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2 John viii. 5. 3 Levit. xx. 10. See Whiston's Essay towards
restoring the true text of the Old Test. p. 99, 100.
4 See the Prelim. Disc. Sect. III. 5 See before, p. 10, note g.
6 Al Beidåwi. 1 Jallalo'ddin

30 GOD hath surely chosen Adam, and Noah, and the family of Abraham, and
the family of Imrânx above the rest of the world; a race descending the one
from the other: GOD is he who heareth and knoweth.
Remember when the wife of Imrâny said, LORD, verily I have vowed unto
thee that which is in my womb, to be dedicated to thy service;z accept it
therefore of me; for thou art he who heareth and knoweth. And when she was
delivered of it, she said, LORD, verily I have brought forth a female (and GOD
well knew what she had brought forth), and a male is not as a female.a I have
called her MARY; and I commend her to thy protection, and also her issue,
against Satan driven away with stones.b

x Or Amrân, is the name of two several persons, according to the
Mohammedan tradition. One was the father of Moses and Aaron; and the other
was the father of Moses and Aaron; and the other was the father of the Virgin
Mary;2 but he is called by some Christian writers Joachim. The commentators
suppose the first, or rather both of them, to be meant in this place; however,
the person intended in the next passage, it is agreed, was the latter; who
besides Mary the mother of Jesus, had also a son named Aaron,3 and another
sister, named Ishá (or Elizabeth), who married Zacharias, and was the mother
of John the Baptist; whence that prophet and Jesus are usually called by the
Mohammedans, The two sons of the aunt, or the cousins german.
From the identity of names it has been generally imagined by Christian
writers4 that the Korân here confounds Mary the mother of Jesus, with Mary or
Miriam the sister of Moses and Aaron; which intolerable anachronism, if it
were certain, is sufficient of itself to destroy the pretended authority of
this book. But though Mohammed may be supposed to have been ignorant enough
in ancient history and chronology to have committed so gross a blunder, yet I
do not see how it can be made out from the words of the Korân. For it does
not follow, because two persons have the same name, and have each a father and
brother who bear the same names, that they must therefore necessarily be the
same person: besides, such a mistake is inconsistent with a number of other
places in the Korân, whereby it manifestly appears that Mohammed well knew and
asserted that Moses preceded Jesus several ages. And the commentators
accordingly fail not to tell us that there had passed about one thousand eight
hundred years between Amrân the father of Moses, and Amrân the father of the
Virgin Mary: they also make them the sons of different persons; the first,
they say, was the son of Yeshar, or Izhar (though he was really his brother),5
the son of Kâhath, the son of Levi; and the other was the son of Mathân,6
whose genealogy they trace, but in a very corrupt and imperfect manner, up to
David, and thence to Adam.7
It must be observed that though the Virgin Mary is called in the Korân1
the sister of Aaron, yet she is nowhere called the sister of Moses; however,
some Mohammedan writers have imagined that the same individual Mary, the
sister of Moses, was miraculously preserved alive from his time till that of
Jesus Christ, purposely to become the mother of the latter.2
y The Imrân here mentioned was the father of the Virgin Mary, and his
wife's name was Hannah, or Ann, the daughter of Fakudh. This woman, say the
commentators, being aged and barren, on seeing a bird feed her young ones,
became very desirous of issue, and begged a child of GOD, promising to
consecrate it to his service in the temple; whereupon she had a child, but it
proved a daughter.3
z The Arabic word is free, but here signifies particularly one that is
free or detached from all worldly desires and occupations, and wholly devoted
to GOD'S service.4
a Because a female could not minister in the temple as a male could.5
b This expression alludes to a tradition, that Abraham, when the devil
tempted him to disobey God in not sacrificing his son, drove the fiend away by
throwing stones at him; in memory of which, the Mohammedans, at the pilgrimage
of Mecca, throw a certain number of stones at the devil, with certain
ceremonies, in the valley of Mina.6
It is not improbable that the pretended immaculate conception of the
Virgin Mary is intimated in this passage; for according to a tradition of
Mohammed, every person that comes into the world is touched at his birth by
the devil, and therefore cries out: Mary and her son only excepted, between
whom and the evil spirit God placed a veil, so that his touch did not reach
them.7 And for this reason, they say, neither of them were guilty of any sin,
like the rest of the children of Adam:8 which peculiar grace they obtained by
virtue of this recommendation of them by Hannah to God's protection.

