The Koran Part 135

Believers! when ye confront a troop, stand firm and make frequent mention of the name of G.o.d, that it may fare well with you:

And obey G.o.d and his Apostle; and dispute not, lest ye become fainthearted and your success go from you; but endure with steadfastness, for G.o.d 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 G.o.d: G.o.d is round about their actions.

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 ye see not:16 ay, I fear G.o.d; for G.o.d is severe in punis.h.i.+ng."

When the hypocrites and the diseased of heart said, "Their Religion hath misled the Muslims:17 But whoso putteth his trust in G.o.d. , , , Yes, verily G.o.d is Mighty, Wise!

If thou didst see, when the angels cause the infidels to die! They smite their faces and their backs, and-"Taste ye the torture of the burning:

This, for what your hands have sent on before you:"-and G.o.d 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 G.o.d: therefore G.o.d seized upon them in their sin! G.o.d is Mighty, severe in punis.h.i.+ng.

This, because G.o.d changeth not the favour with which he favoureth a people, so long as they change not what is in their hearts; and for that G.o.d 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 G.o.d are the thankless who will not believe;

They with whom thou hast leagued, and who are ever breaking their league, and who fear not G.o.d!

If thou take them in war, then, by the example of their fate, scatter those who shall follow them-that they may be warned:

Or if thou fear treachery from any people, throw back their treaty to them as thou fairly mayest,18 for G.o.d loveth not the treacherous.

And think not that the infidels shall escape Us! They shall not weaken G.o.d.

Make ready then against them what force ye can, and strong squadrons whereby ye may strike terror into the enemy of G.o.d and your enemy, and into others beside them whom ye know not, but whom G.o.d knoweth. All that you shall expend for the cause of G.o.d shall be repaid you; and ye shall not be wronged.

And if they lean to peace, lean thou also to it; and put thy trust in G.o.d: for He is the Hearing, the Knowing.

But if they seek to betray thee, G.o.d 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 G.o.d hath united them, for He is Mighty, Wise.

O prophet! G.o.d, 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 G.o.d made your work easy, for he knoweth how weak ye are. 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 thousand19 by G.o.d's permission; for G.o.d 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. Ye desire the pa.s.sing fruitions of this world, but G.o.d desireth the next life for you. And G.o.d is Mighty, Wise.

Had there not been a previous ordinance20 from G.o.d, a severe chastis.e.m.e.nt had befallen you, for the ransom which ye took.

Eat therefore of the spoils ye have taken what is lawful and good; and fear G.o.d: G.o.d is Gracious, Merciful.

O prophet! say to the captives who are in your hands, "If G.o.d shall know good21 to be in your hearts, He will give you good beyond all that hath been taken from you, and will forgive you: for G.o.d is Forgiving, Merciful."

But if they seek to deal treacherously with you-they have already dealt treacherously22 with G.o.d before! Therefore hath He given you power over them.

G.o.d is Knowing, Wise.

Verily, they who have believed and fled their homes and spent their substance for the cause of G.o.d, 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 a treaty. And G.o.d beholdeth your actions.

The infidels lend one another mutual help. Unless ye 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 G.o.d, and given the prophet an asylum, and been helpful to him, these are the faithful; Mercy is their due and a n.o.ble 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 blood23 are the nearest of kin to each other. This is in the Book of G.o.d. Verily, G.o.d knoweth all things.

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1 On this Sura, which relates mainly to the battle of Bedr, see Weil's M. der Prophet, p. 268.

2 At Medina.

3 The necessity for the combat and its probable result.

4 Muhammad had conceived the design of attacking an unarmed caravan belonging to the Koreisch on its way from Syria to Mecca. Abu Sofian, who had charge of it, sent to Mecca for succour, whence a body of nearly 1000 armed men at once set out to his a.s.sistance. Some of the Muslims were anxious to attack the caravan: others, notwithstanding the disparity of numbers, proposed to throw themselves upon the succours.

5 Idolatry.

6 In Sura [xcvii.] iii. the angels are said to be 3000.

7 Lit. thou didst not cast when thou didst cast, but G.o.d cast. This is explained of the miracle of the gravelstones and sand cast by G.o.d into the eyes of the Meccans at Bedr.

8 That is, by our victory over you.

9 Muhammad specially addresses the Mohadjers in this verse, i.e. those who had fled with him to Medin.

10 Twelve of the Koreisch had given camels and a large sum of money in aid of the Meccan succours.

11 Lit. hath preceded.

12 Before Islam it had been the custom among the Arabians to a.s.sign a fourth part of the booty to the leader of an expedition. See Freyt. Einl. p. 266.

13 That is, on the day of the battle of Bedr. See Sura xxi. 49, p. 154.

14 The mission of Gabriel to Muhammad with the promise of victory.

15 Compare the different account in Sura [xcvii.] iii. II. The commentators, however, get over the discropancy by explaining the apparent diminution of the Muslims at the commencement only of the battle, which had the effect of drawing on the enemy in self-confidence.

16 The angels fighting for the Muslims.

17 By inducing them to attack so greatly superior a force.

18 Thus Beidh. Or, more simply, render them the like.

19 Comp. Lev. xxvi. 8; Josh. xxiii. 10.