SURA III.-THE FAMILY OF IMRAN1 [XCVII.]
Project Gutenberg EPUB3 edition
Rodwell, J. M. (John Medows)
Whoso desireth any other religion than Islam, that religion shall never be accepted from him, and in the next world he shall be among the lost.
How shall God guide a people who, after they had believed and bore witness that the apostle was true, and after that clear proofs of his mission had reached them, disbelieved? God guideth not the people who transgress.
These! their recompense, that the curse of God, and of angels, and of all men, is on them!
Under it shall they abide for ever; their torment shall not be assuaged! nor shall God even look upon them!-
Save those who after this repent and amend; for verily God is Gracious, Merciful!
As for those who become infidels, after having believed, and then increase their infidelity-their repentance shall never be accepted. These! they are the erring ones.
As for those who are infidels, and die infidels, from no one of them shall as much gold as the earth could contain be accepted, though he should offer it in ransom. These! a grievous punishment awaiteth them; and they shall have none to help them.
Ye shall never attain to goodness till ye give alms of that which ye love; and whatever ye give, of a truth God knoweth it.
All food was allowed to the children of Israel, except what Jacob forbad himself, ere the law was sent down; SAY: Bring ye then the law and read it, if ye be men of truth.
And whoso after this inventeth the lie about God: These are evil doers.
SAY: God speaketh truth. Follow, therefore, the religion of Abraham, the sound in faith, who was not one of those who joined other gods to God.
The first temple that was founded for mankind, was that in Becca,33-Blessed, and a guidance to human beings.
In it are evident signs, even the standing-place34 of Abraham: and he who entereth it is safe. And the pilgrimage to the temple, is a service due to God from those who are able to journey thither.
And as to him who believeth not-verily God can afford to dispense with all creatures!
SAY: O people of the Book! why disbelieve ye the signs of God? But God is witness of your doings.
SAY: O people of the Book! why repel believers from the way of God? Ye fain would make it crooked, and yet ye are its witnesses! But God is not regardless of what ye do.
O believers! if ye obey some amongst those who have received the Scripture, after your very Faith will they make you infidels!
But how can ye become infidels, when the signs of God are recited to you, and his prophet is among you? Whoever holdeth fast by God, is already guided to a straight path.
O ye believers! fear God as He deserveth to be feared! and die not till ye have become Muslims.
And hold ye fast by the cord 35 of God, all of you, and break not loose from it; and remember God's goodness towards you, how that when ye were enemies, He united your hearts, and by his favour ye became brethren;
And when ye were on the brink of the pit of fire, he drew you back from it. Thus God clearly sheweth you his signs that ye may be guided;
And that there may be among you a people who invite to the Good, and enjoin the Just, and forbid the Wrong. These are they with whom it shall be well.
And be ye not like those who have formed divisions, and fallen to variance after the clear proofs have come to them. These! a terrible chastisement doth await them,
On THE DAY when faces shall turn white, and faces shall turn black! And as to those whose faces shall have turned black ". . . .What! after your belief have ye become infidels? Taste then the chastisement, for that ye have been unbelievers."
And as to those whose faces shall have become white, they shall be within the mercy of God: therein shall they abide for ever.
These are the signs of God: we recite them to thee in truth: And God willeth not injustice to mankind.
Whatever is in the Heavens, and whatever is on the Earth, is God's. And to God shall all things return.
Ye are the best folk that hath been raised up unto mankind. Ye enjoin the Just, and ye forbid the Evil, and ye believe in God: And if the people of the Book had believed, it had surely been better for them! Believers there are among them, but most of them are perverse.
They will never inflict on you but a trifling damage; and if they do battle with you, they shall turn their backs to you: then they shall not be succoured.
Shame shall be stamped upon them36 wherever found, unless they ally them with God and men! And the wrath of God will they incur, and poverty shall be stamped upon them! This-for that they believed not in the signs of God, and slew the prophets unjustly: This-because they rebelled, and became transgressors.
Yet all are not alike: Among the people of the Book is an upright folk, who recite the signs of God in the night-season, and adore:
They believe in God and in the latter day, and enjoin justice, and forbid evil, and speed on in good works. These are of the righteous.
And of whatever good ye do, ye shall not be denied the meed. God knoweth those who fear Him.
But as for the infidels, their wealth, and their children shall avail them nothing against God. They shall be the inmates of the fire, to abide therein eternally.
The alms which they bestow in this present life, are like a freezing wind, which falleth upon and destroyeth the cornfields of a people who have been to themselves unjust. God doeth them no injustice, but to themselves are they unjust.
O ye who have believed! form not intimacies among others than yourselves. They will not fail to corrupt you. They long for your ruin. Hatred hath already shewn itself out of their mouths, but more grievous is what their breasts conceal. The tokens thereof we have already made plain to you, if ye will comprehend.
See now! ye love them, but they love not you. Ye believe the entire Book. And when they meet you, they say, "We believe;" but when they are apart, they bite their fingers' ends at you, out of wrath. SAY: "Die in your wrath!" God truly knoweth the very recesses of your breasts.
If good befalleth you it grieveth them, and when ill lighteth on you, they rejoice in it. But if ye be steadfast and fear God, their craft shall in no way harm you. For God is round about their doings.
And remember when thou didst leave thy household at early morn, that thou mightest prepare the faithful a camp for the war;37-God heard, knew it-
When two troops of you became full of anxious thoughts, and lost heart, and when God became the protector of both! In God, then, let the faithful trust.