2 Al Zamakhshari, al Beidâwi. 3 Kor. c. 19. 4
Vide Reland. de Rel. Moh. p. 211 Marracc. in Alc. p. 115, &c. Prideaux,
Letter to the Deists, p. 185. 5 Exod. vi. 18. 6 Al Zamakh. al
Beidâwi. 7 Vide Reland. ubi sup. D'Herbelot, Bibl. Orient. p. 583.
1 Cap. 19. 2 Vide Guadagnol. Apolog. pro Rel. Christ. contra Ahmed Ebn
Zein al Abedin. p. 279.
3 Al Beidâwi, al Thalabi. 4 Jallalo'ddin, al Zamakhshari.
5 Jallalo'ddin. 6 See the Prelim. Disc. Sect. IV.
7 Jallalo'ddin, al Beidâwi. 8 Kitada.

Therefore the LORD accepted her with a gracious acceptance,c and caused
her to bear an excellent offspring. And Zacharias took care of the child;
whenever Zacharias went into the chamber to her, he found provisions with
her:d and he said, O Mary, whence hadst thou this? she answered, This is from
GOD, for GOD provideth for whom he pleaseth without measure.e
There Zacharias called on his LORD, and said, LORD, give me from thee a
good offspring, for thou art the hearer of prayer. And the angelsf called to
him, while he stood praying in the chamber,
saying, Verily GOD promiseth thee a son named John, who shall bear
witness to the Wordg which cometh from GOD; and honourable person, chaste,h
and one of the righteous prophets.
He answered, LORD, how shall I have a son, when old age hath overtaken
me,i and my wife is barren? The angel said, So GOD doth that which he
pleaseth.
Zacharias answered, LORD, give me a sign. The angel said, Thy sign shall
be, that thou shalt speak unto no mank for three days, otherwise than by
gesture: remember thy LORD often, and praise him evening and morning.
And when the angels said, O Mary, verily GOD hath chosen thee, and hath
purified thee and hath chosen thee above all the women of the world:
O Mary, be devout towards thy LORD, and worship, and bow down with those
who bow down.
This is a secret history: we reveal it unto thee, although thou wast not
present with them when they threw in their rods to cast lots which of them
should have the education of Mary;l neither wast thou with them, when they
strove among themselves.
40 When the angels said; O Mary, verily GOD sendeth thee good tidings, that
thou shalt bear the Word proceeding from himself; his name shall be CHRIST
JESUS the son of Mary, honourable in this world and in the world to come, and
one of those who approach near to the presence of GOD;

c Though the child happened not to be a male, yet her mother presented
her to the priests who had the care of the temple, as one dedicated to GOD;
and they having received her, she was committed to the care of Zacharias, as
will be observed by-and-bye, and he built her an apartment in the temple, and
supplied her with necessaries.9
d The commentators say that none went into Mary's apartment but
Zacharias himself, and that he locked seven doors upon her, yet he found she
had always winter fruits in summer, and summer fruits in winter.10
e There is a story of Fâtema, Mohammed's daughter, that she once
brought two loaves and a piece of flesh to her father, who returned them to
her, and having called for her again, when she uncovered the dish, it was full
of bread and meat; and on Mohammed's asking her whence she had it, she
answered in the words of this passage: This is from GOD; for GOD provideth for
whom he pleaseth without measure. Whereupon he blessed GOD, who thus favoured
her, as he had the most excellent of the daughters of Israel.1
f Though the word be in the plural, yet the commentators say it was the
angel Gabriel only. The same is to be understood where it occurs in the
following passages.
g That is, Jesus, who, al Beidâwi says, is so called because he was
conceived by the word or command of GOD without a father.
h The original word signifies one who refrains not only from women, but
from all other worldly delights and desires. Al Beidâwi mentions a tradition,
that during his childhood some boys invited him to play, but he refused,
saying that he was not created to play.
i Zacharias was then ninety-nine years old, and his wife eighty-nine.2
k Though he could not speak to anybody else, yet his tongue was at
liberty to praise GOD as he is directed to do by the following words.
l When Mary was first brought to the temple, the priests, because she
was the daughter of one of their chiefs, disputed among themselves who should
have the education of her. Zacharias insisted that he ought to be preferred,
because he had married her aunt; but the others not consenting that it should
be so, they agreed to decide the matter by casting of lots; whereupon twenty-
seven of them went to the river Jordan and threw in their rods (or arrows
without heads or feathers, such as the Arabs used for the same purpose), on
which they had written some passages of the law; but they all sank except that
of Zacharias, which floated on the water; and he had thereupon the care of the
child committed to him.3

