The Koran Part 145

How! when we shall bring up against them witnesses from all peoples, and when we shall bring thee up as witness against these? On that day they who were Infidels and rebelled against the prophet, shall wish that the earth were levelled with them! But nothing shall they hide from G.o.d.

O ye true believers,11 come not to prayer when ye are drunken, but wait till ye can understand what ye utter; nor when ye are polluted, unless ye be travelling on the road, until ye have washed you. If ye be sick, or on a journey, or have come from the unclean place, or have touched a woman, and ye find not water, then rub pure sand, and bathe your face and your hands with it: verily, G.o.d is Lenient, Merciful.

Hast thou not remarked those12 to whom a part of the Scriptures hath been given? Vendors are they of error, and are desirous that ye go astray from the way. But G.o.d knoweth your enemies; and G.o.d is a sufficient patron, and G.o.d is a sufficient helper!

Among the Jews are those who displace the words of their Scriptures, and say, "We have heard, and we have not obeyed. Hear thou, but as one that heareth not; and LOOK AT US;"13 perplexing with their tongues, and wounding the Faith by their revilings.

But if they would say, "We have heard, and we obey; hear thou, and REGARD US;" it were better for them, and more right. But G.o.d hath cursed them for their unbelief. Few only of them are believers!

O ye to whom the Scriptures have been given! believe in what we have sent down confirmatory of the Scripture which is in your hands, ere we efface your features, and twist your head round backward, or curse you as we cursed the sabbath-breakers:14 and the command of G.o.d was carried into effect.

Verily, G.o.d will not forgive the union of other G.o.ds with Himself! But other than this will forgive to whom He pleaseth. And He who uniteth G.o.ds with G.o.d hath devised a great wickedness.

Hast thou not marked those who hold themselves to be righteous? But G.o.d holdeth righteous whom He will; and they shall not be wronged the husk of a date stone.

Behold how they devise a lie of G.o.d! Therein is wickedness manifest enough!

Hast thou not observed those to whom a part of the Scriptures hath been given?15 They believe in Djibt and Thagout, and say of the infidels, "These are guided in a batter path than those who hold the faith."

These are they whom G.o.d hath cursed: and for him whom G.o.d hath cursed, thou shalt by on means find a helper.

Shall they have a share in the kingdom who would not bestow on their fellow men even the speck in a date stone?

Envy they other men what G.o.d of his bounty hath given them? We gave of old the Scriptures and wisdom to the line of Abraham, and we gave them a grand kingdom:

-Some of them believe on the prophet and some turn aside from him:-the flame of h.e.l.l is their sufficing punishment!

Those who disbelieve our signs we will in the end cast into the fire: so oft as their skins shall be well burnt,16 we will change them for fresh skins, that they may taste the torment. Verily G.o.d is Mighty, Wise!

But as for those who have believed, and done the things that are right, we will bring being them into gardens 'neath which the rivers flow therein to abide eternally;-therein shall they have wives of stainless purity: and we will bring them into aye-shadowing shades.

Verily, G.o.d enjoineth you to give back your trusts to their owners, and when ye judge between men, to judge with fairness. Excellent is the practice to which G.o.d exhorteth you. G.o.d Heareth, Beholdeth!

O ye who believe! obey G.o.d and obey the apostle, and those among you invested with authority; and if in aught ye differ, bring it before G.o.d and the apostle, if ye believe in G.o.d and in the latter day. This is the best and fairest way of settlement.

Hast thou not marked those who profess that they believe in what hath been sent down to thee, and what hath been sent down before thee? Fain would they be judged before Thagout, though commanded not to believe in him; and fain would Satan make them wander with wanderings wide of truth.

And when it is said to them, "Accede to that which G.o.d hath sent down, and to the apostle," thou seest the hypocrites avert them from thee with utter aversion.

But how, when some misfortune shall fortune them, for their previous handywork? Then will they come to thee, swearing by G.o.d, "We desire nothing but to promote good and concord!"

These are they whose hearts G.o.d knoweth. Therefore break off from them, and warn them, speak words that may penetrate their souls.

We have not sent any apostle but to be obeyed, it G.o.d so will: but if they, after they have sinned to their own hurt by unbelief, come to thee and ask pardon of G.o.d, and the apostle ask pardon for them, they shall surely find that G.o.d is He who turneth unto man, Merciful.

And they will not-I swear by thy Lord-they will not believe, until they have set thee up as judge between them on points where they differ. Then shall they not find in their own minds any difficulty in thy decisions, and shall submit with entire submission.

Had we laid down such a law for them as "Kill yourselves, or abandon your dwellings," but few of them would have done it. But had they done that to which they were exhorted, better and it been for them, and stronger for the confirmation of their faith.

