The Qur'an

But they called him a liar, and we rescued him and those who were with him in the ark ; and we drowned those who said our signs were lies, verily, they were a blind people. And unto 'Ad1 (we sent) their brother Hud2, who said, ' O my people ! serve God, ye have no god save Him ; what ! will ye not then fear ?' Said the chiefs of those who misbelieved amongst his people, 'Verily, we see thee in folly, and, verily, we certainly think thou art of the liars.' [65] He said, 'O my people ! there is no folly in me ; but I am an apostle from the Lord of the worlds ; I preach to you the mes sages of your Lord ; and, verily, I am to you a faithful adviser. What! do ye then wonder that there comes to you a reminder from your Lord by a man from amongst yourselves, to warn you ? re member when He made you vicegerents after Noah's people and increased you in length of stature ; remember, then, the benefits of God, — 1 An extinct tribe of the ancient Arabs. 2 Hud and Thamud, both mentioned in the works of Ptolemy, were two tribes of the ancient Arabs, extinct in Mohammed's time, whose disappearance had been attributed, by popular tradition, to divine vengeance.

146 THE QUR'AN. vii, 67-74. haply ye may prosper!' They said, 'Hast thou come to us that we may worship God alone, and leave what our fathers used to worship ? then bring us what thou dost threaten us with, if thou art of those who tell the truth!' He said, 'There shall fall upon you from your Lord horror and wrath ; do ye wrangle with me about names, which ye and your fathers have named yourselves, for which God sent down no power; wait then expectant, and I with you will wait expectant too ! [70] But we rescued him and those with him, by mercy from ourselves, and we cut off the hindermost parts of those who said our signs were lies and who were not believers.' Unto Thamud (we sent) their brother Zali'h, who said, ' O my people ! worship God ; ye have no god but Him : there has come to you a manifest sign from your Lord. This she-camel of God's is a sign for you ; leave her then to eat in the land of God, and touch her not with evil, or there will overtake you grievous woe. And remember how he made you vicegerents after f Ad and stablished you in the earth, so that ye took for yourselves castles on its plains and hewed out mountains into houses l ; and remember the benefits of God, and waste not the land, despoiling it.' Said the chiefs of those who were big with pride from amongst his people to those who were weak, — to those amongst them who believed, ' Do ye know that Zali'h is sent from his Lord ?' They said, * We do believe in that with which he is sent.' Said those who were big with pride, * Verily, in what ye do believe we disbelieve/

1 Referring to the numerous excavated rock -dwellings in Idumaea. [75] Then they did hamstring the camel, and re belled against the bidding of their Lord and said, 1 O Zali'h ! bring us what thou didst threaten us with, if thou art of those who are sent/ Then the earthquake took them, and in the morning they lay prone in their dwellings ; and he turned away from them and said, ' O my people ! I did preach to you the message of my Lord, and I gave you good advice ; but ye love not sincere advisers V 1 All that has been hitherto written about the legend Zali'h and his camel is pure conjecture; the native commentators add nothing but a few marvellous details to the story as given in the Qur'an, and the European annotators can only suggest possible identifica tions for Zali'h himself, such as the Schelah of Gen. xi. 13. My own view of the matter is of course an hypothesis too, but it has at least some circumstantial evidence in its favour ; it is embodied in the following extract from my ' Desert of the Exodus/ p. 50 : 'Near El Watfyeh is situated the tomb of Nebi Saleh, a wretched little building, but accounted by the Bedawin one of the most sacred spots on the Peninsula (of Sinai). Hither they resort in great num bers at certain seasons of the year to perform ceremonies and sacrificial rites.

Who and what was Nebi Saleh, "the Prophet Saleh," or, as his name implies, " the Righteous Prophet ? " A great saint with the Bedawin, perhaps the ancestor of the Sawaliheh tribe, who are named after him ; but this explanation is vague and unsatisfactory, and in the absence of any certain information on the subject I will venture to propound a theory. I must premise that near the summit of Jebel Musa is a peculiar mark in the stone which has a strong resemblance to the imprint of a camel's foot. It is regarded by the Bedawin with great veneration, and the girls, when tending their flocks on the mountains, often milk their goats into it as a sure means of obtaining increase and prosperity. This mark is called Athar Nagat en Nebi, "the footprint of the Pro phet's She-camel/' It is generally taken for granted that the Prophet in question is Mohammed, but to my mind there are several circumstances which seem to connect the Nebi Saleh of the tomb with the prophet of the legend. A Bedawin's notions of the separate identity of Moses, Elias, and Saleh are of the vaguest

And Lot, when he said to his people, * Do ye approach an abomination which no one in all the world ever anticipated you in ? verily, ye approach men with lust rather than women — nay, ye are a people who exceed/ [80] But his people's answer only was to say, ' Turn them out of your village, verily, they are a people who pretend to purity/ But we saved him and his people, except his wife, who was of those who lingered ; and we rained down upon them a rain ; — see then how was the end of the sinners ! And unto Midian did we send their brother kind, and if asked to which of his national saints the camel be longed you will find that he has never even thought of the question at all. There is no point in attributing the mysterious footprint to the camel of Mohammed, for the celebrated " night journey " to heaven, the Prophet's only recorded aeronautic trip, was performed on Borak, a creature with the feet of a mule. But Mohammed has a legend in the Qur'an of a certain " Nebi Saleh," who was sent as a prophet to the people of Thamud, and whose divine mission was attested by the production of a she-camel from the rock. The author of " El Islam " certainly did visit the Sinaitic mountains, and may in all probability have taken the story from the national traditions of the Peninsula.

The origin and history of Nebi Saleh is quite unknown to the present Bedawin inhabitants, but they nevertheless regard him with more national veneration than even Moses himself. I should therefore conclude that the Nebi Saleh of the tomb in Wady es Sheikl, the prophet of the camel's foot print, and the Saleh of the Qur'an are identical, and that the " people of Thamud " are the Saracen inhabitants of Sinai, who preceded the Mohammedan invasion. Who then was Nebi Saleh? Looking at the veneration in which his memory is held, and at the character of the miracle attributed to him — the rock smitten with a rod, and a live camel, the greatest of Bedawin blessings, miraculously produced therefrom — with the subsequent rebellion of the people for whom the Prophet worked the sign, I fancy we may recognise in the tradition a distorted reminiscence of the Israelitish lawgiver himself/

Sho'haib *, who said, ' O my people ! serve God, ye have no god save Him. There has come to you a manifest sign from your Lord ; then give good weight and measure, and be not niggardly of your gifts to men, and do not evil in the earth after it has been righted. That is better for you if ye are believers ; and sit not down in every path, threaten ing and turning from the path of God those who believe in Him, and craving to make it crooked. Remember when ye were few and He multiplied you ; and see what was the end of the evildoers ! [85] And if there be a party of you who believe in what I am sent with, and a party who believe not, then wait patiently until God judges between us, for He is the best of judges.' Said the crowd of those who were big with pride amongst His people, 'We will of a surety turn thee out, O Sho'haib ! and those who believe with thee, from our village ; or else thou sh.alt return unto our faith.' Said he, ' What even if we be averse therefrom ? We shall have devised a lie against God if we return unto your faith, after God has saved us from it ; and what should ail us that we should return thereto, unless that God our Lord should please ? our Lord embraces everything in His knowledge ; — on God do we rely. O our Lord ! open between us and between our people in truth, for Thou art the best of those who open 2.' And the chiefs of those who disbelieved amongst

1 The Jethro of the Bible. 2 That is, 'give us a chance/ the idiom is still current in modern parlance. A shopkeeper, for instance, who has not sold anything all day, or who refuses a bargain, always says yefta'h'allah, 'never mind ! God will give me a chance of selling it/ 15° THE QUR'AN. vn, 88-98. his people said, * If ye follow Sho'haib, verily, ye shall be the losers;' then there took them the earth quake, and in the morning they lay in their dwellings prone. [90] Those who called Sho'haib a liar, (were) as though they had not dwelt therein ! — Those who called Sho'haib a liar, they were the losers then ! And he turned away from them and said, ' O my people ! I preached to you the messages of my Lord, and I gave you good advice ; how should I be vexed for a people who do misbelieve ? ' We have not sent unto a city any prophet except we overtook the people thereof with trouble and distress, that haply they might humble them selves ; and then did we give them, in exchange for evil, good, until they increased and said, ' Distress and joy both touched our fathers;' then we overtook them suddenly ere they could perceive. — Had the people of the town but believed and feared, we would have opened up for them blessings from the heavens and from the earth ; but they said it was a lie, so we overtook them for that which they had earned.

[95] Were the people of these cities then secure that our violence would not come on them by night, while they slept ? were the people of these cities secure that our violence would not come on them in the morning whilst they played ? were they secure from the craft of God ? none feel secure from the craft of God except a people that shall lose. Is it not shown to those who inherit the earth after its (former) people, that, did we please, we would smite1 them in their sins, and would set a stamp upon their hearts, and then they should not hear ? 1 The word is used of an arrow that hits a mark, and hence of any sudden calamity that falls on a man. These cities, we do relate to thee their stories. There came to them our apostles with manifest signs ; but they did not at all believe in what they called a lie before. — Thus doth God set a stamp upon the hearts of those who misbelieve. [100] Nor did we find in most of them a cove nant ; but we did find most of them workers of abomination.