9 Jallalo'ddin, al Beidâwi. Vide Lud. de Dieu, in not. ad Hist.
Christi Xaverii, p. 542. 10 Al Beidâwi. Vide de Dieu, ubi
sup. p. 548. 1 Al Beidâwi 2 Idem. 3 Idem.
Jallalo'ddin, &c.

and he shall speak unto men in the cradle,m and when he is grown up;n and
he shall be one of the righteous:
she answered, LORD, how shall I have a son, since a man hath not touched
me? the angel said, So GOD createth that which he pleaseth: when he decreeth a
thing, he only saith unto it, Be, and it is:
GOD shall teach him the scripture, and wisdom, and the law, and the
gospel; and shall appoint him his apostle to the children of Israel; and he
shall say, Verily I come unto you with a sign from your LORD; for I will make
before you, of clay, as it were the figure of a bird;o then I will breathe
thereon, and it shall become a bird, by the permission of GOD;p and I will
heal him that hath been blind from his birth; and the leper: and I will raise
the deadq by the permission of GOD: and I will prophesy unto you what ye eat,
and what ye lay up for store in your houses. Verily herein will be a sign
unto you, if ye believe.
And I come to confirm the law which was revealed before me and to allow
unto you as lawful part of that which hath been forbidden you:r and I come
unto you with a sign from your LORD; therefore fear GOD, and obey me. Verily
GOD is my LORD, and your LORD; therefore serve him. This is the right way.

m Besides an instance of this given in the Korân itself,1 which I shall
not here anticipate, a Mohammedan writer, (of no very great credit, indeed)
tells two stories, one of Jesus's speaking while in his mother's womb, to
reprove her cousin Joseph for his unjust suspicions of her;2 and another of
his giving an answer to the same person soon after he was born. For Joseph
being sent by Zacharias to seek Mary (who had gone out of the city by night to
conceal her delivery) and having found her began to expostulate with her, but
she made no reply; whereupon the child spoke these words: Rejoice, O Joseph,
and be of good cheer; for God hath brought me forth from the darkness of the
womb, to the light of the world; and I shall go to the children of Israel, and
invite them to the obedience of God.3
These seem all to have been taken from some fabulous traditions of the
eastern Christians, one of which is preserved to us in the spurious gospel of
the Infancy of Christ; where we read that Jesus spoke while yet in the cradle,
and said to his mother, Verily I am Jesus the Son of God, the word which thou
hast brought forth, as the angel Gabriel did declare unto thee; and my father
hath sent me to save the world.4
n The Arabic word properly signifies a man in full age, that is,
between thirty or thirty-four, and fifty-one; and the passage may relate to
Christ's preaching here on earth. But as he had scarce attained this age when
he was taken up into heaven, the commentators choose to understand it of his
second coming.5
o Some say it was a bat,6 though others suppose Jesus made several
birds of different sorts.
This circumstance is also taken from the following fabulous tradition,
which may be found in the spurious gospel above mentioned. Jesus being seven
years old, and at play with several children of his age, they made several
figures of birds and beasts, for their diversion, of clay; and each preferring
his own workmanship, Jesus told them, that he would make his walk and leap;
which accordingly, at his command, they did. He made also several figures of
sparrows and other birds, which flew about or stood on his hands as he ordered
them, and also ate and drank when he offered them meat and drink. The
children telling this to their parents, were forbidden to play any more with
Jesus, whom they held to be a sorcerer.8
p The commentators observe that these words are added here, and in the
next sentence, lest it should be thought Jesus did these miracles by his own
power, or was GOD.9
q Jallalo'ddin mentions three persons whom Christ restored to life, and
who lived several years after, and had children, viz., Lazarus, the widow's
son, and the publican's (I suppose he means the ruler of the synagogue's)
daughter. He adds that he also raised Shem the son of Noah, who, as another
writes10 thinking he had been called to judgment, came out of his grave with
his head half grey, whereas men did not grow grey in his days; after which he
immediately died again.
r Such as the eating of fish that have neither fins nor scales, the
caul and fat of animals, and camel's flesh, and to work on the sabbath. These
things, say the commentators, being arbitrary institutions in the law of
Moses, were abrogated by Jesus; as several of the same kind, instituted by the
latter, have been since abrogated by Mohammed.1

1 Cap. 19. 2 Vide Sikii notas in Evang. Infant. p. 5.
3 Al Kessai, apud eundem 4 Evang. Infant. p. 5. 5
Jallalo'ddin. Al Beidâwi. 6 Jallalo'ddin. 7 Al Thalabi
8 Evang. Infant. p. 111, &c 9 Al Beidâwi, &c. 10 Al
Thalabi. 1 Al Beidâwi. Jallalo'ddin.

