are good enough to remit
any of it of themselves, then devour it with good digestion and appetite 1.
But do not give up to
fools 2 their property which God has made you to stand
by; but maintain them from it, and clothe them, and speak to them with a
reasonable speech. [5] Prove orphans until they reach a marriageable age, and
if ye perceive in them right management, then hand over to them their property,
and do not devour it extravagantly in anticipation of their growing up. And he
who is rich, let him abstain; but he who is poor, let him devour in reason, and
when ye hand over to them their property, then take witnesses against them; but
God sufficeth for taking account.
Men should have a portion
of what their parents and kindred leave, and women should have a portion of
what their parents and kindred leave, whether it be little or much, a
determined portion. And when the next of kin and the orphans and the poor are
present at the division, then maintain them out of it, and speak to them a
reasonable speech. [10] And let these fear lest they leave behind them a weak
seed, for whom they would be afraid; and let them fear God, and speak a
straightforward speech. Verily, those who devour the property of orphans
unjustly, only devour into their bellies fire, and they shall broil in flames.
God instructs you
concerning your children; for a male the like of the portion of two females,
and if there be women above two, then let them have two-thirds of what (the
deceased) leaves; and if there be but one, then let her have a half; and as to
the parents, to each of them a sixth of what he leaves, if he has a son; but if
he have no son, and his parents inherit, then let his mother have a third, and
if he have brethren, let his mother have a sixth after payment of the bequest
he bequeaths and of his debt.
Your parents or your
children, ye know not which of them is nearest to you in usefulness:-an
ordinance this from God; verily, God is knowing and wise! And ye shall have half
of what your wives leave, if they have no son; but if they have a son, then ye
shall have a fourth of what they leave, after payment of the bequests they
bequeath or of their debts. And they shall have a fourth of what ye leave, if
ye have no son; but if ye have a son, then let them have an eighth of what ye
leave, after payment of the bequest ye bequeath and of your debts.
[15] And if the man's or
the woman's (property) be inherited by a kinsman who is neither parent nor
child 1, and he have a brother or sister, then let
each of these two have a sixth; but if they are more than that, let them share
in a third after payment of the bequest he bequeaths and of his debts, without
prejudice 2,-an ordinance this from God, and God is
knowing and clement!
These be God's bounds, and
whoso obeys God and the Apostle He will make him enter into gardens beneath
which rivers flow, and they shall dwell therein for aye;-that is the mighty
happiness.
But whoso rebels against God
and His Apostle, and transgresses His bounds, He will make him enter into fire,
and dwell therein for aye; and for him is shameful woe.
Against those of your women
who commit adultery, call witnesses four in number from among yourselves; and
if these bear witness, then keep the women in houses 1 until death release them, or God
shall make for them a way.
[20] And if two of you
commit it, then hurt them both 2; but if they turn again and amend,
leave them alone, verily, God is easily turned, compassionate.
God is only bound to turn
again towards those who do evil through ignorance and then turn again, Surely,
these will God turn again to, for God is knowing, wise. His turning again is
not for those who do evil, until, when death comes before one of them, he says,
'Now I turn again;' nor yet for those who die in misbelief. For such as these
have we prepared a grievous woe.
O ye who believe! it is not
lawful for you to inherit women's estates against their will; nor to
hinder them 1, that ye may go off with part of what ye brought them, unless they
commit fornication manifestly; but associate with them in reason, for if ye are
averse from them, it may be that ye are averse from something wherein God has
put much good for you.
But if ye wish to exchange
one wife for another, and have given one of them a talent 2, then take not from it anything.
What! would you take it for a calumny and a manifest crime 3?
[25] How can ye take it
when one of you has gone in unto the other, and they have taken from you a
rigid compact?