Then we raised up after them Moses with our signs to Pharaoh and his chiefs; but they dealt unjustly therewith, and see what was the end of the evildoers ! Moses said, * O Pharaoh ! verily, I am an apostle from the Lord of the worlds ; it is not right for me to speak against God aught but the truth. I have come to you with a manifest sign from my Lord ; send then the children of Israel with me/ Said he, * If thou hast come with a sign, then bring it, if thou art of those who speak the truth.' Then he threw his rod down, and lo ! it was an obvious snake ; [105] and he drew out his hand, and lo ! it was white to the beholders. Said the chiefs of Pharaoh's people, ' Verily, this is surely a knowing magician ; he desires to turn you out of your land ; — what is it then ye bid ?' They said, ' Give him and his brother some hope ; and send into the cities to collect and bring you every knowing magician/ [no] And the magician came to Pharaoh and said, 'Is there indeed a reward for us if we are conquerors ?' He said, * Yea! and ye shall be of those who draw nigh unto me/ They said, ' O Moses ! wilt thou cast down (thy rod) or shall we be (first) to throw ?' Said he, 'Throw down;' and when they threw down, they did enchant the people's eyes, and made them dread, and brought a

THE QUR'AN. vii, 113-126. mighty magic. But we inspired Moses (saying), ' Throw down thy rod, and it will gulp down that which they devise;' [115] and the truth stood fast, and vain was that which they had done ; and they were conquered there, and turned back feeling small ! and the magicians threw themselves down adoring. Said they, 'We believe in the Lord of the worlds, the Lord of Moses and Aaron!' [120] Said Pharaoh, ' Do ye believe in him ere I give you leave ? This is craft which ye have devised in the land, to turn its people out therefrom, but soon shall ye know ! I will cut off your hands and your feet from opposite sides, then I will crucify you altogether!' They said, 'Verily, we unto our Lord return! nor dost thou take vengeance on us, save for that we believe in the signs of our Lord, when they come to us. ' O our Lord ! pour out upon us patience, and take us to Thyself resigned V And the chiefs of Pharaoh's people said, ' Will ye leave Moses and his people to do evil in the land, and to leave thee and thy gods ?' Said he, ' We will have their sons slain and their women we will let live, for, verily, we are triumphant over them/

[125] Said Moses unto his people, 'Ask for aid from God and be patient ; verily, the earth is God's ! He gives it for an inheritance to whom He pleases of His servants, and the future is for those who fear.' They said, ' We have been hurt before thou didst come to us, and since thou hast come to us/ Said he, * It may be that your Lord will destroy your foe, and will make you succeed him in the earth ; and He will see how ye act/ 1 Or, cause us to die Moslems. We had overtaken Pharaoh's people with the years (of dearth) and scarcity of fruits, that haply they might remember ; but when there came to them a good thing they said, ' This is ours ; ' and if there befel them an evil, they took the augury from Moses and those with him ; — is not their augury only in God's hands ? — but most of them know not. And they said, ' Whatever thou dost bring us as a sign to enchant us therewith, yet will we not believe in thee.' [130] Then we sent upon them the flood and the locusts and the lice and the frogs and the blood, — signs detailed ; but they were big with pride and were a people who did sin.

And when there fell upon them the plague, they said, * O Moses ! call upon thy Lord for us, as He has covenanted with thee ; verily, if thou dost remove the plague from us, we will believe in thee ; and we will assuredly send with thee the children of Israel.' But when we removed from them the plague until the appointed time which they should reach, lo ! then they broke their promise. But we took vengeance on them, and we drowned them in the sea, for that they said our signs were lies and were careless thereof. And we gave as an inheritance unto the people who had been weak, the eastern quarters of the earth and the western quarters thereof, which we had blest ; and the good word of thy Lord was fulfilled on the children of Israel, for that they were patient; and we destroyed that which Pharaoh and his people had made and that which they had piled1. And with the children of Israel 1 The word y'arishun is properly used of making wooden huts, we passed across the sea ; and they came unto a people devoted to their idols, and said, ' O Moses ! make for us a god as they have gods/ Said he, ' Verily, ye are ignorant people.' [135] Verily, these —destroyed shall be that which they are given to ; and vain is that which they have done.

He said, ' Other than God then do ye crave for a god, when He has preferred you above the worlds ?' And when we saved you from Pharaoh's people who wrought you evil woe, killing your sons, and letting your women live ; and in that was a mighty trial from your Lord. And we appointed for Moses thirty nights, and completed them with ten (more), so that the time appointed by his Lord was completed to forty nights. And Moses said unto his brother Aaron, ' Be thou my vicegerent amongst my people, and do what is right, and follow not the path of the evildoers.' And when Moses came to our appointment, and his Lord spake unto him, he said, 'O my Lord ! show me, —that I may look on thee !' He said, ' Thou canst not see me ; but look upon the mountain, and if it remain steady in its place, thou shalt see me;' but when his Lord appeared unto the mountain He made it dust, and Moses fell down in a swoon ! [140] And when he came to himself, he said, * Celebrated be thy praise ! I turn repentant unto Thee, and I am the first of those who are resigned.'

He said, ' O Moses ! verily, I have chosen thee over the people with my messages and my words, take then what I have brought thee, and be of those but is here applied to any structures, especially the massive temples and other piles of Egyptian buildings. who thank/ And we wrote for him upon tablets an admonition concerning everything, and a detail ing of everything : * Take them then with firmness, and bid thy people take them for what is best thereof. I will show you the abode of those who work abominations ; I will turn from my signs those who are big with pride in the earth without right ; and if they see every sign they shall not believe therein, and if they see the path of rectitude they shall not take it for a path ; but if they see the path of error they shall take it for a path ; — that is be cause they have said our signs are lies and have been careless of them.' [145] But those who say our signs and the meet ing of the last day are lies, — vain are their works : shall they be rewarded save for that which they have done ?

And Moses' people after him took to themselves of their ornaments a corporeal calf that lowed * ; did they not see that it could not speak with them, nor could it guide them in the path ? They took it and they were unjust; but when they bit their hands with fruitless rage and saw that they had gone astray, they said, ' Verily, if our Lord have not compassion on us and forgive us we shall surely be of those who lose!' And when Moses returned unto his people angry and grieved, he said, * Evil is it that ye have done after me ! Would ye hasten on the bidding of your Lord ?' and he threw down the tablets and took his brother by the head to drag him towards him, but he said, * O son of my mother ! verily, the people 1 This is also a Talmudic legend. weakened me and well-nigh killed me; make not then mine enemies glad about me, and put me not with the unjust people/ [150] He said, ' O Lord! pardon me and my brother, and let us enter into Thy mercy; for Thou art the most merciful of the merciful. Verily, these have taken to themselves a calf; there shall reach them wrath from their Lord, and abase ment in the life of this world ; for thus do we reward those who forge a. lie. But those who have done bad works, and then turn again after them and believe,— verily, thy Lord, after that, is forgiving and merciful.'

And when Moses' wrath calmed down he took the tables, in the inscription of which was guidance and mercy for those who dread their Lord. And Moses chose from his people seventy men for our appointment ; and when the earthquake took them he said, ' O my Lord ! hadst Thou willed, Thou hadst destroyed them before and me. Wilt Thou destroy us for what the fools amongst us have done ? This is naught but Thy trial, wherewith Thou dost lead astray whom Thou pleasest and guidest whom Thou pleasest ; Thou art our patron ! forgive us and have mercy on us, for Thou art the best of those who do forgive ! [155] ' And write down for us in this world good, and in the future too ; verily, we are guided unto Thee.' He said, * My punishment — with it I fall on whom I will ; and my mercy embraceth everything ; and I will write it down for those who fear, and who give alms, and those who in our signs believe, — who follow the Apostle — the illiterate prophet1, whom 1 Or, the apostle of the Gentiles. they find written down with them in the law and the gospel, bidding them what is reasonable and for bidding them what is wrong, and making lawful for them what is good, and making unlawful evil things ; and setting down for them their burdens and the yokes which were upon them ; — to those who believe in him and aid him and help him and follow the law which has been sent down with him — they shall be the prosperous/

Say, * O ye folk ! verily, I am the Apostle of God unto you all/ — of Him whose is the kingdom of the heavens and the earth, there is no god but He ! He quickens and He kills ! believe then in God and Hjs_A.2ostle,jhe illiterate prophet,— who believes in God and inRis words — then follow him that haply ye may be guided. Amongst Moses' people is a nation guided in truth, and thereby act they justly. [160] And we cut them up into twelve tribes, each a nation ; and we revealed unto Moses, when his people asked him for drink, ' Strike with thy staff the rock ! ' and there gushed forth from it twelve springs, each folk knew their drinking place. And we overshadowed them with the cloud ; and sent down upon them the manna and the quails, ' Eat of the good things we have provided you with !' — Yet they did not wrong us, but it was themselves they wronged. And when it was said unto them, ' Dwell in this city and eat therefrom as ye will, and say 'hi//atun and enter the gate adoring ; so will we pardon you your sins ; — we will increase those who do well/ But those amongst them who did wrong changed it for another word than which was said to them ; and we

158 THE QUR'AN. vii, 162-168. sent upon them a plague from heaven for that they were unjust. Ask them too about the city which stood by the sea, when they transgressed upon the Sabbath ; when their fish came to them on the Sabbath day sailing straight up to them ; but on the days when they kept not the Sabbath, they came not to them, thus did we try them for the abominations that they wrought *. And when a nation from amongst them said, 4 Why do ye warn a people whom God would destroy, or punish with severe torment?' they said, ' As an excuse to your Lord, that haply they may fear.' [165] But when they forgot what they had been reminded of, we saved those who forbade evil, but we overtook those who did wrong with punish ment ; — evil was the abomination that they did, but when they rebelled against what they were forbidden, we said to them, ' Become ye apes, despised and spurned!' and then thy Lord proclaimed that He would surely send against them till the resurrection day, those who should wreak them evil torment ; verily, thy Lord is quick at following up, but, verily, He is forgiving, merciful.

We cut them up in the earth into nations. Of them are the righteous, and of them are the reverse of that ; we have tried them with good things and with bad things ; haply they may return. But there succeeded them successors who in herited the Book! They take the goods of this lower world and say, ' It will be forgiven us.' But if the like goods came to them they would take them too ! Was there not taken from them a covenant by 1 Cf. Chapter II, 61. the Book, that they should not say against God aught but the truth ? Yet they study therein ! But the abode of the future life is better for those who fear — do ye not then understand ? But those who hold fast by the Book and are steadfast in prayer— verily, we will not waste the hire of those who do right. [i 70] And when we shook the mountain over them, as though it were a shadow, and they thought it would fall upon them (saying), * Take ye what we have given you with firmness, and remember what is therein ; haply ye may fear/

And when thy Lord took from the children of Adam out of their loins their seed, and made them bear witness against themselves, ' Am I not your Lord?' They said, 'Yea! we do bear witness '- lest ye should say on the day of resurrection, 'Verily, for this we did not care;' or say, ' Verily, our fathers associated others with God before us, and we were but their seed after them : wilt Thou then destroy us for what vaindoers did ?' — Thus do we detail the signs ; haply they may return. Read to them the declaration of him to whom we brought our signs, and who stepped away therefrom, and Satan followed him, and he was of those who were beguiled1. [175] Had we pleased we would have exalted him thereby, but he crouched upon the earth and followed his lust, and his likeness was as the likeness of a dog, whom if thou shouldst attack 1 Said to refer to Balaam, but also to several pretenders of prophecy amongst the Arabians. By some it is referred to 'Omaiyyat ibn Abi Zalt, or to a certain Jewish Rabbi, who had prophesied the coming of a prophet about Mohammed's time, but would not acknowledge the latter as such.

he hangs out his tongue, or if thou should leave him, hangs out his tongue too. That is the likeness of the people who say our signs are lies. Tell them then these tales — haply they may reflect. Evil is the likeness of a people who say our signs are lies ; themselves it is they wrong ! We have created for hell many of the ^inn and of mankind ; they have hearts and they discern not therewith ; they have eyes and they see not there with ; they have ears and they hear not therewith ; they are like cattle, nay, they go more astray ! these it is who care not. But God's are the good names ; call on Him then thereby, and leave those who pervert His names1; they shall be rewarded for that which they have done. [180] And of those whom we have created is a nation who are guided in truth and thereby act with equity ; but they who say our signs are lies, we will bring them down by degrees from whence they know not. I will let them range ; — verily, my stratagem is efficacious !

