Part 10
But if
they turn their back, know you that God is your protector: Excellent protector! excellent
helper!
And know
you, that when you have taken any booty, a fifth part belongeth to God and to
the Apostle, and to the near of kin, and to orphans, and to the poor, and to
the wayfarer, if you believe in God, and in that which we have sent down to our
servant on the day of the victory, the day of the meeting of the Hosts. Over
all things is God potent.
When
you were encamped on the near side of the valley, and they were on the further
side, and the caravan was below you, if you had made an engagement to attack,
you would have failed the engagement; but you were led into action
notwithstanding, that God might accomplish the things destined to be done:
That
he who should perish might perish with a clear token before him and that he who
liveth might live with it. And verily, God Heareth, Knoweth.
Remember
when God shewed them to thee in thy dream, as few:
Had he shown them numerous, you would certainly have become fainthearted, and
would certainly have disputed about the matter -- But from this God kept you --
He knoweth the very secrets of the breast --
And
when, on your meeting, he made them to appear to your eyes as few, and
diminished you in their eyes, that God might carry out the thing that was to be
done. To God do all things return.
Believers!
when you confront a troop, stand firm and make
frequent mention of the name of God, that it may fare well with you:
And
obey God and his Apostle; and dispute not, lest you become fainthearted and
your success go from you; but endure with steadfastness, for God is with the steadfastly
enduring.
And be
not like those Meccans who came out of their houses insolently and to be seen
of men, and who turn others from the way of God:
God is round about their actions.
8:50 When Satan prepared their works for
them, and said, "No man shall conquer you this day; and verily I will be
near to help you:" But when the two
armies came in sight, he turned on his heel and said, "Ay, I am clear of
you: ay, I see what you see now: ay, I fear God; for God is severe in
punishing."
When
the hypocrites and the diseased of heart said, "Their Religion hath misled
the Muslims: But whoso putteth his trust in
God.... Yes, verily God is Mighty, Wise!
If
thou didst see, when the angels cause the infidels to die! They smite their
faces and their backs, and -- "Taste you the torture of the burning:
This,
for what your hands have sent on before you:"
-- God is not unjust to his servants.
Their
state is like that of the people of Pharaoh and of those before them who
believed not in the signs of God: therefore
God seized upon them in their sin! God is Mighty, severe in punishing.
This
because God changeth not the favour with which he favoureth a people, so long
as they change not what is in their hearts; and for that God Heareth, Knoweth.
Their
state is like that of the people of Pharaoh, and of those before them who
treated their Lord's signs as lies. We therefore destroyed them in their sins,
and we drowned the people of Pharaoh; for they were all doers of wrong.
The
worst beasts truly in the sight of God are the thankless who will not believe;
They
with whom thou hast leagued, and who are ever breaking their league, and fear
not God!
If
thou take them in warn, then, by the example of their fate, scatter those who
shall follow them -- that they may be warned:
8:60 Or if thou
fear treachery from any people, throw back their treaty to them as thou fairly
mayest, for God loveth not the treacherous.
And
think not that the infidels shall escape Us! They
shall not weaken God.
Make
ready then against them what force you can, and strong squadrons whereby you
may strike terror into the enemy of God and your enemy, and into others beside
them whom you know not, but whom God knoweth. All that you shall expend for the
cause of God shall be repaid you; and you shall not be wronged.
And if
they lean to peace, lean thou also to it; and put thy trust in God: for He is the Hearing, the KNowing.
But if
they seek to betray thee, God will be all-sufficient for thee. He it is who
hath strengthened thee with His help, and with the faithful, and hath made
their hearts one. Hadst thou spent all the riches of the earth, thou couldst
not have united their hearts; but God hath united them, for He is Mighty, Wise.
O
prophet! God, and such of the faithful as follow thee, will be all-sufficient
for thee.
O
prophet! stir up the faithful to the fight. Twenty of
you who stand firm shall vanquish two hundred:
and if there be a hundred of you they shall vanquish a thousand of the
infidels, for they are a people devoid of understanding.
Now
hath God made your work easy, for he knoweth how weak you art.
If there be an hundred of you who endure resolutely, they shall vanquish two
hundred; and if there be a thousand of you, they shall vanquish two thousand by
God's permission; for God is with those who are resolute to endure.
