In the name of God, the Almighty,¹ the Merciful.

¹ alif lām mīm¹

² God, there is no god save He,¹ the Living, the Eternal.

³ He sent down upon thee the Writ¹ with the truth,² confirming what was before it;³ and He sent down the Torah and the Gospel⁴

⁴ Before as guidance for mankind; and He sent down the Division.¹ Those who deny the proofs² of God, they have a severe punishment; and God is exalted in might and vengeful.

⁵ From God hides not anything in the earth or in the heaven.

⁶ He it is who forms you in the wombs as He wills. There is no god save He,¹ the Exalted in Might, the Wise.²

⁷ He it is that sent down upon thee the Writ;¹ among it² are explicit³ proofs:⁴ they⁵ are the foundation⁶ of the Writ;⁷ and others are ambiguous.⁸ Then as for those in whose hearts is deviation: they follow what is ambiguous thereof, seeking the means of denial,⁹ and seeking its interpretation. And no one knows its interpretation save God, and those firm in knowledge;¹⁰ they say: “We believe in¹¹ it; all¹² is from our Lord.” But only those of insight take heed.

⁸ “Our Lord: make Thou not our hearts to deviate after Thou hast guided us; and bestow Thou upon us mercy from Thyself; Thou art the Bestower.

⁹ “Our Lord: Thou art gathering mankind to a day about which there is no doubt”; God will not break the appointment.

¹⁰ Those who ignore warning:¹ their wealth and their children² will avail them nothing against God; and it is they who are the fuel of the Fire,³

¹¹ Like the case¹ of the house of Pharaoh² and those before them: they denied Our proofs,³ so God seized them for their transgressions;⁴ and God is severe in retribution.

¹² Say thou to those who ignore warning:¹ “You will be defeated, and gathered into Gehenna; and evil is the resting-place.”

¹³ There had been a proof¹ for you in the two hosts which met: one host fighting in the cause of God, and another denying; they saw them as twice their like by the sight of the eye. But God strengthens with His help whom He wills; in that is a lesson for those of vision.

¹⁴ Made fair for men is the love of lusts — for women, and sons, and amassed fortunes¹ of gold and silver, and branded horses, and cattle, and tilth: that is the provision of the life of this world — but God, with Him is the best journey’s end.²

¹⁵ Say thou: “Shall I inform you of better than that? For those who are in prudent fear,¹ with their Lord are gardens beneath which rivers flow, they abiding eternally therein, and purified spouses, and approval from God”; and God sees the servants,²

¹⁶ Those who say: “Our Lord: we believe, so forgive Thou us our transgressions,¹ and protect Thou us from the punishment of the Fire,”

¹⁷ The patient,¹ the truthful, the humbly obedient, those who spend, and the seekers of forgiveness at dawn.

¹⁸ God bears witness that there is no god save He,¹ as do² the angels and those of knowledge upholding equity:³ “There is no god save He,⁴ the Exalted in Might, the Wise.”⁵

¹⁹ The doctrine¹ with God is submission.² And those given³ the Writ⁴ differed only after knowledge had come to them, through sectarian zealotry⁵ between them; and whoso denies the proofs⁶ of God — then is God swift in reckoning.

²⁰ And if they argue with thee, then say thou: “I have submitted my face¹ to God, as have² those who follow me.” And say thou to those given³ the Writ⁴ and to the unschooled:⁵ “Have you submitted?”⁶ And if they have submitted, then are they guided; but if they turn away, then upon thee is only the notification; and God sees the servants.⁷

²¹ Those who deny the proofs¹ of God, and kill the prophets without cause,² and kill those who enjoin equity³ among men: give thou them tidings of a painful punishment.

²² Those are they whose works are vain in the World and the Hereafter; and they have no helpers.

²³ Hast thou not considered¹ those given a portion of the Writ?² They are invited to the Writ³ of God, that it might judge between them, then a faction of them turns away; and they are averse,

²⁴ For it is that¹ they say: “The Fire will not touch us save days numbered,” and what they invented² has deluded them in their doctrine!³

²⁵ Then how will it be¹ when We gather them to a day about which there is no doubt and every soul is paid in full what it earned? And they will not be wronged.