Do they not then reflect that their companion 2 is not possessed 3 ? he is but an obvious warner ! Do they not behold the kingdoms of the heavens and of the earth, and what things God has created, and (see that), it may be, their time is already drawing nigh ? in what relation then will they believe ? [185] He 1 The word yul'hiduna is used in the later Arabic for any form of atheism. The expression in the text means the perversion, as Mohammed called it, of the name Allah in the names of the other gods, such as A 11 at, the feminine form of the same word. 3 Literally, under the influence of the ^inn. whom God leads astray there is no guide for him ! He leaves them in their rebellion, blindly wandering on. They will ask you about the Hour, for what time it is fixed ? — say, ' The knowledge thereof is only with my Lord ; none shall manifest it at its time but He ; it is heavy in the heavens and the earth, it will not come to you save on a sudden/ They will ask as though thou wert privy to it, say, * The knowledge thereof is only with God,' — but most folk do not know.

Say, ' I cannot control profit or harm for myself, save what God will. If I knew the unseen I should surely have much that is good, nor would evil touch me ; I am but a warner and a herald of good tidings unto a people who believe/ He it is who created you from one soul, and made therefrom its mate to dwell therewith ; and when he covered her she bore a light burden and went about therewith ; but when it grew heavy they called on God, Lord of them both, ' Surely if thou givest us a rightly-shaped child we shall of a surety be of those who thank/ [190] And when He gave them both a rightly-shaped child they joined partners with Him for that which He had given them, but exalted be God above that which they associate with Him1. Will they associate with Him those who cannot create aught, 1 This story is said to refer to Adam and Eve; the act of idolatry mentioned being the naming of their first son, at the instigation of Satan, 'Abd el 'Hareth, ' servant of 'Hareth,' instead of * servant of God,' 'Hareth being Satan's name among the angels. The legend arose probably from a misunderstanding of the title given to Cain in the Bible, 'Obed Adama, ' a tiller of the ground,' which would read word for word in Arabic cAbd el'Hareth. [6] M

but are themselves created, which have no power to help them, and cannot even help themselves ? But if ye call them unto guidance they will not follow you. It is the same to them if Thou dost call them or if Thou dost hold thy tongue. Those whom ye call on other than God are ser vants like yourselves. Call on them then, and let them answer you, if so be ye tell the truth ! Have they feet to walk with ? or have they hands to hold with ? or have they eyes to see with ? or have they ears to hear with ? Call upon your partners ; then plot against me, and do not wait. [195] Verily, my patron is God, who hath sent down the Book, and He is the patron of the righteous. But those whom ye call on beside Him cannot help you, nor can they even help themselves. But if ye call them unto the guidance they will not hear, thou mayest see them looking towards thee, yet they do not see. Take to pardon, and order what is kind, and shun the ignorant ; and if an incitement from the devil incites you, then seek refuge in God : verily, He both hears and knows.

[200] Verily, those who fear God, if a wraith from the devil touch, mention Him, and lo! they see *. And their brethren he shall increase in error, then they shall not desist. Shouldst Thou not bring them a sign 2 they say, ' Hast Thou not yet made choice of one ?' Say, * I only follow what is inspired to .me by my Lord. 1 I. e. if an evil suggestion occurs to them, they mention God's name and immediately see the folly and wickedness thereof. 2 That is, a verse in the Qur'an. These are perceptions from my Lord, and a guidance and a mercy to a people who believe.' And when the Qur'an is read, then listen thereto and keep silence ; haply ye may obtain mercy. And remember thy Lord within thyself humbly and with fear, not openly in words, in the morning and in the evening ; and be not of those who do not care. [205] Verily, they who are with my Lord are not too big with pride for His service, but they do celebrate His praise, and Him they do adore.

IN the name of the merciful and compassionate God. They will ask thee about the spoils. Say, ' The spoils are God's and the Apostle's ; fear God and settle it amongst yourselves; obey God and the Apostle if ye do believe/ Verily, the believers are those who, when God's name is mentioned, their hearts sink with fear ; and when His signs are rehearsed to them they increase them in faith ; and on their Lord do they rely ; who are steadfast in prayer, and of what we have be stowed upon them give in alms ; these are in truth believers ; to them are degrees with their Lord, and forgiveness, and a generous provision. [5] As thy Lord caused thee to go forth from thy house1 with the truth, although a sect of the be lievers were averse therefrom. They wrangled with thee about the truth after it was made plain, as 1 At Medinah. M 2 164 THE QUR'AN. vm, 6-12. 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 l.

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 mis believe, — strike off their necks then, and strike off from them every finger tip/ 1 The occasion alluded to was one when Mohammed had made preparations for attacking an unarmed caravan on its way from Syria to Mecca, when Abu Sufian, who was in charge of it, sent to Mecca and obtained an escort of nearly a thousand men ; many of Mohammed's followers wished to attack the caravan only, but the prophet and his immediate followers were for throwing themselves on the escort.

2 The Muslims were fewer in number than the enemy, and the latter had command of the water, at both of which circumstances their hearts sank. In the night, however, rain fell, refreshed them and supplied their wants. That is, because they went into opposition against God and His Apostle; for he who goes into oppo sition 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 shoot1, to try the believers from Him self with a goodly trial ; verily, God both hears and knows. There ! 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 1 Alluding to the alleged miracle of the gravel thrown into the eyes of the QuraLr at the battle of Bedr, to which the Muslim victory was due. 2 An address to the Meccans who, when threatened with an attack from Mohammed, took sanctuary in the Kaabah, and prayed to God that if they were right He would help them, but that if Mohammed was in the right He would help him. 166 THE QUR'AN. vm, 23-31. 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 en gagement 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 x, 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.' 1 Here used in the sense of victory.

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 tor ment 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 away1. [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 1 That is, they have the doom of former people as a warning and an example. i68 THE QUR'AN. ¥111,42-49. 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 ac complish 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 en countered 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 1 That is, had ye agreed to attack them. 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 f verily, I see what you see not 1 1 verily, I fear God, for God is keen to punish !3

And when the hypocrites and those in whose hearts was sickness said, * Their religion hath be guiled these men 2, but he who relies upon God, verily, God is mighty and wise.' Couldst thou see when the angels take away the souls 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 The angels who were fighting on the Muslim side. I. e. beguiled them into attacking a force superior in numbers.

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 ex ample J, haply they may remember then. [60] And shouldst thou ever fear from any people treachery, then throw it back to them in like man ner ; 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 com panies 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 I 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 1 That is, make them an example to all future opponents by the severity of thy dealing with them. 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 punishment1.

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 1 Mohammed here blames them for having accepted ransom from the captives which they took at the battle of Bedr; but acknowledges that previously revealed passages of the Qur'an did in the strict letter allow of such ransom being taken. fought strenuously with their wealth and persons in God's way, and those who have given refuge1 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.

AN immunity from God and His Apostle to those idolaters with whom ye have made a league 3. 1 To the prophet. 1 The Ansars and Muha^erm, that is, those who lent aid to, and those who fled with Mohammed were at first regarded as next of kin and heirs to each other's property to the exclusion of blood relationship, until the above passage was abrogated by the last words of this chapter. 5 This chapter is without the initial formula ' In the name of God,' &c. The Caliph Othman said that the omission arose from Roam ye at large in the land for four months, but know that ye cannot make God helpless, and that God disgraces the misbelievers. A proclamation from God and His Apostle to the people on the day of the greater pilgrimage, that God is clear of the idolaters as is His Apostle ! If then ye repent it is better for you ; but if ye turn your backs, then know that ye cannot make God helpless. Give to those who misbelieve glad tidings of grievous woe ! — Except to those of the idolaters with whom ye have made a league, and who then have not failed you at all, and have not backed up any one against you. Fulfil for them then your covenant until the time agreed upon with them ; verily, God loves those who fear.

[5] But when the sacred months are passed away, kill the idolaters wherever ye may find them ; and take them, and besiege them, and lie in wait for them in every place of observation ; but if they repent, and are steadfast in prayer, and give alms, then let them go their way; verily, God is forgiving and merciful. And if any one of the idolaters ask thee for aid, then aid him, in order that he may hear the word of God ; then let him reach his place of safety,— that is, because they are a folk who do not know. How can there be for the idolaters a treaty with God and with His Apostle, save those with whom ye have made a league at the Sacred Mosque ! its having been revealed shortly before Mohammed's death, who left no instructions on the subject. But some commentators assert that it arises from its having originally formed part of the previous chapter. Then while they stand by you, stand ye by them ; verily, God loves those who fear. How ! — if they prevail against you, they will not observe either ties of blood or ties of clientship ; they please you with their mouths, but their hearts refuse ; and most of them do work abomina tion. They barter God's signs for a little price, and they turn folk from His way; verily, they — evil is that which they have done.

[10] They will not observe in a believer ties of kindred nor ties of clientship ; but they it is are the transgressors. But if they repent and are steadfast in prayer and give alms, then they are your brethren in religion— we detail the signs unto a people that do know. But if they break faith with you after their treaty, and taunt your religion, then fight the leaders of misbelief; verily, they have no faith, haply they may desist. Will ye not fight a people who broke their oaths, and intended to expel the Apostle ? They began with you at first, are ye afraid of them ? God is more deserving that ye should fear Him ! If ye be believers, kill them ! God will torment them by your hands, and disgrace them, and aid you against them, and heal the breasts of a people who believe ; [15] and will remove rage from their hearts; for God turns unto Him whomsoever He pleases, and God is knowing, wise ! Did ye reckon that ye would be left, when God knows not as yet those of you who fought strenu ously, and who did not take other than God and His Apostle, and the believers for an intimate friend ?

for God is well aware of what ye do. It is not for idolaters to repair to the mosques of God, bearing witness against themselves to unbelief; they it is whose works are vain, and in the Fire shall they dwell for aye ! He only shall repair to the mosques of God who believes in God and the last day, and is steadfast in prayer, and gives the alms, and fears only God ; — it may be that these will be of those who are guided. Have ye made out the giving drink to the pil grims and the repairing to the Sacred Mosque l to be like being one who believes in God and in the last day, and is strenuous in the way of God ? —they are not equal in God's sight, and God guides not an unjust people. [20] Those who believe and who have fled and been strenuous in the way of God, with their wealth and with their persons, are highest in rank with God, and these it is who are happy. Their Lord gives them glad tidings of mercy from Himself, and good will ; and gardens shall they have therein and last ing pleasure, to dwell therein for aye ! Verily, God, with Him is mighty here.

