ترجمة معاني سورة البقرة
باللغة الإنجليزية من كتاب الترجمة الإنجليزية للمختصر في تفسير القرآن الكريم
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1. Alif Lām Mīm – letters like these begin certain sūrahs of the Qur’ān. Although they have no meaning in themselves, they do however have a purpose. Since there is divine wisdom contained in everything in the Qur’ān, these letters point to the miracle of the Qur’ān, made up of the letters which make up the words we speak. Therefore, when sūrahs begin with letters in this way, they are usually followed with a verse about the Qur’ān, as we see in this sūrah.
2. This is the Qur’ān, in which there is nothing of any doubt, neither in terms of its origin, nor in terms of its meaning. It is the word of Allah, guiding those who are mindful of Allah to the way that leads to Him.
4. They believe in the revelation that Allah sent down to you, O Prophet, and in that which He revealed to all the other prophets before you (peace be upon them), without distinction; and they have a definite belief in the Afterlife, with its rewards and punishments.
4. They believe in the revelation that Allah sent down to you, O Prophet, and in that which He revealed to all the other prophets before you (peace be upon them), without distinction; and they have a definite belief in the Afterlife, with its rewards and punishments.
5. The people who possess these qualities are on the path of guidance, and will be successful in this world and the next, gaining what they desire and being saved from what they fear.
6. Those who reject what Allah revealed to His Messenger continue on the wrong path in their stubbornness. So, it makes no difference whether you warn them or not.
7. Allah has sealed their hearts, locking inside them their falsehood, and has placed a seal on their hearing, so that they do not listen to nor accept the truth. He has put a cover over their eyes, so that they do not see the truth in its clarity. They will suffer greatly. After describing the disbelievers, who are at fault inside and out, He describes the hypocrites, who appear good on the outside, but are not so inwardly:
8. Among people are some who claim to have faith in Allah, when they actually do not believe.
9. They think that they can deceive Allah and the believers by acting outside as if they believe, while inside hiding their disbelief; but really, they only deceive themselves, without realising it. Allah knows all that is secret and hidden, and has told the believers what these people are like.
10. Allah increases the disease in their hearts, and they reap what they sow. Because they lied Allah increases the disease of doubts in their hearts, by adding hesitation to their uncertainty, hence they only gain what they deserve. They will have a painful suffering in the worst parts of Hell because they lied against Allah, and the people, and rejected the message brought by Muhammad (peace be upon him).
11. When they are told not to ruin things on earth – through their rejection of the truth, their disobedience and so on – they deny doing so, claiming that they only correct things and put them right.
12. The truth is that it is they who ruin things, but they do not admit this, nor do they know that their actions are the cause of all ruin.
13. When they are told to have faith as the companions of Muhammad (peace be upon him) did, they reply, looking down on people and making fun of them, saying “should we have faith like simple-minded people do?” In fact, it is they who are the fools, but they are unaware of this.
14. When the hypocrites meet the believers, they say, ‘We believe what you believe’, as they think it will benefit them if they act like this; but when they are alone with their leaders, they say, ‘We are really with you and follow you. We are only making fun of them when we say that we believe’.
15. Allah mocks the hypocrites for their mocking of the believers, and He will repay in equal measure for their behavior. They are treated as believers in this world, but will be repaid for their lying and deception in the next life. He allows them to become more and more lost and to do more and more wrong, so they remain confused and doubtful about the truth.
16. It is they who are the fools, because they exchanged faith for disbelief; and this exchange did not help them in any way, because they lost their faith in Allah and lost the way to the truth.
17. They are like someone who lights a fire, but when it has lit up what is around him, Allah takes away the light from the flames: leaving them in the darkness, unable to see. Allah shows us what the hypocrites are like with two examples: one related to fire, and the other to water. In the example related to fire, He compares them to someone who lights a fire to illuminate things, but when it is lit and he thinks he will benefit from its light, it goes out, smoldering and leaving him in the dark. Such people then remain in the dark, unable to see anything or find a way.
18.They are deaf: unable to hear and accept the truth, or speak about it. They are blind to seeing the truth, so they do not turn back from their error.
19. In the example related to water, a storm full of darkness, thunder and lightning is described. Some people are terrified by it and put their fingers in their ears because of the strength of the thunderclaps, scared of death. Allah surrounds the disbelievers, and has absolute power over them, so they cannot escape Him.
20. The brightness of the lightning almost blinds them. Whenever it flashes, lighting things up, they go forward and when there is no light they remain in darkness, unable to move. If God willed, He could take away their hearing and their sight, in His absolute power over all things; and not return it to them because they turn away from the truth. The rain in the storm could be likened to the Qur’ān, the thunderclap to its warnings, and the lightning to truths, appearing to them from time to time. The covering of their ears to the thunderclaps likened to their turning away from the truth, and not responding to it. The hypocrites are similar to the people in these examples because they receive no benefit from anything. In the example of the fire, all they receive is darkness and a smoldering fire. In the example of the storm-cloud, all they receive is fear and alarm because of the thunder and lightning. Similarly, the hypocrites see nothing in Islam except difficulty and harshness.
21. O people, worship no one other than your Lord, because He created you and the people before you, so that you may save yourselves from suffering, by following His instructions and keeping away from what He has prohibited.
22. It is He Who made the earth like a carpet spread out in front of you and it is He Who masterfully constructed the sky over you. Through His grace rain falls, producing different crops from the earth, as produce for you. Do not, then, consider others to be equal to Allah, when you know that He alone is worthy of being worshipped.
23. Allah challenges those who have any doubt about the Qur’ān revealed to His servant, Muhammad (peace be upon him), to produce a chapter just like it, and to call their helpers, if they are truthful about what they say.
24. If they are unable to do so – and they will never be able to do it – they should be mindful of the fire of Hell, which burns with people who deserve the torment, and with the idols which they used to worship instead of Allah: punishing both the idol-worshipers and what they worshiped. The fire of Hell has been prepared as a punishment for the disbelievers.
25. The warnings in the previous verses were for the disbelievers, so now the Messenger is told to address the believers: Give good news to those who have faith in Allah and do good, and tell them about that which will please them: gardens in Paradise, with rivers flowing beneath their palaces and trees. Whenever they are given fruits from the gardens to consume, they will comment on how similar they are to the fruits of the earth, saying, ‘This is similar to what we had before’. They will be given fruits that carry the same name and shape, so that they may recognise and desire them, but they will in fact taste differently. In the Garden they will be paired with their mates, who will not have any unpleasant traits that people have on earth; and they will live there in eternal bliss, unlike the bliss of the earth which is only temporary.
26. Allah does not shy away from using whatever example He wishes, whether that be of a gnat or anything bigger than it. The believers know and trust that there is wisdom in the use of such examples, while the disbelievers will make fun, asking each other why Allah uses examples with lowly creatures, such as gnats, flies and spiders. Allah replies that in these examples lie guidance, direction and a test for people. There are many people who are misguided by Allah through these examples, because they refuse to consider them; and there are many who He guides along the right path because they learn from them. He does not misguide anyone except those who deserve to be misguided. They are those who do not obey Him.
27.Those who break the promise they made with God to serve Him alone and follow His way. This is in the verse, “He made them testify concerning themselves: “Am I not your Lord?” They said, “Yes, we bear witness!” (7:172) He affirmed this by sending the prophets and the scriptures. Those who do not take their promises with God seriously are those who cut off from things which God instructed not to, such as blood relations and they work to spread corruption on earth through their wrongdoing. They are the losers in this world and the next.
28. Strange is the situation of the disbelievers. How can you disbelieve the Oneness of Allah when you can see the signs of His power in your own existence? You were nothing, and He brought you to life; then you will die, and you shall be brought to life again. Then you will return to Him and be held accountable.
29. It is Allah alone Who created everything on earth for you: the countless rivers, trees and so on, from which you benefit and enjoy. Then He turned to the sky, making it into seven heavens, and He has knowledge of everything.
30. Allah tells His Prophet and humankind that He said to the angels that He would put humans on earth who will give birth to other humans, to inhabit it according to His laws. The angels asked their Lord, trying to understand, what the wisdom behind making the children of Adam guardians of the earth was, when they would ruin things in it, and kill in it, while the angels always do as He tells them, and recognise His greatness, praising Him and honouring His power and perfection. Allah replied to their question, saying that He knew the deep wisdom behind His creation of them, and behind making them guardians, and the angels did not.
31. To reveal the position of Adam, Allah taught him the names of everything, living things and objects, their pronunciation and meanings. Then he put them before the angels, instructing them to tell Him the names if they were telling the truth when they said that they were a nobler and better creation than Adam.
32. Recognising their shortcomings and that everything comes from Allah, they said that they acknowledged that His judgement and sacred law could not be doubted, and that they had no knowledge except for the knowledge He had given them, accepting that He is the Knowing, from Whom nothing is hidden, and the Wise in His decrees and laws.
33. Then Allah told Adam to tell them the names. When Adam told the angels the names of things, as he had been taught, Allah reminded the angels that He had told them that He knew everything hidden in the heavens and the earth, and what they made public and what they said inside of themselves.
34. Allah reveals that He told the angels to prostrate to Adam out of recognition and respect, so they prostrated to him, eager to do as He told them, except for Iblīs, or Satan, who was originally from the jinn. Due to the excellence of his worship, Allah had entered Iblīs into the company of the angels; but he then returned to his lowly nature, refusing to prostrate as Allah told him to, and becoming proud towards Adam, leading to him becoming a disbeliever.
35. Allah told Adam to live with his wife, Eve, in the Garden, with nothing to ruin their bliss. They were instructed to consume the delightful food from anywhere in the Garden, but also to avoid going near a particular tree which they were forbidden to eat from. If they ate from the prohibited tree, they would become wrongdoers for disobeying Him.
36. Satan did not stop whispering to them, trying to trick them, until he made them slip and fall by eating from the tree which Allah had told them not to. For this Allah sent them out of the Garden, telling them and Satan to go down to the earth, some of them enemies to others, where they would stay and live, enjoying the good things there until their lifespan, and until the Final Hour arrived.
37. Adam received the words given to him by Allah, and was inspired to ask for forgiveness with them. These words of forgiveness are mentioned in Sūrah Al-A‘rāf: 23: ‘They said, “Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves. If You do not forgive us and have mercy on us, we will certainly be of the losers”’. Allah accepted Adam’s turning to Him and forgave him, for He is always forgiving and Merciful towards His creation.
38. Allah told them to go down together from the Garden to the earth, and said that when He sends guidance, through the prophets, those who follow it and have faith in His prophets will have nothing to fear in the world to come, and will not feel sorrow about what passed them by on earth.
39. As for those who disbelieve and deny His signs, they are the people of the fire of Hell, who will live there eternally.
40. O Children of the Prophet Jacob, remember the many blessings He gave you and be thankful for them. Fulfil your contract to Him, having faith in Him, His prophets and His sacred laws. If you fulfil your contract, He will fulfil His contract to you, as well as His promises to you of a good life on earth and a beautiful reward on the Day of Judgement. Fear Him alone and do not break His contract.
41. Also, have faith in the Qur’ān which Allah revealed to Muhammad (peace be upon him) confirming what came in the Torah, before its corruption, concerning the Oneness of Allah and the prophethood of Muhammad (peace be upon him), and do not be the first group to disbelieve. Do not exchange His signs – the verses which He has revealed – for the small price of position or leadership, and avoid His displeasure and punishment.
42. Do not hide the truth, which He revealed to His prophets, with lies and falsehood; and do not hide the truth of the description of Muhammad which came in His scripture, when you know what the truth is and are convinced of it.
43. Establish the prayers properly with its obligatory and recommended parts; give Zakat from your wealth, which Allah has put in your hands; and be humble to Allah with those who are humble of Muhammad’s nation (peace be upon him).
44. What is more immoral than telling others to have faith and do good when you, upon reading the Torah, turn away from it and forget it yourselves, while knowing that it orders you to follow Allah’s religion and have faith in His prophets? Have you then no sense?
45. Ask for help in sacred and worldly affairs, with patience and prayer, which bring you close to Allah and allow you to reach Him, so that He will help you, protect you and take away your difficulties. Prayer is a hardship except for those who are humble to their Lord.
46. The humble are convinced that they will meet their Lord on the Day of Judgement, that they are returning to Him and will be held accountable for their actions.
47. O Israelites, remember the sacred and worldly blessings which I gave to you, and that I favoured you over all those of your time in terms of prophethood and power.
48. Protect yourselves against the Day of Judgement by following Allah’s instructions and staying away from what He has prohibited. On that day no soul will be able to help another in any way, and no pleading on their behalf will be accepted to benefit them or protect them from harm, except with Allah’s permission, and no ransom will be taken, even if it were to be the earth filled with gold. They will have no helpers on that day. Without appeal, ransom or helper, to where will they turn?
49. O Israelites! Remember when Allah saved you from the people of Pharaoh, who were tormenting you, slaughtering your sons so you would not survive, and letting your women live so they could serve them, taking great pains to humiliate and insult you. When you were saved from the oppression of Pharaoh and his people, it was a great test for you from your Lord, to see if you would be thankful.