No
prophet hath been enabled to take captives until he had made great slaughter in
the earth. You desire the passing fruitions of this world, but God desireth the
next life for you. And God is Mighty, Wise.
Had
there not been a previous ordinance from God, a severe chastisement had
befallen you, for the ransom which you took.
8:70 Eat therefore of the spoils you have
taken what is lawful and good; and fear God:
God is Gracious, Merciful.
O prophet!
say to the captives who are in your hand, "If God shall know good to be in
your hearts, He will give you good beyond all that hath been take4n from you, and will forgive you: for God is Forgiving, Merciful."
But if
they seek to deal treacherously with you -- they have already dealt
treacherously with God before! Therefore hath He given you power over them. God is Knowing, Wise.
Verily,
they who have believed and fled their homes and spent their substance for the
cause of God, and they who have taken in the prophet and been helpful to him,
shall be near of kin the one to the other. And they who have believed, but have
not fled their homes, shall have no rights of kindred with you at all, until
they too fly their country. Yet if they seek aid from you on account of the
faith, your part it is to give them aid, except against a people between whom
and yourselves there shall be at treaty. And God beholdeth your actions.
The
infidels lend one another mutual help. Unless you do the same, there will be discord
in the land and great corruption.
But as
for those who have believed and fled their country, and fought on the path of
God, and given the prophet an asylum, and been helpful to him, these are the
faithful; Mercy is their due and a noble provision.
And
they who have believed and fled their country since, and have fought at your
side, these also are of you. Those who are united by ties of blood are the
nearest of kin to each other. This is in the Book of God. Verily, God knoweth
all things.
Sura IX
Immunity (9)
[
________________________________________
An
Immunity from God and His Apostle to those with whom you are in league, among
the Polytheist Arabs! (those who join gods with God).
Go you
therefore, at league in the land four months:
but know that God you shall not weaken; and that those who believe not, God
will put to shame --
And a
proclamation on the part of God and His Apostle to the people on the day of the
greater pilgrimage, that God is free from any engagement with the votaries of
other gods with God as is His Apostle! If, therefore, you turn to God it will
be better for you; but if you turn back, then know that you shall not weaken
God: and to those who believe not, announce
thou a grievous punishment.
But
this concerneth not those Polytheists with whom you are in league, and who
shall have afterwards in no way failed you, nor aided anyone against you.
Observe, therefore, engagement with them through the whole time of their treaty: for God loveth those who fear Him.
And
when the sacred months are passed, kill those who join other gods with God
wherever you shall find them; and seize them, besiege them, and lay wait for
them with every kind of ambush: but if they
shall convert, and observe prayer, and pay the obligatory alms, then let them
go their way, for God is Gracious, Merciful.
If any
one of those who join gods with God ask an asylum of thee, grant him an asylum,
that he may hear the Word of God, and then let him reach his place of safety.
This, for that they are people devoid of knowledge.
How
shall they who add gods to God be in league with God and with His Apostle, save
those with whom you made a league at the sacred temple? So long as they are
true to you, be you true to them; for God loveth those who fear Him.
How
can they? since if they prevail against you, they will not regard in you either
ties of blood or faith. With their mouths will they content you, but their
hearts will be averse. The greater part of them are perverse doers.
They
sell the signs of God for a mean price, and turn others aside from his way: evil is it that they do!
9:10 They regard not in a believer either
ties of blood or faith; these are the transgressors!
Yet if
they turn to God and observe prayer, and pay the impost, then are they your
brethren in religion. We make clear our signs to those who understand.
But,
if after alliance made, they break their oaths and revile your religion, then
do battle with the ring-leaders of infidelity -- for no oaths are binding with
them -- that they may desist.
What!
will you not fight against those Meccans who have broken their oaths and aimed
to expel your Apostle, and attacked you first? Will you dread them? God is more
worthy of your fear, if you are believers.!
So
make war on them: By your hands will God
chastise them, and will put them to shame, and will give you victory over them,
and will heal the bosoms of a people who believe;
And
will take away the wrath of their hearts. God will be turned unto whom He will: and God is Knowing, Wise.
Think
you that you shall be forsaken as if God did not yet know those among you who
do valiantly, and take none for their friends beside God, and His Apostle, and
the faithful? God is well apprised of your doings.