²⁶ Say thou: “O God, Master of Dominion: Thou givest dominion to whom Thou wilt, and Thou removest dominion from whom Thou wilt; Thou exaltest whom Thou wilt, and Thou abasest whom Thou wilt. In Thy hand is good; Thou art over all things powerful.

²⁷ “Thou makest the night enter into the day, and Thou makest the day enter into the night; and Thou bringest forth the living from the dead, and Thou bringest forth the dead from the living. And Thou givest provision to whom Thou wilt without reckoning.”¹

²⁸ Let not the believers¹ take as allies the false claimers of guidance² rather than³ believers;⁴ and whoso does that is not of God in anything — save that you be in prudent fear⁵ of them, as a precaution.⁶ And God warns you of Himself; and to God is the journey’s end.

²⁹ Say thou: “Whether you hide what is in your breasts or reveal it, God knows it. And He knows what is in the heavens and what is in the earth; and God is over all things powerful.

³⁰ “The day every soul will find what it did of good summoned, and what it did of evil,¹ it will wish there were between it and that² a great distance.” And God warns you of Himself; and God is kind to the servants.³

³¹ Say thou: “If you love God, follow me;¹ God will love you, and forgive you your transgressions”;² and God is forgiving and merciful.

³² Say thou: “Obey God and the Messenger.”¹ Then if they turn away: God loves not the false claimers of guidance.²

³³ God chose Adam and Noah¹ and the house of Abraham and the house of ʿImrān² above all mankind:

³⁴ Descendants one of another;¹ and God was hearing and knowing²

³⁵ When¹ the wife of ʿImrān said: “My Lord: I have vowed to Thee what is in my womb in consecration, so accept Thou from me; Thou art the Hearing, the Knowing.”

³⁶ Then when she had given birth to her, she said: “My Lord: I have given birth to a female,” — and God knew best to what she was to give birth; and the male is not like the female — “And I have named her Mary;¹ and I seek refuge in Thee for her and her descendants from the accursed satan.”²

³⁷ So her Lord accepted her with a comely acceptance, and caused her to grow with a comely growth, and placed her in the charge of Zachariah.¹ Whenever Zachariah entered upon her in the chamber, he found with her provision. He said: “O Mary:² whence comes this to thee?” She said: “It is from God; God gives provision to whom He wills without reckoning.”³

³⁸ Thereupon Zachariah called to his Lord, saying: “My Lord: give Thou me from Thyself goodly progeny; Thou art the hearer of supplication.”

³⁹ And the angels called to him as he stood performing the duty¹ in the chamber: “God gives thee glad tidings of John,² confirming a word³ from God, both⁴ honourable and chaste, and a prophet among the righteous.”

⁴⁰ Said he: “My Lord: how will I have a lad when old age has reached me and my wife is barren?” He said: “Thus is God; He does what He wills.”

⁴¹ Said he: “My Lord: make Thou for me a proof.”¹ He said: “Thy proof² is that thou shalt not speak to men three days save by gestures. And remember thou thy Lord much, and give thou glory³ in the evening and the morning.”

⁴² And when¹ the angels said: “O Mary:² God has chosen thee and purified thee, and chosen thee above the women of all mankind.

⁴³ “O Mary:¹ be thou humbly obedient to thy Lord, and submit thou,² and be thou lowly with the lowly³.”

⁴⁴ That is from the reports of the Unseen which We reveal¹ to thee. And thou wast not with them when they cast their lots² for who should have charge of Mary.³ And thou wast not with them when they disputed.

⁴⁵ When¹ the angels said: “O Mary:² God gives thee glad tidings of a word from Him. His name is the Messiah,³ Jesus,⁴ son of Mary;⁵ esteemed in the World and the Hereafter, and among those brought near.⁶

⁴⁶ “He will speak to men in the cradle, and in maturity, and is among the righteous.”

⁴⁷ She said: “My Lord: how will I have a son when no mortal has touched me?” He said: “Thus is God; he creates what He wills; when He decrees a matter, He but says to it: ‘Be thou,’ and it is.

