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M A H

17 )

M A H

('ellion of y...Yoharnmc-d :md the bldrc.:d

\\hCfCCpon

theCt

ho (hAll ha\'e beco dead, wll1 be

rdtored

Jite,

0:15

has

bet.'n

f..

iet; ¡¡nd thoCe

\IIhofe

bo·.:ics Otall have

contrélllctl

an)' (ontinefs or

fihh

from the

fhtm~s

and fmoke of I1cH ,

Wlll

be immcrfc.d in one of

Ihl' I

i,'crs of

paradlfc

callt'd

the

rit'( ,. ,,(Iifc,

whi~

11 \Vafh them whiter th;l;n pearls.

Thc rightcous. as lhe l\1ohan.mtdans are taught

bc:lie\'e, having furmountcd the ddJicultie:s

and

paercd

the fh arp bridge

~boYe'

mentioned, befare

they

eoter pa·

rAdlf!:, will be refreOlcd

dnnking

lhe

pOlld

of their

pr<,phet. who

dercrit-.c~

be an

eXíl.él

fquare of a

monlh'sjl>urnc.y in C(\mpafs; its water, wblch

isfupplied

t\\'o pipes fron) al

Cawthar,

one of tbe

rivcrs

of para·

d¡fe, heing whiter Ihan milk or filver, and more odorife–

rous Ihan mull<, with as many cups (e( nrouod ir as there

are Clan in Ihe flrnllOlent; of which water

\IIhoen~:r

¿rinh \ViII thirCl no more for ever. This is the 6rCl tafie

which the bldled will have of their future aDd now oear

opproaching lelicilY.

T hough paradiCe be

very frequently menlioned in

the Koran, yer it is a di(pute among the Mohammcdans

whether it be already created, or be to be created here·

aCter; the

lvlot:l.z

,dites and fome other feébries alrt:rting

that there is nOI at prcfent any Cuch place in nature, and

that rhe! paradife which lhe righteous will inhabit in the

ne:<t lift' ",il! be difrereDt from that froOl which Adaro

was cxpdled. However, (he orthodox profefs the

con~

HUY, maintaining thar ir was created eveo befare lhe

world. <lnd defcribe it, rrom thetr prophet's traditions,

in lhe rollou'ing manner,

•

Th~y

(ay it is »tuare above lhe feven heaveI;Js (or in

lhe feventh heilven) and Dext under the rhrooe of G od ;

ando

exprefs rhe amenity of lhe place, telJ us, that Ihe

ifarth of it is of the fioelt wheat flour, or of the puren

rnufk, or, as others will have it, of fó4ffron :

,hin

its

flanes are pearls and jarinths, the walls of

its

buildings

e~riched

wilh gold and filver, and Ih. 1 Ihe trunks o( all

its

trees are of gold : among whicb the moll rtmarkable

is Ihe tree ealled Tuba, or the tree of happineC.. Con·

cerning this tree. they rabie, tbat it fbnds in the paJace of

Moharnrned, Ihough a branch of il will reaeh lo Ibe hooCe

of every true believe:r; that it will be Jaden with pome·

granates, grapes, date!, and othet fruit, al furpnfing

bigoefs, and of tafies uoknoWD tO mortals. So thal, ira

man delire to eat of any particular kiod or rruit, it will

immediately be prefented him ; or, ir he chufe flefh,

birds ready dreffed will. be fel before !tim, according 10

!tis wifh. They add, Ihat the bough, o( Ihis tree will

fpontaoeouOy ¡bend down 10 Ihe hand of Ihe perfon who

would galher of its fruilS, aod Ihat il will

f~prly

Ihe

bleffed nOI only \Vilh food, bUI alCo ",ilh filken garmenls,

and beafl, 10 ride 00

re.dy

C.ddled .nd hridled, aod ad

orned wilh rich trapplOgs . which ",ill budl fonh from

its fruits

and that tbls tree is fa large, thar a perron,

mounted

the fteel ··{l horfe, wOtjld not be able tO

gallop from ooe end of its fhade lo Ih< olh.r in a hundred

years.

As plenty

water

one of the grrfltd l additions to

Ihe plear,oloefs o( any place, Ihe Koran o(len CpeJks o(

the ri'·crs of paradife as a principal ornamcnt Iherea(:

fome of thefe riven, they

(;ir,

flow with .water, (ome

VOL .

