The Koran Part 140

Ye had desired death ere ye met it. But ye have now seen it-and ye have beheld it-and fled from it!

Muhammad is no more than an apostle; other apostles have already pa.s.sed away before him: if he die, therefore,40 or be slain, will ye turn upon your heels?41 But he who turneth on his heels shall not injure G.o.d at all: And G.o.d will certainly reward the thankful!

No one can die except by G.o.d's permission, according to the Book that fixeth the term of life.42 He who desireth the recompense of this world, we will give him thereof; And he who desireth the recompense of the next life, we will give him thereof! And we will certainly reward the thankful.

How many a prophet hath combated those who had with them many myriads! Yet were they not daunted at what befel them on the path of G.o.d, nor were they weakened, nor did they basely submit! G.o.d loveth those who endure with steadfastness,

Nor said they more than this:43 "O our Lord! forgive us our sins and our mistakes in this our work; and set our feet firm; and help us against the unbelieving people." And G.o.d gave them the recompense of this world, and the excellence of the recompense of the next. For G.o.d loveth the doers of what is excellent.

O ye who have believed! if ye obey the infidels, they will cause you to turn upon your heels,44 and ye will fall back into perdition:

But G.o.d is your liege lord, and He is the best of helpers.

We will cast a dread into hearts of the infidels because they have joined G.o.ds with G.o.d without warranty sent down; their abode shall be the fire; and wretched shall be the mansion of the evil doers.

Already had G.o.d made good to you His promise, when by His permission ye destroyed your foes, until your courage failed you, and ye disputed about the order,45 and disobeyed, after that the Prophet had brought you within view of that for which ye longed.46

Some of you were for this world, and some for the next.47 Then, in order to make trial of you, He turned you to flight from them,-yet hath He now forgiven you; for all-bounteous is G.o.d to the faithful-

When ye came up the height48 and took no heed of any one, while the Prophet in your rear was calling you to the fight! G.o.d hath rewarded you with trouble upon trouble, that ye might learn not to be chagrined at your loss of booty, or at what befel you! G.o.d is acquainted with your actions.

Then after the trouble G.o.d sent down security upon you. Slumber fell upon a part of you: as to the other part-their own pa.s.sions stirred them up to think unjustly of G.o.d with thoughts of ignorance! They said-What gain we by this affair? SAY: Verily the affair resteth wholly with G.o.d. They hid in their minds what they did not speak out to thee, saying, "Were we to have gained aught in this affair, none of us had been slain at this place." SAY: Had ye remained in your homes, they who were decreed to be slain would have gone forth to the places where they lie:-in order that G.o.d might make trial of what was in your b.r.e.a.s.t.s, and might discover what was in your hearts, for G.o.d knoweth the very secrets of the breast.

Of a truth it was Satan alone who caused those of you to fail in duty who turned back on the day when the hosts met, for some of their doings! But now hath G.o.d pardoned them; For G.o.d is Forgiving, Gracious.

O ye who believe! be not like the infidels, who said of their brethren when they had travelled by land or had gone forth to war, "Had they kept with us, they had not died, and had not been slain!" G.o.d purposed that this affair should cause them heart sorrow! G.o.d maketh alive and killeth; and G.o.d beholdeth your actions.

And if ye shall be slain or die on the path of G.o.d, then pardon from G.o.d and mercy is better than all your ama.s.sings;

For if ye die or be slain, verily unto G.o.d shall ye be gathered.

Of the mercy of G.o.d thou hast spoken to them in gentle terms. Hadst thou been severe and harsh-hearted, they would have broken away from thee. Therefore, forgive and ask for pardon for them, and consult them in the affair of war, and when thou art resolved, then put thou thy trust in G.o.d, for G.o.d loveth those who trust in Him.

If G.o.d help you, none shall overcome you; but if He abandon you, who is he that shall help you when He is gone? In G.o.d, then, let the faithful trust.

It is not the Prophet who will defraud you;49-But he who shall defraud, shall come forth with his defraudings on the day of the resurrection: then shall every soul be paid what it hath merited, and they shall not be treated with injustice.

Shall he who hath followed the good pleasure of G.o.d be as he who hath brought on himself wrath from G.o.d, and whose abode shall be h.e.l.l? and wretched the journey thither!

There are varying grades with G.o.d: and G.o.d beholdeth what ye do.

Now hath G.o.d been gracious to the faithful, when he raised up among them an apostle out of their own people, to rehea.r.s.e unto them his signs, and to cleanse them, and to give them knowledge of the Book and of Wisdom: for before they were in manifest error.