⁴⁸ “And He will teach him the Writ¹ and wisdom,² and the Torah, and the Gospel.”³

⁴⁹ And as a messenger to the children of Israel: “I have come to you with a proof¹ from your Lord, that I create for you from clay the likeness of a bird; then I blow into it and it becomes a bird by the leave of God. And I heal the blind, and the leper, and give life to the dead by the leave of God. And I inform you of what you eat, and what you store in your houses — in that is a proof² for you if you be believers³ —

⁵⁰ “And confirming what is before me¹ of the Torah, and making lawful for you some of what was forbidden to you.² I have come to you with a proof³ from your Lord, so be in prudent fear⁴ of God, and obey me.⁵

⁵¹ “God is my Lord and your Lord, so serve Him. This is a straight path.”

⁵² But when Jesus¹ perceived their denial, he said: “Who are my helpers for God?” The disciples² said: “We are the helpers of God; we believe in³ God; and bear thou witness that we are submitting.”⁴

⁵³ “Our Lord: we believe in¹ what Thou hast sent down, and we follow the Messenger,² so write Thou us down with the witnesses.”

⁵⁴ And they¹ schemed, and God schemed; and God is the best of schemers.

⁵⁵ When¹ God said: “O Jesus:² I will take thee and raise thee to Me, and purify thee of those who ignore warning,³ and place those who follow thee above those who ignore warning⁴ until the Day of Resurrection. Then to Me is your return, and I will judge between you concerning that wherein you differed.

⁵⁶ “And as for those who ignore warning:¹ I will punish them with a severe punishment in the World and the Hereafter; and they will have no helpers.”

⁵⁷ And as for those who heed warning¹ and do righteous deeds: He will give them their rewards in full; but God loves not the wrongdoers.²

⁵⁸ That do We recite to thee of the proofs¹ and the wise remembrance.²

⁵⁹ The likeness of Jesus¹ in the sight of God is as the likeness of Adam; He created him from dust; then He said to him: “Be thou,” and he was.²

⁶⁰ The truth¹ is from thy Lord, so be thou not of those who doubt.

⁶¹ And whoso disputes with thee concerning him¹ after the knowledge which has come to thee, say thou: “Come, let us call our sons and your sons, and our women and your women, and ourselves and yourselves; then let us pray in earnest and invoke the curse of God upon the liars:

⁶² “‘This¹ is the true² story! And there is no god save God! And God, he is the Exalted in Might, the Wise!’”³

⁶³ And if they turn away, God knows the workers of corruption.

⁶⁴ Say thou: “O doctors of the Law:¹ come to an equitable word² between us and you: that we serve not save God; and that we ascribe not partnership³ to Him; and that none of us takes others as lords instead of⁴ God.”⁵ And if they turn away, then say you:⁶ “Bear witness that we are submitting.”⁷

⁶⁵ O doctors of the Law:¹ why dispute you about Abraham, when the Torah and the Gospel² were sent down only after him? Will you then not³ use reason!

⁶⁶ Here you are: those who have disputed about that whereof you have knowledge; why then dispute you about that whereof you have no knowledge? And God knows, and you know not.

⁶⁷ Abraham was neither one who holds to Judaism,¹ nor a Christian,² but was inclining to truth³ as one submitting;⁴ and he was not of the idolaters.⁵

⁶⁸ The people closest to Abraham are those who have followed him, as have¹ this prophet and those who heed warning;² and God is the ally of the believers.³

⁶⁹ A number of the doctors of the Law¹ would love to lead you astray; and they lead astray only themselves, and they perceive not.

⁷⁰ O doctors of the Law:¹ why deny you the proofs² of God, when you are bearing witness?³

⁷¹ O doctors of the Law:¹ why clothe you the truth² in vanity and conceal the truth,³ when you know?⁴

⁷² And a number of the doctors of the Law¹ say: “Believe in² what was sent down upon those who heed warning³ at the beginning of the day, and deny at the end thereof, that they might return.

⁷³ “And believe not save him who follows your doctrine.”¹ Say thou: “Guidance is the guidance of God, that one be given the like of what you have been given.”² Or would they argue with you before your Lord? Say thou: “Bounty is in the hand of God, He gives it to whom He wills.” And God is encompassing and knowing,

⁷⁴ He chooses for His mercy whom He wills; and God is possessor of tremendous bounty.