50. Remember Allah’s favour in saving you when He parted the sea and made it a dry path for you to go through, while drowning your enemies, Pharaoh and his followers, before your very eyes, as you looked on.
51. Also, remember that the forty nights appointed to Moses were from the blessings of Allah, in which the revelation of the Torah, with its light and guidance, was completed. Yet you went and worshipped the calf during that period, which made you into wrongdoers.
52. Then Allah forgave you when you asked for forgiveness, and did not take you to account for it, so that you might be thankful to Him, worshipping Him in the best way and doing as He instructed.
53. Also, remember that Allah’s giving Moses (peace be upon him) the Torah as a criterion between truth and falsehood, discriminating between guidance and misguidance, so that you might be guided to the truth through it, were from the blessings of Allah.
54. Also, remember that Allah’s allowing you to ask His forgiveness for worshipping the calf, when Moses (peace be upon him) told you that you had wronged yourselves by taking the calf as a god and worshipping it, were from the blessings of Allah. Moses told you to ask for forgiveness and repent to your Creator by some of you killing others, because turning to Him in this way was better for you than persisting in disbelief, which would lead to an eternity in the fire of Hell. So, you did this with Allah’s approval, and He forgave you, for He is Forgiving and Merciful with His servants.
55. Also, remember when you shamelessly addressed Moses (peace be upon him), saying that you would not believe him until you saw Allah with your own eyes, in the open before you, and the lightning struck you and killed you, whilst some of you looked at the others.
56. Then He brought you back to life after death so that you might be thankful to Him for the blessings He granted you in this way.
57. Another of Allah’s blessings was that He sent clouds to shade you from the heat of the sun when you were wandering the earth; and He sent down manna, a sweet drink similar to honey, and quails for you, telling you to consume of the good things He had provided you with. Their ingratitude and disbelief for these blessings did not affect Allah in any way, but they wronged themselves, losing their share from the good they had done and exposing themselves to suffering.
58. Remember, from Allah’s blessings upon you, when He told you to enter Jerusalem and abundantly consume, with ease, from the good things in it from any place you wanted. He told you to prostrate in humility to Him when you entered, asking Him to remove your sins, so that He might answer you, and increase those who do good actions, rewarding them in this way.
59. The wrongdoers among them changed what they were told to do and say, and entered dragging themselves on their rears, saying, ‘A grain in a hair’, mocking Allah’s sacred law. Due to their actions He sent down a torment from the sky upon the wrongdoers among them, because they trespassed over the limits of the law and disobeyed His command.
60. Remember, from Allah’s blessings upon you, when you were in the wilderness, and you suffered great thirst, so Moses prayed to his Lord and asked that He give you water. Allah commanded that he hit the rock with his stick, and when he hit it, twelve springs appeared from it, the same number as the number of your tribes. Water gushed from them, and Allah made clear to each tribe which was their spring to drink from, so that there would be no conflict between you. And He told you to eat and drink from what He provided for you, without any effort or work from you, and told you not to put your efforts into ruining things on earth.
61. Also, remember when you were ungrateful for the blessings of your Lord, and became tired of the manna and quails He sent down to you, and said that you would not put up with one type of food. So, you asked Moses (peace be upon him) to ask Allah to produce herbs, vegetables, cucumbers, grains, lentils and onions from the plants on earth for you to consume. Moses said, disapproving of your request, that you wanted to exchange manna and quails which were better and nobler and came to you without effort or work, for what was lesser and worse. You were told to go down from this land to any town, and that you would find what you had asked for in its fields and markets. Due to following whims and repeatedly turning away from what Allah chose for them, they were disgraced, given poverty and misery. They earned Allah’s anger, because they turned away from His religion, and disbelieved His signs, and unjustly and brutally killed His prophets – all because they rebelled against Allah and used to transgress His limits.
62. Those who have faith from the nation of Muhammad (peace be upon him) and from the communities who came before him – from the Jews, the Christians and Sabians (said to be a group who followed prophets who were of the faith of Abraham, peace be upon him) – will have their reward with their Lord. They will not fear what awaits them in the Afterlife, nor grieve over what happened to them on earth. This was the case before the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was sent. Now his message of Islam – devotion and dedication to Allah – is the only way of life accepted by Allah, as He said, ‘Whoever seeks a path other than Islam, it will not be accepted from him’ [ Sūrah Āl ͑Imrān: 85].
63. Remember when Allah made a contract with you: that you should have faith in Allah and His prophets. He raised the mountain over you, inspiring awe and warning you against breaking the contract, commanding you to take what He had revealed to you of the Torah seriously and carefully, not taking it for granted or being lazy about it. He told you to remember and reflect upon it, so that you might be careful about what you earn from Allah.
64. Yet after making a firm promise, you broke the contract and rebelled. If it had not been for Allah’s favour in His tolerance towards you, and His mercy, accepting when you asked for forgiveness, then you would be among the losers because of your turning away and rebellion.
65. You know well the story of your ancestors, who prepared to fish on the Sabbath when they were not allowed to do so, and did so through trickery. They set up nets in preparation for the Sabbath so Allah made them into monkeys, rejected and cast out, because of their trickery.
66. Allah made this village, which had transgressed the limits, an example to the surrounding villages, and an example to those who came after it, so that they would not do the same and deserve the same fate. He made it a reminder for those mindful of Allah, who are careful of facing the consequences of their actions in the life to come, and are mindful of Allah’s repayment for those who transgress the limits.
67. From the stories of your ancestors, remember what happened between them and Moses (peace be upon him) when he told them that Allah had instructed them to slaughter a cow. Instead of hurrying to do so, they said, stubbornly, ‘Are you making fun of us?’ Moses replied that he asked for Allah’s protection from being one of the ignorant people, who lied about Allah, and made fun of other people.
68. They asked Moses to call on his Lord to clarify what the cow they had been told to sacrifice was like. Moses told them that Allah said that it was neither old nor young, but was between the two; and he told them to do what Allah had instructed them to.
69. They continued debating and being stubborn, telling Moses (peace be upon him) to call on his Lord to make clear to them the colour of the cow. Moses told them that Allah said that it was a yellow cow, with a very strong colour, which was pleasing to everyone who saw it.
70. They continued in their stubbornness, telling Moses to ask Allah to further clarify the nature of the cow. They said that there were many cows fitting the description, and they could not therefore identify it, insisting that they would then, if Allah willed, be guided to the right cow for sacrifice.
71. Then Moses told them that Allah said the cow was not used for ploughing or irrigating the earth; she had no faults, and no marks of a different colour other than her yellow. They then replied that now he had brought them a detailed description, correctly identifying the cow. They sacrificed it, after almost not having done it, due to all their arguing and stubbornness.
72. Allah reminds the Israelites about when they killed one of their own. They accused each other of it, each rejecting the accusation of having killed him, and accusing someone else, until they fought. But Allah revealed what they were hiding about the murder of the innocent person.
73. Allah told them to hit the murdered man with a piece of the cow which they had been told to sacrifice. He would then bring him to life to tell them who the murderer was. They did this and he told them who had killed him. As this man was brought back to life by Allah, so will He bring the dead back to life on the Day of Judgement. Allah gives humanity clear signs of His power, to make them reflect and understand, and have true faith in Him.
74. Their hearts became hard after these great lessons and incredible miracles, until they became like rocks, and even harder than rocks, because they never changed, whereas rocks change and transform. Rivers spring from some rocks, and some split, and water comes out of them, gushing and flowing on the earth, benefitting people and animals. And some rocks fall from the heights of the mountains in awe of Allah. But their hearts were not like that. Allah is not unaware of anything we do, but knows everything, and will hold us to account for it.
75. O believers, do not expect, after knowing their true nature and how stubborn they are, that they will be truthful and respond to you. A group of their scholars heard the word of Allah, revealed to them in the Torah, and then changed its words and meanings after they had understood what it really meant; and they did this fully aware of the seriousness of the crime.
76. An instance of their inconsistencies and deviousness occurred when some of them met some believers and acknowledged the truth of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), and the correctness of his message, as the Torah witnessed to it. But when they were alone with one another they blamed each other because of these acknowledgments, saying that the Muslims might use them as proof that they recognised the truth of Muhammad’s prophethood.
77. They behave in this pathetic manner as if they are unaware that Allah knows what they hide, in terms of what they say and do, and what they reveal; but He will reveal it and expose them.
78. A group of them do not know how to read or write and do not know what is in the Torah or what it says. They have only lies which they heard from some of their leaders, and think it is the Torah revealed by Allah.
79. Misery and great suffering awaits those who write the scripture with their own hands, and then say, falsely, that it comes from Allah, exchanging the truth and guidance for a small gain in this world, such as money or leadership. They will experience misery and suffering because of what their hands have written, through which they told lies about Allah, and for whatever wealth or leadership they may gain through these lies.
80. They say, falsely, that the fire of Hell will not touch them and they will not be in it except for a few days. Ask them, O Muhammad, if they have had a promise from Allah that this will be the case: if they have had a promise, then Allah will not break His contract; or ask them if they are saying about Allah what they do not know.
81. It is not as they imagine. Allah repays those who reach the evil of disbelief, and whose disobedience dominates them, with suffering in the fire of Hell, where they will live eternally.
82. So those who have faith in Allah and His Prophet, and do good, will be rewarded with entry into the Garden, where they will live eternally.
83. Remember the promise made between Allah and the Israelites: to worship Him alone; to be kind to parents, relatives, orphans and the poor; to say good words to people, telling them to do what is right and not what is wrong, without harshness or severity; to perform the prayer as instructed; and to give Zakat to those who have a right to it. But all they did after making this promise was to turn away, rejecting the promise they had made.
84. Remember the contract Allah made with you in the Torah: forbidding you from killing each other and forcing people to leave their homes. You admitted the contract, and you witnessed its validity.
85. Then you broke the contract: some of you killing others, and forcing a group of them to leave their homes, assisted by their enemies, unjustly and with aggression. Then if prisoners came to you in the hands of enemies, you pay their ransom and rescue them from their captivity, even though making them leave their homes was forbidden to you. How is it that you believe in some of what is in the Torah about the ransom of captives, and reject some of it (about not killing each other and driving people from where they live)? For those of you who do that, there is only humiliation in this life and the most severe torment in the Afterlife. Allah knows what you do; in fact, He is fully aware, and He will hold you to account.
86. They are the people who exchange the Afterlife for this life, preferring what is temporary to what is eternal. Their suffering will not be lightened, and they will have no one to help them.
87. Allah gave Moses the Torah, and followed him with other messengers. He gave Jesus, the son of Mary, clear signs of the truth of what he came with, such as bringing the dead back to life and healing the blind and the lepers, and He strengthened him with the angel Gabriel, the Holy Spirit (peace be upon him). Yet is it, O Israelites, that whenever a messenger comes to you from Allah with what does not agree with your whims, you become full of pride towards the truth, looking down on the messengers of Allah? Do you reject a group of them and kill a group of them?
88. The Israelites argued that their stubbornness was because their hearts were wrapped in a cover, so that none of what was said to them could reach them, or make sense to them. On the contrary, Allah deprived them of His mercy due to their disbelief, so that they will not have faith.
89. The Qur’ān came to them from Allah, agreeing with the universal true principles of the Torah and the Gospel. Before it was revealed, they used to say that they would be helped against the idolaters, who worship others alongside Allah, and would have success over them when a prophet was sent, since they would have faith in him and follow him. But when the Qur’ān and Muhammad (peace be upon him) came to them, according to the description they recognised and the truth they knew, they disbelieved him. Allah curses those who disbelieve Him and His Prophet.
90. How miserable is what they accepted in exchange for their portion of faith in Allah and His messengers. They disbelieved what Allah revealed, and unjustly and enviously rejected His prophets, because He gave prophethood and the Qur’ān to Muhammad (peace be upon him). For disbelieving in Muhammad (peace be upon him) and for distorting the Torah beforehand, they deserved anger upon anger from Allah. A humiliating torment on the Day of Judgement will meet those who disbelieved in the prophethood of Muhammad (peace be upon him).
91. When this group of Jews was told to have faith in the truth and guidance that Allah revealed to His Prophet, they said that they believed in what had been revealed to their prophets, and denied anything besides this, and in what was revealed to Muhammad (peace be upon him), although the Qur’ān is the truth, confirming what Allah had already revealed to them. Had they truly believed in what had been revealed to them, they would have believed in the Qur’ān. So, ask them then, O Muhammad, why they killed the prophets of Allah before, if they really had faith in the truth they brought to them.
92. And also, your prophet Moses (peace be upon him), brought clear signs to you, proving that what he said was true. But after that you made the calf into a god and worshipped it, when Moses had gone to meet his Lord. You were wrongdoers for worshipping others alongside Allah, since only He is worthy of worship.
