The Koran Part 163

47 Verses 120-128 probably belong to the period after the return from Tabouk to Medina.

48 While fighting for the cause of G.o.d.

SURA V.-THE TABLE [CXIV.]

MEDINA.-120 Verses

In the Name of G.o.d, the Compa.s.sionate, the Merciful

O BELIEVERS! be faithful to your engagements. You are allowed the flesh of cattle other than what is hereinafter recited, except game, which is not allowed you while ye are on pilgrimage. Verily, G.o.d ordaineth what he pleaseth.

O Believers! violate neither the rites of G.o.d, nor the sacred month Muharram, nor the offering, nor its ornaments1, nor those who press on to the sacred house seeking favour from their Lord and his good pleasure in them.

But when all is over2, then take to the chase: and let not ill will at those3 who would have kept you from the sacred mosque lead you to transgress4, but rather be helpful to one another according to goodness and piety, but be not helpful for evil and malice: and fear ye G.o.d. Verily, G.o.d is severe in punishing!

That which dieth of itself, and blood, and swine's flesh, and all that hath been sacrificed under the invocation of any other name than that of G.o.d, and the strangled, and the killed by a blow, or by a fall, or by goring5, and that which hath been eaten by beasts of prey, unless ye make it clean by giving the death-stroke yourselves, and that which hath been sacrificed on the blocks of stone6, is forbidden you: and to make division of the slain by consulting the arrows,7 is impiety in you. Woe this day on those who forsake your religion! And fear them not, but fear Me.

This day have I perfected your religion for you, and have filled up the measure of my favours upon you: and it is my pleasure that Islam be your religion; but whoso without wilful leanings to wrong shall be forced by hunger to transgress, to him,verily, will G.o.d be Indulgent, Merciful.

They will ask thee what is made lawful for them. Say: Those things which are good8 are legalised to you, and the prey of beasts of chase which ye have trained like dogs, teaching them as G.o.d hath taught you. Eat, therefore, of what they shall catch for you, and make mention of the name of G.o.d over it, and fear G.o.d: Verily, Swift is G.o.d to reckon:

This day, things healthful are legalised to you, and the meats of those who have received the Scriptures are allowed to you, as your meats are to them.

And you are permitted to marry virtuous women who are believers, and virtuous women of those who have received the Scriptures before you, when you shall have provided them their portions, living chastely with them without fornication, and without taking concubines. Vain the works of him who shall renounce the faith! and in the next world he shall be of the lost.

O Believers! when ye address yourselves to prayer, wash your faces, and your hands up to the elbow, and wipe your heads, and your feet to the ankles.

And if ye have become unclean, then purify yourselves. But if ye are sick, or on a journey, or if one of you come from the place of retirement, or if ye have touched women, and ye find no water, then take clean sand and rub your faces and your hands with it.9 G.o.d desireth not to lay a burden upon you, but he desireth to purify you, and He would fill up the measure of His favour upon you, that ye may be grateful.

And remember the favour of G.o.d upon you, and His covenant which He hath covenanted with you, when ye said, "We have heard and will obey;"10 and fear G.o.d; verily, G.o.d knoweth the very secrets of the breast.

O Believers! stand up as witnesses for G.o.d by righteousness: and let not ill- will at any, induce you not to act uprightly. Act uprightly. Next will this be to the fear of G.o.d. And fear ye G.o.d: verily, G.o.d is apprised of what ye do.

G.o.d hath promised to those who believe, and do the things that are right, that for them is pardon and a great reward.

But they who are Infidels and treat our signs as lies-these shall be mated with h.e.l.l fire.

O Believers! recollect G.o.d's favour upon you, when11 certain folk were minded to stretch forth their hands against you, but He kept their hands from you.

Fear G.o.d then: and on G.o.d let the faithful trust.

Of old did G.o.d accept the covenant of the children of Israel,12 and out of them we raised up twelve leaders, and G.o.d said, "Verily, I will be with you.

If ye observe prayer and pay the obligatory alms, and believe in my Apostles and help them, and lend G.o.d a liberal loan, I will surely put away from you your evil deeds, and I will bring you into gardens 'neath which the rivers flow! But whoso of you after this believeth not, hath gone astray from the even path."

But for their breaking their covenant we have cursed them, and have hardened their hearts. They shift the words of Scripture from their places, and have forgotten part of what they were taught. Thou wilt not cease to discover deceit on their part, except in a few of them. But forgive them, and pa.s.s it over: verily, G.o.d loveth those who act generously!

