* | quran | * | 33. al-ahzab. the allies      <   > 

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1.  *     O Prophet! Fear Allah, and hearken not to the Unbelievers and the Hypocrites: verily Allah is full of Knowledge and Wisdom.     PROPHET! Remain conscious of God, and defer not to the deniers of the truth and the hypocrites: for God is truly all-knowing, wise.     You, you the prophet, fear and obey God, and do not obey the disbelievers and the hypocrites, that truly God was/is knowledgeable, wise/judicious.     swr+ alaHzab bsm allh alrHmn alrHym ? yaayha alnby atq allh wlatT` alkafryn walmnafqyn an allh kan `lyma Hkyma
 
2.  *     But follow that which comes to thee by inspiration from thy Lord: for Allah is well acquainted with (all) that ye do.     And follow [but] that which comes unto thee through revelation from thy Sustainer: [Lit., "what is revealed to thee from thy Sustainer" - indicating that He is the source of all revelation.] for God is truly aware of all that you do, [O men].     And follow what is inspired/transmitted to you from your Lord, that truly God was/is with what you make/do an expert/experienced.     watb` maywHi alyk mn rbk an allh kan bma t`mlwn Kbyra
 
3.  *     And put thy trust in Allah, and enough is Allah as a disposer of affairs.     And place thy trust in God [alone]: for none is as worthy of trust as God.     And rely/depend on God, and enough/sufficient with God (as) a guardian/ally.     wtwkl `li allh wkfi ballh wkyla
 
4.  *     Allah has not made for any man two hearts in his (one) body: nor has He made your wives whom ye divorce by Zihar your mothers: nor has He made your adopted sons your sons. Such is (only) your (manner of) speech by your mouths. But Allah tells (you) the Truth, and He shows the (right) Way.     NEVER has God endowed any man with two hearts in one body: [Lit., "within him". In the first instance, this connects with the preceding passage, implying that man cannot be truly conscious of God and at the same time defer to the views of "the deniers of the truth and the hypocrites" (Razi). Beyond this, however, the above sentence forms a conceptual link with the sequence, which states that it is against the God-willed laws of nature - and, therefore, unreasonable and morally inadmissible - to attribute to one and the same person two mutually incompatible roles within the framework of human relationships (Zamakhshari).] and [just as] He has never made your wives whom you may have declared to be "as  unlawful to you as your mothers' bodies" [truly] your mothers, [This is a reference to the pre-Islamic Arabian custom called zihar, whereby a husband could divorce his wife by simply declaring, "Thou art [henceforth as unlawful] to me as my mother's back", the term zahr ("back") being in this case a metonym for "body". In pagan Arab society, this mode of divorce was considered final and irrevocable; but a woman thus divorced was not allowed to remarry, and had to remain forever in her former husband's custody. As is evident from the first four verses of surah 58 (Al-Mujadalah) - which was revealed somewhat earlier than the present surah - this cruel pagan custom had already been abolished by the time of the revelation of the above verse, and is mentioned here only as an illustration of the subsequent dictum that the "figures of speech [lit., "your sayings"] which you utter with your mouths" do not necessarily coincide with the reality of human relations.] so, too, has He never made your adopted sons [truly] your sons: [I.e., in the sense of blood relationship: hence, the marriage restrictions applying to real sons - and, by obvious implication, daughters as well - do not apply to adoptive children. This statement has a definite bearing on verses 37 ff. below.] these are but [figures of] speech uttered by your mouths - whereas God speaks the [absolute] truth: [Sc., by bringing into being the factual, biological relationship of parent and child in distinction from all man-made, social relationships like husband and wife, or foster-parent and adoptive child. In this connection it should be borne in mind that the Quran frequently uses the metaphor of God's "speech" to express His creative activity.] and it is He alone who can show [you] the right path.     God did not make/put to a man from two hearts in his interior/inside, and He did not make/create your wives which (F) you declare them as forbidden for you (Pre-Islamic form of divorce in which the husband declares his wife as forbidden to him as his mother) from them (F) (as) your mothers, and He did not make/create those named after you but not your children by birth/your adopted children your sons, that (is) your word/opinion and belief with your mouths, and God says the truth and He guides (to) the path/way.     maj`l allh lrjl mn qlbyn fy jwfh wmaj`l azwajkm allaYy tZahrwn mnhn amhatkm wmaj`l ad`ya'km abna'km Xlkm qwlkm bafwahkm wallh yqwl alHq whw yhdy alsbyl
 