93. Remember when you made a binding promise with God to follow Moses, peace be upon him, and to accept what he brought from God. God raised the mountain over you so that you were awestruck, and told you to hold tightly and seriously to the scripture He had sent you, and to listen and follow what was revealed to you, if not God would make the mountain fall upon you, you said that you heard with your ears and rebelled in your actions. The worship of the calf took hold of their hearts because of their denial and ingratitude. O Muhammad, what their faith commands them to do is evil: disbelieving and turning away from what Allah instructs them to do – if they have any faith at all – because if they truly had faith they would not disbelieve and turn away from it.
94. Say, O Prophet: Jews, if Paradise in the Afterlife is just for you, and no other people will enter it, then wish for death, and ask for it, so that you reach this place quickly, and can rest from the burdens and worries of the life of this world, if you are truthful about what you claim.
95. They will never wish for death, because of what they have done in their lives: disbelieving in Allah, rejecting His prophets and distorting His scriptures. Allah knows the wrongdoers among them and other people: each person will be given what they have earned.
96. You will find, O Prophet, that the Jews are the most desirous for life, even if it is miserable and lowly. They are even greedier for it than the idolaters, who worship others alongside Allah, who do not believe in being brought back to life after death or in being held to account for what they have done. Despite being People of the Scripture, and believing in the resurrection and the reckoning, they would love to live a thousand years. Yet however long a life they might be given, it would not distance them from Allah’s punishment. Allah sees all that they do. Nothing is hidden from Him, and they will be given what they earn.
97. Say, O Muhammad, to those of the Jews who say that Gabriel is their enemy among the angels, that whoever is against Gabriel – who revealed the Qur’ān to your heart, with Allah’s permission, affirming the sacred scripture that came before it, such as the Torah and the Gospel, showing the way to what is good, and bringing the good news to the believers of the bliss Allah has prepared for them – then he is misguided.
98. Whoever stands against Allah, His angels and His prophets, and against His two angels Gabriel and Michael, then certainly Allah is a rival to the disbelievers from among you, and from other than you. Certain defeat faces whoever has Allah as his rival.
99. I have revealed to you, O Prophet, clear signs proving the truth of your prophethood and revelation. The only people who reject these signs, despite its clarity, are those who have abandoned Allah’s path.
100. Due to their corrupt state, a group of the Jews would always break any commitment that they made, including the duty to have faith in what the Torah revealed about the prophethood of Muhammad (peace be upon him). Most of them do not really have faith in what Allah revealed, because faith leads to keeping to and honouring commitments and promises.
101. When Muhammad (peace be upon him) came to them as a prophet from Allah, and he fitted the Torah’s description of him, a group of them turned away from the scripture that showed this, throwing it behind their backs, unmindful of it, not benefitting from its truth or guidance, like fools.
102. When they left the path of Allah, they followed instead what the satans said: lying about the kingdom of the Prophet Solomon (peace be upon him) by claiming that it was established through black magic. Solomon did not disbelieve by practicing black magic, as the Jews claimed; but the satans were disbelievers when they taught people the black magic revealed to the two angels, Hārūt and Mārūt, in the city of Babel in Iraq. These two angels would only teach black magic to someone after explaining that they were simply a trial and a test for people, warning them not to be ungrateful to Allah by learning it. Those who learned black magic from them but did not listen to their advice would, through it, separate a man and his wife by sowing hatred between them. These sorcerers are not able to harm anyone except with Allah’s permission and by His will. They learn what harms them and does not benefit them. This group of Jews knew that whoever exchanges the scripture of Allah for black magic will have no portion in the Afterlife. What an evil thing they sold their souls for when they exchanged the revelation and sacred law of Allah for black magic! If they had known what would benefit them, they would not have done something so disgraceful and clearly misguided.
103. If the Jews had really had faith in Allah, and been mindful to obey His sacred law and not rebel, His reward would have been far better for them, if they only knew.
104. Allah directs the believers to choose their words carefully, telling them not to say ‘rā‘inā’, meaning ‘look after us’ or ‘shepherd us’, when addressing the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), because some of the Jews would mock what they said, twisting the words when addressing the Prophet (peace be upon him) themselves, corrupting its meaning to mean ‘foolish’ or ‘evil’. So, Allah told them not to use these words in order to prevent such mockery. He instructed them to say ‘unẓurnā’ instead, meaning ‘watch over us’, because the use of this word has no negative implications. Without doubt, the disbelievers in Allah will have a painful torment.
105. The disbelievers, whether they are from the People of the Scripture or from among the idolaters, do not like that Allah should send down any good thing, big or small, to you. Through His mercy Allah favours whom He wills of His servants with prophethood, revelation and faith. Allah’s bounty is vast. No one in creation gets any good except that it is from Him, and it is from His bounty that He sent His Prophet and revealed His scripture to us.
106. Allah makes it clear that whenever He removes the ruling of a verse or some words from the Qur’ān, so that people forget them, He replaces them with something more beneficial for the immediate moment or for later, or with what is similar. Such cases occur because of Allah’s wisdom and knowledge. You know, O Prophet, that Allah has power over all things. He does as He wills, and rules as He wishes.
107. You know, O Prophet, that everything in the heavens and the earth belongs to Allah, and that He rules as He wills. He instructs His servants as He wills, and forbids them from doing what He wills, establishing the sacred law as He wishes, and abolishing what He wishes. Your only protector is Allah, Who will take care of you, and you have no other helper to protect you from harm. Allah is the protector and guardian of all, and has power over everything.
108. O believers, it is not right for you to question your Prophet, resisting and quarrelling with the revelation as the people of Moses questioned their prophet before, like when they said, ‘Show us Allah openly’ [ Sūrah Al-Nisā’: 153]. Whoever exchanges faith for disbelief has lost the balanced way, the right path.
109. Many of the People of the Scripture wish they could turn you back to worshipping idols as you did before you came to have faith because of envy, when it has become clear to them that what the Prophet came with is the truth from God. Forgive them what they do, and pardon them for their ignorance and for whatever is not good in them, until the command of God comes regarding them. God’s command came with its ruling, either Islam, or paying the Jizya or physical intervention. God has power over all things, and they do not affect Him in any way.
110. Establish the prayer with all its parts, both obligatory and recommended aspects, and give Zakat from their wealth to those who deserve it. Whatever good action they do in life before death will be a treasure for them: the reward of which they will find with their Lord on the Day of Judgement. Allah sees all that you do, and rewards everyone accordingly.
111. The Jews and the Christians each said that Paradise would be for them alone. These were just their vain wishes and imaginings. Tell them, O Prophet, in reply, to bring proof of what they were claiming if they were telling the truth.
112. All those who are sincere in repenting to Allah, doing good, serving Allah and following what the Prophet came with, will enter Paradise, no matter what group they come from. They will have their reward with their Lord. They will have no fear about what awaits them in the Afterlife, or feel sorrow about what passed them by in their lifetime. Regardless of someone’s original religious group – whether Jew, Christian, idolater other – successfully submitting to Allah is only now valid before Him by becoming Muslim, after the arrival of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
113. The Jews said that the Christians were not on the correct path and the Christians said the same about the Jews, although they both claimed to read the scriptures that Allah revealed to them, which contain the command to have faith in all the prophets without any distinction between them. In what they said, they are like those who know nothing, who worship others alongside Allah, rejecting all the prophets and the scriptures that were revealed to them. Allah will judge between those who disagree on the Day of Return. In His perfect and fair judgements, Allah tells His servants that there is no success without belief in all that He has revealed.
114. No one does greater wrong than those who stop the name of Allah being said in His Houses of worship, preventing the prayer and remembrance of Allah and the recitation of the Qur’ān in them, trying to destroy and ruin them, through tearing them down or stopping people from worshipping in them. Those who try to destroy them should not enter Allah’s places of worship, except fearfully and with trembling hearts, after their disbelief and having stopped people worshipping in them. They will have shame and humiliation in their life on earth at the hands of the believers, and in the Afterlife is a great torment for having stopped people from Allah’s Houses of worship.
115. Allah has authority over the entire world, and He instructs His servants as He wills. Wherever you turn, you will find Allah: He surrounds His creation. Whether He instructs you to face Jerusalem or the Kaaba, or you make a mistake in the direction of prayer or are not sure of it, then it is not an issue, because to Allah belongs every direction. Allah is vast in His blessings; He covers His creation with His mercy and ease. He knows their intentions and everything that they do.
116. The Jews, the Christians and the idolaters, who worship others alongside Allah, said that Allah had taken a son. He is far above and beyond such a thing, because He has no need of His creation, and no one has a son unless he is needy; and to Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. All created beings are His servants, in submission to Him, glory be to Him! They are His servants and He deals with them as He wills.
117. Allah is the Creator of the heavens and the earth and all that is in them; and there is nothing in creation that is like Him. If He decrees and wills something, He only says to it ‘Be’ and it is as He willed it. Nothing can stop His command and His decree.
118. Those without knowledge from among the People of the Scripture and the idolaters asked, in their stubbornness against the truth, why Allah did not speak to them directly, or why a miracle was not sent for them to see. Disbelieving communities said similar things to their prophets in the past: their hearts are all similar, because all disbelievers are the same, even if they are from different times and places. Allah makes His signs clear to those who are certain of the truth when it appears to them, not doubting or resisting it.
119. The Prophet was sent with the religion of truth, in which there is no doubt: to bring the good news of Paradise to those who have faith, and to warn disbelievers about the fire of Hell. The Prophet only had to clearly deliver the message: Allah will not ask him about those people in the fire of Hell who did not believe in him.
120. Allah addresses and warns His Prophet, telling him that the Jews and the Christians will never be happy with him unless he leaves Islam and follows what they do; and that if he, or one of his followers, were to do such a thing, after the clear truth has come to them, they would not find protection or help from Allah. This makes clear the seriousness of leaving the truth and of following people of falsehood.
121. The Qur’ān mentions a group from the People of the Scripture who know the revealed texts they have been given and follow them properly. They find in these scriptures signs pointing to the truth of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him); and because of this they immediately have faith in him. Another group sticks to its disbelief, and for them is loss.
122. O Israelites, remember the blessings, sacred and worldly, which I gave to you, and remember that I favoured you over those of your time with prophethood and authority.
123. Protect yourself from the torment of the Day of Return by following the instructions of Allah and keeping away from what He has prohibited, because on that day no soul will be able to help another soul in any way; no ransom will be accepted for it, no matter how great; and no one pleading on its behalf will benefit it, no matter how high their position. On that day, a soul will have no helper other than Allah.
124. The Qur’ān tells us that Allah tested Abraham (peace be upon him) by instructing him to fulfil commandments and obligations. Abraham obeyed, fulfilling the orders completely. Allah told His prophet Abraham that He would make his manners and behaviour an example for people to follow. Abraham asked Allah to make also his descendants leaders who people would be guided by. Allah replied by saying that His promise to him of sacred leadership would not extend to the wrongdoers among his descendants.
125. The Qur’ān relates that Allah made the Kaaba a place for people to return to, as a means of connecting their hearts to Him. When they travel from it, they return to it. It has also been made a safe place for them where they will not be attacked. Allah tells people to make the stone which Abraham stood on while he was building the Kaaba into a place of prayer. Allah instructed Abraham and his son Ishmael to purify the sanctuary from filth and idols for those who wish to worship in it, go around the Kaaba, stay there for worship, praying and so on.
126. Remember, O Prophet, when Abraham prayed to his Lord, asking Him to make Makkah a safe place, where no one would be faced with evil; and to provide the people who live there with all types of crops, and a special provision for those who have faith in Allah. Allah said that He would give some enjoyment to the disbelievers by giving them provision in this life; but in the next life they will be forced into the torment of the fire of Hell – a miserable place to which they return on the Day of Judgement.
127. Remember, O Prophet, when Abraham and Ishmael were raising the foundations of the Kaaba. As they did so, they asked with humility for Allah to accept all they did, including building the Kaaba. Allah hears what we say and knows our intentions and everything that we do.
128. They asked Allah to make them surrender in devotion to His command, humble towards Him, not worshipping anyone besides Him; and to make their children and their descendants a nation who also surrendered in devotion to Him. They also asked Allah to teach them how to worship Him, to forgive them for their faults and shortcomings in doing what He instructed them. He turns to those who ask for forgiveness and is compassionate towards His creation.
129. They asked Allah to send a messenger to their offspring from the descendants of Ishmael, to recite the revealed verses of Allah to them and teach them the Qur’ān and the Sunnah, and to purify them from worshipping others alongside Allah and from all evil. He is the Mighty in His essence, and the Wise in what He does and in His decrees.
130. No one turns away from the religion of Abraham, peace be upon him, to other ways of life except those who do not know their own worth, and are content with humiliation. God chose him as a messenger in this world and as a friend of God, and in the Hereafter he will be one of the righteous people who fulfilled what God required them to do, and so reached the highest levels.
131. Allah chose Abraham because of his swiftness in surrendering, telling him to be faithful and devoted to Him in worship and to humbly do as He instructed. Abraham replied to his Lord saying that he had surrendered in devotion to Him, Who created His servants, providing for them and taking care of their affairs.