And do not marry women your
fathers married,-except bygones,-for it is abominable and hateful, and an evil
way; unlawful for you are your mothers, and your daughters, and your sisters,
and your paternal aunts and maternal aunts, and your brother's daughters, and
your sister's daughters, and your foster mothers, and your foster sisters, and
your wives' mothers, and your step daughters who are your wards, born of your
wives to whom ye have gone in; but if ye have not gone in unto them, then it is
no crime in you; and the lawful spouses of your sons from your own loins, and
that ye form a connexion between two sisters,-except bygones,-verily, God is
forgiving, merciful; and married women, save such as your right hands
possess,-God's Book against you!-but lawful for you is
all besides this, for you
to seek them with your wealth, marrying them and not fornicating; but such of
them as ye have enjoyed, give them their hire as a lawful due; for there is no
crime in you about what ye agree between you after such lawful due, verily, God
is knowing and wise.
But whosoever of you cannot
go the length of marrying marriageable women who believe, then take of what
your right hands possess, of your maidens who believe;-though God knows best
about your faith. Ye come one from the other; then marry them with the
permission of their people, and give them their hire in reason, they being
chaste and not fornicating, and not receivers of paramours.
[30] But when they are
married, if they commit fornication, then inflict upon them half the penalty
for married women; that is for whomsoever of you fears wrong; but that ye
should have patience is better for you, and God is forgiving and merciful.
God wishes to explain to
you and to guide you into the ordinances of those who were before you, and to
turn towards you, for God is knowing, wise. God wishes to turn towards you, but
those who follow their lusts wish that ye should swerve with a mighty swerving!
God wishes to make it light for you, for man was created weak.
O ye who believe! devour
not your property amongst yourselves vainly, unless it be a merchandise by
mutual consent. And do not kill yourselves; verily, God is compassionate unto
you.
But whoso does that maliciously
and unjustly, we will broil him with fire; for that is easy with God.
[35] If ye avoid great sins
from which ye are forbidden,
we will cover your offences
and make you enter with a noble entrance.
And do not covet that by
which God has preferred one of you over another. The men shall have a portion
of what they earn, and the women a portion of what they earn; ask God for His
grace, verily, God knows all.
To every one have we
appointed kinsfolk as heirs of what parents and relatives and those with whom
ye have joined right hands leave; so give them their portion, for, verily, God
is over all a witness.
Men stand superior to women
in that God hath preferred some of them over others, and in that they expend of
their wealth: and the virtuous women, devoted, careful (in their husbands')
absence, as God has cared for them. But those whose perverseness ye fear,
admonish them and remove them into bed-chambers and beat them; but if they
submit to you, then do not seek a way against them; verily, God is high and
great.
And if ye fear a breach
between the two 1, then send a judge from his people and a judge
from her people. If they wish for reconciliation, God will arrange between
them; verily, God is knowing and aware.
[40] And serve God, and do
not associate aught with Him; and to your parents show kindness, and to
kindred, and orphans, and the poor, and the neighbour who is akin, and the
neighbour who is a stranger, and the companion who is strange, and the son of
the road, and what your right hands possess 2, verily, God loves not him who is
proud and boastful;
who are miserly and bid men
be miserly too, and who hide what God has given them of His grace;-but we have
prepared for the misbelievers shameful woe.
And those who expend their
wealth in alms for appearance sake before men, and who believe not in God nor
in the last day;-but whosoever has Satan for his mate, an evil mate has he.
What harm would it do them
if they believed in God and in the last day, and expended in alms of what God
has provided them with? but God knows about them.
Verily, God would not wrong
by the weight of an atom; and if it's 1 a good work, He will double it and
bring from Himself a mighty hire.
[45] How then when we bring
from every nation a witness, and bring thee as a witness against these on the
day when those who misbelieve and rebel against the Apostle would fain that the
earth were levelled with them? but they cannot hide the news from God.
O ye who believe! approach not
prayer while ye are drunk, until ye well know what ye say; nor yet while
polluted,-unless ye be passing by the way,-until ye have washed yourselves. But
if ye are sick, or on a journey, or one of you come from the privy, or if ye
have touched a woman, and ye cannot find water, then use good surface sand and
wipe your faces and your hands therewith; verily, God pardons and forgives.
Do ye not see those who
have been given a portion of the Book? they buy error, and they
wish that ye may err from
the way! But God knows best who your enemies are, and God suffices as a patron,
and sufficient is God as a help.