⁷⁵ And among the doctors of the Law¹ is he who, if thou entrust him with a fortune,² will deliver it to thee. And among them is he who, if thou entrust him with a dinar,³ will not return it to thee unless thou stand over him. For it is that⁴ they say: “We owe nothing⁵ to the unschooled”;⁶ and they ascribe the lie to God, when they know!⁷

⁷⁶ Verily,¹ whoso fulfils his covenant and is in prudent fear: God loves those of prudent fear.²

⁷⁷ Those who sell the covenant of God¹ and their oaths at a cheap price: those have no portion in the Hereafter; and God will not speak to them or look at them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He increase them in purity.² And they have a painful punishment.

⁷⁸ And among them a faction distorts the Writ¹ with their tongues, that you might think it from the Writ,² but it is not from the Writ.³ And they say: “It is from God,” but it is not from God. And they ascribe the lie to God, when they know.⁴

⁷⁹ It is not for a mortal that God should give him the Writ¹ and judgment and prophethood, then he should say to men: “Be servants to me rather than² God”; but: “Be men of God³ by what you have taught of the Writ,⁴ and by what you have studied.”

⁸⁰ And nor would he command you to take the angels and the prophets as lords; would he command you to denial after you have been submitting?¹

⁸¹ And when¹ God took agreement of the prophets: “What I give you of Writ² and wisdom,³ then there comes to you a messenger confirming what is with you: you shall believe in⁴ him⁵ and help him.” He said: “Do you affirm and take upon that My covenant?”⁶ Said they: “We do affirm.” He said: “Then bear witness; and I am with you among the witnesses.”

⁸² Then whoso turns away after this, it is they who are the perfidious.¹

⁸³ Is it then other than the doctrine¹ of God they seek, when to Him has submitted whoso is in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly, and to Him they will be returned?

⁸⁴ Say thou: “We believe in¹ God, and what has been sent down upon us, and what was sent down upon Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac, and Jacob and the Grandsons;² and what was given to Moses and Jesus³ and the prophets from their Lord. We make no division between any of them, and to Him we are submitting.”⁴

⁸⁵ And whoso seeks a doctrine¹ other than submission,² it will not be accepted from him; and he in the Hereafter will be among the losers.

⁸⁶ How will God guide a people who denied after their faith, and had borne witness that the Messenger¹ is true,² and clear signs had come to them? And God guides not the wrongdoing³ people.

⁸⁷ Those: their reward is that upon them is the curse of God and of angels and of men all together,

⁸⁸ They abiding eternally therein; the punishment will not be lightened for them, nor will they be granted respite

⁸⁹ Save those who repent after that, and make right; and God is forgiving and merciful.

⁹⁰ Those who ignore warning¹ after their faith, then grow in denial, their repentance will not be accepted; and it is they who are those who go astray.²

⁹¹ Those who ignore warning¹ and die as atheists:² there would not be accepted from one of them the earth full of gold were he to seek to ransom³ himself thereby; those have a painful punishment, and they will have no helpers.

⁹² You attain not to virtue until you spend of what you love; and what you spend of anything, God knows it.

⁹³ All food was lawful to the children of Israel save what Israel made unlawful upon himself before the Torah was sent down. Say thou: “Bring the Torah and recite it,¹ if you be truthful.”²

⁹⁴ And whoso invents a lie about God after that, it is they who are the wrongdoers.¹

⁹⁵ Say thou: “God spoke truly; so follow the creed of Abraham, inclining to truth;¹ and he was not of the idolaters.”²

⁹⁶ (The first¹ house set up for mankind was that at Bakka,² blessed and a guidance for all mankind:³

⁹⁷ In it are clear proofs¹ of the station² of Abraham; and whoso enters it is safe.³ And God’s claim upon mankind is a pilgrimage⁴ to the house, for whoso is able to find a path to it;⁵ and whoso denies: God is free from need of all mankind.)

⁹⁸ Say thou: “O doctors of the Law:¹ why deny you the proofs² of God when God is witness to what you do?”

⁹⁹ Say thou: “O doctors of the Law:¹ why turn you away from² the path of God him who believes, seeking its deviation when you are witnesses? And God is not unmindful of what you do.”

¹⁰⁰ O you who heed warning:¹ if you obey a faction among those given² the Writ,³ they will drive you back, after your faith, as false claimers of guidance.⁴

¹⁰¹ And how can you deny, when to you are the proofs¹ of God recited, and in your midst is His messenger? And whoso holds fast to God,² he has been guided to a straight path.