132. Abraham advised his sons to also say, ‘I have surrendered to the Lord of people’; and Jacob told his sons to do the same. They told their sons that Allah had chosen for them the religion of surrendering in devotion, Islam, and to hold on to it tightly until they died, surrendering sincerely to Allah on the inside and the outside.
133. Were you present at the time of Jacob’s death, when he asked his sons what they would worship after he had died? They replied to him, saying that they would worship Allah, the Lord of his forefathers – Abraham, Ishmael and Isaac – namely, the One Allah without partners; and they said that they surrendered in devotion to Him alone and were bound to Him.
134. That nation has passed away like other communities. They gained whatever they did in their lives, earning either good or evil; and you will gain what you have earned. You will not be asked about what they did, and they will not be asked about what you do. No one is held to account for the disobedience of another, but everyone is rewarded according to their own actions. You should not be distracted from paying attention to your own behaviour by looking at what those before you did. Nothing will benefit anyone except his own good actions.
135. The Jews told the Muslims that they would have to be Jews if they were to be rightly guided; and the Christians told them that they would have to be Christians if they were to be rightly-guided. Tell them, O Prophet, in answer, that you follow the religion of Abraham, who turned away from other false ways of life to the way of truth. He did not worship others next to Allah, as some do.
136. Tell the Jews and Christians who make these baseless claims that you have faith in Allah and the Qur’ān which He revealed to you, and in what He revealed to Abraham and his sons Ishmael and Isaac, and to Jacob, and in what He revealed to the prophets from the descendants of Jacob. Say that you have faith in the Torah which Allah gave to Moses, and the Gospel which He gave to Jesus, and in all the scriptures that He gave to every one of the prophets, with no distinction between them, having faith in all of them, not only having faith in some and rejecting others. Tell them that you humbly surrender to Him alone.
137. If the Jews and the Christians, and other disbelievers, have faith in the same way that you do, then they have been guided to the right way of life which Allah is satisfied with. Yet if they turn away from faith because they reject all the prophets or some of them, then they are in disagreement and are against you. Do not be sad, O Prophet, because Allah will protect you from their harm and evil, and give you victory over them. Allah hears all that they say, and knows all their intentions and actions.
138. Hold tightly to the religion of Allah which is the natural way of life for you, on the inside and outside. There is no better way of life than the path of Allah, which agrees with our nature, benefiting us in every way and protecting us from evil and corruption. Say that you worship Allah alone and do not worship anything apart from Him.
139. If the People of the Scripture argue with you, saying they have more right to Allah and His religion than you do because their way of life is older and their scriptures came before yours, then it will not benefit them. Allah is the Lord of everyone, and He is not for them alone. Tell them, O Prophet, that you have your actions which they will not be asked about; and they have their actions which you will not be asked about. Everyone will be rewarded according to what they have done. Tell them that you are sincere to Allah in your worship and in doing as He instructs you, and that you do not worship anything apart from Him.
140. Or do you say, O People of the Scripture, that Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob and the prophets from Jacob’s descendants were on the path of the Jews or Christians? Ask, O Prophet, in reply to them, whether they are more knowledgeable or is Allah. If they claim that they were Jews or Christians, then what they say is false, because they were sent and died before the Torah and the Gospel were revealed. This shows that what they say is a lie against Allah and His Prophet, and that they hid the truth of what was revealed to them. No one does greater wrong than someone who hides firm evidence that they have from Allah, as some of the People of the Scripture did. Allah is not unaware of what you do, and you will be rewarded accordingly.
141. That nation passed away before you, and earned what they earned from what they did. They have earned for themselves from their own actions; and you have earned from your own actions. You will not be asked about what they did, and they will not be asked about what you do. No one is held accountable for the disobedience of someone else, and no one benefits from what someone else does. Each person will receive his reward, according to what they themselves do.
142. The foolish and weak-minded among the Jews, and those like them from among the hypocrites, will ask what turned the Muslims away from the prayer direction of Jerusalem, which was their direction of prayer before. Tell them, O Prophet, in reply, that to Allah belongs the east and the west and every direction, and He directs whomever He wills of His servants to whatever direction He wills. He guides whom He wills of His servants to the right path which is free of distortions and misguidance.
143. Just as I made a direction of prayer for you, I have chosen you to be a good, just and balanced nation from among all the communities: in your beliefs and your ways of worship and in your transactions, so that you will be witnesses for the prophets of Allah on the Day of Judgement, confirming that they delivered the messages Allah instructed them to deliver to their people; and so that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) will also witness that he delivered his message to you. Allah changed the direction of prayer that you used to face (Jerusalem) to demonstrate who was content with Allah’s decree, willingly doing as He instructed and following the Messenger; and to also demonstrate who turned away from his religion, following his own desires and not obeying Allah’s sacred law. The first change of prayer direction was difficult, except for those who Allah granted faith to and who were certain that whatever He decrees for His servants has far reaching wisdom and underlying reasons behind it. Allah will not make you lose your faith in Him, or your good actions, including the prayers you prayed before the change of prayer direction. Allah is kind and compassionate with people, not overburdening them, and they will not lose the reward for their actions.
144. God saw you, O Prophet, turning your face and gazing towards the heavens, anticipating revelation about changing the direction of prayer to the place you loved. God will turn you to a prayer direction which you will be pleased with, to the Sacred House of God, instead of the prayer direction you now face, so turn your face to the Sacred House of God in Makkah, and wherever you are, O believers, turn towards it to perform your prayers. Those who have been given the Scripture, the Jews and the Christians, know well that the change of prayer direction is the truth revealed from their Creator Who arranges and manages their lives, as it is clear in their Scripture. God is not unaware of what those who turn away from the truth do. He, glory be to Him, is aware of everything, and will reward them according to their actions.
145. By God! If you provided the Jews and Christians who have been given the Scripture with every sign and proof that the change of prayer direction was the truth, they would not face your prayer direction, stubborn against what you say and too proud to follow the truth. You will not face their prayer direction after God has directed you away from it, and they will not face the prayer directions of one another, because each group calls the other disbelievers, and because they follow their desires in the matter of the prayer direction and in other sacred laws and rulings, even after the true knowledge which was revealed to you and about which there is no doubt. If you were to leave guidance, and follow their desires, you would certainly be of the wrongdoers. Here God addresses the Prophet(s) directly to show how wrong it would be to follow them. Of course, God has protected the prophet himself from ever doing so, and this as a warning for his followers after him.
146. The scholars of the Jews and the Christians to whom Allah gave the scripture recognise Muhammad (peace be upon him) as completely as they recognise their own children and distinguish them from others. Nevertheless, a group of them hide the truth that has come to them, out of envy, fully aware that it is the truth.
147. This is the truth from your Lord, so make absolutely certain, O Messenger, that you are not one of those who doubt its truth.
148. Every nation has a direction they turn to, whether physically or spiritually. For this reason, there is a difference between them in their directions of prayer and in their sacred laws. There is nothing wrong with them facing different directions if it is by Allah’s command and law, so try to outdo each other, O believers, in doing the good actions that you have been instructed to do. Allah will bring you together from wherever you may be on the Day of Judgement, to reward you according to what you have done. Allah has power over all things. It is not difficult for Him to bring you all together and reward you.
149. Wherever you come from and wherever you are, you, O Prophet, and your followers are to face towards the Sacred Mosque (the Kaaba in Makkah) when you want to pray. It is the truth that has been revealed to you from your Lord. Allah is not unaware of what you do. Rather, He is aware of all that you do, and you will be rewarded accordingly.
150. Wherever you come from, O Prophet, when you want to pray, turn towards the direction of the Sacred Mosque; and wherever you may be, O believers, turn your face towards it if you want to pray, so that the people will have no argument against you, except those of them who are wrongdoers. They will remain in their stubbornness, arguing against you with the weakest of arguments. Do not fear them, but fear your Lord alone, following His instructions and keeping away from what He has prohibited. Allah instructed you to face the Kaaba to perfect His blessings upon you, distinguishing you from all other communities and guiding you to the noblest direction of prayer.
151. Allah blessed you in another way: sending a messenger to you from among you, who recites His verses, purifying you by directing you to virtue and goodness and forbidding you from evil and wrong, teaching you the Qur’ān and the Sunnah, and teaching you worldly and sacred knowledge which you did not know.
152. So, remember Allah with your hearts and your whole beings, and He will remember you with approval and protection, for you are rewarded according to what you do. Also, be grateful to Allah for the blessings He has given you, and do not be ungrateful by denying them or using them in prohibited ways.
153. O you who have faith in Allah and follow His Messenger, ask for help from Allah in everything, through the beauty of patience and by establishing the prayer in the way Allah has instructed. Allah is truly with those who are patient, giving them success and helping them.
154. Do not say, O believers, about those who are killed whilst striving in Allah’s path that they are dead just as others are; rather, they are alive with their Lord, but you do not realise that they are living, because the way in which they are alive can only be understood through revelation from Allah.
155. Allah will test people with different types of hardships: some with fear of those who are against them; hunger because of lack of food; lack of money because of losing it or difficulty gaining it; loss of lives due to death from diseases and tragedies that kill people, or being martyred for the sake of Allah; and a lack of resources from the earth. Give good news, O Prophet, to those who are patient in the face of these hardships, of what will make them happy in this world and in the Afterlife.
156. The patient are those who, when they are struck by one of these hardships, say, in acceptance, that all power belongs to Allah, He deals with us as He wills, and we will return to Him on the Day of Judgement, and it is He Who created us and showers us with many blessings; so, to Him is our return and our end.
157. Those who possess these virtues are praised by Allah in the highest gathering of angels, and mercy descends on them. They are the ones guided to the path of truth.
158. The two mountains known as Ṣafā and Marwah, near to the Kaaba, are landmarks of the clear sacred law. Whoever goes to the Kaaba to perform the acts of Hajj or Umrah, there is no fault in them walking between the two mountains. By clarifying that there was no fault in this action, Allah was comforting those Muslims who avoided walking between the mountains because they feared it was an unacceptable action from the time of ignorance before Islam; but Allah made it clear that the walking between the mountains was an acceptable act of Hajj. Whoever sincerely does what is recommended of voluntary sacred acts, Allah acknowledges them and rewards them. He is aware of who does good and is worthy of being rewarded.
159. Those Jews and Christians who hide the clear proofs which Allah revealed showing the truth of the Prophet and what he brought, after Allah had made it clear to the people in their scriptures, Allah removes them from His mercy; and all the angels, the prophets and people call for them to be removed from His mercy.
160. The exception is those who repent to Allah, asking for forgiveness, and regretting having hidden these clear signs, correcting what they do outwardly and inwardly, and making clear the truth and guidance which they had hidden. Allah accepts their repentance to Him. He turns to those who turn to Him, asking for forgiveness and regretting what they have done, and He forgives and is compassionate with them.
161. Those who disbelieve and die in disbelief, not having repented, they are condemned by Allah by being removed from His mercy; and the angels and people all call for them to be removed and excluded from Allah’s mercy.
162. They will always be condemned, and their punishment will not be lightened, not even for a day; and they will not be given any extra time on the Day of Judgement.
163. O people, your Allah is the true Allah, the One, unique in His essence and attributes. There is no other true god, and He is the Merciful and His mercy is vast. He is Compassionate with His creation, surrounding them with many blessings.
164. The following are clear signs of the Oneness of Allah, glory be to Him, for those who understand the evidence and proof: the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the wonders in them; the succession of night and day; the passing of life and death; happiness and sorrow; wealth and poverty; ships that sail through the waters of the sea, carrying food, clothing, trade and other things that people need and which benefit them; water that Allah sends down, bringing the earth to life with the agriculture and pasture that grows in it, and the living creatures He spreads out in it; the changing of the winds from one direction to another; and the clouds, controlled between the sky and the earth.
165. Even with these clear signs, there are people who take others besides Allah as their gods, considering them equal to Him, and loving them as they love Allah. Those who have real faith love Allah more than those others love their gods: they do not worship anyone besides Him; and they love Him in hardship and in ease, while those others only love their gods when things are going well – when things go badly, they call on Allah alone. If the wrongdoers could see with their own eyes the punishment that waits in the Afterlife for those who worship others with Allah and commit sins, then they would know that all power belongs to Allah alone and that He is firm in punishing those who stubbornly rebel. If they saw this, then they would not worship anyone with Allah.
166. Then the leaders who were followed in disbelief will reject the weak people who followed them because of seeing the terrors and hardships of the Day of Judgement; so, all ties and means of escape will be cut off from them.
167. The weak and those who followed will say, ‘If only we could go back to the earth, we would reject our leaders as they reject us’. Allah shows them the severe punishment in the Afterlife and the consequence of following their leaders in falsehood: regrets and sorrow, and they will never leave the fire of Hell.
168. O people, eat from the meat, vegetables and fruits of the earth which are lawful and good, and not harmful. Do not follow the actions of Satan and his evil whisperings: he is a clear enemy who is hostile to you – anyone with sense would not follow an enemy who wants to harm and mislead them.
169. Satan only commands harmful, evil actions and disobedience that will bring hardship, as well as for you to say things about faith in Allah and His sacred laws that have not been given to you by Allah or His Prophet.