And those who are Jews, and
those who pervert the words from their places, and say, 'We hear but we rebel,
and do thou listen without hearing,' and (who say) 'râ'hinâ 1,' distorting it with their tongues and taunting about religion. But had
they said, 'We hear and we obey, so listen and look upon us,' it would have been
better for them and more upright;-but may God curse them in their misbelief,
for they will not believe except a few.
[50] O ye who have been
given the Book! believe in what we have revealed, confirming what ye had
before; ere we deface your faces and turn them into hinder parts, or curse you
as we cursed the fellows of the Sabbath 2 when God's command was done.
Verily, God pardons not
associating aught with Him, but He pardons anything short of that to whomsoever
He pleases; but he who associates aught with God, he hath devised, a mighty
sin.
Do ye not see those who
purify themselves? nay, God purifies whom He will, and they shall not be
wronged a straw 3.
Behold, how they devise
against God a lie, and that is manifest sin enough.
Do ye not see those to whom
a portion of the Book has been given? They believe in Gibt
[paragraph continues] 'These are better guided in the way
than those who believe.' [55] These are those whom God has cursed, and whom God
has cursed no helper shall he find.
Shall they have a portion
of the kingdom? Why even then they would not give to men a jot1.
Do they envy man for what
God has given of His grace? We have given to Abraham's people the Book and
wisdom, and we have given them a mighty kingdom: And of them are some who
believe therein, and of them are some who turn from it, but Hell is flaming
enough for them.
Verily, those who
disbelieve in our signs, we will broil them with fire; whenever their skins are
well done, then we will change them for other skins, that they may taste the
torment. Verily, God is glorious and wise.
[60] But those who believe
and do aright, we will make them enter gardens beneath which rivers flow, and
they shall dwell therein for ever and aye, for them therein are pure wives, and
we will make them enter into a shady shade. Verily, God bids you pay your
trusts to their owners, and when ye judge between men to judge with justice.
Verily, God, excellent is what He admonishes you with; verily, God both hears
and sees.
O ye who believe! obey God,
and obey the Apostle and those in authority amongst you; and if ye quarrel
about anything, refer to God and the Apostle, if ye believe in God and the last
day; that is better and fairer as a settlement.
Do ye not see those who
pretend that they believe in what has been revealed to them, and what was
with those God has been
pleased with, of prophets and confessors and martyrs and the righteous;-a fair
company are they.
That is grace from God, and
God knows well enough.
O ye who believe! take your
precautions and sally in detachments or altogether. Verily, there is of you who
tarries behind, and, If a mischance befalls you, says, 'God has been gracious
to me, since I am not with them a martyr.'
[75] But if there befalls
you grace from God, he would say-as though there were no friendship between you
and him - 'O would that I had been with thee to attain this mighty happiness!'
Let those then fight in God's way who sell this life of the world for the next;
and Whoso fights in God's way, then, be he killed or be he victorious, we will
give him a mighty hire.
What ails you that ye do not
fight in God's way, and for the weak men and women and children, who say,
'Lord, bring us out of this town 1 of oppressive folk, and make for us
from Thee a patron, and make for us from Thee a help?'
Those who believe fight in
the way of God; and those who disbelieve fight in the way of Tâghût
;
couldst thou not let us
abide till our near appointed time?' Say, The enjoyment of this world is but
slight, and the next is better for him who fears;'-but they shall not be
wronged a straw.
[80] Wheresoe'er ye be
death will overtake you, though ye were in lofty towers. And if a good thing
befall them, they say, 'This is from God,' but if a bad thing, they say, 'This
is from thee.' Say, 'It is all from God.' What ails these people? they can
hardly understand a tale.
What befalls thee of good
it is from God; and what befalls thee of bad it is from thyself. We have sent
thee to mankind as an apostle, and God sufficeth for a witness.
Whoso obeys the prophet he
has obeyed God; and he who turns back-we have not sent thee to watch over them.
