims, being thus promised abundance of wealth as the result of their sacrifices, are warned in the following section against usurious dedlings which breed an inordinate love for wealth, for the amassing of wealth was not the goal of a Muslim's life. They are at the same time told, in the thirty-ninth section, to guard their property rights by the employment of writing in their transactions and securing evidence. In conclusion they are taught a prayer for the ultimate triumph2*
