We said: "O Adam! dwell thou
And thy wife in the Garden;
And eat of the bountiful things therein
As (where and when) ye will; but approach not this tree,
Or ye run into harm and transgression."
But they will never seek
For death, on account of the (sins)
Which their hands have sent
On before them.
And God is well-acquainted
With the wrong-doers.
And remember that Abraham
Was tried by his Lord
With certain Commands,
Which he fulfilled:
He said: "I will make thee
An Imām to the Nations."
He pleaded: "And also
(Imāms) from my offspring!"
He answered: "But My Promise
Is not within the reach
Of evil-doers."
Even if thou wert to bring
To the people of the Book
All the Signs (together),
They would not follow
Thy Qibla; nor art thou
Going to follow their Qibla;
Nor indeed will they follow
Each other's Qibla. If thou
After the knowledge hath reached thee,
Wert to follow their (vain)
Desires,—then wert thou
Indeed (clearly) in the wrong.
And fight them on
Until there is no more
Tumult or oppression,
And there prevail
Justice and faith in God;
But if they cease,
Let there be no hostility
Except to those
Who practise oppression.
A divorce is only
Permissible twice: after that,
The parties should either hold
Together on equitable terms,
Or separate with kindness.
It is not lawful for you,
(Men), to take back
Any of your gifts (from your wives)
Except when both parties
Fear that they would be
Unable to keep the limits
Ordained by God.
If ye (judges) do indeed
Fear that they would be
Unable to keep the limits
Ordained by God,
There is no blame on either
Of them if she give
Something for her freedom.
These are the limits
Ordained by God;
So do not transgress them
If any do transgress
The limits ordained by God,
Such persons wrong
(Themselves as well as others).
Hast thou not
Turned thy vision to the Chiefs
Of the Children of Israel
After (the time of) Moses?
They said to a Prophet
(That was) among them:
"Appoint for us a King, that we
May fight in the cause of God."
He said: "Is it not possible,
If ye were commanded
To fight, that that ye
Will not fight?" They said:
"How could we refuse
To fight in the cause of God,
Seeing that we were turned out
Of our homes and our families?"
But when they were commanded
To fight, they turned back,
Except a small band
Among them. But God
Has full knowledge of those
Who do wrong.
O ye who believe!
Spend out of (the bounties)
We have provided for you,
Before the Day comes
When no bargaining
(Will avail), nor friendship
Nor intercession.
Those who reject Faith—they
Are the wrong-doers.
Hast thou not
Turned thy vision to one
Who disputed with Abraham
About his Lord, because
God had granted him
Power? Abraham said:
"My Lord is He Who
Giveth life and death."
He said: "I give life and death."
Said Abraham: "But it is God
That causeth the sun
To rise from the East:
Do thou then cause him
To rise from the West."
Thus was he confounded
Who (in arrogance) rejected
Faith. Nor doth God
Give guidance
To a people unjust.
How shall God
Guide those who reject
Faith after they accepted it
And bore witness
That the Apostle was true
And that Clear Signs
Had come unto them?
But God guides not
A people unjust.
If a wound hath touched you,
Be sure a similar wound
Hath touched the others.
Such days (of varying fortunes)
We give to men and men
By turns: that God may know
Those that believe,
And that He may take
To Himself from your ranks
Martyr-witnesses (to Truth).
And God loveth not
Those that do wrong.
Soon shall We cast terror
Into the hearts of the Unbelievers
For that they joined companions
With God, for which He had sent
No authority: their abode
Will be the Fire: and evil
Is the home of the wrong-doers!
And why should ye not
Fight in the cause of God
And of those who, being weak,
Are ill-treated (and oppressed)?—
Men, women, and children,
Whose cry is: "Our Lord!
Rescue us from this town,
Whose people are oppressors;
And raise for us from Thee
One who will protect;
And raise for us from Thee
One who will help!"