0 ye who believe ! take not your fathers and your brothers for patrons if they love misbelief rather than faith ; for whosoever amongst you takes them for patrons these are the unjust. Say, ' If your fathers, and your sons, and your brethren, and your wives, and your clansmen, and 1 Abu '1 'Abbas, Mohammed's uncle, when taken prisoner and reproached with his unbelief, appealed to his having performed these duties as entitling him to as much consideration as if he had professed Islam. the wealth which ye have gained, and the merchan dise which ye fear may be slack, and the dwellings which ye love are dearer to you than God and His Apostle, and than fighting strenuously in His way, — then wait awhile, until God brings His bid ding, for God guides not a people who work abomi nation ! ' [25] God has helped you in many a place, and on the day of 'Honein1 when ye were so pleased with your numbers ; but it did not serve you at all, and the road grew too strait for you, where it had been broad ; and then ye turned your backs re treating; then God sent down His shechina 2 upon His Apostle and upon the believers ; and sent down armies which ye could not see, and punished those who misbelieved ; for that is the reward of the misbelievers, then God turns after that to whom He will, for God is forgiving and merciful !

0 ye who believe ! it is only the idolaters who are unclean ; they shall not then approach the Sacred Mosque after this year. But if ye fear want3 then God will enrich you from His grace if He will ; verily, God is knowing, wise ! Fight those who believe not in God and in the last day, and who forbid not what God and His Apostle have forbidden, and who do not practice 1 'Honein is the name of a valley about three miles to the north-east of Mecca, where, in the eighth year of the Flight, a battle took place between Mohammed and his followers with an army of twelve thousand men, and two tribes of idolatrous Arabs. Too confident in their numbers the Moslems at first received a check, but were rallied by Mohammed and his immediate followers and kindred. 2 See p. 38, note 2. 3 That is, from the stoppage of traffic and merchandise. the religion of truth from amongst those to whom the Book has been brought, until they pay the tribute by their hands and be as little ones. [30] The Jews say Ezra is the son of God ; and the Christians say that the Messiah is the son of God ; that is what they say with their mouths, imitating the sayings of those who misbelieved before. — God fight them ! how they lie 1 1

They take their doctors and their monks for lords2 rather than God, and the Messiah the son of Mary; but they are bidden to worship but one God, there is no god but He ; celebrated be His praise, from what they join with Him ! They desire to put out the light of God with their mouths, but God will not have it but that we should perfect His light, averse although the mis believers be ! He it is who sent His Apostle with guidance and the religion of truth, to make it prevail over every other religion, averse although idolaters may be ! O ye who believe ! verily, many of the doctors and the monks devour the wealth of men openly, and turn folk from God's way ; but those who store up gold and silver and expend it not in God's way, 1 The Moslem tradition is that Ezra, after being dead 100 years, was raised to life, and dictated from memory the whole of the Jewish Scriptures which had been lost during the captivity, and that the Jews said he could not have done this unless he had been the son of God. There is no Jewish tradition whatever in support of this accusation of Mohammed's, which probably was entirely due to his own invention or to misinformation. Baifl%avi, the wellknown commentator, says that it must have been true because the Jews themselves, to whom the passage was read, did not deny it.

2 Alluding to the word rabbi, which in Arabic is applied to God alone. — give them glad tidings of grievous woe ! [35] On the day when it shall be heated in the fire of hell, and their brows shall be branded therewith, and their sides and their backs ! — ' This is what ye stored up for yourselves, taste then what ye stored up!' Verily, the number of months with God is twelve months in God's Book, on the day when He created the heavens and the earth ; of these are four that are sacred ; that is the subsisting religion. Then do not wrong yourselves therein, but fight the idola ters one and all, as they fight you one and all, and know that God is with those who fear. Verily, putting off is but an increase in misbelief1 to lead astray therewith those who misbelieve. They make it lawful one year, but they make it unlawful another year, that they may come to an understanding as to the number which God has made sacred, and make lawful what God has pro hibited. Seemly to them are their evil works, but God guides not a misbelieving people.

O ye who believe ! what ailed you when ye were told to march forth in God's way, that ye sank down heavily upon the earth ? were ye content with the life of this world instead of the next ? but the provision of this world's life is but a little to the next. Unless ye march forth He will punish you with grievous woe, and will put in your stead a people other than you ! ye cannot hurt Him at all, for God is mighty over all ! 1 The pagan Arabs used to put off the observance of a sacred month when it was inconvenient to them and observe another instead ; this Mohammed deprecates. [40] Unless ye help him l — and God did help him, when those who misbelieved drove him forth the second of two 2. When they twain were in the cave ; when he said to his comrade, ' Grieve not, verily, God is with us ;' and God sent down His shechina upon him, and aided him with hosts ye could not see, and made the word of those who misbelieved inferior, and the word of God superior ; for God is mighty and wise. March ye then, light and heavy, and fight strenuously with your wealth and persons in God's way ; that is better for you if ye did but know !

Were there goods nigh at hand, and a moderate journey, they would have followed you; but the distance was too far for them ; they will swear by God, ' If we could, we would have gone forth with you/ They destroy themselves, but God knows that they lie ! God forgive thee ; why didst thou give them leave (to stay) until it was made manifest to thee who spake the truth — until thou mightest know the liars ? Those who believe in God and in the last day will not beg off from fighting strenuously with their wealth and their persons; but God knows those who fear. [45] It is only those who believe not in God and in the last day who beg off from thee, and those whose hearts are in doubt, and in their doubt do hesitate. Had they wished to go forth, they would have prepared for it a preparation ; but God was averse 5 That is, with only one companion, namely Abubekr. N 2 180 THE QUR'AN. ix, 46-54. from their starting off, and made them halt, and they were told to sit with those who sit. Had they gone forth with you they would but have made you more trouble, and they would have hurried about amongst you craving a sedition ; amongst you are some who would have listened to them ; but God knows those who are unjust! They used to crave sedition before and upset thy affairs ; until the truth came, and God's bidding was made manifest, averse although they were.

Of them are some who say, ' Permit me !, and do not try me ! ' Have they not fallen into the trial already, but hell shall encompass the misbelievers. [50] If good befall thee it seems ill to them ; but if a calamity befall thee they say, * We had taken care for our affair before ; ' and they turn their backs and they are glad. Say, ' Nought shall befall us save what God has written down for us ; He is our Lord, and upon God believers do rely ! ' Say, * Do ye await for us aught but one of the two best things 2 ? ' we too await for you that God will inflict on you torment from Himself, or by our hands. Wait then ; and we with you are waiting too ! Say, * Expend ye in alms, whether ye will or no, it shall not be accepted from you ; verily, ye are a people who do work abomination.' But nought hinders their alms-giving from being accepted save that they misbelieve in God and His Apostle, and perform not prayer save lazily, and expend not in alms save reluctantly.

1 That is, excuse me from the fighting in the cause of religion. 2 I. e. victory or martyrdom. [55] Let not their wealth please you nor their children, God only wishes to torment them there with in the life of this world, and that their souls may pass away while still they misbelieve. They swear by God that, verily, they are of you ; but they are not of you, and they are a people who do stand aside in fear. Could they but Irave found a refuge, or some caves, or a place in which to creep, they would have turned round in haste thereto. Of them are some who defame thee, with respect to alms ; though if they are given a part thereof, they are content ; and if they are not given a part thereof, then are they in a rage. Would that they were content with what God and His Apostle had brought them, and would say, * God is enough for us! God will bring us of His grace, and so will His Apostle; verily, unto God is our desire!' [60] Alms are only for the poor and needy, and those who work for them l, and those whose hearts are reconciled2, and those in captivity, and those in debt, and those who are on God's path, and for the wayfarer ; — an ordinance this from God, for God is knowing, wise.

And of them are some who are by the ears3 with the prophet, and say, * He is all ear.' Say, 'An ear of good for you ! ' he believes in God, and believes in those who do believe, and is a mercy unto such of you as believe ; but those who are by the ears with the Apostle of God, for them is grievous woe ! 1 I. e. in collecting or distributing them. 2 Reconciled, that is, to Islam. 3 That is, reproach or quarrel with the prophet ; I have used the old fashion English expression in order to preserve the pun upon the word ear which exists in the original. They swear by God to please you ; but God and His Apostle are more worthy for them to please if they be believers. Do they not know that whoso setteth himself against God and His Apostle, for him is the fire of hell, to dwell therein for aye ? and that is mighty shame ! [65] The hypocrites are cautious lest there be revealed against them a surah 1 to inform them of what is in their hearts ; say, ' Mock ye ! verily, God will bring forth that of which ye are so cautious!' But if thou shouldst ask them, they will say, ' We did but discuss and jest;' say, 'Was it at God and His signs, and His Apostle, that ye mocked ?'

Make no excuse ! Ye have misbelieved after your faith ; if we forgive one sect of you, we will torment another sect, for that they sinned ! The hypocrites, men and women, some of them follow others, bidding what is wrong and forbidding what is right, and they clench their hands 2. They forget God and He forgets them ! Verily, the hypo crites, they are the doers of abomination ! God has promised unto the hypocrites, men and women, and unto the misbelievers, hell-fire, to dwell therein for aye; it is enough for them! God shall curse them, and theirs shall be enduring woe. [70] Ye are like those who were before you. They were stronger than you and more abundant in wealth and children ; they enjoyed their portion then, and ye enjoy your portion, as they enjoyed their portion before you ; and ye discuss as they 1 Chapter of the Qur'an. 2 I. e. are niggardly and refuse to give alms. discussed. Their works are vain in this world and the next, and they it is who lose. Did there not come to them the declaration of those who were before them ? of the people of Noah and 'Ad and Thamud, and of the people of Abraham, and the people of Midian ? and of the overturned (cities) l ? Their apostles came to them with mani fest signs ; for God would not wrong them, but it was themselves they wronged.

