The Koran Part 134

SURA VIII.-THE SPOILS1 [XCV.]

MEDINA.-76 Verses

In the Name of G.o.d, the Compa.s.sionate, the Merciful

THEY will question thee about THE SPOILS. SAY: The spoils are G.o.d's and the apostle's. Therefore, fear G.o.d, and settle this among yourselves; and obey G.o.d and his apostle, if you are believers.

Believers are they only whose hearts thrill with fear when G.o.d is named, and whose faith increaseth at each recital of his signs, and who put their trust in their Lord;

Who observe the prayers, and give alms out of that with which we have supplied them;

These are the believers: their due grade awaiteth them in the presence of their Lord, and forgiveness, and a generous provision.

Remember how thy Lord caused thee to go forth from thy home2 on a mission of truth, and part of the believers were quite averse to it:

They disputed with thee about the truth3 which had been made so clear, as if they were being led forth to death, and saw it before them:

And remember when G.o.d promised you that one of the two troops4 should fall to you, and ye desired that they who had no arms should fall to you: but G.o.d purposed to prove true the truth of his words, and to cut off the uttermost part ofthe infidels;

That he might prove his truth to be the truth, and bring to nought that which is nought,5 though the impious were averse to it:

When ye sought succour of your Lord, and he answered you, "I will verily aid you with a thousand6 angels, rank on rank:"

And G.o.d made this promise as pure good tidings, and to a.s.sure your hearts by it: for succour cometh from G.o.d alone! Verily G.o.d is Mighty, Wise.

Recollect when sleep, a sign of security from Him, fell upon you, and he sent down upon you water from Heaven that he might thereby cleanse you, and cause the pollution of Satan to pa.s.s from you, and that he might gird up your hearts, and stablish your feet by it:

When thy Lord spake unto the angels, "I will be with you: therefore stablish ye the faithful. I will cast a dread into the hearts of the infidels." Strike off their heads then, and strike off from them every finger-tip.

This, because they have opposed G.o.d and his apostle: And whoso shall oppose G.o.d and his apostle... . Verily, G.o.d will be severe in punishment.

"This for you! Taste it then! and for the infidels is the torture of the fire!"

O ye who believe! when ye meet the marshalled hosts of the infidels, turn not your backs to them:

Whoso shall turn his back to them on that day, unless he turn aside to fight, or to rally to some other troop, shall incur wrath from G.o.d: h.e.l.l shall be his abode and wretched the journey thither!

So it was not ye who slew them, but G.o.d slew them; and those shafts were G.o.d's, not thine!7 He would make trial of the faithful by a gracious trial from Himself: Verily, G.o.d Heareth, Knoweth.

This befel, that G.o.d might also bring to nought the craft of the infidels.

O Meccans! if ye desired a decision, now hath the decision come to you.8 It will be better for you if ye give over the struggle. If ye return to it, we will return; and your forces, though they be many, shall never avail you aught, for G.o.d is with the faithful.

O ye faithful! obey G.o.d and his apostle, and turn not away from Him, now that ye hear the truth;

And be not like those who say "We hear," when they hear not;

For the vilest beasts in G.o.d's sight, are the deaf, the dumb, who understand not.

Had G.o.d known any good in them, he would certainly have made them hear. But even if He had made them hear, they would certainly have turned back and withdrawn afar.

O ye faithful! make answer to the appeal of G.o.d and his apostle when he calleth you to that which giveth you life. Know that G.o.d cometh in between a man and his own heart, and that to him shall ye be gathered.

And be afraid of temptation: the evil doers among you will not be the only ones on whom it will light: And know ye that G.o.d is severe in punishment.

And remember when ye were few, and reputed weak in the land:9 ye feared lest men should pluck you away; then was it that He took you in and strengthened you with his help, and supplied you with good things, that haply ye might give thanks.

O ye who believe! deal not falsely with G.o.d and his apostle; and be not false in your engagements, with your own knowledge:

And know that your wealth and your children are a temptation; and that G.o.d!

with Him is a glorious recompense.

O ye who believe! if ye fear G.o.d he will make good your deliverance, and will put away your sins from you, and will forgive you. G.o.d is of great bounteousness!

And call to mind when the unbelievers plotted against thee, to detain thee prisoner, or to kill thee, or to banish thee: They plotted-but G.o.d plotted: and of plotters is G.o.d the best!

And oft as our signs were rehea.r.s.ed to them, they said, "Now have we heard: if we pleased we could certainly utter its like! Yes, it is mere tales of the ancients."

And when they said, "G.o.d! if this be the very truth from before thee, rain down stones upon us from Heaven, or lay on us some grievous chastis.e.m.e.nt."

But G.o.d chose not to chastise them while thou wast with them, nor would G.o.d chastise them when they sued for pardon.

But because they debarred the faithful from the holy temple, albeit they are not its guardians, nothing is there on their part why G.o.d should not chastise them. The G.o.dfearing only are its guardians; but most of them know it not.

And their prayer at the house of G.o.d is no other than whistling through the fingers and clapping of the hands-"Taste then the torment, for that ye have been unbelievers."

The infidels spend their riches10 with intent to turn men aside from the way of G.o.d: spend it they shall; then shall sighing be upon them, and then shall they be overcome.

And the infidels shall be gathered together into h.e.l.l,

That G.o.d may separate the bad from the good, and put the bad one upon the other, and heap them all up and put them into h.e.l.l! These are they who shall be lost.

SAY to the infidels: If they desist from their unbelief, what is now past shall be forgiven them; but if they return to it, they have already before them11 the doom of the ancients!

Fight then against them till strife be at an end, and the religion be all of it G.o.d's. If they desist, verily G.o.d beholdeth what they do:

But if they turn their back, know ye that G.o.d is your protector: Excellent protector! excellent helper!

And know ye, that when ye have taken any booty, a fifth12 part belongeth to G.o.d and to the Apostle, and to the near of kin, and to orphans, and to the poor, and to the wayfarer, if ye believe in G.o.d, and in that which we have sent down to our servant on the day of the victory,13 the day of the meeting of the Hosts. Over all things is G.o.d potent.

When ye were encamped on the near side of the valley, and they were on the further side, and the caravan was below you, if ye had made an engagement to attack ye would have failed the engagement; but ye were led into action notwithstanding, that G.o.d might accomplish the thing destined to be done:

That he who should perish might perish with a clear token14 before him, and that he who liveth might live with it. And verily, G.o.d Heareth, Knoweth.

Remember when G.o.d shewed them to thee in thy dream, as few: Had he shown them numerous, ye would certainly have become fainthearted, and would certainly have disputed about the matter-But from this G.o.d 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 G.o.d might carry out the thing that was to be done.15 To G.o.d do all things return.