1lI. No. 69.

with Olilk, {ame \\ilh v.ir.e. CtJIJ others ",itb honey ; all

u t ing the;r rife frem the root of the tree Tuba.

BUI

all

Ihefe glories will be . clipCed by Ihe reCplcnden!

and ravifhing gids of paradilc. caJlcd, frc,m tht:lr large

black (·yes,

}Jur a/ oJun,

the enjtJyplcot of whofe com–

P""y " ill Ie a principal feheilY of ,he (.ilh(ul. ThcCe,

tht:y (3Y, ale created, not of clay, as morul womeo

~Je,

but of pure mdk; being,

étS

their prophel often

~Airms

in his Korao, free from all n<itural impurities. defdls ,.

and inconveniences incidem

the flX , o{ .Ihe Orillen

modefiy. anu ftcludt:d from public view io pavil ions of

hollow pcarls) fa large, that. as feme trac'hions hare it.

one of them will be no Icfs ·th"n lou r pa,afangs (or, as

o(hers fay, fixty mlh·s) long, and as many broad,

The name which Ihe Muh. mmedans uCually give to

this happy manfion. is

] "nno/,

I/;e gardel} "

aod

fometimes they

c.dl

it, with an additioo,

Janndl

FerdtlrtJJJ, Ihe garden

paratlije ;

Jannnl

A dtn, fhe.

gordw

• ./

Etlen,

(Ihough Ih<y generall y inl<fprel

Ih~

word

Eden,

nOl

according

its acceptation in H",brew,

but according

its

meaning in their own tongue, where–

in il fignifies a

j<lIld

perp<luo/ Aobitotion ;) ]onnot

aIMa'UJo; Ih! garden

nbode; ]annol

1\'0;111, ·/h6

gorden

0./

pita/un;

and Ihe like ; by which Ceveral 'p–

pellation,$. fome uoderfland fa many ddTerent gardens, or

at leaU plaees of differeol

~egrees

o( felicilY, ((or Ihey

reckon no lefs Ih.n

hundred fuch in , 11.) Ihe very mean–

whereoC

\Viii

afford i.. inhabilRnts fo maoy pleaCure,

and delights, Ihal one would conelude Ihey muClevcnfinlc

under thcm, had not Mohammed declared, that.

arder

qu.li

(y Ihe blcffed for a full eoj oyrnenl of Ihem, God

will give tO every ooe Ihe auilities of an huodred men.

The (lxlh grcal poiol of (ailh, which Ihe Mob. mme–

d,ws are taught hy the Koran to believe, is God's abfo.

JUle decree and predeClination bOlh o( good aod evil.

For lhe orthodox dollrine is, that whateverhath or (hall

come tO pafs in this world, whether it be good, or ",he–

ther it be bad, proceedeth entirely (rom the diviDe wiJl,

and is irrevocabJy fi xed and recorded f,om

0111

eternity in

Ihe preCerved lable ; Cod having fecreuy predetermined

not oDly the adverfe

~nd

profperous fOrtUDe ofevery per–

fon in this world. in the moH minute particulars, but al–

fo his f....ilb or infidelity, his obcditDce or difobedience, and

eoofequendy his everlalling happinefs or mifery afler

dealh; which {ate or preceni.o;¿tioo

Dot poffible, by

any forefight or wi(dom, to a"oid .

Of this doélrioe Mohammed makes great ufe' in his

Korao for the advanccmt'nt of his dt figns; encouraging

hls

followt:r~

to fight without fea r, and even defperatcly,

(or the propagatioo

their failh, by reprefenring to theOl

that all their caulioo cO\lld nOl aven their inevitabledeClj–

ny, Or pwlong their lives for a moment; and deterring

them (rom difobl ying or Itjclling him as

010

impdlor, by

feuios; before the.,. the! danger they might thereby incur

o( be;og, I,y Ihe jun judgm<n1 o( God.

ahand~ned

10 Ce–

dullion,

h~rdners

of h('art, and a reprobate miod, as a

pUOlOtmcOt fOl tht.·lr ob}lin;tcy.

the fou r fundamental points of religious prallice

requircd by lhe

K orOlO,

the firn i$

troJ!r,

under \\ hich

art airo rnmpreher:clcd thore legal wa(hing,$ or pUTlfica–

tions which are ncce(f.lry preparations chueto,