And of those who say, "We are Christians," have we accepted the covenant. But they too have forgotten a part of what they were taught; wherefore we have stirred up enmity and hatred among them that shall last till the day of the Resurrection; and in the end will G.o.d tell them of their doings.

O people of the Scriptures! now is our Apostle come to you to clear up to you much that ye concealed of those Scriptures, and to pa.s.s over many things. Now hath a light and a clear Book come to you from G.o.d, by which G.o.d will guide him who shall follow after his good pleasure, to paths of peace, and will bring them out of the darkness to the light, by his will: and to the straight path will he guide them.

Infidels now are they who say, "Verily G.o.d is the Messiah Ibn Maryam (son of Mary)! SAY: And who could aught obtain from G.o.d, if he chose to destroy the Messiah Ibn Maryam, and his mother, and all who are on the earth together?

For with G.o.d is the sovereignty of the Heavens and of the Earth, and of all that is between them! He createth what He will; and over all things is G.o.d potent.

Say the Jews and Christians, "Sons are we of G.o.d and his beloved." SAY: Why then doth he chastise you for your sins? Nay! ye are but a part of the men whom he hath created! He will pardon whom he pleaseth, and chastise whom he pleaseth, and with G.o.d is the sovereignty of the Heavens and of the Earth, and of all that is between them, and unto Him shall all things return.

O people of the Book! now hath our Apostle come to you to clear up to you the cessation13 of Apostles, lest you should say, "There hath come to us no bearer of good tidings, nor any warner." But now hath a bearer of good tidings and a warner reached you. And G.o.d is Almighty.

And remember when Moses said to his people, "O my people! call to mind the goodness of G.o.d towards you when he appointed Prophets among you, and appointed you kings, and gave you what never had been given before to any human beings:

Enter, O my people! the holy land which G.o.d hath destined for you. Turn not back, lest ye be overthrown to your ruin."

They said, "O Moses! Therein are men of might. And verily, we can by no means enter it till they be gone forth. But if they go forth from it, then verily will we enter in."

Then said two men of those who feared their Lord and to whom G.o.d had been gracious, "Enter in upon them by the gate: and when ye enter it, ye overcome!

If ye be believers, put ye your trust in G.o.d."

They said, "O Moses! never can we enter while they remain therein. Go thou and thy Lord and fight; for here will we sit us down."

He said, "O my Lord, Verily of none am I master but of myself and my brother: put thou therefore a difference between us and this unG.o.dly people."

He said, "Verily the land shall be forbidden them forty years: they shall wander in the earth perplexed. Fret not thyself therefore for the unG.o.dly people."

Relate to them exactly the story of the sons of Adam14 when they each offered an offering; accepted from the one of them, and not accepted from the other.

The one said, "I will surely slay thee." Said the other, "G.o.d only accepted from those that fear Him.

"Even if thou stretch forth thine hand against me to slay me, I will not stretch forth my hand against thee to slay thee. Truly I fear G.o.d the Lord of the Worlds.

"Yea, rather would I that thou shouldest bear my sin15 and thine own sin, and that thou become an inmate of the Fire: for that is the recompense of the unjust doers."

And his pa.s.sion led him to slay his brother: and he slew him; and he became one of those who perish.

And G.o.d sent a raven which scratched upon the ground, to shew him16 how he might hide his brother's wrong.17 He said: "O woe is me! am I too weak to become like this raven, and to hide away my brother's wrong?" And he became one of the repentant.

For this cause have we ordained to the children of Israel that he who slayeth any one, unless it be a person guilty of manslaughter, or of spreading disorders in the land, shall be as though he had slain all mankind; but that he who saveth a life, shall be as though he had saved all mankind alive.18

Of old our Apostles came to them with the proofs of their mission; then verily after this most of them committed excesses in the land.

Only, the recompense of those who war against G.o.d and his Apostle, and go about to commit disorders on the earth, shall be that they shall be slain or crucified, or have their alternate hands and feet cut off, or be banished the land: This their disgrace in this world, and in the next a great torment shall be theirs-

Except those who, ere you have them in your power, shall repent; for know that G.o.d is Forgiving, Merciful.

O ye who believe! fear G.o.d. Desire union with Him. Contend earnestly on his path, that you may attain to happiness.

As to the infidels-if that they had twice the riches of the earth to be their ransom from torment on the day of resurrection, it should not be accepted from them! And a dolorous torment shall be their's.

Fain would they come forth from the Fire; but forth from it they shall not come: and a lasting torment shall be their's.

As to the thief, whether man or woman, cut ye off their hands in recompense for their doings.19 This is a penalty by way of warning from G.o.d himself. And G.o.d is Mighty, Wise.