And the believers, men and women, are some the patrons of others ; they bid what is reasonable, and forbid what is wrong, and are steadfast in prayer, and give alms, and obey God and His Apostle. On these will God have mercy ; verily, God is mighty, wise ! God has promised to believers, men and women, gardens beneath which rivers flow, to dwell therein for aye ; and goodly places in the garden of Eden, But good-will from God is the greatest of all ! that is the mighty happiness ! 0 thou prophet ! strive strenuously against the misbelievers and the hypocrites, and be stern against them; for their resort is hell, and an ill journey shall it be. [75] They swear by God they did not speak it, but they did speak the word of misbelief ; and they disbelieved after they had embraced Islam, and they designed what they could not attain ; and they only disapproved it because God and His Apostle had enriched them of His grace 2. If they turn again 'tis 1 Sodom and Gomorrah. 2 A plot had been set afoot at Medmah to kill Mohammed, and was only abandoned because of the increased trade and prosperity which Mohammed's residence then brought.

better for them ; but if they turn their backs, God will torment them with mighty woe in this world and in the next, nor shall they have upon the earth a patron or protector. And of them are some who make a treaty with God, that ' If He bring us of His grace, we will give alms and we will surely be among the righteous/ But when He gave them of His grace they were niggardly thereof, and turned their backs and swerved aside. So He caused hypocrisy to pursue them in their hearts unto the day when they shall meet Him, — for that they did fail God in what they promised Him, and for that they were liars ! Do they not know that God knows their secrets and their whisperings, and that God knows the unseen things ? [80] Those who defame such of the believers as willingly give their alms, and such as can find nothing to give but their exertions, and who mock at them, — God will mock at them, and for them is grievous woe ! Ask forgiveness for them or ask not forgiveness for them ! if they shouldst ask forgiveness for them seventy times, yet would not God forgive them; that is because they disbelieved in God and His Apostle, for God guides not a people who work abomination.

Those who were left behind 1 rejoiced in staying behind the Apostle of God, and were averse from fighting strenuously with their wealth and their persons in God's way, and said, 'March not forth in the heat/ Say, ' The fire of hell is hotter still, 1 At the battle of Tabuk. if ye could but discern ! ' Let them then laugh little, and let them weep much, as a recompense for that which they have earned ! But if God bring thee back to a sect of them, and they ask thee then for leave to sally forth ; say, ' Ye shall by no means ever sally forth with me, nor shall ye ever fight a foe with me ! verily, ye were content to sit at home the first time, sit ye then now with those who stay behind/ [85] Pray not for any one of them who dies, and stand not by his tomb ; verily, they disbelieved in God and His Apostle and died workers of abomination ! Let not their wealth and their children please you, God only wishes to torment them therewith in this world, and that their souls may pass away the while they misbelieve.

Whenever a surah is sent down to them, * Believe ye in God, and fight strenuously together with His Apostle,' those of them who have the means will ask thee for leave to stay at home and say, ' Let us be amongst those who stay behind.' They are content to be with those who are left behind. A stamp is set upon their hearts that they should not discern. But the Apostle and those who believe with him are strenuous with their wealth and with their persons ; these shall have good things, and these it is shall prosper. [90] God has prepared for them gardens beneath which rivers flow, to dwell therein for aye ; that is the mighty happiness ! There came certain desert Arabs that they might be excused ; and those stayed behind who had called i86 THE QUR'AN. ix, 91-98. God and His Apostle liars. There shall befall those of them who misbelieved, a mighty woe. For the weak, and the sick, and those who cannot find wherewith to expend in alms there is no hindrance, so they be only sincere towards God and His Apostle. There is no way against those who do well ; for God is forgiving and merciful. Nor against those to whom, when they came to thee that thou shouldst mount them, thou didst say, ' I cannot find wherewith to mount you,' turned their backs while their eyes poured forth with tears, for grief that they could not find wherewith to expend. Only is there a way against those who ask thee for leave to stay at home while they are rich ; content to be with those who are left behind ; on whose hearts God has set a stamp, so that they should not know.

[95] They make excuses to you when ye return to them : say, * Make no excuse, we believe you not ; God has informed us concerning you. God sees your works and His Apostle too!' Then shall ye be brought back unto Him who knows the unseen and the seen ; and He shall inform you of that which ye have done. They will adjure you by God when ye have come back to them, to turn aside from them ; turn ye aside then from them ; verily, they are a plague, and their resort is hell ! a recompense for that which they have earned ! They will adjure you to be pleased with them ; but if ye are pleased with them, God will not be pleased with a people who work abomination. The Arabs of the desert are keener in misbelief and hypocrisy, and are more likely not to know the bounds which God has sent down to His Apostle ; but God is knowing and wise. And of the Arabs of the desert are some who take what they expend to be a forced loan, and they wait a turn of fortune against you ; against them shall a turn of evil fortune be ; for God both hears and knows.

[100] And of the Arabs of the desert are some who believe in God and the last day, and who take what they expend in alms to be a means of approach to God and to the Apostle's prayers, — is it not a means of approach for them ? God will make them enter into His mercy; verily, God is forgiving and merciful. As for the foremost in the race, the first of those who fled *, and the helpers 2, and those who followed them in their kindness, God is well pleased with them, and they are well pleased with Him ; He has prepared for them gardens beneath which rivers flow, to dwell therein for aye ; that is the mighty happiness. And of those who are round about you of the Arabs of the desert, some are hypocrites, and of the people of Medinah, some are stubborn in hypo crisy; thou dost not know them — we know them ; we will torment them twice over ; then shall they be sent off into mighty woe. And others have confessed their sins, — that they have mixed with a righteous action another evil action ; — haply it may be God will turn again to them ; verily, God is forgiving and merciful.

1 The Muha^erin, or those who fled with Mohammed from Mecca. 2 The Ansars who helped him while at Medinah. 1 88 THE QUR'AN. ix, 104-110. Take from their wealth alms to cleanse and purify them thereby; and pray for them; verily, thy prayer is a repose for them ; for God both hears and knows. [105] Do they not know that God accepts re pentance from His servants, and takes alms; and that God is He who is easily turned and merciful. And say, 'Act ye;' and God and His Apostle and the believers shall see your acts, and ye shall be brought back to Him who knows the seen and the unseen, and He shall inform you of that which ye have done. And others are in hopes of God's bidding ; whether He will torment them, or whether He turn again towards them ; for God is knowing, wise. And there are those who have taken to a mosque for mischief, and for misbelief, and to make a breach amongst the believers, and for an ambush for him who made war against God and His Apostle before ; they surely swear, ' We only wished for what was good ;' but God bears witness that they are liars.

Never stand up therein! — there is a mosque founded on piety from the first day 1 : it is more right that thou shouldst stand therein; — therein are men who love to be clean ; for God doth love the clean. [no] Is he who has laid his foundation upon the 1 The Mosque of Quba', about two miles from Medmah, the foundation stone of which was laid by Mohammed four days before he entered Medinah on his flight from Mecca, was the first place of public prayer in Islam. The Beni G^anm had built another mosque to rival this, at the instigation of Abu 'Hamir, a monk who was opposed to Mohammed, and wished the prophet to con secrate it. IX, no-115- THE CHAPTER OF REPENTANCE. 189 fear of God and of His good-will better, or he who has laid his foundation upon a crumbling wall of sand, which crumbles away with him into the fire of hell ? — but God guides not a people who do wrong. The building which they1 have built will not cease to be a source of doubt in their hearts until their hearts are cut asunder 2 ; but God is knowing, wise.

Verily, God hath bought of the believers their persons and their wealth, for the paradise they are to have ; they shall fight in the way of God, and they shall slay and be slain : promised in truth, in the law and the gospel and the Qur'an ; — and who is more faithful to His covenant than God ? Be ye glad then in the covenant which ye have made with Him, for that is the mighty happiness ! Those who repent, those who worship, those who praise, those who fast, those who bow down, those who adore, those who bid what is right and forbid what is wrong, and those who keep the bounds of God, — glad tidings to those who believe ! [115] It is not for the prophet and those who believe to ask forgiveness for the idolaters, even though they be their kindred, after it has been made manifest to them that they are the fellows of hell. Nor was Abraham's asking pardon for his father aught else but through a promise he had promised him ; but when it was made manifest to him that he was an enemy to God, he cleansed himself of him ; verily, Abraham was pitiful and clement.

1 The Beni G^anm. 2 I. e. they will feel compunctions about it till the day of their death. Nor will God lead astray a people after He has guided them until that is made manifest to them which they have to fear ; verily, God all things doth know. Verily, God's is the kingdom of the heavens and the earth! He quickens and He kills! Nor have ye beside God a patron or protector. God has now turned towards the prophet and those who fled with him, and towards the helpers who followed him in the hour of difficulty, after that the hearts of a part of them had well-nigh gone amiss. Then He turned unto them ; verily, to them He is kind and merciful: — unto the three1 who were left behind, so that the earth with all its ample space was too strait for them, and their souls were straitened for them, and they thought that there was no refuge for them from God save unto Him. Then He turned again towards them that they might also turn ; verily, God, He is easily turned and merciful ! [120] O ye who believe! fear God and be with those who speak the truth.

It was not for the people of Medinah, and those around about them of the Arabs of the desert, to stay behind the Apostle of God and not to prefer their souls to his : that is because neither thirst, nor toil, nor heat, nor hunger befel them on God's way. Nor do they stop to anger the misbelievers, nor do they get any (harm) from the enemy without 1 Three of the Ansars who refused to accompany Mohammed to Tabuk. IX, I2i-i29. THE CHAPTER OF REPENTANCE. 191 a good work being written down to them ; verily, God wastes not the hire of those who do well. Nor do they expend in alms a small or great expense, nor do they cross a wady 1 without it being written down to them ; that God may reward them with better than that which they have done. The believers should not march forth altogether ; and if a troop of every division of them march not forth, it is only that they may study their religion and warn their people when they return to them, that haply they may beware. O ye who believe ! fight those who are near to you of the misbelievers, and let them find in you sternness ; and know that God is with those who fear.

[125] And whenever a surah is sent down, there are some of them who say, * Which of you has this increased in faith ?' But as for those who believe, it does increase them in faith, and they shall rejoice: but as for those in whose hearts is sickness, it only adds a plague to their plague, and they die misbelievers. Do they not see that they are tried in every year once or twice ? Yet they do not turn again, nor do they mind ! And whenever a surah is sent down, some of them look at the others — ' Does any one see you ? ' — Then they turn away! God has turned their hearts, for that they are a people who do not discern. There has come to you an apostle from amongst 1 A wady is the bed of a torrent, which in Arabia is generally dry, but occasionally after a storm is filled with the torrent. 192 THE QURAN. IX, !2p-X, 4. yourselves ; hard for him to bear is it that ye commit iniquity; he is anxious over you after the believers, pitiful, compassionate. [130] But if they turn their backs, then say, ' God is enough for me ! there is no god but He ! upon Him do I rely, for He is Lord of the mighty throne!'