5.  *     Call them by (the names of) their fathers: that is juster in the sight of Allah. But if ye know not their father's (names, call them) your Brothers in faith, or your maulas. But there is no blame on you if ye make a mistake therein: (what counts is) the intention of your hearts: and Allah is Oft-Returning, Most Merciful.     [As for your adopted children,] call them by their [real] fathers' names: this is more equitable in the sight of God; and if you know not who their fathers were, [call them] your brethren in faith and your friends. [I.e., "make it clear that your relationship is an adoptive one, and do not create the impression that they are your real children" - thus safeguarding their true identity.] However, you will incur no sin if you err in this respect: [I.e., by making a mistake in the attribution of the child's parentage, or by calling him or her, out of love, "my son" or "my daughter".] [what really matters is] but what your hearts intend - for God is indeed much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace!     Call them to their fathers, it is more just/equitable at God, so if you did not/do not know their fathers so (they are) your brothers in the religion, and your allies/friends, and an offense/guilt/sin is not on you in what you mistook/erred with it, and but what your hearts/minds made intentionally/purposely, and God was/is a forgiver, merciful.     ad`whm labaYhm hw aqsT `nd allh fan lm t`lmwa aba'hm faKwankm fy aldyn wmwalykm wlys `lykm jnaH fyma aKTatm bh wlkn mat`mdt qlwbkm wkan allh Gfwra rHyma
 
6.  *     The Prophet is closer to the Believers than their own selves, and his wives are their mothers. Blood-relations among each other have closer personal ties, in the Decree of Allah. Than (the Brotherhood of) Believers and Muhajirs: nevertheless do ye what is just to your closest friends: such is the writing in the Decree (of Allah..     The Prophet has a higher claim on the believers than [they have on] their own selves, [seeing that he is as a father to them] and his wives are their mothers: [Thus, connecting with the preceding mention of voluntary, elective relationships (as contrasted with those by blood), this verse points to the highest manifestation of an elective, spiritual relationship: that of the God-inspired Prophet and the person who freely chooses to follow him. The Prophet himself is reported to have said: "None of you has real faith unless I am dearer unto him than his father, and his child, and all mankind" (Bukhari and Muslim, on the authority of Anas, with several almost identical versions in other compilations). The Companions invariably regarded the Prophet as the spiritual father of his community. Some of them - e.g., Ibn Masud (as quoted by Zamakhshari) or Ubayy ibn Kab, Ibn Abbas and Muawiyah (as quoted by Ibn Kathir) - hardly ever recited the above verse without adding, by way of explanation, "seeing that he is [as] a father to them"; and many of the tabi in -- including Mujahid, Qatadah, lkrimah and Al-Hasan (cf. Tabari and Ibn Kathir) - did the same: hence my interpolation, between brackets, of this phrase. (However, see also verse 40 of this surah and the corresponding note.) As regards the status of the Prophet's wives as the "mothers of the believers", this arises primarily from the fact of their having shared the life of God's Apostle in its most intimate aspect. Consequently, they could not remarry after his death (see verse 53 below), since all the believers were, spiritually, their "children".] and they who are [thus] closely related have, in accordance with God's decree, a higher claim upon one another than [was even the case between] the believers [of Yathrib] and those who had migrated [there for the sake of God]. [See note on the last but one sentence of 8:75. As explained in that note, neither of these two passages (8:75 and 33:6) can be satisfactorily interpreted as bearing on the laws of inheritance: all endeavours to interpret them in that sense only do violence to the logical build-up and inner cohesion of the Quranic discourse. On the other hand, it is obvious that both passages have basically a similar (namely, spiritual) import - with the difference only that whereas the concluding sentences of Al-Anfal refer to the brotherhood of all believers in general, the present passage lays stress on the yet deeper, special relationship between every true believer and God's Apostle.] None the less, you are to act with utmost goodness towards your [other] close friends as well: [I.e., towards all other believers, as stressed so often in the Quran, and particularly in 8:75 (see preceding note): in other words, a believer's exalted love for the Prophet should not blind him to the fact that "all believers are brethren" 49:10. The extremely complex term maruf rendered by me in this context as "innermost goodness", may be defined as "any act [or attitude] the goodness whereof is evident to reason" (Raghib).] this [too] is written down in God's decree.     The prophet (is) more worthy/deserving with the believers than them selves, and His wives (are) their mothers, and (those) of the relations some of them (are) more worthy/deserving with some in God's Book/judgment than the believers and the emigrants, except that (E) you make/do to your allies/friends kindness/goodness, that was in The Book written/inscribed.     alnby awli balmWmnyn mn anfshm wazwajh amhathm wawlwa alarHam b`Dhm awli bb`D fy ktab allh mn almWmnyn walmhajryn ala an tf`lwa ali awlyaYkm m`rwfa kan Xlk fy alktab msTwra
 