When a reverse hath befallen you,50 the like of which ye had before inflicted, say ye, "Whence is this?" SAY: It is from yourselves. For G.o.d hath power over all things.

And that which befel you on the day when the armies met, was certainly by the will of G.o.d, and that he might know the faithful, and that he might know the hypocrites! And when the word was "Advance, fight on the path of G.o.d, or drive back the foe,"-they said, "Had we known how to fight, we would have followed you." Nearer were some of them on that day to unbelief, than to faith:

They said with their lips what was not in their hearts! But G.o.d knew what they concealed,

Who said of their brethren while themselves sat at home,

"Had they obeyed us, they had not been slain." SAY: Keep back death from yourselves if ye speak truth.

And repute not those slain on G.o.d's path to be dead.51 Nay, alive with their Lord, are they richly sustained;

Rejoicing in what G.o.d of his bounty hath vouchsafed them, filled with joy for those who follow after them, but have not yet overtaken them, that on them nor fear shall come, nor grief;

Filled with joy at the favours of G.o.d, and at his bounty: and that G.o.d suffereth not the reward of the faithful to perish.

As to those who after the reverse52 which befel them, respond to G.o.d and the Apostle-such of them as do good works and fear G.o.d, shall have a great reward:

Who, when men said to them, "Now are the Meccans mustering against you; therefore fear them!" it only increased their faith, and they said, "Our sufficiency is G.o.d, and He is an excellent protector."

They returned, therefore, with the favour of G.o.d, enriched by Him, and untouched by harm; and they followed what was well pleasing to G.o.d. And G.o.d is of great Munificence.

Only would that Satan53 instil the fear of his adherents: Fear them not, but fear me if ye are believers.

Let not those who vie in haste after infidelity grieve thee: Verily not one whit shall they injure G.o.d! G.o.d will refuse them all part in the life to come: a severe chastis.e.m.e.nt shall be their lot.

They truly who purchase infidelity at the price of their faith, shall not injure G.o.d one whit! and a grievous chastis.e.m.e.nt shall be their lot.

Let not the infidels deem that the length of days we give them is good for them! We only give them length of days that they may increase their sins! and a shameful chastis.e.m.e.nt shall be their lot.

It is not in G.o.d to leave the faithful in the State in which they are, until he sever the bad from the good:

Nor is G.o.d minded to lay open the secret things to you, but G.o.d chooseth whom he will of his apostles to know them.54 Believe, therefore, in G.o.d and his apostles: and if ye believe and fear G.o.d, a great reward awaiteth you.

And let not those who are n.i.g.g.ard of what G.o.d hath vouchsafed them in his bounty, think that this will be good for them-Nay, it will be bad for them-

That of which they have been n.i.g.g.ard shall be their collar on the day of the resurrection. G.o.d's, the heritage of the Heavens and of the Earth! And G.o.d is well-informed of all ye do.

Now hath G.o.d heard the saying of those who said: "Aye, G.o.d is poor and we are rich."55 We will surely write down their sayings, and their unjust slaughter of the prophets; and and we will say, "Taste ye the torment of the burning.

This, for what your hands have sent before you; and because G.o.d will not inflict a wrong upon his servants!"

To those who say, "Verily, G.o.d hath enjoined us that we are not to credit an apostle until he present us a sacrifice which fire out of Heaven shall devour,"

SAY: Already have apostles before me come to you with miracles, and with that of which ye speak. Wherefore slew ye them? Tell me, if ye are men of truth.

And if they treat thee as a liar, then verily apostles have been treated as liars before thee, though they came with clear proofs of their mission, and with Scriptures, and with the light-giving Book.

Every soul shall taste of death: and ye shall only receive your recompenses on the day of resurrection. And whoso shall scape the fire, and be brought into Paradise, shall be happy. And the life of this world is but a cheating fruition!

Ye shall a.s.suredly be tried in your possessions and in yourselves. And many hurtful things shall ye a.s.suredly hear from those to whom the Scriptures were given before you, and from those who join other G.o.ds with G.o.d. But if ye be steadfast, and fear G.o.d this verily is needed in the affairs of life.

Moreover, when G.o.d entered into a convenant with those to whom the Scriptures had been given, and said, "Ye shall surely make it known to mankind and not hide it," they cast it behind their backs, and sold it for a sorry price! But vile is that for which they have sold it.

Suppose not that they who rejoice in what they have brought to pa.s.s, and love to be praised for what they have not done56-suppose not they shall escape the chastis.e.m.e.nt. An afflictive chastis.e.m.e.nt doth await them,