170. If these disbelievers are told to follow the guidance and light which Allah revealed, they say, resisting stubbornly, that they will follow the beliefs and customs that their fathers followed. Do they follow their fathers even though they understood nothing of guidance or the light, and were not guided to the truth that Allah accepts?
171. The example of those who disbelieve and stubbornly follow the path of their fathers is like the example of the shepherd who shouts, calling to his animals that hear his voice, but do not understand what he says. They are deaf to hearing the truth so that it will benefit them, dumb as they are unable to speak about the truth, and blind to seeing it, and because of this they do not understand the guidance which you call them to.
172. O you who have faith in Allah and follow His Messenger, consume the good things that Allah has provided and allowed for you; and be thankful to Allah, outwardly and inwardly, for the overwhelming blessings He has given you. Part of being thankful to Him is acting with complete devotion to Him and not going against Him, if you truly worship Him alone, and do not worship anything besides Him.
173. Allah has only forbidden you from consuming that which died without being sacrificed according to the sacred law and having its blood flow, the meat of pigs and what has had other than Allah’s name mentioned over it when it was sacrificed. Yet if someone is forced to eat something of these forbidden types, and does not sin by eating it when they are not in need, nor do they go beyond the limit of what is necessary, then they have done no wrong and will receive no punishment. Allah is Forgiving and Compassionate to whomever repents to Him; and it is from His mercy that He overlooks the eating of forbidden things when it is necessary.
174. Those who hide what Allah revealed in the scriptures and the signs of the truth and prophethood of Muhammad (peace be upon him) – as the Jews and Christians did, getting something small in return for what they hide, such as leadership, status or money – they only fill their stomachs with that which will cause them to suffer in the fire of Hell. Then on the Day of Judgement, Allah will not speak to them with words that make them joyful; but they will only hear that which makes them sad: they will not be praised, and they will have a painful punishment.
175. Those who hide knowledge exchange guidance for misguidance, as they hid the truth, and exchange the forgiveness of Allah for His punishment. How determined they are to do things that will lead them into the fire of Hell, as if they do not realize what suffering it contains!
176. That punishment is what they get for hiding knowledge and guidance, because Allah revealed the sacred scriptures in truth, which must be made clear and not hidden. Also, those who disagree with the sacred scripture, believing some of it and hiding some of it, have taken a position that is far from the truth.
177. Doing good that pleases Allah does not just mean turning towards the east or the west or disputing about that. Rather, it is having faith in Allah as the only God, the Day of Judgement, all of the angels, all of the revealed scriptures and all of the prophets, without distinguishing between them; charitable spending, despite loving and valuing wealth, to relatives, orphans, the poor, the stranger who is cut off from his family and homeland because of a journey, and whoever has a need that makes it necessary for them to ask people for help; giving money to free slaves from captivity; establishing the prayer as Allah instructed; giving Zakat; being true to promises; and patience in poverty, hardship, illness and in times of conflict without fleeing. Such people are those who are true to Allah in their faith and in what they do. They are the Mindful who follow what Allah has instructed them to do, and who stay away from what Allah has prohibited.
178. O you who have faith in Allah and follow His Messenger, it is decreed for you that in cases where someone deliberately attacks and kills someone, the punishment for the murderer should be the same as their crime: the freeman killed for the freeman; the slave for the slave; and the female for the female. If the person killed had forgiven before his death, or his guardian has forgiven in return for the payment of blood money (a sum of money paid by the murderer in return for being pardoned), then the person who forgives should ask for the sum of money fairly, and not follow that up with insult or injury, and the murderer should pay the sum of money in a good way, without hesitation or delay. In allowing this forgiveness and the payment of the blood money your Lord makes things easier for you, and this is a mercy for the Muslim nation. Whoever attacks the murderer after his pardon and the acceptance of the blood money will receive a painful punishment from Allah.
179. In the law of equivalent punishment decreed by Allah there is life for you, because it spares your blood, stopping further attacks between you. Those with sense understand this: who are mindful of Allah, keeping to His sacred law and doing as He instructs.
180. It has been decreed for you that if one of you is about to die, and they are leaving a large amount of wealth behind, then they should make a will for their parents and close relatives, according to the sacred laws, not exceeding one third of the wealth (the rest of the wealth being distributed according to the laws of inheritance). Making this will is a firm duty on those who are mindful of Allah. This ruling was revealed before the verses about inheritance. When the verses about inheritance were revealed it was made clear who should inherit from the person who has died and how much they should inherit.
181. Whoever then changes the will, adding to it or taking away from it or stopping something when they know what the will contains, the sin of it will be upon those who changed it, and the person who wrote the will is not held responsible for what they did. Allah hears all that His creation say, and knows all that they do; and He knows every detail of the situations they are in.
182. Whoever knows that there is an error in judgement from the person who made the will, or that there is some injustice in it, and advises the person and rectifies the wrong, and reconciles between those who are in disagreement about it, then there is no blame on them; rather they are rewarded for putting things right. Allah is Forgiving towards whomever of His servants repents to Him, and is Compassionate with them.
183. O you who have faith in Allah and follow His Prophet, Allah has ordered you to fast, as He ordered those before you, so that you may become mindful of Allah, protecting yourself from His punishment by doing good actions – fasting being one of the best of these.
184. You are ordered to fast for a small number of days in the year. Yet whoever of you is ill, with an illness that makes fasting difficult, or travelling, then they do not need to fast; but they can make up for these days by fasting the same number of other days. Those who are able to fast, but do not, should compensate by feeding a poor person for every day they did not fast. Fasting is better for you than not fasting and feeding a poor person instead, if you only knew what goodness there is in fasting. This was the first of Allah’s laws about fasting: whoever wanted to fast did so; and whoever did not want to fast was permitted not to, and fed a poor person instead. Afterwards Allah made fasting a duty for every able person who has reached puberty.
185. The Qur’ān was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) on the Night of Decree in the month of Ramadan. Allah revealed it as a guidance for people, with clear proofs of its guidance, and the criterion between the truth and falsehood. Whoever reaches the month of Ramadan, and is well and healthy, is required to fast; and whoever is ill, or for whom fasting is difficult, or is travelling, then they may break their fast. If they do not fast then they must perform make-up fasts for the days they missed at another time. Allah intends ease, and not hardship, in what He decrees for you; and wants you to complete the right number of days and to glorify Him upon the completion of Ramadan, on the day of Eid, as He helped you and made it possible for you to fast, so that you thank Allah for guiding you to this religion which He has approved for you.
186. If they ask you, O Prophet, about how close Allah is and about His answering of prayers, Allah is close to them and knows everything about them. He hears their prayer, and they do not need intermediaries or to raise their voices. Allah responds to the call of whoever calls Him sincerely, praying to Him; so, let them be devoted to Him and His sacred law, firm in their faith, as that is the best route to Allah’s response – perhaps in that way they might be rightly guided in worldly and sacred matters.
187. At first it was not allowed for a man, if he had gone to sleep on the night of the fast and then woke up before dawn, to eat or drink, or approach his wife. Allah replaced this ruling, allowing you, O believers, to have relations with your wives during the nights of fasting. They are a protection for you, keeping you pure, and you are a cover for them, keeping them pure. You both need each other. Allah knew that you were betraying yourselves by doing what you were not allowed to, so He had mercy on you, turning to you when you asked for forgiveness, and made things easier for you. So, have relations with them, and seek the children Allah has decreed you, and eat and drink during the whole of the night, until the break of true dawn is clear to you. Then complete your fast, not consuming anything from the break of dawn until sunset. But do not have relations with your wives when you are in spiritual retreat in the mosques, because that invalidates the retreat. These laws are the limits of Allah: between what is allowed and what is forbidden– so do not go near them. Whoever goes near the limits of Allah is close to falling into what is prohibited. By clearly setting out such laws, Allah makes His signs obvious to people so that they may be mindful of Him, and do what He instructs and leave what He has prohibited.
188. Do not take each other’s wealth unjustly: robbing it or taking it by force or by cheating, and then making it a legal dispute in order to obtain other’s wealth wrongfully, when you know that Allah has prohibited that. Committing a sin knowingly is the worst of things and has the greatest of punishments.
189. They ask you, O Messenger, about the formation of the new moons and their changing states. Tell them in reply about the wisdom behind them: that they measure time for people, so that they know when to do their acts of worship, such as the months of Hajj and fasting, and the completion of the year for Zakat; they also fix the time frames of transactions, such as the deadlines for paying blood money or debts. It is not righteousness or goodness that you come to houses from the rear wearing your iḥrām for Hajj or Umrah, as they used to claim during the time of ignorance before Islam. Rather, true righteousness is the righteousness of whoever is mindful, outwardly and inwardly. So, enter houses from their correct doors, because it is easier for you and less troublesome. Allah does not overburden you with difficulty, so protect yourself from the punishment of Allah by doing good, in order that you may be successful in achieving what you wish for, and in escaping from what you fear.
190. Fight in order to raise the word of Allah, against those of the disbelievers who fight you to turn you away from the religion of Allah; but do not overstep the limits of Allah by killing children, women, the elderly, or by mutilating the dead and so on. Allah does not love those who overstep the limits He has established and made sacred.
191. And kill them where you come across them, and make them leave the place they made you leave - which is Makkah. And oppression that stops those who believe from worshipping, making them return to disbelief and ungratefulness is worse than killing. And do not fight with them in the Sacred Mosque, out of respect for it, unless they start fighting you there. If they start fighting in the Sacred Mosque, then kill them. And fighting them if they attack in the Sacred mosque is the reward of those who deny the truth.
192. If these aggressive disbelievers stop fighting you and stop disbelieving, then stop fighting them. Allah Forgiving to whomever repents to Him with regret, asking for forgiveness, and does not hold them to account for the disobedience they did before. He is Compassionate with them and not quick to punish.
193. Fight the disbelievers until they do not prevent people from Allah’s path and there is no disbelief, and until the dominant way of life is the path of Allah. But if they stop their disbelief and stop preventing others from the path of Allah, then stop fighting them. There is to be no aggression except against those who oppress, through disbelief and by preventing people from the path of Allah.
194. The sacred month in which Allah allowed you to enter the Sacred Mosque and perform Umrah in the seventh year after the Migration is a compensation for the sacred month when you were stopped by the idolaters from entering the Sacred Mosque in the sixth year after the Migration. The law of equality applies when the limits are overstepped in regards to sacred things, such as the sacred land, the sacred month and being in an ordered state of purity (iḥrām) for pilgrimage to the Sacred Mosque. When someone wrongs you in any of these, treat them as they treated you, but do not go beyond what they have done: Allah does not love those who overstep His limits. Be mindful of Allah by not going beyond what He has given you permission to do. Know that Allah is with those who are mindful of Him, giving them success and supporting them.
195. Spend your wealth in obedience to Allah, in striving for His sake, and do not throw yourselves into destruction, by leaving the struggle and spending for His sake, or by throwing yourselves into something that will cause your destruction. Behave with excellence and kindness in your worship, transactions and behaviour. Allah loves those who always do good: giving them a greater reward and leading them to true guidance.
196. Perform Hajj and Umrah in a complete way, seeking only Allah’s pleasure. If you are prevented from completing them by illness or an enemy, then you should sacrifice what is easily available of sacrificial animals, such as camels, cows or sheep, before you take off your Iḥrām, and do not shave your heads or cut your hair until the sacrificial animals have reached their place. If you are prevented from entering the Sacred Sanctuary, then perform the sacrifice wherever you have stopped; yet if you can enter it, then do it on the Day of Sacrifice (10th of Dhū Al-Ḥijjah) or at least within the days of tashrīq (11, 12 and 13 of Dhū Al-Ḥijjah). Whoever among you is ill or has some problem with his hair or his head, like lice or something similar, whoever shaved his head for that reason, then that is not a problem; but they should instead fast for three days, or feed six poor people from the area of the Sanctuary, or sacrifice a sheep to be distributed among the poor of the Sanctuary. If you are living in times of peace, then whoever takes the opportunity to perform Umrah in the months of Hajj, enjoying in between those things that are not allowed when performing the pilgrimages, they should sacrifice whatever is easily available: a sheep, or a seventh of a camel or cow. If they are unable to make a sacrifice, then they must fast for three days during the days of Hajj to make up for it, and seven more days when they return home, making ten days all together. This practice of having a break between Umrah and Hajj and sacrificing an animal or fasting for those unable to make a sacrifice is only for people who do not live within or close to the Sanctuary of the Sacred Mosque. As for those who live within the Sanctuary or close to it, they do not do this, because they have no need to due to their constant being there and enjoying being able to make Umrah or Tawaf freely any other time of the year. Be mindful of Allah by following what He makes sacred law, and by respecting His limits, and know that Allah is firm in punishing those who go against what He instructs.