But when Jesus perceived their unbelief, he said, Who will be my helpers
towards GOD? The apostles answered,s We will be the helpers of GOD; we
believe in GOD, and do thou bear witness that we are true believers.
O LORD, we believe in that which thou hast sent down, and we have
followed thy apostle; write us down therefore with those who bear witness of
him.
And the Jews devised a stratagem against him;t but GOD devised a
stratagem against them;u and GOD is the best deviser of stratagems.

s In Arabic, al Hawâriyûn; which word they derive from Hâra, to be
white, and suppose the apostles were so called either from the candour and
sincerity of their minds, or because they were princes and wore white
garments, or else because they were by trade fullers.2 According to which
last opinion, their vocation is thus related; that as Jesus passed by the
seaside, he saw some fullers at work, and accosting them, said, Ye cleanse
these clothes, but cleanse not your hearts; upon which they believed on him.
But the true etymology seems to be from the Ethiopic verb Hawyra, to go;
whence Hawârya signifies one that is sent, a messenger or apostle.3
t i.e., They laid a design to take away his life.
u This stratagem of God's was the taking of Jesus up into heaven, and
stamping his likeness on another person, who was apprehended and crucified in
his stead. For it is the constant doctrine of the Mohammedans that it was not
Jesus himself who underwent that ignominious death, but somebody else in his
shape and resemblance.4 The person crucified some will have to be a spy that
was sent to entrap him; others, that it was one Titian, who by the direction
of Judas entered in at a window of the house where Jesus was, to kill him; and
others that it was Judas himself, who agreed with the rulers of the Jews to
betray him for thirty pieces of silver, and led those who were sent to take
him.
They add, that Jesus after his crucifixion in effigy, was sent down
again to the earth, to comfort his mother and disciples and acquaint them how
the Jews were deceived; and was then taken up a second time into heaven.5
It is supposed by several that this story was an original invention of
Mohammed's; but they are certainly mistaken; for several sectaries held the
same opinion, long before his time. The Basilidians,6 in the very beginning
of Christianity, denied that Christ himself suffered, but that Simon the
Cyrenean was crucified in his place. The Cerinthians before them, and the
Carpocratians next (to name no more of those who affirmed Jesus to have been a
mere man), did believe the same thing; that it was not himself, but one of his
followers very like him that was crucified. Photius tells us, that he read a
book entitled, "The Journeys of the Apostles," relating the acts of Peter,
John, Andrew, Thomas and Paul; and among other things contained therein, this
was one, that Christ, was not crucified, but another in his stead, and that
therefore he laughed at his crucifiers,7 or those who thought they had
crucified him.8
I have in another place9 mentioned an apocryphal gospel of Barnabas, a
forgery originally of some nominal Christians, but interpolated since by
Mohammedans; which gives this part of the history of Jesus with circumstances
too curious to be omitted. It is therein related, that the moment the Jews
were going to apprehend Jesus in the garden, he was snatched up into the third
heaven by the ministry of four angels, Gabriel, Michael, Raphael and Uriel;
that he will not die till the end of the world, and that it was Judas who was
crucified in his stead; God having permitted that traitor to appear so like
his master, in the eyes of the Jews, that they took and delivered him to
Pilate. That this resemblance was so great, that it deceived the Virgin Mary
and the Apostles themselves; but that Jesus Christ afterward obtained leave of
God to go and comfort them. That Barnabas having then asked him, why the
divine goodness had suffered the mother and disciples of so holy a prophet to
believe even for one moment that he had died in so ignominious a manner?
Jesus returned the following answer. "O Barnabas, believe me that every sin,
how small soever, is punished by God with great torment, because God is
offended with sin. My mother therefore and faithful disciples, having loved
me with a mixture of earthly love, the just God has been pleased to punish
this love with their present grief, that they might not be punished for it
hereafter in the flames of hell. And as for me, though I have myself been
blameless in the world, yet other men having called me God and the Son of God;
therefore God, that I might not be mocked by the devils at the day of
judgment, has been pleased that in this world I should be mocked by men with
the death of Judas, making everybody believe that I died upon the cross. And
hence it is that this mocking is still to continue till the coming of
Mohammed, the messenger of God; who, coming into the world, will undeceive
every one who shall believe in the law of God from this mistake.1

2 Idem. 3 Vide Ludolfi Lexic. Æthiop. col. 40, et Golii notas
ad cap. 61 Korâni, p. 205. 4 See Kor. c. 4.
5 Vide Marracc. in Alc. p. 113, &c., et in Prodr. part iii. p. 63, &c.
6 Irenæus, l. I, c. 23, &c. Epiphan. Hæres. 24, num. iii.
7 Photius, Bibl. Cod. 114, col. 291. 8 Toland's Nararenus, p 17,
&c. 9 Prelim. Disc. Sect. IV. 1 See the Menagiana. tom.
iv. p. 326, &c.