They say, 'Obedience!' but
when they sally forth from you, a company of them brood by night over something
else than that which thou hast said but God writes down that over which they
brood. Turn then from them and rely on God, for God sufficeth for a guardian.
Do they not meditate on the Qur'ân? if it were from other than God they would
find in it many a discrepancy.
[85] And when there comes
to them a matter of security or fear they publish it; but if they were to
report it to the Apostle and to those in authority amongst them, then those of
them who would elicit it from them would know it; but were it not for God's
grace upon you and His mercy ye had followed Satan, save a few.
Fight, then, in the way of
God; impose not aught on any but thyself, and urge on the believers; it
may be that God will
restrain the violence of those who misbelieve, for God is more violent and more
severe to punish.
Whoso intercedes with a
good intercession shall have a portion therefrom; but he who intercedes with a
bad intercession shall have the like thereof, for God keeps watch over all
things.
And when ye are saluted
with a salutation, salute with a better than it, or return it;-verily, God of
all things takes account.
God, there is no God but
He! He will surely assemble you on the resurrection day, there is no doubt
therein; who is truer than God in his discourse?
[90] Why are ye two parties
about the hypocrites, when God hath overturned them for what they earned? Do ye
wish to guide those whom God hath led astray? Whoso God hath led astray ye
shall not surely find for him a path. They would fain that ye misbelieve as
they misbelieve, that ye might be alike; take ye not patrons from among them
until they too flee in God's way; but if they turn their backs, then seize them
and kill them wheresoever ye find them, and take from them neither patron nor
help,-save those who reach a people betwixt whom and you is an alliance-or who
come to you while their bosoms prevent them from fighting you or fighting their
own people. But had God pleased He would have given you dominion over them, and
they would surely have fought you. But if they retire from you and do not fight
you, and offer you peace,-then God hath given you no way against them.
Ye will find others who
seek for quarter from
you, and quarter from their
own people; whenever they return to sedition they shall be overturned therein:
but if they retire not from you, nor offer you peace, nor restrain their hands,
then seize them and kill them wheresoever ye find them;-over these we have made
for you manifest power.
It is not for a believer to
kill a believer save by mistake; and whosoever kills a believer by mistake then
let him free a believing neck 1; and the blood-money must be paid
to his people save what they shall remit as alms. But if he be from a tribe
hostile to you and yet a believer, then let him free a believing neck. And if
it be a tribe betwixt whom and you there is an alliance, then let the
blood-money be paid to his friends, and let him free a believing neck; but he
who cannot find the means, then let him fast for two consecutive months-a
penance this from God, for God is knowing, wise.
[95] And whoso kills a
believer purposely, his reward is hell, to dwell therein for aye; and God will
be wrath with him, and curse him, and prepare for him a mighty woe.
O ye who believe! when ye
are knocking about in the way of God be discerning, and do not say to him who
offers you a salutation, 'Thou art no believer,' craving after the chances of
this world's life 2, for with God are many spoils! So were ye
aforetime, but God was gracious to you, be ye then discerning; verily, God of
what ye do is well aware.
Not alike are those of the
believers who sit at home without harm, and those who are strenuous in God's
way with their wealth and their persons. God hath preferred those who are
strenuous with their wealth and their persons to those who sit still, by many
degrees, and to each hath God promised good, but God hath preferred the
strenuous for a mighty hire over those who sit still,-degrees from him, and
pardon and mercy, for God is forgiving and merciful.
Verily, the angels when
they took the souls of those who had wronged themselves 1, said, 'What state were ye in?'
they say, 'We were but weak in the earth;' they said, 'Was not God's earth wide
enough for you to flee away therein?' These are those whose resort is hell, and
a bad journey shall it be!
[100] Save for the weak
men, and women, and children, who could not compass any stratagem, and were not
guided to a way; these it may be God will pardon, for God both pardons and
forgives.
Whosoever flees in the way
of God shall find in the earth many a spacious refuge, and he who goes forth
from his house, fleeing unto God and His prophet, and then death catches him
up,-his hire devolves on God, and God is forgiving and merciful.