IN the name of the merciful and compassionate God. A. L. R. Those are the signs of the wise Book ! was it a wonder to the folk l that we inspired a man from amongst themselves, ' Warn thou the folk ; and give glad tidings to those who believe, that for them there is an advance of sincerity2 gone before them with their Lord ?' The misbelievers say, ' Verily, this is an obvious sorcerer !' Verily, your Lord is God, who created the heavens and the earth in six days; then He made for the throne, to govern the affair ; there is no intercessor, except after His permission. That is God for you -your Lord ! Then worship Him — do ye not mind ? To Him is your return all of you — God's promise in truth ; verily, He produces the creature, then He makes it return again, that He may recompense 2 I. e. a reward awaiting them for their sincerity. those who believe and do what is right with justice ; but those who misbelieve, for them is a drink of boiling water, and grievous woe, for that they did misbelieve. [5] He it is who made the sun for a bright ness, and the moon for a light, and decreed for it mansions, that ye may know the number of the years and the reckoning. — God only created that in truth. He details the signs unto a people who do know.

Verily, in the alternation of night and day, and in what God has created of the heavens and the earth, are signs unto a people who do fear. Verily, those who hope not for our meeting, and are content with the life of this world, and are com forted thereby, and those who are neglectful of our signs,— these, their resort is fire for that which they have earned ! Verily, those who believe and do what is right, their Lord guides them by their faith ; beneath them shall rivers flow in the gardens of pleasure. [10] Their cry therein shall be, ' Celebrated be Thy praises, O God I' and their salutation therein shall be, ' Peace ! ' and the end of their cry shall be, ' Praise (belongs) to God, the Lord of the worlds ! ' And if God should hasten on the bad to men as they would hasten on the good, their appointed time would surely be fulfilled. But we will let those who hope not for our meeting go on in their rebellion, blindly wandering on. When distress touches man, he calls us to his side, whether sitting or standing ; but when we have removed from him his distress, he passes on

THE QUR'AN. x, 13-20. as though he had not called on us in a distress that touched him. Thus unto the extravagant is made seemly that which they have done. We have already destroyed generations before you when they did wrong, and there came to them their apostles with manifest signs, but they would not believe. Thus do we reward the sinful people. [15] Then we made you their successors in the earth after them, that we may see how ye will act. But when our evident signs are recited to them, those who hope not for our meeting say, ' Bring a Qur an other than this ; or change it.' Say, ' It is not for me to change it of my own accord ; I do not follow aught but what I am inspired with ; verily, I fear, if I rebel against my Lord, the tor ment of a mighty day !' Say, ' Had God pleased, I should not have re cited it to you, nor taught you therewith. I have tarried a lifetime amongst you before it ; — have ye not then any sense ? ' Who is more unjust than he who forges against God a lie, or says His signs are lies? verily, the sinners shall not prosper.

They worship beside God what can neither harm them nor profit them, and they say, ' These are our intercessors with God ! ' Say, * Will ye inform God of aught in the heavens or the earth, that He knows not of?' Celebrated be His praise ! and exalted be He, above what they associate with Him! [20] People were but one nation once, then they disagreed ; and had it not been for thy Lord's word already passed, there would have been de cided between them that concerning which they disagreed. They say, ' Why is not a sign sent down upon him from his Lord ?' Say, ' The unseen is only God's ; but wait ye for a while, verily, I with you am one of those who wait ! ' When we have let men taste of mercy after distress which has touched them, lo ! they use a stratagem against our signs ! Say, ' God is quicker at stratagem.' Verily, our messengers 1 write down what stratagem ye use. He it is who makes you travel in the land and sea, until when ye are in the ships — and these carry them 2 afloat with a favouring wind, and they rejoice therein, there comes to them a violent wind, and there comes to them the wave from every place, and they think that they are encompassed about; then they call on God, sincere in religion towards Him, ' If thou dost save from this we will surely be of those who thank.' But when He has saved them, lo! they are wilful in the earth unjustly;— O ye folk ! your wilfulness against yourselves is but a provision of this world's life ; then unto us is your return, and we will inform you of that which ye have done !

[25] Verily, the likeness of this world's life is like water which we send down from the sky, and the plants of the earth, from which men and cattle eat, are mingled therewith ; until when the earth puts on its gilding and is adorned, the people thereof think that they have power over it. Our order comes to it by night or day, and we make it as it 1 The recording angels. 2 An instance of the frequent abrupt changes of persons with which the Qur'an abounds. 196 THE QUR'AN. x, 25-33. were mown down — as though it had not yesterday been rich ! — Thus do we detail the signs unto a people who reflect. God calls unto the abode of peace, and guides whom He will into the right path. To those who do what is good, goodness and increase ! nor shall blackness or abasement cover their faces ! these are the fellows of Paradise, they shall dwell therein for aye. But, as for those who have earned ill, the reward of evil is the like thereof; abasement shall cover them ! they shall have none to defend them against God ; — as though their faces were veiled with the deep darkness of the night ; these are the fellows of the Fire, and they shall dwell therein for aye.

And on the day we gather them all together then we will say to those who associated other gods (with us), ' To your places, ye and your associates !' and we will part them ; and their associates will say, 'It was not us ye worshipped. — [30] But God is witness enough between us and you, that we were heedless of your worshipping us/ There shall every soul prove what it has sent on before ; and they shall be returned unto God, their God, their true sovereign, and that which they devised shall stray away from them. Say, ' Who provides you from the heaven and the earth ? who has dominion over hearing and sight ? and who brings forth the living from the dead, and brings forth the dead from the living ? and who governs the affair ?' And they will say, * God.' Say, ' Do ye not then fear ?' That is God, your true Lord ! and what is there x, 33-41- THE CHAPTER OF JONAH. 197 after the truth but error ? how then can ye turn away ? Thus is the word of thy Lord verified against those who commit abomination ; verily, they will not believe. Say, * Is there any of your associates who can produce a creature and then turn it back again ?' Say, * God produces a creature, then turns it back again ; how then can ye lie ?' [35] Say, * Is there any of your associates who guides unto the truth?' Say, * God guides unto the truth/ Is then He who guides unto the truth more worthy to be followed, or he that guides not except he be himself guided ? What ails you then, how ye judge ?

But most of them follow only suspicion ; verily, suspicion does not avail against the truth at all ; verily, God knows what they do. This Quran could not have been devised by any beside God ; but it verifies that which was before it, and details the Book — there is no doubt therein — from the Lord of the worlds. Do they say, 'He1 hath devised it?' say then, * Bring a surah like it, — and call, if ye can, on other than God, if ye do tell the truth F [40] Yet they call that a lie, the knowledge of which they cannot compass, while its interpretation has not yet come to them ; so did those before them charge with lying, and see what was the end of the unjust ! Of them are some who believe therein; and of them are some who do not believe therein ; but thy Lord knows best who are corrupters. 198 THE QUR'AN. x, 42-53. But if they call thee liar, say, ' I have my work, and ye have your work ; ye are clear of what I work, and I am clear of what ye work.'

There are some of them who listen to thee — canst thou make the deaf to hear, although they have no sense ? And of them are some who look at thee — canst thou guide the blind, although they cannot see ? [45] Verily, God wrongs not man at all, but men do wrong themselves. And on the day when we will gather them to gether it will be as though they had not tarried save an hour of the day, they shall know each other. Lost are those who called the meeting with God a lie, and were not guided! Either we will show thee something of that with which we threatened them, or we will take thee to ourself, for unto us is their return ; then is God a witness to what they do. Every nation has its apostle ; and when their apostle comes to them, it is decided between them with justice, and they are not wronged. But they say, ' When is this threat (to come), if ye tell the truth ?' [50] Say, ' I have no power over myself for harm or for profit, save what God will. Every nation has its appointed time ; when their appointed time comes to them they cannot delay it for an hour or bring it on.'

Say, * Let us see now when the torment comes to you, by night or day, what will the sinners fain bring on thereof ? And when it has fallen — will ye believe in it now ! — And yet ye wish to bring it on ! Then shall it be said to those who have done wrong, Taste ye the torment of eternity ! shall ye be recompensed except for that which ye have earned?' They will ask thee to inform them whether it be true. Say, ' Aye, by my Lord ! verily, it is the truth, nor can ye weaken him.' [55] And if every soul that hath done wrong had whatever is in the earth, it would give it as a ransom. They will utter their repentance when they see the torment ; and it shall be decided between them with justice, nor shall they be wronged. Is not indeed what is in the heavens and what is in the earth God's ? is not indeed the promise of God true ? Though most of them know not. He quickens and He kills, and unto Him are ye returned ! O ye folk ! there has come to you a warning from your Lord, and a balm for what is in your breasts, and a guidance and a mercy to believers.

Say, ' By the grace of God and by His mercy,— and in that let them rejoice ! It is better than that which they collect ! ' [60] Let us see now what God has sent down to you of provision ! and yet ye have made of it unlawful and lawful. Say, ' Does God permit you, or against God do ye forge lies ? ' What will those who forge lies against God think on the resurrection day ? Verily, God is Lord of grace towards men, but most of them do not give thanks ! Nor shalt thou be in any affair, nor shalt thou recite concerning it a Quran l — nor shall ye do a work, without our being witness against you, when 1 A portion of the Qur'an. The word means reading. ye are engaged therein : nor does the weight of an atom escape thy Lord in earth or in heaven ; nor is there less than that or greater, but it is in the perspicuous Book. Are not, verily, the friends of God those on whom there is no fear, neither shall they be grieved ?— They who believed and who did fear — [65] for them are good tidings in the life of this world, and in the future too ; there is no changing the words of God ! That is the mighty happiness !

Let not their speech grieve thee ; verily, power is wholly God's ! He both hears and knows. Is not, verily, whoever is in the heavens and whoever is in the earth God's ? What then do they follow who call on associates other than God ? Verily, they follow nothing but suspicion, and verily, they are telling naught but lies. He it is who made for you the night, that ye might rest therein, and the day to see therein ; verily, in that are signs unto a people who can hear. They say, * God has taken to Himself a son.' Celebrated be His praises! He is the rich one! His is whatever is in the heavens, and whatever is in the earth. Ye have no authority for this ! will ye say against God, that which ye do not know ? [70] Say, ' Verily, those who forge against God a lie shall not prosper !' A provision in this world — then unto us is their return ! then we will make them taste keen torment for that they misbelieved. Recite to them the story of Noah, when he said to his people, ' O my people ! if my stay with you be grievous to you, and my reminding you of the signs of God, yet upon God do I rely! Collect

then your affairs and your associates 1 ; nor let your affair (be ordered) for you in the dark ; then decide respecting me, and do not wait ; and if ye turn your backs, I ask you not for hire ; my hire is only due from God, and I am bidden to be of those resigned/ But they called him a liar ; and we saved him, and those with him, in the ark ; and we made these 2 successors, and drowned those who had said our signs were lies ; see then how was the end of those who had been warned ! [75] Then we raised up after him apostles unto their people, and they came to them with manifest signs ; but they would not believe in what they had called a lie before. Thus do we set a stamp upon the hearts of the transgressors. Then we raised up after them Moses and Aaron, unto Pharaoh and his chiefs with our signs ; but they were too big with pride, and were a sinful people ; and when the truth came to them from us they said, verily, ' This is obvious sorcery.'

