though they were being
driven on to death and looked thereon; and when God promised you that one of
the two troops should be yours, and ye would fain have had those who had no
arms. God wished to prove the truth true by His words, and to cut off the
hindermost parts of those who misbelieve-to prove the truth true, and to make
vain the vain, although the sinners are averse 1.
When ye asked for succour
from your Lord, and He answered you, 'I will assist you with a thousand angels,
with others in reserve.'
[10] God made it only glad
tidings to quiet your hearts therewith; for victory is only from God! verily,
God is mighty and wise.
When drowsiness covered you
as a security from Him,-and He sent down upon you from the heavens water to purify
you withal, and to take away from you the plague of Satan, and to tie up your
hearts and to make firm your footsteps 2.
When your Lord inspired the
angels - 'Verily, I am with you; make ye firm then those who believe; I will
cast dread into the hearts of those who misbelieve,-strike off their necks
then, and strike off from them every finger tip.'
That is, because they went
into opposition against God and His Apostle; for he who goes into opposition
against God and His Apostle-verily, God is keen to punish.
There, taste it! since for
the misbelievers is the torment of the Fire.
[15] O ye who believe! when
ye meet those who misbelieve in swarms, turn not to them your hinder parts; for
he who turns to them that day his hinder parts. save turning to fight or
rallying to a troop, brings down upon himself wrath from God, and his resort is
hell, and an ill journey shall it be!
Ye did not slay them, but
it was God who slew them; nor didst thou shoot when thou didst shoot, but God
did shoot 1, to try the believers from Himself with a
goodly trial; verily, God both hears and knows. There I verily, God weakens the
stratagem of the misbelievers.
If ye wish 2 the matter to be decided, a decision has now come to you; but if ye
desist, it is better for you; and if ye turn back we will turn too, and your
troop shall avail nothing, great in number though it be, since God is with the
believers!
[20] O ye who believe! obey
God and His Apostle, and turn not from Him while ye hear, and be not like those
who say, 'We hear,' and yet they hear not.
Verily, the worst of beasts
in God's sight are the deaf, the dumb who do not understand. Had God
known any good in them, He
would have made them hear; but had He made them hear, they would have turned
back and have swerved aside.
O ye who believe! answer
God and His Apostle when He calls you to that which quickens you; and know that
God steps in between man and his heart; and that to Him ye shall be gathered.
[25] And fear temptation, which will not light especially on those of you who
have done wrong; but know that God is keen to punish.
Remember when ye were few
in number and weak in the land, fearing lest people should snatch you away;
then He sheltered you and aided you with victory, and provided you with good
things; haply ye may give thanks.
O ye who believe! be not
treacherous to God and His Apostle; nor be treacherous to your engagement while
ye know!
Know that your wealth and
your children are but a temptation, and that God-with Him is mighty hire!
O ye who believe! if ye
fear God He will make for you a discrimination 1, and will cover for you your
offences, and will forgive you; for God is Lord of mighty grace.
[30] And when those who,
misbelieve were crafty with thee to detain thee a prisoner, or kill thee, or
drive thee forth; they were crafty, but God was crafty too, for God is best of
crafty ones!
But when our verses were
rehearsed to them they said, 'We have already heard.-If we pleased we could
speak like this; verily, this is nothing but tales of those of yore.'
When they said, 'O God! if
this be truth, and from Thee, then rain upon us stones from heaven or bring us
grievous woe!'
But God would not torment
them while thou art amongst them; nor was God going to torment them while they
asked Him to forgive. But what ails them that God should not torment them while
they turn folk away from the Holy Mosque, though they are not the guardians
thereof-its guardians are only the pious?-but most of them know not.
[35] Their prayer at the
House was naught but whistling and clapping hands!-taste then the torment for
that ye misbelieved!
Verily, those who
misbelieve expend their wealth to turn folk from the path of God; but they shall
spend it, and then it shall be for them sighing, and then they shall be
overcome! Those who misbelieve, into hell shall they be gathered!-that God may
distinguish the vile from the good, and may put the vile, some on the top of
the other, and heap all up together, and put it into hell!-These are those who
lose!
Say to those who
misbelieve, if they desist they will be forgiven what is past; but if they
return,-the course of those of former days has passed away 1.
[40] Fight them then that
there should be no sedition, and that the religion may be wholly God's; but if
they desist, then God on what they do doth look. But if they turn their backs,
then know that God is your Lord; a good Lord is He, and a good help; and know
that whenever ye seize anything as
a spoil, to God belongs a
fifth thereof, and to His Apostle, and to kindred and orphans, and the poor and
the wayfarer; if ye believe in God and what we have revealed unto our servants
on the day of the discrimination,-the day when the two parties met; and God is
mighty over all. When ye were on the near side of the valley, and they were on
the far side, and the camels were below you; had ye made an appointment
then 1 ye would have failed to keep your
appointment-but it was that God might accomplish a thing that was as good as
done! that he who was to perish might perish with a manifest sign; and that he
who was to live might live with a manifest sign; for, verily, God hears and
knows!