It is
not for the votaries of other gods with God, witnesses against themselves of
infidelity, to visit the temples of God. These! vain their works: and in the fire shall they abide for ever!
He
only should visit the temples of God who believeth in God and the last day, and
observeth prayer, and payeth the legal alms, and dreadeth none but God. These
haply will be among the rightly guided.
Do you
place the giving drink to the pilgrims, and the visitation of the sacred
temple, on the same level with him who believeth in God and the last day, and
fighteth on the way of God? They shall not be held equal by God: and God guideth not the unrighteous.
9:20 They who have believed, and fled their
homes, and striven with their substance and with their persons on the path of
God, shall be of highest grade with God: and
these are they who shall be happy!
Tidings
of mercy from Himself, and of His good pleasure, doth their Lord send them, and
of gardens in which lasting pleasure shall be theirs;
Therein
shall they abide for ever; for God! with Him is a great reward.
O
believers! make not friends of your fathers or your brethren if they love
unbelief above faith: and whoso of you shall
make them his friends, will be wrong doers.
Say: If your fathers, and your sons, and your brethren,
and your wives, and your kindred, and the wealth which you have gained, and
merchandise which you fear may be unsold, and dwellings wherein you delight, be
dearer to you than God and His Apostle and efforts on his Path, then wait until
God shall Himself enter on His work: and God
guideth not the impious.
Now
hath God helped you in many battlefields, and on the day of Honein, when you
prided yourselves on your numbers; but it availed you nothing; and the earth,
with all its breadth, became too straight for you:
then turned you your backs in flight:
Then
did God send down His spirit of repose upon His Apostle, and upon the faithful,
and He sent down the hosts which you saw not, and He punished the Infidels: This, the Infidels' reward!
Yet,
after this, will God be turned to whom He pleaseth; for God is Gracious,
Merciful!
O
Believers! only they who join gods with God are unclean! Let them not,
therefore, after this their year, come near the sacred
Make
war upon such of those to whom the Scriptures have been given as believe not in
God, or in the last day, and who forbid not that which God and His Apostle have
forbidden, and who profess not the professions of the truth, until they pay
tribute out of hand, and they be humbled.
9:30 The Jews say, "Ezra (Ozair) is a
son of God"; and the Christians say, "The Messiah is a son of
God." Such the sayings in their mouths! They resemble the saying of the
Infidels of old! God do battle with them! How are they misguided!
They
take their teachers, and their monks, and the Messiah, son of Mary, for Lords
beside God, though bidden to worship one God only. There is no God but He! Far
from His glory be what they associated with Him!
Fain
would they put out God's light with their mouths:
but God only desireth to perfect His light, albeit the Infidels abhor it.
He it
is who hath sent His Apostle with the Guidance and a religion of the truth,
that He may make it victorious over every other religion, albeit they who
assign partners to God be averse from it.
O
Believers! of a truth, many of the teachers and monks do devour man's substance
in vanity, and turn them from the Way of God. But to those who treasure up gold
and silver and expend it not in the Way of God, announce tidings of a grievous
torment.
On
that day their treasures shall be heated in hell fire, and their foreheads, and
their sides, and their back, shall be branded with them.... "This is what
you have treasured up for yourselves: taste,
therefore, your treasures!"
Twelve
months is the number of months with God, according to God's book, since the day
when He created the Heavens and the Earth: of
these four are sacred: this is the right usage: But wrong not yourselves therein; attack those who
join gods with God in all, as they attack you in all:
and know that God is with those who fear Him.
To
carry over a sacred month to another, is only a growth of infidelity. The Infidels
are led into error by it. They allow it one year, and forbid it another, that
they may make good the number of months which God hath hallowed, and they allow
that which God hath prohibited. The evil of their deeds hath been prepared for
them by Satan: for God guideth not the people
who do not believe.
O
Believers! what possessed you, that when it was said to you, "March forth
on the Way of God," you sank heavily earthwards? What! prefer you the life
of this world to the next? But the fruition of this mundane life, in respect of
that which is to come, is but little.
Unless
you march forth, with a grievous chastisement will He chastise you; and He will
place another people in your stead, and you shall in no way harm Him: for over everything is God potent.
