SURA XXXIII.-THE CONFEDERATES1 [CIII.]
Project Gutenberg EPUB3 edition
Rodwell, J. M. (John Medows)
MEDINA.-73 Verses
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
O PROPHET, fear thou God, and obey not the unbelievers and the hypocrites;- Truly God is Knowing, Wise:
But follow what is revealed to thee from thy Lord: Cognisant truly is He of all your actions-
And put thou thy trust in God, for a sufficient guardian is God.
God hath not given a man two hearts within him; neither hath he made your wives whom ye divorce2 to be as your mothers; nor hath he made your adopted sons to be as your own sons. Such words are indeed in your mouths; but God speaketh the truth, and in the right way He guideth.
Name them after their fathers: this will be more right before God. But if ye know not who their fathers are, then let them be your brethren in the faith, and your comrades. And unless made with intent of heart, mistakes in this matter shall be no crime in you: for God is Lenient, Merciful.
Nearer of kin to the faithful is the Prophet, than they are to their own selves. His wives are their mothers. According to the Book of God, they who are related by blood, are nearer the one to the other than other believers, and than those who have fled their country3 for the cause of God: but whatever kindness ye shew to your kindred, shall be noted down in the Book.
And remember that we have entered into covenant with the Prophets, and with thee, and with Noah, and Abraham, and Moses, and Jesus, Son of Mary: and we formed with them a strict covenant,
That God may question the men of truth as to their truth.4 But a sore torment hath He prepared for the unbelievers.
O believers!5 remember the goodness of God towards you, when the armies came against you, and we sent against them a blast, and hosts that ye saw not; for the eye of God was upon your doings:
When they assailed you from above you, and from below you,6 and when your eyes became distracted, and your hearts came up into your throat, and ye thought divers thoughts of God:
Then were the faithful tried, and with strong quaking did they quake:
And when the disaffected and the diseased7 of heart said, "God and his Apostle have made us but a cheating promise:"
And when a party of them said, "O people of Yathrib!8 there is no place of safety for you here;9 therefore return into the city." And another party of you asked the prophet's leave to return, saying, "Our houses are left defenceless." No! they were not left defenceless: but their sole thought was to flee away.
If the enemy had effected an entry at all points, and they (the disaffected) had been asked to promote confusion, they would have done so; but only a short time would they have remained in it.-(Medina).10
They had before pledged themselves to God that they would not turn their backs; and a pledge given to God must be enquired of.
SAY: Flight shall not profit you; if ye have fled the death or the slaughter, yet even then, but a little while shall ye enjoy your good things!
SAY: Who is he that will screen you from God, whether He choose to bring evil on you, or to shew you mercy? None beside God shall they find to be their patron or helper.
God well knoweth those among you who cause hindrances, and those who say to their brethren, "Come hither to us;" and who come not to the fight except a little.
It is out of covetousness in your regard: for when an alarm cometh, thou mayest see them look to thee, and roll their eyes like him on whom the shadows of death have fallen! Yet, when the alarm is passed, with sharp tongues will they assail you, covetous of the best of the spoil. No faith have these! God will make their doings of no avail! And easy is this with God.
They thought that the CONFEDERATES would never retire:11 and were the confederates to come again, they would fain be dwelling among the Arabs of the desert, and there ask news about you! for though they were with you, they fought not except a little.
A noble pattern had ye in God's Apostle, for all who hope in God, and in the latter day, and oft remember God!
And when the faithful saw the confederates, they said, "This is what God and His Apostle promised us,12 and God and His Apostle spoke truly:" and it only increased their faith and self-devotion.
Some were there among the faithful who made good what they had promised to God. Some have fulfilled their course, and others await its fulfilment, and have not been changelings who change-
That God may reward the faithful for their faithfulness, and may punish the hypocrites, if He so please, or be turned unto them: for God is Forgiving, Merciful.
And God drove back the infidels in their wrath; they won no advantage; God sufficed the faithful in the fight: for God is Strong, Mighty!
And He caused those of the people of the Book (the Jews), who had aided the confederates, to come down out of their fortresses, and cast dismay into their hearts: some ye slew, others ye took prisoners.13
And He gave you their land, and their dwellings, and their wealth, for an heritage-even a land on which ye had never set foot: for the might of God is equal to all things.
O Prophet! say to thy wives,14 If ye desire this present life and its braveries, come then, I will provide for you, and dismiss you with an honourable dismissal.
But if ye desire God and His Apostle, and a home in the next life, then, truly, hath God prepared for those of you who are virtuous, a great reward.
O wives of the Prophet! should any of you be guilty of a proven lewdness, doubly shall her chastisement be doubled: and with God this is easy.
But whoever of you shall obey God and His Apostle, and shall do that which is right, twice over will we give her her reward, and we have prepared for her a noble provision.
O wives of the Prophet! ye are not as other women. If ye fear God, be not too complaisant of speech, lest the man of unhealthy heart should lust after you, but speak with discreet speech.
And abide still in your houses, and go not in public decked as in the days of your former ignorance,15 but observe prayer, and pay the impost, and obey God and the Apostle: for God only desireth to put away filthiness from you16 as his household, and with cleansing to cleanse you.
And recollect what is rehearsed to you in your houses of the Book of God, and of wisdom: for God is keen-sighted, cognisant of all.
Truly the men who resign themselves to God (Muslims), and the women who resign themselves, and the believing men and the believing women, and the devout men and the devout women, and the men of truth, and the women of truth, and the patient men and the patient women, and the humble men and the humble women, and the men who give alms and the women who give alms, and the men who fast and the women who fast, and the chaste men and the chaste women, and the men and the women who oft remember God: for them hath God prepared forgiveness and a rich recompense.
And it is not for a believer, man or woman, to have any choice in their affairs, when God and His Apostle have decreed a matter: and whoever disobeyeth God and His Apostle, erreth with palpable error.
And, remember, when thou saidst to him unto whom God had shewn favour,17 and to whom thou also hadst shewn favour, "Keep thy wife to thyself, and fear God;" and thou didst hide in thy mind what God would bring to light.18 and thou didst fear man; but more right had it been to fear God. And when Zaid had settled concerning her to divorce her, we married her to thee, that it might not be a crime in the faithful to marry the wives of their adopted sons, when they have settled the affair concerning them. And the behest of God is to be performed.