¹⁰² O you who heed warning:¹ be in prudent fear² of God with the prudent fear due³ Him, and die not save that you be submitting.⁴

¹⁰³ And hold fast to the rope of God all together, and be not divided. And remember the favour of God upon you: when you were enemies, He united your hearts so that by His favour you became brethren; and you were upon the edge of a pit of fire, and He rescued you from it. Thus does God make plain¹ to you His proofs,² that you might be guided.

¹⁰⁴ And let there be from you a community inviting to good, and enjoining what is fitting,¹ and forbidding perversity;² and it is they who are the successful.³

¹⁰⁵ And be not like those who became divided, and disputed after the clear signs had came to them; and it is they who have a great punishment.

¹⁰⁶ The day faces will be white, and faces will be black: as for those whose faces will be black: ­— “Did you deny after your faith? Then taste the punishment for what you denied!”

¹⁰⁷ And as for those whose faces will be white: ­— in the mercy of God; therein they abide eternally.

¹⁰⁸ Those are the proofs¹ of God; We recite them to thee in truth;² and God desires not injustice for all mankind.

¹⁰⁹ And to God belongs what is in the heavens and what is in the earth, and to God are matters¹ returned.

¹¹⁰ You are the best community brought forth for mankind: you enjoin what is fitting,¹ and you forbid perversity,² and you believe in³ God. And had the doctors of the Law⁴ believed, it would have been better for them. Among them are believers,⁵ but most of them are perfidious.⁶

¹¹¹ They will not cause you harm save hindrance;¹ and if they fight you, they will turn to you their backs;² then will they not be helped.

¹¹² Pitched upon them will be ignominy wherever they are found save for a rope¹ from God and a rope from men. And they will incur wrath from God, and wretchedness will be pitched upon them,² for it is that³ they denied the proofs⁴ of God! And they killed the prophets without cause,⁵ for it is that⁶ they opposed and exceeded all bounds!

¹¹³ They are not the same; among the doctors of the Law¹ is an upright community: they recite the proofs² of God in watches of the night, and they submit;³

¹¹⁴ They believe in¹ God and the Last Day, and enjoin what is fitting,² and forbid perversity,³ and compete in good deeds; and those are among the righteous.

¹¹⁵ And what they do of good, they will not be denied it; and God knows those of prudent fear.¹

¹¹⁶ Those who ignore warning:¹ neither their wealth nor their children will avail them anything against God. And those are the companions of the Fire; therein they abide eternally.

¹¹⁷ The likeness of what they spend in the life of this world is as the likeness of a wind wherein was biting cold: it befell the tilth of a people who wronged their souls and destroyed it; and God wronged them not, but they wronged themselves.

¹¹⁸ O you who heed warning:¹ take not as intimates other than² your own;³ they will not spare you ruin. They would that you should suffer. Hatred has already become clear from their mouths, and what their breasts hide is greater. We have made plain⁴ the proofs⁵ to you, if you will use reason.

¹¹⁹ Here you are, those who love them; and they love you not, when you believe in¹ the Writ² — all of it. And when they meet you, they say: “We believe,” but when they are alone, they bite their fingertips at you from rage. Say thou: “Die in your rage,³ God knows what is in the breasts.”

¹²⁰ If good touches you, it vexes them; and if evil¹ befalls you, they exult thereat. But if you are patient and in prudent fear,² their plan will not harm you at all; God encompasses what they do.

¹²¹ And when¹ thou didst leave thy household early to assign the believers² their stations for the battle; and God was hearing and knowing³

¹²² When two groups¹ among you were about to lose heart, but God was their² ally; and in God let the believers³ place their trust.

¹²³ (And God had already helped you at Badr,¹ when you were despised. Then be in prudent fear² of God, that you might be grateful.)

¹²⁴ When¹ thou saidst to the believers:² “Is it not sufficient for you that your Lord should supply you with three thousand angels sent down?

¹²⁵ “Verily,¹ if you are patient and in prudent fear,² and they³ rush upon you of a sudden, your Lord will supply you with five thousand angels having marks,”⁴

¹²⁶ (And God made it not save as glad tidings for you, and that your hearts might be reassured thereby; and there is no help¹ save from God, the Exalted in Might, the Wise.²)

¹²⁷ “That He might cut off a part of those who ignore warning,¹ or suppress them so they turn back disappointed.”