Moses said, ' Will ye say of the truth when it comes to you, Is this sorcery ? But sorcerers shall not prosper/ They said, * Hast thou come to turn us away from what we found our fathers at, that there may be for you twain grandeur in the earth ? but we will not believe you/ [80] And Pharaoh said, ' Bring me every knowing sorcerer;' and when the sorcerers came, Moses said to them, * Throw down what ye have to throw ! ' and when they threw down, Moses said, ' What ye have brought is sorcery ! verily, God will make 1 Your idols. 2 Noah's people. it vain ; verily, God rights not the work of evil doers!' But God verifies the truth by His words, although the sinners are averse therefrom. But none believed in Moses, save a race of his own people, through fear of Pharaoh and his chiefs ; lest he should afflict them, for verily, Pharaoh was lofty in the earth, and verily, he was extravagant. And Moses said, ' O my people ! if ye did be lieve in God, then on Him rely, if ye be resigned.' [85] They said, ' Upon God do we rely. O our Lord! make us not a cause of trial for a people who do wrong, but save us by Thy mercy from the people who misbelieve!'

And we inspired Moses and his brother thus, ' Establish, ye twain, houses for your people in Egypt; and make ye your houses a qiblah1; and be ye steadfast in prayer, and give glad tidings to those who believe.' Moses said, ' O our Lord ! verily, Thou hast brought to Pharaoh and his chiefs ornaments and wealth in the life of this world ; O our Lord ! that they may err from Thy way ! O our Lord ! confound their wealth and harden their hearts that they may not believe until they see grievous woe!' He said, ' Your prayer is answered ; be upright then, ye two, and follow not the path of those who do not know ! ' [90] And we brought the children of Israel across the sea ; and Pharaoh and his hosts followed them eager and hostile, until when drowning overtook him, he said, ' I believe that there is no god but 1 I. e. adapt them by their position and construction to become places in which prayer may be performed. He in whom the children of Israel believe, and I am of those who are resigned ! ' — ' Now 1 1 but thou didst rebel aforetime, and wert of those who do evil ; but to-day we will save thee in thy body, that thou mayest be to those who come after thee a sign, for verily, many men are careless of our signs2 !'

And we established the people of Israel with a sure establishment, and we provided them with good things ; nor did they disagree until there came to them the knowledge. Verily, thy Lord shall decide between them on the resurrection day con cerning that whereon they did dispute. And if thou art in doubt of that which we have sent down unto thee, ask those who read the Book before thee ; verily, the truth is come to thee from thy Lord, be not then of those who are in doubt. And be not of those who say the signs of God are lies, or thou wilt be of those who lose ! [95] Verily, those against whom God's word is pronounced will not believe, even though there come to them ' every sign, until they see the grievous woe. Were it not so, a city would have believed and its faith would have profited it. But (none did) except the people of Jonas ; when they believed we removed from them the torment of disgrace in this world, and we gave them provision for a while. But had thy Lord pleased, all who are in the earth would have believed altogether ; as for thee, wilt thou force men to become believers ?

1 This is supposed to be the taunting reply of the angel Gabriel. 2 Compare Exodus xiv. 30. The Mohammedan legend is that as some of the children of Israel doubted whether Pharaoh was really drowned, the angel Gabriel caused the naked corpse to swim that they might see it. [100] It is not for any person to believe save by the permission of God ; He puts horror on those who have no sense. Say, ' Behold what is in the heavens and in the earth! but signs andwarners avail not a people who do not believe. Do they await aught but the like of the days of those who passed away before them?' Say, ' Wait ye then ! verily, I am with you one of those who wait/ Then we will save our apostles and those who believe ; thus is it due from us to save believers. Say, ' O ye folk ! if ye are in doubt concerning my religion, I will not worship those ye worship other than God ; but I worship God, who takes you to Himself, and I am bidden to be of the believers ! ' [105] And, ' Make steadfast thy face to the religion as a 'Han if l ; and be not of the idolaters ; and call not besides God on what can neither profit thee nor harm thee ; for if thou dost, verily, thou art then of the unjust ! '

And should God touch thee with harm, there is none to remove it save He ; and if He wish thee well, there is none to repel His grace; He makes it fall on whom He will of His servants ; for He is pardoning and merciful ! Say, ' O ye people I there has come to you the truth from your Lord, and he who is guided, his guidance is only for his soul ; and he who errs, errs only against it ; and I am not a guardian over you.' Follow what is revealed to thee, and be patient until God judges, for He is the best of judges. 1 See p. 19, note i. XI, i-n. THE CHAPTER OF HUD. 205 A. L. R. A book whose signs are confirmed and then detailed, from the wise one, the aware : that ye worship not other than God, — verily, I am to you from Him a warner and a herald of glad tidings ; and that ye seek pardon from your Lord, then turn again to Him! He will cause you to enjoy a good provision to a named and appointed time, and will give His grace to every one deserving grace ; but if ye turn your backs, I fear for you the torment of a great day.

Unto God is your return, and He is mighty over all. [5] Do they not, verily, fold up their breasts, that they may hide from Him ? But when they cover themselves with their garments, does He not know what they conceal and what they display ? verily, He knows the nature of men's breasts ! There is no beast that walks upon the earth but its provision is from God. He knows its settle ment and its resting-place ; all is in the perspicuous Book. He it is who created the heavens and the earth in six days, and His throne was upon the water1 that He might try you, which of you did best. [10] But shouldst thou say, 'Ye will be raised up after death,' those who misbelieve will surely say, ' This is naught but obvious sorcery;' and if we keep back from them the torment to a stated generation, 1 That is, before the creation ; see Genesis i. 2. they will surely say, ' What hinders it ? ' — Aye ! on the day it comes to them there is no turning it away from them, but that shall close in on them at which they mocked.

And if we make man taste of mercy from us and then strip it off from him, verily, he is despairing, ungrateful ; and if we make him taste of comfort after distress has touched him, he will surely say, 'The evils have gone away from me;' verily, then he is joyful and boasting. Save those who are patient and do right ; these — for them is pardon and a mighty hire ! [15] Haply thou art leaving part of what is re vealed to thee and thy breast is straitened thereby, lest they should say, 'Why is not a treasure sent down to him ? or why did not an angel come with him ? — thou art only a warner, and God is guardian over all.' Or they will say, 'He hath devised it;' say, 'Bring ten surahs like it devised; and call upon whom ye can beside God, if ye do tell the truth ! ' And if they do not answer, then know that it is revealed by the knowledge of God, and that there is no god but He — are ye then resigned ? Whosoever shall wish for the life of this world and its ornaments, we will pay them their works therein, and they shall not be cheated. These are those for whom there is nothing in the hereafter save the Fire ; and void is what they made therein, and vain what they were doing !

[20] Is he (like them) who stands upon a manifest sign from his Lord, which is a witness from Him, and recites it, with the book of Moses before him for a model and a mercy ? These believe in it ; and

whosoever of the crews l disbelieves in him, the Fire is his promise. Be not thou in doubt about it ; verily, it is truth from thy Lord, though most men do not believe. Who is more unjust than he who forges against God a lie ? they shall be set before their Lord, and the witnesses shall say, * These it is who lied against their Lord.' Aye ! God's curse is on the unjust who turn men away from the path, and crave to make it crooked, and in the hereafter disbelieve ! They cannot make Him helpless in the earth, nor have they other than God for patrons. Doubled for them is the torment. They could not hear, nor did they see ! Those it is who lose themselves ; and that which they did devise has strayed away from them. No doubt but that in the hereafter these are those who lose! [25] Verily, those who believe and do what is right, and humble themselves to their Lord, they are the fellows of Paradise ; they shall dwell therein for aye. The two parties' likeness is as the blind and the deaf, and the seeing and the hearing ; shall they two be equal in likeness ? will ye not mind ?

We did send Noah unto his people, ' Verily, I am to you an obvious warner; that ye should not worship any save God. Verily, I fear for you the torment of the grievous day. But the chiefs of those who misbelieved amongst his people said, ' We only see in thee a mortal like ourselves ; nor do we see that any follow thee except the reprobates amongst us by a rash judgment ; nor do we see that you have any preference over us ; nay more, 1 That is, of the idolater. 208 THE QUR'AN. xi, 29-38. we think you liars!' [30] He said, ' O my people! let us see ! if I stand upon a manifest sign from my Lord, and there come to me mercy from him, and ye are blinded to it ; shall we force you to it while ye are averse therefrom ? ' O my people ! I do not ask you for wealth in return for it ; my hire is only from God ; nor do I repulse those who believe ; verily, they shall meet their Lord. But I see you, a people who are ignorant. O my people ! who will help me against God, were I to repulse you ? do ye not then mind ? I do not say that I have the treasures of God ; nor do I know the unseen ; nor do I say, " Verily, I am an angel ; " nor do I say of those whom your eyes despise, " God will never give them any good ! "-—God knows best what is in their souls — verily, then should I be of the unjust.'

They said, 'O Noah! thou hast wrangled with us, and hast multiplied wranglings with us ; bring us then what thou hast threatened us with, if thou art of those who tell the truth.' [35] Said he, 'God will only bring it on you if He pleases, nor can ye make Him helpless ; nor will my advice profit you, should I wish to advise you, if God wish to lead you into error. He is your Lord, and unto Him shall ye be returned.' Do they say, 'He has devised it1?' Say, 'If I have devised it, then on me be my sin. But I am clear of that wherein ye sin.' And Noah was inspired, ' None shall surely believe amongst thy people but those who have believed already ; take not then ill that which they do. And make the ark under our eyes, and at our inspiration ; and plead not with me for those who have done wrong ; verily, they shall be drowned.' [40] So he made the ark, and every time the chiefs of his people passed by him they jested at him. Said he, ' If ye jest at us, verily, we shall jest at you even as ye are jesting, and ye shall surely know.

' He to whom a torment comes, it shall shame him, and there shall light upon him lasting torment.' Until at length when our order came, and the oven boiled1, we said, ' Load therein of every kind two, and likewise thy family, — save those on whom the sentence has already been passed — likewise those who believe;' but there believed not with him save a few. And he said, ' Ride ye therein ; in the name of God is its course, and its mooring. Verily, my Lord is forgiving and merciful/ And it floated on with them mid waves like mountains ; and Noah cried to his son who had gone aside, ' O my boy ! ride with us and be not with the misbelievers/ [45] Said he, ' I will betake me to a mountain that shall save me from the water/ Said he, 'There is none to save to-day from the command of God, except for him on whom He may have mercy/ And the wave came between them, and he was amongst the drowned 2. And it was said, ' O earth ! swallow down thy 1 Tannur (oven) signifies also a reservoir of water. Its use in this passage has, however, given rise to some ridiculous supersti tions amongst the Mohammedans as to the origin of the deluge.