[45] When God showed thee
them in thy dream as though they were but few; but had He shown thee them as
though they were many, ye would have been timid, and ye would have quarrelled
about the matter;-but God preserved you; verily, He knows the nature of men's
breasts!
And when He showed them to
you, as ye encountered them, as few in your eyes; and made you seem few in
their eyes; that God might accomplish a thing that was as good as done; for
unto God do things return!
O ye who believe! when ye
encounter a troop, then stand firm and remember God; and haply. ye may prosper!
and fear God and His Apostle, and do not quarrel or be timid, so that your turn
of luck go from you; but be ye patient, verily, God is with the patient. And be
not like those who went forth from their homes with insolence, and for
appearance sake
before men, and to turn
folks off God's way; for all they do God comprehends.
[50] And when Satan made
their works appear seemly to them, and said, 'There is none amongst mankind to
conquer you to-day, for, verily, I am your neighbour!' and when the two troops
came in sight of each other, he turned upon his heels and said, 'Verily, I am
clear of you! verily, I see what you see not 1! verily, I fear God, for God is
keen to punish!'
And when the hypocrites and
those in whose hearts was sickness said, 'Their religion hath beguiled these
men 2, but he who relies upon God, verily, God is mighty and wise.'
Couldst thou see when the
angels take away the soul's of those who misbelieve; they smite them on their
faces and hinder parts. - 'Taste ye the torment of burning! that is for what
your hands have sent on before; and for that God is no unjust one towards his
servants.'
As was the wont of
Pharaoh's people and those before them! they disbelieved in the signs of God,
and God overtook them in their sins; verily, God is strong and keen to punish.
[55] That is because God is
not one to change a favour He has favoured a people with, until they change
what they have in themselves, and for that God both hears and knows.
As was the wont of
Pharaoh's people and those before them! they said our signs were lies, and we
destroyed them in their sins, and drowned
[paragraph continues] Pharaoh's people; and all of them
were evil-doers.
Verily, the worst of beasts
in God's eyes are those who misbelieve and will not believe; with whom if thou
dost make a league, they break their league each time, for they fear not God;
but shouldst thou ever catch them in war, then make those who come after them
run by their example 1, haply they may remember then.
[60] And shouldst thou ever
fear from any people treachery, then throw it back to them in like manner;
verily, God loves not the treacherous. Deem not that those who misbelieve can
win; verily, they cannot make (God) Powerless!
Prepare ye against them
what force and companies of horse ye can, to make the enemies of God; and your
enemies, and others beside them, in dread thereof. Ye do not know them, but God
knows them! and whatever ye expend in God's way He will repay you; and ye shall
not be wronged. But if they incline to peace, incline thou to it too, and rely
upon God; verily, He both hears and knows.
But if they wish to betray
thee, then God is enough for thee! He it is who supports thee with His help and
with the believers; and reconciles their hearts! Didst thou expend all that is
in the earth thou couldst not reconcile their hearts, but God reconciled them,
verily, He is mighty and wise!
[65] O thou prophet! God is
sufficient for thee, with those of the believers who follow thee! O thou
prophet! urge on the
believers to fight. If there be of you twenty patient men, they shall conquer
two hundred; if there be of you a hundred, they shall conquer a thousand of
those who misbelieve, because they are a people who did not discern.-Now has
God made it light for you; He knows that there is a weakness amongst you: but
if there be amongst you but a patient hundred, they will conquer two hundred;
and if there be of you a thousand, they will conquer two thousand, by the
permission of God,-for God is with the patient!
It has not been for any
prophet to take captives until he hath slaughtered in the land! Ye wish to have
the goods of this world, but God wishes for the next, for God is mighty, wise! Were
it not for a book from God that had gone before, there would have touched you,
for that which ye took, a mighty punishment 1.
Eat of what spoils ye have
taken, what is lawful and good; and fear God, verily, God is forgiving and
merciful.
[70] O thou prophet! say to
such of the captives as are in your hands, 'If God knows of any good in your
hearts, he will give you better than that which is taken from you, and will
forgive you; for God is forgiving and merciful.'
But if they desire to betray
thee,-they have betrayed God before! but He hath given you power over them; for
God is knowing, wise!
Verily, those who believe
and have fled and
fought strenuously with
their wealth and persons in God's way, and those who have given refuge 1 and help, these shall be next of kin to each other 2. But those who believe, but have
not fled, ye have naught to do with their claims of kindred, until they flee as
well. But if they ask you for aid for religion's sake, then help is due from
you, except against a people between whom and you there is an alliance; for God
on what ye do doth look.
And those who misbelieve,
some of them are next of kin to others-unless ye act the same there will be
sedition in the land, and great corruption.
[75] Those who believe and
have fled and fought strenuously in God's cause, and those who have given a
refuge and a help, those it is who believe; to them is forgiveness and generous
provision due. And those who have believed afterwards and have fled and fought
strenuously with you; these too are of you, but blood relations are nearer in
kin by the Book of God. Verily, God all things doth know.