9:40 If you assist not your Prophet ... God
assisted him formerly, when the unbelievers drove him forth, in company with a
second only! when they two were in the cave; when the Prophet said to his
companion, "Be not distressed; verily, God is with us." And God sent
down His tranquility upon him, and strengthened him with hosts you saw not, and
made the word of those who believed not the abased, and the word of God was the
exalted: for God is Mighty, Wise.
March
you forth the light and heavy armed, and contend with your substance and your
persons on the Way of God. This, if you know it, will be better for you.
Had
there been a near advantage and a short journey, they would certainly have followed
thee; but the way seemed long to them. Yet will they sear by God, "Had we
been able, we had surely gone forth with you:"
they are self-destroyers! And God knoweth that they are surely liars!
God
forgive there! Why didst thou give them leave to stay behind, ere they who make
true excuses had become known to thee, and thou hadst known the liars?
They
who believe in God and in the last day will not ask leave of thee to be exempt
from contending with their substance and their persons. But God knoweth those
who fear Him!
They
only will ask thy leave who believe not in God and the last day, and whose
hearts are full of doubts, and who are tossed up and down in their doubtings.
Moreover,
had they been desirous to take the field, they would have got ready for that
purpose the munitions of war. But God was averse to their marching forth, and
made them laggards; and it was said, "Sit you at home with those who
sit."
Had
they taken the field with you, they would only have added a burden to you, and
have hurried about among you, stirring you up to sedition; and some there are
among you who would have listened to them: and
God knoweth the evil doers.
Of old
aimed they at sedition, and deranged thy affairs, until the truth arrived, and
the behest of God became apparent, averse from it though they were.
Some
of them say to thee, "Allow me to remain at home, and expose me not to the
trial." Have they not fallen into a trial already? But verily, Hell shall
environ the Infidels!
9:50 If a success betide thee, it annoyeth
them: but if a reverse betide thee, they say,
"We took our own measures before:"
and they turn their backs and are glad.
Say: Nothing can befall us but what God hath destined
for us. Our liege-lord is He; and on God let the faithful trust!
Say: Await you for us, other than one of the two best
things? But we await for you the infliction of a chastisement by God, from
himself, or at our hands. Wait you then; we verily will wait with you.
Say: Make you your offerings willingly or by
constraint; it cannot be accepted from you, because you are a wicked people:
And
nothing hindreth the acceptance of their offerings, but that they believe not
in God and His Apostle, and discharge not the duty of prayer but with
sluggishness, and make not offerings but with reluctance.
Let
not, therefore, their riches or their children amaze thee. God is only minded
to punish them by means of these, in this life present, and that their souls
may depart while they are unbelievers.
And
they swear by God that they are indeed of you, yet they are not of you, but
they are people who are afraid of you:
If
they find a place of refuge, or caves, or a hiding place, they assuredly turn
towards it and haste thereto.
Some
of them also defame thee in regard to the alms; yet if a part be given them,
they are content, but if no part be given them, behold, they are angry!
Would
that they were satisfied with that which God and His Apostle had given them,
and would say "God sufficeth us! God will vouchsafe unto us of His favour,
and so will His Apostle: verily until God do
we make our suit!"
9:60 But alms are only to be given to the
poor and needy, and those who collect them, and to those whose hearts are won
to Islam, and for ransoms, and for debtors, and for the cause of God, and the
wayfarer. This is an ordinance from God: and
God is Knowing, Wise.
There
are some of them who injure the Prophet and say, "He is all ear." Say: An ear of good to you! He believeth in God, and
believeth the believers: and is a mercy to
such of you as believe:
But
they who injure the Apostle of God, shall suffer a dolorous chastisement.
They
swear to you by God to please you; but worthier is God, and His Apostle, that
they should please Him, if they are believers.
Know
they not, that for him who opposeth God and His Apostle, is surely the fire of
Hell, in which he shall remain for ever? This is the great ignominy!
The
hypocrites are afraid lest a Sura should be sent down concerning them, to tell
them plainly what is in their hearts. Say:
Scoff you; but God will bring to light that which you are afraid of.
And if
thou question them, they will surely say, "We were only discoursing and
jesting." Say: What! do you scoff at God,
and His signs, and His Apostle?
Make
no excuse: from faith you have passed to infidelity!
If we forgive some of you, we will punish others:L
for that they have been evil doers.
Hypocritical
men and women imitate one another. They enjoin what is evil, and forbid what is
just, and shut up their hands. They have forgotten God, and He hath forgotten
them. Verily, the hypocrites are the perverse doers.
