Be sure we shall test you
With something of fear
And hunger, some loss
In goods or lives or the fruits
(Of your toil), but give
Glad tidings to those
Who patiently persevere,—
To thee We sent the Scripture
In truth, confirming
The scripture that came
Before it, and guarding it
In safety: so judge
Between them by what
God hath revealed,
And follow not their vain
Desires, diverging
From the Truth that hath come
To thee. To each among you
Have We prescribed a Law
And an Open Way.
If God had so willed.
He would have made you
A single People, but (His
Plan is) to test you in what
He hath given you: so strive
As in a race in all virtues.
The goal of you all is to God;
It is He that will show you
The truth of the matters
In which ye dispute;
O ye who believe!
God doth but make a trial of you
In a little matter
Of game well within reach
Of your hands and your lances,
That He may test
Who feareth Him unseen:
Any who transgress
Thereafter, will have
A grievous penalty.
It is He Who hath made
You (His) agents, inheritors
Of the earth: He hath raised
You in ranks, some above
Others: that He may try you
In the gifts He hath given you:
For thy Lord is quick
In punishment: yet He
Is indeed Oft-forgiving,
Most Merciful.
Ask them concerning the town
Standing close by the sea.
Behold! they transgressed
In the matter of the Sabbath.
For on the day of their Sabbath
Their fish did come to them,
Openly holding up their heads,
But on the day they had
No Sabbath, they came not:
Thus did We make a trial
Of them, for they were
Given to transgression.
We broke them up
Into sections on this earth.
There are among them some
That are the righteous, and some
That are the opposite.
We have tried them
With both prosperity and adversity:
In order that they
Might turn (to Us).
There will every soul prove
(The fruits of) the deeds
It sent before : they will
Be brought back to God
Their rightful Lord,
And their invented falsehoods
Will leave them in the lurch.
He it is Who created
The heavens and the earth
In six Days—and His Throne
Was over the Waters—
That He might try you,
Which of you is best
In conduct. But if
Thou wert to say to them,
"Ye shall indeed be raised up
After death", the Unbelievers
Would be sure to say,
"This is nothing but
Obvious sorcery!"
And be not like a woman
Who breaks into untwisted strands
The yarn which she has spun,
After it has become strong
Nor take your oaths to practise
Deception between yourselves,
Lest one party should be
More numerous than another:
For God will test you by this;
And on the Day of Judgment
He will certainly make clear
To you (the truth of) that
Wherein ye disagree.
Said one who had knowledge
Of the Book: "I will
Bring it to thee within
The twinkling of an eye!"
Then when (Solomon) saw it
Placed firmly before him,
He said: "This is
By the grace of my Lord!
To test me whether I am
Grateful or ungrateful!
And if any is grateful,
Truly his gratitude is (a gain)
For his own soul; but if
Any is ungrateful, truly
My Lord is Free of all Needs,
Supreme in Honour!"
Therefore, when ye meet
The Unbelievers (in fight),
Smite at their necks;
At length, when ye have
Thoroughly subdued them,
Bind a bond
Firmly (on them): thereafter
(Is the time for) either
Generosity or ransom:
Until the war lays down
Its burdens. Thus (are ye
Commanded): but if it
Had been God's Will,
He could certainly have exacted
Retribution from them (Himself);
But (He lets you fight)
In order to test you,
Some with others.
But those who are slain
In the way of God,
He will never let
Their deeds be lost.