¹²⁸ No part of the matter is thine, whether He turns towards them¹ or punishes them, for they are wrongdoers,²

¹²⁹ And to God belongs what is in the heavens and what is in the earth. He forgives whom He wills, and punishes whom He wills; and God is forgiving and merciful.

¹³⁰ O you who heed warning:¹ consume not usury, doubled and redoubled; and be in prudent fear² of God, that you might be successful.

¹³¹ And be in prudent fear¹ of the Fire prepared for the false claimers of guidance.²

¹³² And obey God and the Messenger,¹ that you might obtain mercy.

¹³³ And vie one with another for forgiveness from your Lord, and a garden as wide as the heavens and the earth prepared for those of prudent fear:¹

¹³⁴ Those who spend in prosperity and in adversity, and who control their wrath, and forgive men; and God loves the doers of good;

¹³⁵ And those who, when they commit sexual immorality¹ or wrong their souls, remember God, and ask forgiveness for their transgressions² — and who forgives transgressions³ save God? — and persist not in what they did when they know.⁴

¹³⁶ Those: their reward is forgiveness from their Lord and gardens beneath which rivers flow, they abiding eternally therein; and excellent is the reward of those who act.¹

¹³⁷ Practices¹ have passed away before you; so travel in the earth and see how was the final outcome of the deniers.

¹³⁸ This¹ is a clear statement² for mankind; and guidance; and an admonition for those of prudent fear.³

¹³⁹ And faint not, nor grieve, and you will be the superior ones, if you be believers.¹

¹⁴⁰ If injury touches you: there has touched people an injury the like thereof.¹ And those² are the days We alternate among men, both³ that God might know those who heed warning,⁴ and take witnesses⁵ among you — and God loves not the wrongdoers⁶ —

¹⁴¹ And that God might refine those who heed warning,¹ and eliminate the false claimers of guidance.²

¹⁴² Or did you think that you will enter the Garden before God knows those who strive among you or¹ knows the patient?²

¹⁴³ And you had wished for death before you met it; and now you have seen it with your own eyes[...].¹

¹⁴⁴ And Muḥammad is only a messenger; messengers have passed away before him. If then he dies or is killed, will you turn back on your heels? And he who turns back on his heels does no harm to God at all; and God will reward the grateful.

¹⁴⁵ And it is not for a soul to die, save by the leave of God, at a writ¹ determined.² And whoso desires the reward of the World, We give him thereof; and whoso desires the reward of the Hereafter, We give him thereof; and We reward the grateful.

¹⁴⁶ And alongside¹ how many a prophet have fought many stoutly devout men!² And they fainted not at what befell them in the cause of God; neither did they weaken, nor did they yield. And God loves the patient.³

¹⁴⁷ And their word¹ was only that they said: “Our Lord: forgive Thou us our transgressions,² and our excess in our affair, and make Thou firm our feet; and help Thou us against the people of the false claimers of guidance.”³

¹⁴⁸ So God gave them the reward of the World and the good reward of the Hereafter; and God loves the doers of good.

¹⁴⁹ O you who heed warning:¹ if you obey those who ignore warning,² they will drive you back on your heels; and you will turn back as losers.

¹⁵⁰ The truth is,¹ God is your protector; and He is the best of helpers.

¹⁵¹ We will cast into the hearts of those who ignore warning¹ terror because they have ascribed a partnership² with God to that for which He sent not down authority; and their shelter is the Fire; and evil is the dwelling of the wrongdoers.³

¹⁵² And God was indeed¹ true in His promise² to you. When³ you were aware⁴ of them by His leave, when⁵ you had lost heart and disputed concerning the affair, and rebelled after He had shown you what⁶ you love[...].⁷ Among you is he who desires the World; and among you is he who desires the Hereafter. Then He turned you away from them that He might try you; and He has pardoned you; and God is bountiful to the believers.⁸

¹⁵³ When¹ you were ascending, and paying no heed to anyone, and the Messenger calling you from your rear,² so He requited you with grief upon grief, that you might not grieve for what eluded you³ or what befell you; and God is aware of what you do.