In that case we had surely given them from ourself a great recompense, and on the straight path should we surely have guided them.

And whoever shall obey G.o.d and the Apostle, these shall be with those of the Prophets, and of the Sincere, and of the Martyrs, and of the Just, to whom G.o.d hath been gracious. These are a goodly band!

This is the bounty of G.o.d; and in knowledge doth G.o.d suffice.

O ye who believe! make use of precautions; and advance in detachments, or , advance in a body.

There is of you who will be a laggard: and if a reverse befall you he saith, "Now hath G.o.d dealt graciously with me, since I was not with you in the fight:"

But if a success from G.o.d betide you, he will say, as if there had never been any friendship between you and him, "Would I had been with them! a rich prize should I have won!"

Let those then fight on the path of G.o.d, who barter this present life for that which is to come; for whoever fighteth on G.o.d's path, whether he be slain or conquer, we will in the end give him a great reward.

But what hath come to you that ye fight not on the path of G.o.d, and for the weak among men, women and children, who say, "O our Lord! bring us forth from this city17 whose inhabitants are oppressors; give us a champion from thy presence; and give us from thy presence a defender."

They who believe, fight on the path of G.o.d; and they who believe not, fight on the path of Thagout: Fight therefore against the friends of Satan. Verily craft of Satan shall be powerless!

Hast thou not marked those to whom it was said, "Withhold your hands awhile from war; and observe prayer, and pay the stated alms." But when war is commanded them, lo! a portion of them fear men as with the fear of G.o.d, or with a yet greater fear, and say: "O our Lord! why hast thou commanded us war? Couldst thou not have given us respite till our not distant end?" SAY: Small the fruition of this world; but the next life is the true good for him who feareth G.o.d! and ye shall not be wronged so much as the skin of a date stone.

Wherever ye be, death will overtake you-although ye be in lofty towers! If good fortune betide them, they say, "This is from G.o.d;" and if evil betide them, they say, "This is from thee." SAY: All is from G.o.d: But what hath come to these people that they are not near to understanding what is told them?

Whatever good betideth thee is from G.o.d, and whatever betideth thee of evil is from thyself; and we have sent thee to mankind as an apostle: G.o.d is thy sufficing witness.

Whoso obeyeth the Apostle, in so doing obeyeth G.o.d: and as to those who turn back from thee, we have not sent thee to be their keeper.

Moreover, they say: "Obedience!" but when they come forth from thy presence, a party of them brood by night over other than thy words; but G.o.d writeth down what they brood over: therefore separate thyself from them, and put thou thy trust in G.o.d. is a sufficient protector!

Can they not consider the Koran? Were it from any other than G.o.d, they would surely have found in it many contradictions.

And when tidings, either of security or alarm, reach them, they tell them abroad; but if they would report them to the apostle, and to those who are in authority among them, those who desire information would learn it from them.

But for the goodness and mercy of G.o.d towards you, ye would have followed Satan except a few!

Fight, therefore, on G.o.d's path: lay not burdens on any but thyself; and stir up the faithful. The might of the infidels haply will G.o.d restrain, for G.o.d is the stronger in prowess, and the stronger to punish.

He who shall mediate between men for a good purpose shall be the gainer by it. But he who shall mediate with an evil mediation shall reap the fruit of it. And G.o.d keepeth watch over everything.

If ye are greeted with a greeting, then greet ye with a better greeting, or at least return it: G.o.d taketh count of all things.

G.o.d! there is no G.o.d but He! He will certainly a.s.semble you on the day of resurrection. There is no doubt of it. And whose word is more true than G.o.d's?

Why are ye two parties on the subject of the hypocrites, when G.o.d hath cast them off for their doings? Desire ye to guide those whom G.o.d hath led astray?

But for him whom G.o.d leadeth astray, thou shalt by no means find a pathway.

They desire that ye should be infidels as they are infidels, and that ye should be alike. Take therefore none of them for friends, till they have fled their homes for the cause of G.o.d. If they turn back, then seize them, and slay them wherever ye find them; but take none of them as friends or helpers,

Except those who shall seek and asylum among your allies, and those who come over to you-their hearts forbidding them to make war on you, or to make war on their own people. Had G.o.d pleased, he would have given them power against you, and they would have made war upon you! But, if they depart from you, and make not war against you and offer you peace, the G.o.d alloweth you no occasion against them.

Ye will find others who seek to gain your confidence as well as that of their own people: So oft as they return to sedition, they shall be overthrown in it: But if they leave you not, nor propose terms or peace to you nor withhold their hands, then seize them, and slay them, wherever ye find them. Over these have we given you undoubted power.