And when ye knock about in
the earth, it is no crime to you that ye come short in prayer, if ye fear that
those who disbelieve will set upon you; verily, the misbelievers are your obvious
foes.
When thou art amongst them,
and standest up to pray with them, then let a party of them stand up with thee,
and let them take their arms; and when they adore, let them go behind you, and
let another party who have not yet prayed come forward and pray with thee; and
let them take their precautions and their arms.
Fain would those who
misbelieve that ye were careless of your arms and your baggage, that they might
turn upon you with a single turning. And it is no crime to you if ye be annoyed
with rain or be sick, that ye lay down your arms; but take your
precautions,-verily, God has prepared for those who misbelieve a shameful woe.
But when ye have fulfilled
your prayer, remember God standing and sitting and lying on your sides; and when
ye are in safety then be steadfast in prayer; verily, prayer is for the
believers prescribed and timed!
[105] And do not give way
in pursuit of the people; if ye suffer they shall surely suffer too, even as ye
suffer; and ye hope from God, but they hope not! and God is knowing, wise.
Verily, we have revealed to
thee the Book in truth that thou mayest judge between men of what God has shown
thee; so be not with the treacherous a disputant; but ask God's pardon: verily,
God is forgiving, merciful.
And wrangle not for those
who defraud themselves; for God loves not him who is a fraudulent sinner. They
hide themselves from men; but they cannot hide themselves from God, for He is
with them while they brood at night over speeches
that please Him not;-but
God doth compass what they do!
Here are ye, wrangling for
them about this world's life;-but who shall wrangle with God for them on the
day of judgment, or who shall be a guardian over them?
[110] Yet whoso does evil
and wrongs himself, and then asks pardon of God, shall find God forgiving and
merciful; and whoso commits a crime, he only commits it against himself, for
God is knowing, wise.
And whoso commits a fault
or a sin and throws it on the innocent, he hath to bear a calumny and a
manifest sin.
Were it not for God's grace
upon thee, and His mercy, a party of them would have tried to lead thee astray;
but they only lead themselves astray; they shall not hurt you in aught: for God
hath sent down upon thee the Book and the wisdom, and taught thee what thou
didst not know, for God's grace was mighty on thee.
There is no good in most of
what they talk in private save in his who bids almsgiving, or kindness, or
reconciliation between men; and whoso does this, craving the good pleasure of
God, we will give to him a mighty hire.
[115] But he who severs
himself from the prophet after that we have made manifest to him the guidance,
and follows other than the way of the believers, we will turn our backs on him
as he hath turned his back; and we will make him reach hell, and a bad journey
shall it be.
Verily, God forgives not
associating aught with Him, but He pardons anything short of that, to
whomsoever He will; but
whoso associates aught with God, he hath erred a wide error.
Verily, they call not
beside Him on aught save females; and they do not call on aught save a
rebellious devil.
God curse him! for he said,
'I will take from thy servants a portion due to me; and I will lead them
astray; and I will stir up vain desires within them; and I will order them and
they shall surely crop the ears of cattle; and I will order them and they shall
surely alter God's creation 1;' but he who takes the devil for
his patron instead of God, he loses with a manifest loss. He promises them, and
stirs up vain desires within them; but the devil promises only to deceive.
[120] These, their resort
is hell; they shall not find an escape therefrom! But those who believe, and do
what is right, we will make them enter into gardens beneath which rivers flow,
to dwell therein for aye,-God's promise in truth; and who is truer than God in
speech? Not for your vain desires, nor the vain desires of the people of the
Book. He who doeth evil shall be recompensed therewith, and shall not find for
him beside God a patron, or a help. But he who doeth good works,-be it male or
female,-and believes, they shall enter into Paradise,
and they shall not be wronged a jot.
Who has a better religion
than he who resigns his face to God, and does good, and follows the faith of
[paragraph continues] Abraham, as a 'Hanîf?-for God took
Abraham as a friend.
[125] And God's is what is
in the heavens and in the earth, and God encompasses all things!