¹⁵⁴ Then He sent down upon you, after distress, security, slumber overcoming a number of you; and a number had grieved themselves¹ thinking about God other than the truth² — the thought of ignorance — saying: “Have we any part³ in the affair?” Say thou: “The affair belongs entirely to God.” They hide within themselves what they reveal not to thee, saying: “Had we any part⁴ in the affair, we would not have been slain here.”⁵ Say thou: “Had you been in your houses, those for whom killing was decreed would have gone forth to their resting places”;⁶ and: “That God might try what is in your breasts”; and: “That He might refine what is in your hearts.” And God knows what is in the breasts.

¹⁵⁵ Those who turned back among you the day the two hosts met: the satan¹ caused them to slip only for some of what they earned. But God has pardoned them; God is forgiving and clement.

¹⁵⁶ O you who heed warning:¹ be not like those who ignore warning,² and say of their brothers when they travel in the earth or are on an expedition: “Had they been with us, they would not have died or been killed,” that God might make that a sorrow in their hearts; for God gives life, and gives death; and God sees what you do.

¹⁵⁷ And if you are killed or die in the cause of God, pardon from God and mercy are better than what they amass.

¹⁵⁸ And if you die or are killed, to God will you be gathered.

¹⁵⁹ And because of the mercy of God, thou wast lenient with them; and hadst thou been coarse and stern, they would have disbanded from about thee. So pardon thou them, and ask thou forgiveness for them, and take thou counsel with them in the affair. And when thou hast made a decision, place thou thy trust in God;¹ God loves those who would place their trust aright.²

¹⁶⁰ If God helps you, none can defeat you; but if He forsakes you, who is there who can help you after Him?¹ And in God let the believers² place their trust.

¹⁶¹ And it is not for a prophet that he should coerce.¹ And whoso coerces will come with what he coerced on the Day of Resurrection; then will every soul be paid in full what it earned, and they will not be wronged.

¹⁶² Is then he who¹ seeks the approval of God like one who incurs wrath from God, and whose shelter is Gehenna? And evil is the journey’s end.

¹⁶³ They have¹ degrees² in the sight of God; and God sees what they do.

¹⁶⁴ God indeed showed favour to the believers¹ when He raised up among them a messenger among themselves, reciting to them His proofs,² and increasing them in purity,³ and teaching them the Writ⁴ and wisdom⁵ — though they were before in manifest error.

¹⁶⁵ Do you not say, when calamity has befallen you — you having caused the double thereof: — “Whence is this?” Say thou: “It is from yourselves; God is over all things powerful.”

¹⁶⁶ And what befell you the day the two hosts met was by the leave of God, that He might know the believers,¹

¹⁶⁷ And that He might know the waverers.¹ And it was said to them: “Come, fight in the cause of God; or repel.” They said: “Had we known of fighting, we would have followed you.” They were nearer to denial that day than to faith, saying with their mouths what was not in their hearts; and God is most aware of what conceal

¹⁶⁸ Those who said of their brothers when they stayed back: “Had they obeyed us, they would not have been killed.” Say thou: “Then avert from yourselves death, if you be truthful.”¹

¹⁶⁹ And think not of those who are killed in the cause of God as dead; nay,¹ they are alive, with their Lord receiving provision,

¹⁷⁰ Exulting in what God has bestowed upon them of His bounty; and rejoicing in those behind them who are yet to join them, that no fear will be upon them, nor will they grieve;

¹⁷¹ Rejoicing in favour and bounty from God, and that God causes not to be lost the reward of the believers.¹

¹⁷² Those who responded to God and the Messenger after injury had befallen them — for those of them as do good and are in prudent fear¹ is a great reward —

¹⁷³ Those to whom men said: “The people have gathered against you, so be afraid of them,” but it increased them in faith, and they said: “Sufficient for us is God” — and excellent is the disposer of affairs —

¹⁷⁴ So they returned with favour and bounty from God, evil not touching them. And they sought the approval of God; and God is possessor of tremendous bounty.

¹⁷⁵ That¹ is but the satan² putting his allies in dread³ of it; but fear them not; and fear Me, if you be believers.⁴

¹⁷⁶ And let not grieve thee those who compete in denial; they will never harm God at all. God desires not to make for them a portion in the Hereafter; and they have a great punishment.

¹⁷⁷ Those who buy denial at the price of faith, they will never harm God at all; and they have a painful punishment.

¹⁷⁸ And let not those who ignore warning¹ think that We but grant them respite good for their souls; We but grant them respite that they might increase in sin;² and they have a humiliating punishment.