God
promiseth the hypocritical men and women, and the unbelievers, the fire of Hell
-- therein shall they abide -- this their sufficing portion! And God hath
cursed them, and a lasting torment shall be theirs.
9:70 You act like those who flourished
before you. Mightier were they than you in prowess, and more abundant in wealth
and children, and they enjoyed their portion: so
you also enjoy your portion, as they were were before you enjoyed theirs; and
you hold discourses like their discourses. These! vain their works both for
this world and for that which is to come! These! they are the lost ones.
Hath
not the history reached them of those who were before them? -- of the people of
Noah, and of Ad, and of Themoud, and of the people of Abraham, and of the
inhabitants of Madian, and of the overthrown cities? Their apostles came to
them with clear proofs of their mission: God would
not deal wrongly by them, but they dealt wrongly by themselves.
The
faithful of both sexes are mutual friends:
they enjoin what is just, and forbid what is evil; they observe prayer, and pay
the legal impost, and they obey God and His Apostle. On these will God have
mercy: verily, God is Mighty, Wise.
To the
faithful, both men and women, God promiseth gardens 'neath which the rivers
flow, in which they shall abide, and goodly mansions in the gardens of
O
Prophet! contend against the infidels and the hypocrites, and be rigorous with
them: Hell shall be their dwelling place!
Wretched the journey thither!
They
swear by God that they said no such thing: yet
spake they the word infidelity, and from Muslims became unbelievers! They
planned what they could not effect; and only disapproved of it because God and
His Apostle had enriched them by His bounty! If they repent it will be better
for them; but if they fall back into their sin, with a grievous chastisement
will God chastise them in this world and the next, and on earth they shall have
neither friend nor protector!
Some
there are of them who made this agreement with God -- "If truly He give us
of His bounties, we will surely give alms and surely be of the righteous."
Yet
when he had vouchsafed them of His bounty, they became covetous thereof, and
turned their backs, and withdrew afar off:
So He
caused hypocrisy to take its turn in their hearts, until the day on which they
shall meet Him -- for that they failed their promise to God, and for that they
were liars!
9:80 They who traduce such of the faithful
as give their alms freely, and those who find nothing to give but their
earnings, and scoff at them, God shall scoff at them; and there is a grievous
torment in store for them.
Ask
thou forgiveness for them, or ask it not, it will be the same. If thou ask
forgiveness for them seventy times, God will by no means forgive them. This,
for that they believe not in God and His Apostle! And God guideth not the
ungodly people.
They
who were left at home were delighted to stay behind God's Apostle, and were
averse from contending with their riches and their persons for the cause of
God, and said, "March not out in the heat." Say: A fiercer heat will be the fire of Hell."
Would that they understood this.
Little,
therefore, let them laugh, and much let them weep, as the meed of their doings!
If God
bring thee back from the fight to some of them, and they ask thy leave to take
the field, Say: By no means shall you ever
take the field with me, and by no means shall you fight an enemy with me: you were well pleased to sit at home at the first
crisis: sit you at home, then, with those who
lag behind.
Never
pray thou over anyone of them who dieth, or stand at his grave -- because they
believed not in God and His Apostle, and died in their wickedness.
Let
not their riches or their children astonish thee:
through these God is fain only to punish them in this world, and that their souls
should depart while they are still infidels.
When a
Sura was sent down with "Believe in God and go forth to war with His
Apostle," those of them who are possessed of riches demanded exemption,
and said, "Allow us to be with those who sit at home.
Well
content were they to be with those who stay behind:
for a seal hath been set on their hearts so that they understand not: --
But
the Apostle and those who share his faith, contend for the faith with purse and
person; and these! all good things await them:
and these are they who shall be happy.
9:90 God hath made ready for them gardens
'neath which the rivers flow, wherein they shall remain for ever: this will be the great bliss.
Some
Arabs of the desert came with excuses, praying exemption; and they who had
gainsaid God and His Apostle sat at home: a
grievous punishment shall light on such of them as believe not.
It
shall be no crime in the weak, and in the sick, and in those who find not the
means of contributing, to stay at home, provided they are sincere with God and
His Apostle. Against those who act virtuously, there is no cause of blame: and God is Gracious, Merciful: --