They will ask thee a
decision about women; say, 'God decides for you about them, and that which is
rehearsed to you in the Book; about orphan women to whom ye do not give what is
prescribed for them, and whom ye are averse from marrying; and about weak
children; and that ye stand fairly by orphans;-and what ye do of good, verily,
that God knows.'
And if a woman fears from
her husband perverseness or aversion, it is no crime in them both that they
should be reconciled to each other, for reconciliation is best. For souls are prone
to avarice; but if ye act kindly and fear God, of what ye do He is aware.
Ye are not able, it may be,
to act equitably to your wives, even though ye covet it; do not however be
quite partial, and leave one as it were in suspense; but if ye be reconciled
and fear, then God is forgiving and merciful; but if they separate, God can
make both independent out of His abundance; for God is abundant, wise.
[130] God's is what is in
the heavens and what is in the earth! We have ordained to those who have been given
the Book before you, and to you too that ye fear God;-but if ye misbelieve,
verily, God's is what is in the heavens and what is in the earth, and God is
rich and to be praised!
God's is what is in the
heavens and what is in the earth! and God sufficeth for a guardian!
If He will He can make ye
pass away, O men! and can bring others;-God is able to do all that.
He who wishes for a reward
in this world,-with God is the reward of this world and of the next, and God
both hears and sees.
O ye who believe! be ye
steadfast in justice, witnessing before God though it be against yourselves, or
your parents, or your kindred, be it rich or poor, for God is nearer akin than
either.
Follow not, then, lusts, so
as to act partially; but if ye swerve or turn aside, God of what ye do is well
aware.
[135] O ye who believe!
believe in God and His apostles, and the Book which He hath revealed to His
Apostle, and the Book which He sent down before; for whoso disbelieves in God,
and His angels, and His Apostle, and the last day, has erred a wide error.
Verily, those who believe
and then misbelieve, and then believe and then misbelieve, and then increase in
misbelief, God will never pardon them, nor will He guide them in the path.
Give to the hypocrites the
glad tidings that for them is grievous woe!
Those who take the
misbelievers for their patrons rather than believers,-do they crave honour from
them? Verily, honour is altogether God's!
He hath revealed this to
you in the Book 1, that when ye hear the signs of God
disbelieved in and mocked at, then sit ye not down with them until they plunge
into another discourse, for verily, then ye would be like them. Verily, God
will gather the hypocrites and misbelievers into hell together.
[140] Those who lie in wait
for you, and if the victory be yours from God, say, 'Were we not with you?' and
if the misbelievers have a chance, they say, 'Did we not get the mastery over
you, and defend you from the believers?' But God shall judge between you on the
resurrection day; for God will not give the misbelievers a way against
believers.
Verily, the hypocrites seek
to deceive God, but He deceives them; and when they rise up to pray, they rise
up lazily to be seen of men, and do not remember God, except a few; wavering
between the two, neither to these nor yet to those! but whomsoever God doth
lead astray thou shall not find for him a way.
O ye who believe! take not
misbelievers for patrons rather than believers; do ye wish to make for God a
power against you?
Verily, the hypocrites are
in the lowest depths of hell-fire, and thou shalt not find for them a help.
[145] Save those who turn
again, and do right, and take tight hold on God, and are sincere in religion to
God; these are with the believers, and God will give to the believers mighty
hire. Why should God punish you, if ye are grateful and believe? for God is
grateful and knowing.
God loves not publicity of
evil speech, unless one has been wronged; for God both hears and knows.
If ye display good or hide
it, or pardon evil, verily, God is pardoning and powerful!
Verily, those who
disbelieve in God and His apostles desire to make a distinction between God and
His apostles, and say, 'We believe in part and
disbelieve in part, and
desire to take a midway course between the two:' [150] these are the
misbelievers, and we have prepared for misbelievers shameful woe! But those who
believe in God and His apostles, and who do not make a distinction between any
one of them,-to these we will give their hire, for God is forgiving and
merciful!