197. The time of the Hajj is the well-known months, starting with the month of Shawwāl and ending on the 10th of Dhū Al-Ḥijjah. Sexual relations and things that lead to it are prohibited for any person who decides to perform the Hajj in these months once he enters the state of iḥrām. In addition, the prohibition of going against Allah by committing sins becomes even more emphasised at this time due to the sacredness of the time and place. The pilgrim may not quarrel with anyone: causing them to become angry and leading to a fight. If you do any good, Allah knows and will reward you for it. To perform the Hajj, take an adequate amount of food and drink, but remember that the best provision is being always mindful of Allah. O people of sound mind, fear Allah by fulfilling His instructions and avoiding His prohibitions.
198. There is no sin in seeking lawful provision by trading or other ways during the Hajj. When you leave Arafat after having spent the day there on the 9th of Dhū Al-Ḥijjah, and when you head towards Muzdalifah on the night before the 10th of Dhū Al-Ḥijjah, remember Allah by glorifying and praising Him and by praying to Him at the sacred place in Muzdalifah. Remember that Allah has guided you to the teachings of His path, and the acts of Hajj to His House: you were unaware of the sacred laws before this.
199. Then leave Arafat just as the Prophet Abraham used to do, and do not leave out stopping at Arafat as the people of ignorance used to do. Seek forgiveness from Allah for any defects in the performance of the Hajj, for Allah is Forgiving towards those of His servants who repent and He is Merciful towards them.
200. When you have completed the acts of Hajj, remember and praise Him much, just as you boast about and praise your forefathers – or even more than that because every favour that you enjoy comes from Him. People are different: some are disbelieving idolaters who only believe in this worldly life. Such people will only ask Allah for the blessing of this world and its beauty in the form of health, wealth and children, and will not receive anything of what Allah has prepared for His faithful servants in the Afterlife. This is because of their desire for this world and their neglect of the Afterlife.
201. Yet there is another group of people who have faith in Allah and the Afterlife who ask their Lord for blessing in this world and the ability to do good, just as they ask Him for entry into Paradise and safety from the punishment of the fire of Hell.
202. Those that pray for the good of this world and the Afterlife will receive their share of the great reward for their good actions in the world. Allah is swift in taking account of actions: He will reward those that do good and take those that do evil to task.
203. Remember Allah by saying, ‘Allāhu Akbar’ (Allah is greatest!), and, ‘Lā ilāhah illā Allāh’ (There is no god except Allah), on the 11th, 12th and 13th of Dhū Al-Ḥijjah. If anyone is in a hurry, he may leave Minā after pelting stones on the 12th of Dhū Al-Ḥijjah – and there will be no sin as Allah has granted that permission. It is also acceptable if someone stays to pelt stones on the 13th of Dhū Al-Ḥijjah – in fact, this is better and was the action of the Prophet (peace be upon him). All of this applies to those that are mindful of Allah during their Hajj and carry it out in accordance with Allah’s instruction. Be mindful of Allah by fulfilling His instructions and avoiding His prohibitions. Be sure that you will return to Him alone and He will recompense you for your actions.
204. There is a type of person who is actually a Hypocrite, but his speech with respect to the life of this world impresses you, O Prophet, and you consider him to be honest and sincere because of his wonderful words. However, his only goal in speaking words of faith is to protect his personal and financial interests. He calls Allah to witness that he has faith and goodness in his heart whilst he is in fact lying: he bears great hostility and hatred for the Muslims.
205. When this Hypocrite leaves you, he works hard to cause corruption by committing sins, and he destroys crops and kills animals. Allah does not love corruption in the land and He does not love those that cause corruption.
206. When this person who causes corruption is advised to be mindful of Allah by respecting His limits and avoiding His prohibitions, his pride and arrogance prevents him from repenting, and he continues to sin. The only appropriate reward for him is entry into Hell. What a terrible place to reside in for its inhabitants!
207. There is another type of person who is a believer, who will sell and give up his soul to follow his Lord and to strive in His path seeking His pleasure. Allah’s mercy for His servants is vast and He is Kind to them.
208. O you who have faith in Allah and follow His Messenger, enter Islam completely and do not leave out any part of it like how the People of the Scripture believed in some parts of the book and disbelieved other parts. Do not follow the ways of Satan, because he has made it clear that he is your enemy.
209. If you slip up or go astray after clear proofs have come to you, then know that Allah is Mighty in His ability and power, Wise in His planning and establishing of sacred laws. So, fear and glorify Him.
210. These people who follow the path of Satan, instead of the path of truth, are waiting only for Allah to come to them, as befits His majesty, on the Day of Resurrection in the shadows of clouds to judge them and for the angels to come and surround them from all sides. At that time, Allah will judge them once and for all. To Allah alone shall all affairs relating to creation return.
211. O Prophet, ask the Jews about how many clear signs proving the truthfulness of the messengers were given to them by Allah. Despite this they disbelieved and turned away from them. If anyone changes the favour of Allah into disbelief and denial after being aware of it and after it has become obvious, then Allah is strong in punishing the disbelievers and the deniers.
212. For those who disbelieve in Allah, the worldly life and its temporary pleasures and enjoyments have been made to seem glamorous. They mock at those who have faith in Allah and the Last Day. Those who are mindful of Allah by fulfilling His commands and avoiding His prohibitions will be above such people in the Afterlife when Allah will make them live in the gardens of Paradise. Allah gives without any limit or account to whichever of His creation He wishes.
213. People were one community. All of them were in agreement and guided following the way of their father Adam, until the Satan misguided them. They were then split into believers and disbelievers. For this reason, God sent messengers bringing good news of the mercy of God for those who had faith in Him and followed Him and warning the disbelievers of the severe punishment of God. Together with the messengers, God also sent books containing the undoubtable truth so that they could judge between people with respect to their disagreements. It was only those who were given the Torah that differed with regards to the matter of Muhammad (s) and his message despite its being clear. They did this out of injustice and jealousy. God then enabled the believers to recognise guidance from misguidance by His permission and will. God guides whoever He wishes to a perfectly straight path which is the path of faith.
214. Do you believers think that you will enter Paradise whilst you have not faced a trial like the people of the past? They were afflicted with severe sickness and poverty and were shaken by frightening events to the extent that they wanted the help of Allah to come as quick as possible; and the messenger and the believers with him began saying, ‘When is the help of Allah coming?’ The help of Allah is close to those that have faith and trust in Him.
215. Your Companions, O Prophet, ask you what they should spend from their wealth and where they should allocate it. Say to them in reply: Any permissible and pure wealth you spend should be given to parents, close relatives in need, needy orphans, the poor who have no wealth and the traveller who is cut-off from his family and home. Allah knows of any good you do as believers, no matter how small. Nothing is hidden from Him and He will reward you for it.
216. Fighting in Allah’s path has been chosen for believers even though it is something that is naturally disliked, because it means risking one’s life and wealth. However, you may dislike something when, it is good and beneficial. An example of this is striving in Allah’s path, which means – in addition to the great reward – the defeat of the enemy and promotion of Allah’s word. On the other hand, you may like something whilst it is bad and harmful to you, such as holding back from fighting: this will result in you being defeated and the enemy’s gaining authority over you. Allah knows full well what is good and what is not, whereas you do not. Therefore, follow His instruction which is better for you.
217. The people ask you, O Prophet, about the law regarding fighting in the sacred months of Dhū Al-Qa‘dah, Dhū Al-Ḥijjah, Muḥarram and Rajab. Say to them: Fighting in these months is a serious offence in the sight of Allah and is detested, just as the idolaters’ preventing from the path of Allah is also disapproved. Blocking the believers’ access to the Sacred Mosque and removing the people of the Sacred Mosque from it is worse than fighting in a sacred month in the sight of Allah. Their idolatry is worse than killing. The idolaters will continue their oppression by fighting you until they turn you away from your path of truth towards their false path, if they are able to. If anyone turns back from the path of Allah and dies disbelieving in Allah, his good actions shall be reduced to nothing and in the Afterlife he will end up in the fire of Hell, where he will live eternally.
218. Those who have faith in Allah and His Messenger, who leave their homes as emigrants towards Allah and His Messenger, and fight to promote Allah’s word are the ones who are eager for Allah’s mercy and forgiveness. Allah forgives the sins of His servants and is merciful towards them.
219. O Prophet! Your Companions ask you about wine (which refers to anything that impairs the mind or intoxicates it), with respect to the legal aspects of drinking, selling and purchasing it. They also ask you about gambling (which refers to wealth taken in a competition between two people in which both contribute to the winning total). Say in response to them: They both have many spiritual and material harms, such as loss of intellect and wealth and the creation of hatred and enmity. On the other hand, there are a few benefits, such as financial reward for the winner of a bet. However, the harm and sin resulting from them is greater than the benefit; so, a logical person should avoid such actions. This statement of Allah lays the foundation for the prohibition of wine. They also ask you, O Prophet, about the amount that they should spend in charity. Say in reply to them: Spend whatever is easy and in excess of your needs. With such clear explanations, Allah describes the sacred law to you so that you may reflect. Initially, this was the law regarding charity, but later Allah established the obligation of Zakat, which requires paying a set amount on certain possessions, if one has owned such possessions for a particular period of time.
220. Allah has established these rules so that you may think about what benefits you in this world and the Afterlife. Your Companions ask you, O Prophet, about the guardianship of orphans and how they should deal with them: whether they can mix their wealth with that of the orphans for expenses, food and accommodation? Say in reply to them: If you are kind to them by arranging their affairs without taking anything in return and without touching their wealth, it is better in the sight of Allah and carries greater reward. It is also better because you will receive your full wealth. However, there is no harm if you mix their wealth with yours for living expenses, as they are your brothers in faith and it is normal for brothers to help and look after the affairs of one another. Allah knows the guardian who, by mixing the wealth of orphans with his, means harm and the one who means well. If He wished to make it difficult for you with respect to orphans, He would have done so. Instead, He has made it easy for you to deal with them as the sacred law is based on ease. Allah is Mighty and nothing can overpower Him. He is Wise in His planning and legislation.
221. Do not get married, O believers, to those women who give partners to Allah until they have faith in Him alone and enter the path of Islam. A woman who is a slave but has faith in Allah and His Messenger is better than a free woman who worships idols, even though you may be impressed by her beauty and wealth. Do not give Muslim women in marriage to men who are idolaters. A slave man who has faith in Allah and His Messenger is better than a free man who is an idolater, even though he may seem impressive to you. Men and women who commit idolatry, invite by their statements and actions, towards that which will lead to entering the fire of Hell. Allah, on the other hand, invites to good actions which will lead to entry into Paradise and forgiveness of sins by His permission and grace. Allah makes His verses clear for people so that they may learn and act obediently.
222. O Prophet! Your Companions ask you about menses (which is the blood of menstruation that naturally comes out of the womb at certain times of the month). Say in reply to them: Menses is harmful to the man and woman, so avoid sexual intercourse during this time. Do not approach them for sexual intercourse until the blood stops and they have cleaned themselves by taking a bath. If the blood has stopped and they have cleaned themselves, then you may have sexual intercourse with them through the vagina in the manner that Allah has permitted for you. Allah loves those that frequently repent from their sins and are extra mindful of cleanliness.
223. Your wives are a place for you to sow your seed: they produce children for you just as the land produces crops. So approach the plantation, which is the vagina, from whichever direction and in whichever manner you wish as long as intercourse takes place in the vagina. Send forth something good for yourselves, such as having sexual intercourse with the intention of gaining closeness to Allah and with the hope of pious offspring. Be mindful of Allah by fulfilling His instructions and avoiding His prohibitions, such as those relating to women. Know that you are to meet Him on the Day of Resurrection and will have to stand before Him to receive the reward for your actions. O Prophet, give the believers good news of everlasting blessings that will surely please them when they meet their Lord: seeing His Blessed Face.
224. Do not use the name of Allah in your oath as an excuse for not doing good e.g. being mindful of Him, being virtuous, and reconciling between people. Yet if you have taken an oath not to do any good actions, then do good actions and make a compensation for the oath. Allah hears your statements and knows your actions and will reward you for them.
225. Allah will not take you to account for those oaths that you swear unintentionally, such as if someone carelessly says, ‘No, by Allah!’ or ‘Yes, by Allah!’ For such oaths there is no need to make any compensation, nor any further consequences. However, He will take you to account for intentional oaths. Allah forgives and tolerates the sins of His servants and is not hasty in sending punishment.
226. For those who swear an oath not to have sexual intercourse with their wives, there is a waiting period not longer than four months, starting from the date of the oath. If he abandons the oath and engages in sexual intercourse after having sworn not to, and this happens within the four months period, then Allah forgives them. Allah is merciful and has established compensation as a way out from such an oath.
227. If such a man is determined to continue his oath and so passes the four months period, intending by that a divorce, then Allah hears their statements, including the divorce, and He knows their states and intentions and will reward them for that.
228. Divorced women must not remarry after a divorce for three menstrual periods. If they are true in their faith in Allah and the Last Day, they may not hide the foetus that Allah has created in their wombs. Their husbands, who issued the divorce, have the first right to recall them during the waiting period if their intention is to live well with them and to cancel what has occurred because of the divorce. Wives have rights and obligations like those of husbands in a manner that people consider fair. Men have a higher rank than them in terms of responsibility and with respect to divorce. Allah is Mighty and nothing can overcome His decree. He is Wise in His legislation and planning.