When GOD said, O Jesus, verily I will cause thee to die,x and I will take
thee up unto me,y and I will deliver thee from the unbelievers; and I will
place those who follow thee above the unbelievers, until the day of
resurrection:z then unto me shall ye return, and I will judge between you of
that concerning which ye disagree.
Moreover, as for the infidels, I will punish them with a grievous
punishment in this world, and in that which is to come; and there shall be
none to help them.
50 But they who believe, and do that which is right, he shall give them
their reward: for GOD loveth not the wicked doers.
These signs and this prudent admonition do we rehearse unto thee.
Verily the likeness of Jesus in the sight of GOD is as the likeness of
Adam; he created him out of the dust, and then said unto him, Be; and he was.a
This is the truth from thy LORD; be not therefore one of those who doubt;
and whoever shall dispute with thee, concerning him,b after the knowledge
which hath been given thee, say unto them, Come, let us call together our sons
and your sons, and our wives and your wives, and ourselves and yourselves;
then let us make imprecations, and lay the curse of GOD on those who lie.c
Verily this is a true history: and there is no GOD, but GOD; and GOD is
most mighty and wise.
If they turn back, GOD well knoweth the evil doers.
Say, O ye who have received the scripture, come to a just determination
between us and you;d that we worship not any except GOD, and associate no
creature with him; and that the one of us take not the other for lords,e
beside GOD. But if they turn back, say, Bear witness that we are true
believers.

x It is the opinion of a great many Mohammedans that Jesus was taken up
into heaven without dying; which opinion is consonant to what is delivered in
the spurious gospel above mentioned. Wherefore several of the commentators
say that there is a hysteron proteron in these words, I will cause thee to
die, and I will take thee up unto me; and that the copulative does not import
order, or that he died before his assumption; the meaning being this, viz.,
that GOD would first take Jesus up to heaven, and deliver him from the
infidels, and afterwards cause him to die; which they suppose is to happen
when he shall return into the world again, before the last day.2 Some,
thinking the order of the words is not to be changed, interpret them
figuratively, and suppose their signification to be that Jesus was lifted up
while he was asleep, or that GOD caused him to die a spiritual death to all
worldly desires. But others acknowledge that he actually died a natural
death, and continued in that state three hours, or, according to another
tradition, seven hours; after which he was restored to life, and then taken up
to heaven.3
y Some Mohammedans say this was done by the ministry of Gabriel; but
others that a strong whirlwind took him up from Mount Olivet.4
z That is, they who believe in Jesus (among whom the Mohammedans reckon
themselves) shall be for ever superior to the Jews, both in arguments and in
arms. And accordingly, says al Beidâwi, to this very day the Jews have never
prevailed either against the Christians or Moslems, nor have they any kingdom
or established government of their own.
a He was like to Adam in respect of his miraculous production by the
immediate power of GOD.1
b Namely, Jesus.
c To explain this passage their commentators tell the following story.
That some Christians, with their bishop named Abu Hareth, coming to Mohammed
as ambassadors from the inhabitants of Najrân, and entering into some disputes
with him touching religion and the history of Jesus Christ, they agreed the
next morning to abide the trial here mentioned, as a quick way of deciding
which of them were in the wrong. Mohammed met them accordingly, accompanied
by his daughter Fâtema, his son-in-law Ali, and his two grandsons, Hasan and
Hosein, and desired them to wait till he had said his prayers. But when they
saw him kneel down, their resolution failed them, and they durst not venture
to curse him, but submitted to pay him tribute.2
d That is, to such terms of agreement as are indisputably consonant to
the doctrine of all the prophets and scriptures, and therefore cannot be
reasonably rejected.3
e Besides other charges of idolatry on the Jews and Christians,
Mohammed accused them of paying too implicit an obedience to their priests and
monks, who took upon them to pronounce what things were lawful, and what
unlawful, and to dispense with the laws of GOD.4