122 The CORÂN
LV.—SURA XVI., v. 43[43-44].

سورة النحل

وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ إِلاَّ رِجَالاً نُّوحِي إِلَيْهِمْ فَاسْأَلُواْ أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِن كُنتُمْ لاَ تَعْلَمُونَ
بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ وَالزُّبُرِ وَأَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الذِّكْرَ لِتُبَيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ مَا نُزِّلَ إِلَيْهِمْ وَلَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ

And We have not sent before thee other than men whom We have inspired; wherefore ask the people of the Scripture if ye know not. 
(We sent them) with evident signs and books, and We have sent down unto thee the revelation, that thou mightest make known to mankind that which hath been revealed to them, that haply they might reflect.

The first portion of the above passage is identical with Sura XXI., v. 7; which see in Art. XLVII.

It contains, further, a reference to the divine Miracles and Scriptures of the former prophets.

LVI.—SURA XIII., v. 39[36].

سورة الرعد

وَالَّذِينَ آتَيْنَاهُمُ الْكِتَابَ يَفْرَحُونَ بِمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ وَمِنَ الأَحْزَابِ مَن يُنكِرُ بَعْضَهُ قُلْ إِنَّمَا أُمِرْتُ أَنْ أَعْبُدَ اللّهَ وَلا أُشْرِكَ بِهِ إِلَيْهِ أَدْعُو وَإِلَيْهِ مَآبِ

And those to whom We have given the book, rejoice for that which hath been sent down unto thee; but of the Confederates, there are that deny a part thereof.

"They rejoice, because of its correspondence with that which is with them." يفرحون لموافقته لما عندهم (Jelalooddeen;) that is, on account of its conformity with their own Scriptures.
TESTIMONY TO THE HOLY SCRIPTURES 123

Compare this with other passages (as Arts. VII, XIII., XV., &c.) which appeal to the Jews and Christians as witnesses to the correspondence of the Corân with their own Scriptures.

LVII.—SURA XIII., v. 45[43].

سورة الرعد

وَيَقُولُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لَسْتَ مُرْسَلاً قُلْ كَفَى بِاللّهِ شَهِيدًا بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَكُمْ وَمَنْ عِندَهُ عِلْمُ الْكِتَابِ

And those who disbelieve say,—Thou art not sent;—say,—God sufficeth for a witness between me and between you, and also he with whom is the knowledge of the book.

"And also he with whom is the knowledge of the Book; that is from amongst the believers of the Jews and Christians," ومن عنده علم الكتاب من مومني اليهود والنصارى —Jelalooddeen.

The purport is similar to that of the preceding passage. Mahomet's witnesses at Mecca were, as here alleged, God himself, and certain of the Jews and Christians, to whose knowledge of their own inspired Scriptures he appeals for evidence in favour of the Corân.

LVIII.—SURA XXIX., v. 27.

سورة العنكبوت

وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُ إِسْحَقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ وَجَعَلْنَا فِي ذُرِّيَّتِهِ النُّبُوَّةَ وَالْكِتَابَ وَآتَيْنَاهُ أَجْرَهُ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَإِنَّهُ فِي الْآخِرَةِ لَمِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