If (We had) not (sent thee
To the Quraish),—in case
A calamity should seize them
For (the deeds) that their hands
Have sent forth, they might say:
"Our Lord! why didst Thou not
Send us an apostle? We
Should then have followed
Thy Signs and been amongst
Those who believe!"
Nor was thy Lord the one
To destroy a population until
He had sent to its Centre
An apostle, rehearsing to them
Our Signs; nor are We
Going to destroy a population
Except when its members
Practise iniquity.
When Our Messengers came
To Abraham with the good news,
They said: "We are indeed
Going to destroy the people
Of this township: for truly
They are (addicted to) crime."
And when Our Messengers
Came to Lūṭ, he was
Grieved on their account,
And felt himself powerless
(To protect) them: but they said:
"Fear thou not, nor grieve:
We are (here) to save thee
And thy following, except
Thy wife: she is
Of those who lag behind.
Do they not travel
Through the earth, and see
What was the End
Of those before them?
They were superior to them
In strength: they tilled
The soil and populated it
In greater numbers than these
Have done: there came to them
Their apostles with Clear (Signs),
(Which they rejected, to their
Own destruction): it was not
God who wronged them, but
They wronged their own souls.
We did indeed send,
Before thee, apostles
To their (respective) peoples,
And they came to them
With Clear Signs: then,
To those who transgressed,
We meted out Retribution:
And it was due from us
To aid those who believed.
Ye have indeed
In the Apostle of God
A beautiful pattern (of conduct)
For any one whose hope is
In God and the Final Day,
And who engages much
In the praise of God.
When the Believers saw
The Confederate forces,
They said: "This is
What God and His Apostle is
Had promised us, and God
And His Apostle told us
What was true." And it
Only added to their faith
And their zeal in obedience.
But any of you that is
Devout in the service of
God and His Apostle,
And works righteousness,—
To her shall We grant
Her reward twice: and We
Have prepared for her
A generous Sustenance.
And stay quietly in
Your houses, and make not
A dazzling display, like
That of the former Times
Of Ignorance; and establish
Regular Prayer, and give
Regular Charity; and obey
God and His Apostle.
And God only wishes
To remove all abomination
From you, ye Members
Of the Family, and to make
You pure and spotless.
It is not fitting
For a Believer, man or woman.
When a matter has been decided
By God and His Apostle,
To have any option
About their decision:
If any one disobeys God
And His Apostle, he is indeed
On a clearly wrong Path.
O ye who believe!
Enter not the Prophet's houses,—
Until leave is given you,
For a meal, (and then)
Not (so early as) to wait
For its preparation: but when
Ye are invited, enter;
And when ye have taken
Your meal, disperse,
Without seeking familiar talk.
Such (behaviour) annoys
The Prophet: he is ashamed
To dismiss you, but
God is not ashamed
(To tell you) the truth.
And when ye
Ask (his ladies)
For anything ye want,
Ask them from before
A screen: that makes
For greater purity for
Your hearts and for theirs.
Nor is it right for you
That ye should annoy
God's Apostle, or that
Ye should marry his widows
After him at any time.
Truly such a thing is
In God's sight an enormity.