The people of the Book will
ask thee to bring down for them a book from heaven; but they asked Moses a
greater thing than that, for they said, 'Show us God openly;' but the
thunderbolt caught them in their injustice. Then they took the calf, after what
had come to them of manifest signs; but we pardoned that, and gave Moses
obvious authority. And we held over them the mountain 1 at their compact, and said to them,
'Enter ye the door adoring;' and we said to them, 'Transgress not on the
Sabbath day,' and we took from them a rigid compact.
But for that they broke
their compact, and for their misbelief in God's signs, and for their killing
the prophets undeservedly, and for their saying, 'Our hearts are
uncircumcised,'-nay, God hath stamped on them their misbelief, so that they
cannot believe except a few, - [155] and for their misbelief, and for their
saying about Mary a mighty calumny, and for their saying, 'Verily, we have
killed the Messiah, Jesus the son of Mary, the apostle of God,' . . . . but
they did not kill him, and they did not crucify him, but a similitude was made
for them. And verily, those who differ about him are in doubt concerning him;
they have no knowledge concerning him, but only follow an opinion. They did not
kill
him, for sure! nay, God
raised him up unto Himself; for God is mighty and wise 1!
And there shall not be one
of the people of the Book but shall believe in him before his death 2; and on the day of judgment he shall be a witness against them.
And for the injustice of
those who are Jews have we forbidden them good things which we had made lawful
for them, and for their obstructing so much the way of God, and for their
taking usury when we had forbidden it, and for their devouring the wealth of
people in vain,-but we have prepared for those of them who misbelieve a
grievous woe.
[160] But those amongst
them who are firm in knowledge, and the believers who believe in what is
revealed to thee, let what is revealed before thee, and the steadfast in
prayer, and the givers of alms, and the believers in God and the last day,-unto
these we will give a mighty hire.
Verily, we have inspired
thee as we inspired Noah and the prophets after him, and as we inspired
Abraham, and Ishmael, and Jacob, and the tribes and Jesus, and Job, and Jonas,
and Aaron, and Solomon; and to David did we give Psalms.
Of apostles we have already
told thee of some before; and of apostles some we have not told thee of;
But Moses did God speak to,
speaking;-apostles giving glad tidings and warning, that men should have no'
argument against God, after the apostles for God is mighty, wise!
But God bears witness to
what He has revealed to thee: He revealed it in His knowledge, and the angels
bear witness too; though God is witness enough.
[165] Verily, those who
misbelieve and obstruct the way of God, have erred a wide error.
Verily, those who
misbelieve and are unjust, God will not pardon them, nor will He guide them on
the road-save the road to hell, to dwell therein for aye;-that is easy enough
to God!
O ye folk! the Apostle has
come to you with truth from your Lord: believe then, for it is better for you.
But if ye misbelieve, then God's is what is in the heavens and the earth, and
God is knowing, wise.
O ye people of the Book! do
not exceed in your religion, nor say against God aught save the truth. The
Messiah, Jesus the son of Mary, is but the apostle of God and His Word, which
He cast into Mary and a spirit from Him; believe then in God and His apostles,
and say not 'Three.' Have done! it were better for you. God is only one God,
celebrated be His praise that He should beget a Son! His is what is in the
heavens and what is in the earth; and God sufficeth for a guardian.
[170] The Messiah doth
surely not disdain to be a servant of God, nor do the angels who are nigh to
Him; and whosoever disdains His service and is too proud, He will gather them
altogether to Himself.
But as for those who
believe and do what is right, He will pay their hire and will give increase to
them of His grace. But as for those who disdain and are too proud, He will
punish them with a grievous woe, and they shall not find for them other than
God a patron or a help.
O ye folk! proof has come
to you from your Lord, and we have sent down to you manifest light. As for
those who believe in God, and take tight hold of Him, He will make them enter
into mercy from Him and grace; and He will guide them to Himself by a right way.
[275] They will ask thee
for a decision; say, 'God will give you a decision concerning remote
kinship 1.'
If a man perish and have no
child, but have a sister, let her have half of what he leaves; and he shall be
her heir, if she have no son. But if there be two sisters, let them both have
two thirds of what he leaves; and if there be brethren, both men and women, let
the male have like the portion of two females. God makes this manifest to you
lest ye err; for God all things doth know.