2 This story and the further allusion to Noah's son in the next page were probably suggested by Genesis ix. 20-25. water!' and, 'O heaven! hold!' and the water abated ; and the affair was decided, and it l settled on Gudi 2, and it was said, ' Away with the people who are evildoers!' And Noah went unto his Lord and said, 'My Lord, verily, my son is of my people, and, verily, Thy promise is true, and Thou art the justest of judges.' He said, 'O Noah! he is not of thy people ; verily, it is a work that is not right. Then, ask me not for that of which thou knowest naught. Verily, I admonish thee that thou shouldst not be of the ignorant.' He said, ' My Lord, verily, I seek refuge in Thee from asking Thee for aught of which I know nothing ; and, unless Thou dost forgive me and have mercy on me, I shall be of those who lose.' [50] It was said, 'O Noah! descend in safety from us, and blessings upon thee and upon (some) nations of those who are with thee3; but (some) nations we will allow to enjoy prosperity and then there shall touch them from us grievous woe.' These are stories of the unseen which we reveal to thee ; thou didst not know them, thou nor thy people before this. Be patient, then; verily, the issue is for those who fear.

And unto 'Ad (we sent) their brother Hud; he said, ' O my people ! serve God ; ye have no god but Him. Ye do but devise a lie. O my people! I do not ask you for hire in return; my hire is 2 Gudi is a corruption apparently for Mount Giordi, the Gordyaei of the Greeks, situated between Armenia and Mesopotamia. 3 I. e. upon some of the nations who are to form the posterity of thyself and the members of thy family saved with thee. only from Him who created me : have ye then no sense ? ' O my people ! ask pardon of your Lord ; then turn to Him ; He will send the skies down on you in torrents; [55] and He will add strength to your strength : do not then turn back sinners/ They said, 'O Hud! thou hast not come to us with a manifest sign ; nor will we leave our gods at thy word ; nor will we believe in thee. We can only say that some of our gods have attacked thee with evil.' Said he, * Verily, I call God to witness, and do ye bear witness too, that I am free from that which ye associate beside Him.

' Plot then against me altogether, and give me no delay. Verily, I rely upon God, my Lord and your Lord. There is no beast that walks, but He taketh it by its forelock. Verily, my Lord is on the right way ! [60] ' But if ye turn your backs, — then I have conveyed to you what I was sent to you with ; and my Lord will make another people your successors. Ye cannot harm Him at all; verily, my Lord is guardian over all ! ' And when our order came we saved Hud, and those who believed with him, by mercy from us ; and we saved them from harsh torment. That (tribe of) 'Ad denied the signs of their Lord, and rebelled against His apostles, and followed the bidding of every headstrong tyrant. They were followed in this world by a curse, and on the resur rection day — ' Did not 'Ad disbelieve their Lord ? Aye ! away with 'Ad the people of Hud !' And unto Thamud (we sent) their brother Zali'h ; said he, ' O my people ! worship God ; ye have no god but Him. He it is that produced you from the earth, and made you live therein ! Then ask pardon of Him; then turn again to Him: verily, my Lord is nigh and answers !'

[65] They said, ' O Zali'h ! thou wert amongst us one we hoped in before this : dost thou forbid us to worship what our fathers worshipped ? verily, we are in hesitating doubt as to that to which thou callest us.' He said, ' O my people ! let us see ; if I stand upon a manifest sign from my Lord, and there come from Him mercy, who will help me against God if I rebel against Him ? Ye will add only to my loss. ' O my people ! this she-camel l of God is a sign for you ; leave her, then, to feed in God's earth, and touch her not with evil, or there will catch you torment that is nigh/ But they did hamstring her, and he said, ' Enjoy yourselves in your houses for three days ; — that is the promise that shall not be belied.' And when our order came we saved Zali'h, and those who believed with him, by our mercy, from disgrace upon that day. Verily, thy Lord He is powerful and mighty. [70] And the noise caught those who had done wrong ; and on the morrow they were lying corpses in their houses, as though they had never dwelt therein. Did not Thamud indeed disbelieve in their Lord ? Aye ! away with Thamud !

Our messengers did come to Abraham with glad tidings ; they said, 'Peace!' He said, 'Peace be 1 See note, p. 107. it ! ' nor did he delay to bring the roasted calf. But when he saw that their hands reached not thereto, he could not understand them, and harboured fear of them. They said, ' Fear not. Verily, we are sent unto the people of Lot/ And his wife was standing by, laughing; and we gave her the glad tidings of Isaac, and of Jacob after Isaac. [75] Said she, ' Alas for me ! shall I bear a son when I am an old woman, and this husband of mine an old man ? Verily, this is a wonderful thing ! ' They said, ' Dost thou wonder at the bidding of God ? God's mercy and blessings upon you, ye people of the house ! Verily, He is to be praised and glorified.' And when his terror left Abraham, and the glad tidings came to him, he wrangled with us about the people of Lot ; verily, Abraham was clement, pitiful; relenting. ' O Abraham ! avoid this ; verily, the bidding of thy Lord has come; verily, there is coming to them torment that cannot be put off.'

[80] And when our messengers came to Lot, he was grieved for them ; but his arm was straitened for them1, and he said, 'This is a troublesome day!' And his people came to him, rushing at him, for before that they used to work evil. He said, ' O my people ! here are my daughters, they are purer for you ; then, fear God, and do not disgrace me through my guests ; — is there not among you one right-thinking man ? ' They said, ' Thou knowest that we have no claim on thy daughters ; verily, thou knowest what we want!' He said, ' Had I but power over you; or 1 I. e. he was powerless to help them. 214 THE QUR'AN. xi, 82-87. could I but resort to some strong column1 !' (The angels) said, ' O Lot ! verily, we are the messengers of thy Lord, they shall certainly not reach thee ; then travel with thy people in the darkness of the night, and let none of you look round except thy wife : verily, there shall befall her what befalls them. Verily, their appointment is for the morning ! and is not the morning nigh ? '

And when our bidding came, we made their high parts their low parts 2. And we rained down upon them stones and baked clay3 one after another, marked4, from thy Lord, and these are not so far from the unjust5! [85] And unto Midian (we sent) their brother Sho'haib 6. He said, ' O my people ! serve God ; ye have no god but Him, and give not short measure and weight. Verily, I see you well off; but, verily, I fear for you the torments of an encompassing day. O my people ! give measure and weight fairly, and defraud not men of their things ; and wreak not wrong in the earth, corrupting it. God's residue 7 1 I. e. some support, such as a powerful clan or chieftain. 2 That is, overturned the cities of the plain. 3 The Abyssinians, who had invaded Mecca some years before, are mentioned in the Chapter of the Elephant (CV) as being destroyed in a similar manner by flocks of birds, who threw down such missiles upon them. 4 The legend is that they each contained the name of the per son for whom they were destined ; so the old saying, ' every bullet has its billet.'

5 I. e. the same punishment is likely to overtake other wrong doers, the threat being especially directed against the unbelieving inhabitants of Mecca. 6 See Chapter VII. I A little which God leaves you after paying every one his due. is better for you if ye be believers. But I am not a guardian over you.' They said, ' O Sho'haib ! Do thy prayers bid thee that we should forsake what our fathers served, or that we should not do as we please with our wealth ? Thou art, forsooth, the clement and straight forward one !' [90] He said, 'O my people! Do ye see? If I stand upon a manifest sign from my Lord, and He provides me from Himself with a goodly provision, and I consent not with you to that which I forbid you, I only wish to better you so far as I can, — nor comes my grace through any one but God ; on Him do I rely, and unto Him I turn. O my people! let not a breach with me make you so sin that there befall you the like of that which befel the people of Noah, or the people of Hud, or the people of Zali'h — nor are the people of Lot so far from you ! Ask pardon, then, from your Lord, then turn to Him; verily, my Lord is merciful, loving!7

They said, * O Sho'haib ! we do not understand much of what thou sayest, and we see that thou art weak amongst us ; and were it not for thy family we would stone thee, nor couldst thou be powerful over us/ He said, ' O my people ! are my family more esteemed by you than God ? or have you taken Him as something to cast behind your backs ? Verily, my Lord, whate'er ye do, doth comprehend. [95] O my people ! act according to your power ; verily, I too will act, and ye at length shall know ! To whom soever torment comes it shall disgrace him, and him who is a liar. Watch then ; verily, I with you am watching too ! ' 2i 6 THE QUR'AN. xi, 97-105. And when our bidding came we saved Sho'haib, and those who believed with him, by our mercy; and the noise caught those who had done wrong, and on the morrow they were in their houses prone, as though they had not dwelt therein. Aye ! 'Away with Midian!' as it was, 'Away with Thamud!' And we sent Moses with our signs and with obvious power unto Pharaoh and his chiefs ; but they followed Pharaoh's bidding, and Pharaoh's bidding was not straightforward.

[100] He shall approach his people on the resur rection day, and take them down to water1 at the Fire, — an evil watering-place to water at ! In this (world) were they followed by a curse ; and on the resurrection day evil shall be the aid they are aided with ! That is one of the stories of the cities which we recite to thee — some of them are standing now and some mown down ! We did not wrong them, but they wronged them selves. Their gods availed them naught, on which they called instead of God, when once the bidding of thy Lord had come ; nor did they add save to their downfall ! Thus is thy Lord's overtaking when He overtakes the cities that have done wrong ; verily, His over taking is grievous, keen. [105] Verily, in that is a sign to him who fears the torment of the last day ; — that is a day unto which men shall be gathered ; — that is a witnessed day ! 1 The word used is that always applied by desert Arabs to going to a spring for water. We will not delay it, save unto a numbered and appointed time. The day when it shall come no soul shall speak save by His permission, and amongst them (shall be) the wretched and the glad.

And as for those who are wretched — why, in the Fire ! there shall they groan and sob ! to dwell therein for aye, so long as the heavens and the earth endure ; save what thy Lord will. Verily, thy Lord is one who works His will. [no] And as for those who are glad — why, in Paradise ! to dwell therein for aye, so long as the heavens and the earth endure ; save what thy Lord will 1, — a ceaseless boon ! Be not then in doubt concerning what these men do serve ; — they only serve as their fathers served before ; and we will give them their portion undiminished. We gave Moses the Book before, and then they disagreed concerning it, and, had it not been for a word that had been passed by thy Lord, it would have been decided between them ; but, verily, they are (still) in hesitating doubt concerning it. But, verily, every one thy Lord will surely repay for their works; verily, He of what they do is well aware ! Do thou then be upright, as thou art bidden, and whosoever turns repentantly with thee ; and trans gress ye not: — verily, He on what ye do doth look.