¹⁷⁹ God will not leave the believers¹ in that² which you are in until He distinguishes the bad from the good. And God will not apprise you of the Unseen; but God chooses of His messengers whom He wills, so believe in³ God and His messengers; and if you believe and are in prudent fear,⁴ for you is a great reward.

¹⁸⁰ And let not those who are miserly with what God gives them of His bounty think it good for them; the truth is,¹ it is evil for them: hung about their necks will be that with which they were miserly on the Day of Resurrection; and to God belongs the inheritance of the heavens and the earth; and God is aware of what you do.

¹⁸¹ God has heard the saying of those who say: “God is poor, and we are rich.” We will record what they say, and their killing of the prophets without cause;¹ (and We will say: “Taste the punishment of the consuming fire

¹⁸² For it is that¹ your hands sent ahead, and that God is not unjust to the servants!”²)

¹⁸³ Those¹ who said: “God has made a covenant with us, that we believe not any messenger until he brings us an offering consumed by fire.” Say thou: “There came to you messengers before me with clear signs, and with what you say; why then did you kill them, if you be truthful?”²

¹⁸⁴ And if they deny thee, then denied were the messengers who were before thee, who came with the clear signs, and the writings,¹ and the Illuminating Writ.²

¹⁸⁵ Every soul will taste death; and you will but be paid in full your rewards on the Day of Resurrection. And whoso is removed from the Fire and made to enter the Garden: he has attained; and the life of this world is only the enjoyment of delusion.

¹⁸⁶ You will be tried in your wealth and in yourselves. And you will hear from those given¹ the Writ² before you, and from the idolaters,³ much hindrance.⁴ But if you are patient and in prudent fear:⁵ that is among the resolution of affairs.⁶

¹⁸⁷ And when God took an agreement of those given¹ the Writ:² “You are to make it plain³ to mankind, and not to conceal it,” then they cast it behind their backs, and sold it at a cheap price; and evil is what they bought.

¹⁸⁸ Think not those who exult at what they have accomplished,¹ and love to be praised for what they have not done[...].² And think them not in a place of safety from the punishment; and they have a painful punishment.

¹⁸⁹ And to God belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth; and God is over all things powerful.

¹⁹⁰ In the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of night and day are proofs¹ for men of understanding:

¹⁹¹ Those who remember God, standing and sitting and on their sides, and reflect upon the creation of the heavens and the earth: “Our Lord: Thou createdst not this to no purpose. Glory¹ be to Thee! And protect Thou us from the punishment of the Fire!

¹⁹² “Our Lord: whom Thou causest to enter the Fire: him hast Thou disgraced”; and there are for the wrongdoers¹ no helpers.

¹⁹³ “Our Lord: we have heard a caller calling to faith: ‘Believe in¹ your Lord!’ And we have believed. Our Lord: forgive Thou us our transgressions,² and remove Thou from us our evil deeds;³ and take Thou us⁴ with the virtuous.⁵

¹⁹⁴ “Our Lord: give Thou us¹ what Thou hast promised us by Thy messengers, and disgrace Thou us not on the Day of Resurrection; Thou wilt not break the appointment.”

¹⁹⁵ And their Lord responded to them: “I cause not to be lost the work of any that works among you, male or female; you are of one another.”¹ And those who emigrated and were turned out of their homes, and were hindered² in My cause, and fought and were killed: I will remove from them their evil deeds,³ and I will make them enter gardens beneath which rivers flow, as a reward from God; and God, with Him is the best of rewards.

¹⁹⁶ Let not delude thee the going to and fro of those who ignore warning¹ in the land:

¹⁹⁷ A little enjoyment, then is their shelter Gehenna; and evil is the resting-place.

¹⁹⁸ But those who are in prudent fear¹ of their Lord: they will have gardens beneath which rivers flow, they abiding eternally therein, as a welcome from God; and what is with God is better for the virtuous.

¹⁹⁹ And among the doctors of the Law¹ are those who believe in² God and what was sent down to you, and what was sent down to them: — humble³ towards God, they sell not the proofs⁴ of God at a cheap price — those have their reward with their Lord; God is swift in reckoning.

²⁰⁰ O you who heed warning:¹ be patient; and vie in patience; and be steadfast;² and be in prudent fear³ of God, that you might succeed.