229. The divorce, after which a husband may recall his wife, can only happen twice. He may divorce her the first time, recall her, divorce her again and recall her once more. After two divorces he must either keep her in his marriage, living in a good way with her, or divorce her for the third time, being good to her by fulfilling her rights. Then the wife is temporarily prohibited for him until she marries another man (see Sūrah Al-Baqarah: 230, below). At the time of divorce, husbands may not take any part of the dowry that they had given their wives. However, if a woman is unhappy with her husband because of his character or looks, and the couple are of the view that, because of this, they will be not be able to fulfil the rights of marriage, then they should present the matter to a person related to them or someone who is familiar with them. If they feel that the couple will not be able to fulfil the rights of marriage, then there is no harm if the woman offers to give something to the husband in return for a divorce. These laws of the shariah are the criterion for the lawful and unlawful, so do not overstep them. Whoever oversteps the limits of Allah with regards to the lawful and the unlawful, then such people are wronging their own selves by bringing them to destruction and exposing them to Allah’s anger and justice.
230. If the husband divorces her for the third time, he may not remarry her until she gets married to another man in a valid marriage that is genuine and not merely contracted to make her lawful for the original husband, and where sexual intercourse has taken place in this later marriage. Should the second husband divorce her or pass away, the woman and her first husband may return to one another with a new marriage contract and dowry, if they feel that they will fulfil the rights of each other set-out in the sacred law. These rules are made clear by Allah for people who know His laws and limits, as they are the ones who benefit from them.
231. When you divorce women and they approach the end of their waiting period, you have the right to take them back or to leave them in a good way until their waiting period is over. Do not take them back in order to oppress and harm them, as was the practice in the period before Islam. Whoever acts with the aim of causing harm to them has wronged himself by exposing himself to sin and punishment. Do not make Allah’s words the object of mockery and play. Remember Allah’s favours on you: most importantly, the revelation you have received in the form of the Qur’ān and Sunnah, through which He reminds you to encourage and warn you. Fear Allah by fulfilling His instructions and avoiding His prohibitions. Know that Allah knows everything and that nothing is hidden from Him. He will reward you for your actions.
232. When you divorce women less than three times and their waiting period ends, do not stop them from returning to their husbands with a new marriage contract if they wish to do so and they agree with their husbands. This law prohibiting them from being prevented is a piece of advice for that person who has faith in Allah and the Last Day. If you obey, this will bring greater good to you, and keep your honour and actions free of impurities. Allah knows the reality and outcome of matters, whereas you do not.
233. Mothers who intend to complete the period of breastfeeding should nurse their children for two full years. The husband and father of a child is responsible for the maintenance and clothing of a divorced mother who breast feeds her child in accordance with the customs of society that do not go against the sacred law. No person is burdened beyond what he is able to do. No parent is allowed to use the child as a means to harm the other. The heir (who would inherit from the child if the child were to pass away leaving behind wealth) shall be responsible, if the father dies without leaving any wealth, for the same obligations as that of the father. If the parents decide to wean the child before two years finish, then there is no sin on them, if this is done after full consultation and agreement that it is in the child’s best interests. If you wish to hire wet-nurses for your children instead of their mothers, there is no sin in doing so provided you pay the agreed wages of such wet-nurses without any shortfall or delay. Be mindful of Allah by fulfilling His instructions and avoiding His prohibitions, and know that Allah sees everything you do and nothing is hidden from Him. He will reward you for any action you do.
234. When someone passes away and leaves behind a wife who is not pregnant, it is the duty of such a woman to wait for a period of four months and ten days, in which she must not leave the husband’s home, beautify herself or get married. Once this period ends, there is no blame on their guardians if these women do these actions, which were previously prohibited during the waiting period, as long as it is done in a manner acceptable to society and the sacred law. Allah is well aware of what you do. None of your private or public actions are concealed from Him; and He will reward you for them.
235. There is no sin on you if you hint to your desire to propose to a woman who is still in her waiting period after a divorce or after the death of her husband. For example, a person may say, ‘When your waiting period is over, let me know’. There is also no sin on you if you keep this desire to yourselves. Allah knows that you will mention them because of your strong desire to marry, so He has allowed you to give a hint without being open. Beware of secretly making any promise to marry them whilst they are still in their waiting period. However, you may give a hint to them in the manner that is acceptable; but do not confirm the marriage contract in the period of waiting. Know that Allah is aware of what is in your hearts, so be mindful of Him and do not go against His instruction. Know that Allah Forgiving to the person who repents to Him; and that He is tolerant and does not often quickly punish.
236. There is no sin on you if you divorce your wives with whom you have entered into marriage before you have sexual intercourse with them and before you fix a dowry for them. If you must divorce them in such a situation, they will not be entitled to any dowry from you; but they must be given something that they will enjoy, to make it easy on their feelings. This must be done by both a rich and a poor man according to their means. This gift is binding on those who wish to do good in their actions and dealings.
237. If you divorce your wives with whom you have entered into marriage before having sexual intercourse with them and you had fixed the amount of the dowry, you will have to pay half of this amount to them, unless they give up this right of theirs or the husband wishes to pay the full dowry. To give up your right is closer to Mindfulness. Do not forget to show kindness and compassion to one another in matters of rights. Allah sees what you do, so try to do what is best to earn His reward.
238. Guard your prayers by fulfilling them completely as Allah has instructed. In particular, guard the middle prayer, which is the ‘aṣr (afternoon) prayer; and stand before Allah in submission and devotion.
239. If you face danger from an enemy or any other danger, and you are not able to offer the prayer completely, then pray whilst walking or riding, on camels, horses, or in any way you can. If the danger has gone, remember Allah as He has taught you: remembering Him in the most complete manner within the prayer. Also, remember Him for His having taught you guidance and given you light which you were previously unaware of.
240. Those of you that pass away leaving behind wives must make a bequest for them to be provided with accommodation and maintenance for a period of one year in which your heirs may not remove them. This is to make up for the loss they have suffered and in respect for the deceased. If they leave before the end of the year by their own choice, there will be no sin on either you or them for what they do with themselves in terms of their beautification. Allah is Mighty and none can overpower Him. He is Wise in His planning and legislation. It should be noted that most commentators are of the view that the law contained in this verse has been abrogated by the verse: ‘When someone passes away and leaves behind a wife who is not pregnant, it is the duty of these women to wait for a period of four months and ten days...’ [ Sūrah Al-Baqarah: 234].
241. Divorced women should be gifted something of clothing, money etc. This is to make-up for their emotional suffering because of the divorce. Such provision must be in keeping with the financial position of the husband; and it is a duty on those who are mindful of Allah by fulfilling His instructions and avoiding His prohibitions.
242. As with the previous explanation, Allah explains these verses – containing His limits and laws – to the believers so that they understand and practice them, and so achieve the good of this world and the Afterlife.
243. Do you not know, O Prophet, about those who left their homes in huge numbers fearing death due to the plague or something similar? This refers to a group of people from the Israelites. Allah said to them, ‘Die!’ and they did. Then Allah brought them back to life to show them that everything is in His Hands and that they have no control over any benefit or harm. Allah is Gracious and Bountiful to people, but most people are ungrateful for His favours.
244. Fight, O believers, the enemies of Allah: in support of His path and to promote His Word. Know that Allah hears your statements and knows your intentions and actions, and that He will reward you for them.
245. Who will act as a lender and spend his wealth in the path of Allah, willingly with a good intention so that this may come back to him multiplied? Allah restricts and widens provision and health in accordance with His wisdom and justice. In the Afterlife, you will return to Him alone and He will give you a reward for your actions.
246. Do you not know, O Prophet, about those nobles from the Israelites after the time of Moses who said to a prophet of theirs, ‘Set up for us a king and we will fight alongside him in Allah’s path’? The prophet replied, ‘It may be that if Allah makes fighting obligatory, you will not fight!’ They denied that this would happen and insisted, ‘What would stop us from fighting in Allah’s path when our enemies have removed us from our homes and have taken our children as prisoners?’ Yet when Allah made fighting obligatory on them, they all turned away, except a few of them. Allah knows the wrongdoers who broke their promise and turned away from His instruction; and He will repay them for their action.
247. Their prophet said to them, ‘Allah has appointed Saul as your king, under whose banner you must fight’. Their leaders objected to this appointment and said, ‘How can he rule over us when we have a greater right to rule than he does, since he is not from the children of kings and he has not been given vast wealth which he can use in his rule!’ Their prophet said to them, ‘Allah has selected him over you and has given him great knowledge and physical strength. Allah grants authority to whomever He wishes in accordance with His wisdom and mercy. Allah is Bountiful and grants to whomever He wishes. He knows which of His creation is most deserving’.
248. Their prophet said to them that the mark of his being truly chosen as their king was that Allah would return to them the Ark. This was a chest revered by the Israelites which was taken away from them. In it there was tranquillity and relics left behind by the family of Moses and Aaron, such as the staff and a few tablets. In that there is a clear sign if you are true believers.
249. When Saul set out with his warriors, he said to them, ‘Allah will test you with a river. If anyone drinks from it, he will not be on my path and must not join me in fighting. The person who does not drink from it will be on my path and will join me in the fight. If someone drinks a handful of water, this will be forgiven’. When they reached the river, all the warriors drank from its water, except a few of them who held back despite being extremely thirsty. After Saul had crossed the river with the believers, some of the warriors said, ‘We do not have the ability to fight Goliath and his army’. Those that were convinced that they would meet Allah on the Day of Resurrection said to them, ‘So many believing groups small in number have defeated a disbelieving group large in number with Allah’s permission and assistance. Victory is based on faith and not numbers. Allah is with the patient ones among His servants: He assists and gives them victory’.
250. When they came out to face Goliath and his army, they prayed to Allah, saying: Our Lord, grant us patience in our hearts, make our feet firm so that we do not flee or lose courage before our enemies, and give us Your assistance and support against the disbelieving people.
251. They defeated them by God’s will. The prophet of God, David, killed their leader Goliath and God gave him kingship and prophethood and taught him many sciences as He willed, including those that are beneficial for this world and those for the hearafter. If it were not the system of God to drive back the evil of some people by means of others, there would be corruption on earth as the evil ones would gain authority. However, God is Bountiful to all of His creation.
252. Those are the clear verses of Allah which are recited to you, O Prophet, and they contain true stories and just laws. You are one of the messengers of the Lord of the Worlds.
253. Allah favoured some of those messengers mentioned to you over others with respect to their revelation, followers and ranks. Some of them Allah spoke to, such as Moses, and others He granted a high rank, such as Muhammad (peace be upon him) – who was sent to the entire humankind as the last of the prophets and whose nation was preferred over all other communities. Allah gave Jesus, son of Mary, clear miracles confirming his prophethood, such as bringing the dead to life and curing the leper and the blind; and supported him with the angel Gabriel to give him strength in fulfilling Allah’s instruction. If Allah had willed, those that came after the messengers would not have fought amongst themselves after having received clear signs; but they disagreed and were divided. Some of them had faith in Allah, whilst others did not. If Allah had willed, they would not have fought with each other; but Allah does as He wills: He guides whomever He wills to faith through His mercy and grace, and He does not guide whomever He wishes by His justice and wisdom.
254. O you who have faith in Allah and follow His Messenger, spend from the different types of permissible wealth that Allah has provided for you before the Day of Resurrection comes. On that day, there will be no sale so that a person may buy something of use to him, nor friendship that will be of benefit at a time of difficulty, and no intermediary that will protect him from any harm or bring any benefit unless Allah allows. The disbelievers are in the wrong due to their denial of Allah.
255. Allah is the One Who alone deserves to be worshipped. He is the One who lives perfectly without any death or deficiency. He exists by Himself and is not in need of any of His creation. The creation only exists through Him and is always in need of Him. Drowsiness or sleep does not come upon Him due to the perfection of His life and existence. He alone controls the heavens and the earth. No one can intercede before Him without His acceptance and permission. He knows what has happened in the past and what will happen in the future. The creation has no share in His knowledge unless He wills to grant them some of it. His Throne covers the vastness of the heavens and the earth. It is not difficult for Him to preserve the heaven and the earth. He is High in His essence and attributes and Great in His dominion and authority.
256. No one is forced to enter the religion of Islam, as it is clearly the true religion and there is no need to force anyone to believe in it. Truth stands clear from falsehood. Whoever rejects all those things that are worshipped besides Allah and frees himself from them, and has faith in Allah alone, has held on to the strongest rope for salvation on the Day of Resurrection and which will never break. Allah hears the statements of His servants, knows their actions and will reward them accordingly.
257. God takes care of those who have faith in Him. He grants them success and victory and takes them out of the darkness of disbelief and ignorance into the light of faith and knowledge. The friends of the disbelievers are Satan and his assistants who make disbelief seem beautiful to them and who take them from the light of faith and knowledge into the darkness of disbelief and ignorance. They are the people of the Fire who will remain there forever. Allah takes care of those who have faith in Him: He gives them success and victory and takes them out of the darkness of disbelief and ignorance into the light of faith and knowledge. The friends of the disbelievers are Satan and his assistants who make disbelief seem beautiful to them, and who take them from the light of faith and knowledge into the darkness of disbelief and ignorance. They are the people of the fire of Hell who will live there eternally.
