The Medina Speeches — The Period of Harangue
Deception. P. 117. Obey God and obey the Apostle.—This is a sure indication of the Medina origin of at least this verse, for the self-importance of the phrase would have been inappropriate in Mohammad’s weak and insignificant position at Mekka. (The speech is, however, by some ascribed to the Mekka division.) Further on the words Believe in God and His Apostle (in Iron, p. 118), and They who swear fealty to thee do but swear fealty to God (in Victory, p. 125), indicate the same spirit of self-exaltation which began with the prophet’s prosperity at Medina.
Iron. P. 119. Manifest signs: the revelations contained in the Korān.
P. 122. It is written in the Book: i.e. Every event is set down in the Preserved Book before the event itself is created.
God is rich: i.e. He has no need of your grudging alms.
Victory. P. 124.—The victory in question was probably the peaceful but real triumph of the Truce of Hudeybia, in a.h. 6; though some commentators prefer to regard the speech as prophetical of the conquest of Mekka two years later.
P. 125. The Arabs of the desert who were left behind were certain tribes who held aloof from the pilgrimage towards Mekka, which ended in the Truce of Hudeybia. Mohammad punished them by refusing to allow them to share in the booty which soon after fell to the faithful in the Khaibar expedition; hence the reference on p. 126.
P. 128. In the valley of Mekka: referring to the Truce of Hudeybia. Kept you away from the Sacred Mosque: the Koreysh refused to allow Mohammad and his followers to enter Mekka or perform the pilgrimage; whereupon the truce was concluded, by which the pilgrimage was to take place (Ye shall surely enter the Sacred Mosque) in the following year (see Introduction, p. xlv.)
P. 129. Traces: i.e. dust from touching the ground.
P. 130. Help.—Revealed after the conquest of Mekka, and shortly before Mohammad’s death, and believed to have given him warning of it.
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