258. O Prophet, do you know about the arrogance of the rebellious one who argued with Abraham about Allah’s Lordship and Oneness? This happened because Allah had given him the power to rule, yet he transgressed and took advantage of his position. Abraham explained to him the attributes of his Lord by saying, ‘My Lord is the One Who gives life to the creation and causes them to die’. The rebel stubbornly said, ‘I too can give life and cause death. I can kill whomever I wish and pardon whomever I wish’. Abraham then put forward another stronger argument by saying to him, ‘The Lord I worship is the One Who brings the sun from the direction of the east; so, you should bring it from the direction of west!’ The rebel was shocked and defeated by this strong argument. Allah does not allow wrongdoers to be guided and traverse His Path because of their disobedience and rebellion.
259. Or do you know the example of the one who passed by a town in which the roofs had fallen, the walls had collapsed and the people had died, making it a deserted ruin? This man said in surprise, ‘How will Allah ever bring these people back to life?’ Allah then caused him to die for a period of one hundred years and then brought him back to life and asked him, ‘How long were you dead for?’ He replied, ‘I remained like that for one day or less than a day’. Allah then said to him, ‘Actually, you were like that for one hundred years. Look at the food you had with you, which has not gone bad in spite of this long period! Look at your dead donkey! I want to make you a clear sign for showing people the power I have to bring them back to life. Look at the bones of the donkey that are scattered. I will lift them, put them together, clothe them with flesh and then give them life again’. When he saw this, the reality became clear to him and he realized the power of Allah, and said in respect, ‘I know that Allah has power over everything’.
260. O Prophet, remember when Abraham said, ‘My Lord, show me how the dead come back to life’. Allah said to him, ‘Do you not have faith in this?’ Abraham replied, ‘I do have faith, but I just want to put my heart at ease’. So, Allah instructed him, saying, ‘Take four birds and tame them. Then cut them up into pieces and place a piece of each bird on the hills around you. Then call those birds and you will see that they will come quickly to you, having been brought back to life. Know, O Abraham, that Allah is Mighty in His dominion and Wise in His instruction and legislation’.
261. The example of the reward of the believers who spend their wealth in Allah’s path is like that of a grain that is planted by a farmer in fertile ground. This grain then produces seven spikes, each carrying a hundred grains. Allah multiplies the reward for whomever of His servants He wishes and gives them their reward without account. Allah is Bountiful and Giving and He knows who deserves to have their reward multiplied.
262. Those who spend their wealth for Allah’s obedience and pleasure, and do not destroy their reward afterwards by reminding people of their favour by their words or actions, will receive their reward from their Lord. They will have no fear for the future nor any grief over the past because of the great bounties they will be enjoying.
263. A kind word that makes a believer happy or forgiveness of the one who is ill-mannered is better than charity followed by harm caused by reminding the person of the favour. Allah is in no need of His servants; and because He is tolerant with them, He does not often quickly punish.
264. O you who have faith in Allah and follow His Messenger, do not ruin the reward of your charity by boasting about it and hurting the person to whom you gave it. A person who does this is like one who spends to be seen and praised by people, and does not have faith in Allah and in the reward and punishment on the Day of Resurrection. This is like a smooth stone on which there is some dust: when heavy rain falls onto it, the dust is washed away and the stone is left smooth with nothing on it. Similarly, the reward of the actions and charity of those who show off does not remain in the sight of Allah. Allah does not guide disbelievers to what pleases Him and benefits them in their actions and spending.
265. The example of believers who spend their wealth seeking Allah’s pleasure, with firm conviction in their hearts of Allah’s promise, is like that of a garden on high fertile ground on which heavy rain falls and causes it to produce double its crop. In addition, if it does not receive heavy rain then the light rain that falls on it is sufficient because the land is fertile. In the same way, the little that is spent by the sincere ones is accepted by Allah and its reward is multiplied. Allah sees what you do: He knows who is sincere and who is not, and will reward each one accordingly.
266. Do any of you wish to have a garden with date-palms and grapevines through which sweet waters flow and which has all kinds of wholesome fruit? When the owner of the garden becomes old and is no longer able to work and earn, and he has weak young children who also cannot work, a strong fiery wind strikes this garden and it burns down completely at a time when he is most in need of it because of his old age and for his weak young children. The condition of a person who spends his wealth to show people is like that of this man: when he comes before Allah on the Day of Resurrection, he will have no good actions at a time when he will be most in need of them. In this manner, Allah explains to you what will be of benefit to you in this world and the next, so that you may reflect.
267. O you who have faith in Allah and follow His Messenger, spend from the pure, wholesome wealth that you have earned and from the produce that we have taken out for you from the ground. Do not look for that which is inferior to spend, because if it was given to you, you would not take it willingly because of its poor quality. How, then, can you be satisfied with offering Allah that which you would not accept for yourselves? Know that Allah is no need of your spending and He is praised in His essence and actions.
268. Satan makes you afraid of poverty by encouraging you to be stingy, and he invites you to commit sins. Allah, on the other hand, promises you forgiveness for your sins and much provision. Allah is very bountiful and He knows the condition of His servants.
269. Allah grants the ability to whomever of His servants He wishes to be steadfast in their statements and actions. Anyone who is given this ability has been given much good. However, only those with sound minds, that seek enlightenment through His light, and guidance from His guidance, will pay attention and benefit from the signs of Allah.
270. Whatever you spend, no matter how little, for the pleasure of Allah, or any action that you promise to do for Allah without having been required to do it, Allah knows of it and it will not be lost. He will give you a great reward for it. Those who do wrong by not fulfilling their obligations and overstepping Allah’s limits have no one to protect them against the punishment on the Day of Resurrection.
271. If you openly declare what you spend in charity, it is a good act. But if you keep it secret and give it to the poor in private, this is better as it indicates sincerity. Charity that is given sincerely becomes the means of sins being covered up and forgiven. Allah knows what you do and nothing from your circumstances is hidden from Him.
272. O Prophet, you are not responsible for making them believe in the truth and submitting to it: your duty is to guide them to the truth and explain it to them. It is only Allah Who can bring them to the truth; and He guides whomever He wishes. The benefit of any good you spend comes back to you; Allah is in no need of it. So, let your spending be only for Allah’s sake: true believers spend only for Allah’s pleasure. You will receive the full reward for any good you spend, no matter how little, because Allah does not wrong anyone.
273. You should spend on those poor people who, because they are busy striving in Allah’s path, are unable to travel to earn a living. Due to their not asking, a person that is unaware will think that they are not in need. However, the person who knows will recognise them by the signs that are apparent on their body and clothing. They are unlike other poor persons who beg persistently. Allah knows of any good or wealth you spend and He will give you a great reward for it.
274. Those who spend their wealth for Allah’s sake at night and during the day, secretly and openly, without showing off or looking for fame, will have their reward from their Lord on the Day of Resurrection. As a favour and blessing from Allah, they will have no fear of what the future holds, nor any sadness over what they missed out on in the world.
275. Those who take interest will rise from their graves on the Day of Resurrection like a person who is afflicted by Satan: they will stand up from their graves and then fall like a person who is epileptic. This is because they made usury permissible and made no distinction between usury and that which Allah has permitted in terms of profit earned through sales transactions. They claimed, ‘Sale is like usury’, meaning that both are lawful since both lead to an increase in wealth. Allah refutes their comparison and explains that He has permitted sale because of the general and specific benefit it contains, and He has prohibited usury because it is oppressive and abusive of people’s wealth. The person who stops taking usury, and repents from his sin, after receiving Allah’s instruction prohibiting it and warning him against it, may keep the usury that he received in the past, without any sin. Then, whatever he does from then on, Allah will judge it. Whoever returns to taking usury after knowing of the prohibition deserves to enter the fire of Hell and to remain there eternally. The reference to remaining in the fire of Hell eternally in relation to those that believe in Allah’s Oneness is an indication of a long period of time; for only disbelievers will actually remain eternally in the fire of Hell.
276. Allah wipes out usury either by actually destroying it or by removing His blessing. Yet He increases charity and makes it grow by multiplying its reward by ten times up to seven hundred times or even more, and blesses those that give charity from their wealth. Allah does not love a stubborn disbeliever who considers the prohibited as lawful and persists in sins.
277. Those who have faith in Allah, follow His Messenger, do good actions, fulfil their prayers in a complete manner and give Zakat to those deserving it, they shall receive their reward from their Lord and shall not have any fear for their future nor any grief over anything they missed in the worldly life.
278. O you who have faith in Allah and follow His Messenger, fear Allah by fulfilling His instructions and avoiding His prohibitions, and do not demand any usury owed to you that remains with people, if you truly have faith in Allah and in His prohibitions.
279. If you do not obey the sacred law, then be aware and certain of war with Allah and His Messenger. If you repent to Allah and leave usury, then you can keep the initial amount that you had given as a loan from your capital, in a manner that does not wrong anyone by taking more than your initial capital and does not wrong you by making you receive less than it.
280. If the person from whom you demand your debt is in hard times and is unable to repay the debt, then refrain from asking until he is able to obtain money and then pay the debt. And to give charity to him by not demanding the debt or giving up a part of it is better for you, if you knew its worth in the sight of Allah.
281. Fear the punishment of a day in which you all will be returned to Allah and you will have to stand before Him. Then every person will be given the reward of any good or evil action he did. They will not be wronged by receiving a reward less than their good actions or a punishment more than their evil actions.
282. O you who have faith in Allah and follow His Messenger, when you enter a transaction that involves a debt – such as when you give a loan to one another for a fixed period –then write it down. The person who is able to write should write it down fairly and in accordance with the sacred law, and should not refuse to write down the debt in accordance with what Allah has taught him about writing justly. He should write what is dictated by the person against whom the right is so that it serves as an acknowledgement from him. He should be mindful of Allah and not reduce anything from the value or description of the debt. If the debtor is not experienced in undertaking transactions, young, insane or is not able to dictate due to being mute or for some other reason, then his authoritative guardian should dictate with fairness. Also, call two sane and upright men as witnesses. If two men are not found, then call one man and two women whose religion and honesty you are satisfied with, so that if one of the women forgets, the other can remind her. The witness should not refuse to be a witness to a debt and must testify if required. Do not be lazy to write down the debt, no matter how small the amount, as this is more just in Allah’s law, more reliable as evidence and more likely to remove any doubt in the type, amount or period of the debt. However, if the transaction is for an item that is present in exchange for a spot price there is no harm in not writing down, since there is no need to do so. Calling witnesses is legislated so that disputes do not arise. It is unlawful to cause any harm to the witnesses or the ones who write; nor may they cause any harm to those who request them to write or stand witness. If anyone causes harm, he is going against Allah’s sacred law. O people of faith, be mindful of Allah by fulfilling His instructions and avoiding His prohibitions. Allah will teach you what is best for you in this world and the Afterlife. Allah knows everything and nothing is hidden from Him.
283. If you are travelling and do not find anyone who can write down the debt for you, then the debtor can give a property to the creditor as a security for his right until the debt is paid. If you trust one another, it is not necessary to write the debt down, call witnesses or give a promise. In such cases, the debt will be the responsibility of the debtor, which he must fulfil and be mindful of Allah regarding it by not denying it later. If he later denies it, then the person who was present at the time of the transaction must give evidence and may not hide it. If anyone should hide evidence, it indicates that his heart is sinful. Allah knows what you do, nothing is hidden from Him and He will reward you for your actions.
284. To Allah belongs everything that is in the heavens and earth: He created, owns and controls all of it. Whether you show or hide what is in your hearts, Allah knows about it and will call you to account for it. Then He will forgive whomever He wishes out of His grace and mercy, and He will punish whomever He wishes out of His wisdom and justice. Allah is able to do all things.
285. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) believes in everything that was revealed to him by his Lord, as do the believers. All of them believe in Allah, all His angels, all His books that He revealed to the various prophets and all His messengers that He sent. They believe in such messengers without making any distinction between them. They say, ‘We have heard your instructions and prohibitions, and we obey You by following Your instructions and leaving Your prohibitions. We ask You to forgive us, O Lord, for in all our matters we return to You alone’.
286. Allah only burdens a person with actions that he is able to do. Allah’s religion is based on ease and not difficulty. If any person does good, he will receive the reward for it in full. If any person does evil, he will receive the punishment for the sin he committed and no one will carry it for him. The Messenger and the believers said, ‘O Lord, do not punish us if we forget or make a mistake in doing something or saying something unintentionally. O Lord, do not burden us with that which is difficult for us and which we are unable to do as you had tasked those before us who were punished for their wrongs. Do not give us such instructions and prohibitions which are difficult for us and which we are unable to fulfil. By Your grace, overlook our sins, forgive us and have mercy on us. You are our guardian and helper, so give us victory over the disbelievers’.