7.  *     And remember We took from the prophets their covenant: As (We did) from thee: from Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus the son of Mary: We took from them a solemn covenant:     AND LO! We did accept a solemn pledge from all the prophets [This parenthetic passage connects with verses 1-3 above, and relates to every prophet's "pledge" - i.e., sacred duty - to convey God's message to man, and thus to act as "a bearer of glad tidings and a warner".] - from thee, [O Muhammad,] as well as from Noah, and Abraham, and Moses, and Jesus the son of Mary -: for We accepted a most weighty, solemn pledge from [all of] them,     And when We took/received from the prophets their promise/covenant, and from you, and Noah, and from Abraham, and Moses, and Jesus Mary's son, and We took/received from them a strong promise/covenant.     waX aKXna mn alnbyyn myxaqhm wmnk wmn nwH wabrahym wmwsi w`ysi abn mrym waKXna mnhm myxaqa GlyZa
 
8.  *     That ((Allah)) may question the (custodians) of Truth concerning the Truth they (were charged with): And He has prepared for the Unbelievers a grievous Penalty.     so that [at the end of time] He might ask those men of truth as to [what response] their truthfulness [had received on earth]. [Cf. 5:109 and, more particularly, 7:6 - "We shall most certainly call to account all those unto whom Our message was sent, and We shall most certainly call to account the message-bearers [themselves]".] And grievous suffering has He readied for all who deny the truth!     (It is for God) to ask/question the truthful about their truthfulness, and He prepared to the disbelievers a painful torture.     lysAl alSadqyn `n Sdqhm wa`d llkafryn `Xaba alyma
 
9.  *     O ye who believe! Remember the Grace of Allah, (bestowed) on you, when there came down on you hosts (to overwhelm you): But We sent against them a hurricane and forces that ye saw not: but Allah sees (clearly) all that ye do.     O YOU who have attained to faith! Call to mind the blessings which God bestowed on you (at the time) when [enemy] hosts came down upon you, whereupon We let loose against them a storm wind and [heavenly] hosts that you could not see: [Cf. 3:124-125 and the corresponding note. The present passage (verses 9-27) relates to the War of the Confederates (al -ahzab) - also called the War of the Trench (al -khandaq) - which took place in 5 H. AAt the instigation of the Jewish tribe of Banu n-Nadir, who had been expelled from Yathrib (Medina) after they had broken the treaty binding them to the Muslims, several of the most powerful Arabian tribes formed a confederacy with a view to overcoming, once and for all, the threat posed by Islam to the beliefs and many of the customs of pagan Arabia. In the month of Shawwal, 5 H., a force of well over 12,000 men, composed of the Quraysh and their allies - the Banu Kinanah, Banu Asad and the people of the coastlands (the Tihamah), as well as the great Najdi tribe of Ghatafan and its allies, the Hawazin (or Banu Amir) and Banu Sulaym - converged upon Medina. Forewarned of their coming, the Prophet had ordered a deep trench to be dug around the town - a defensive measure unknown in pre-Islamic Arabia - and thus brought the assault of the Confederates to a halt. At that point, however, another danger arose for the Muslims: the Jewish tribe of Banu Qurayzah, who lived in the outskirts of Medina and until then had been allied with the Muslims, broke the treaty of alliance and openly joined the Confederates. Nevertheless, during a siege lasting several weeks all the attempts of the latter to cross the trench - manned by the numerically much weaker and less well-armed Muslims - were repulsed with heavy losses to the attackers; dissensions, based on mutual distrust, gradually undermined the much-vaunted alliance between the Jewish and the pagan Arab tribes; in the month of Dhu l-Qadah their frustration became complete when a bitterly-cold storm wind raged for several days, making life unbearable even for hardened warriors. And so, finally, the siege was raised and the Confederates dispersed, thus ending the last attempt of the pagans to destroy the Prophet and his community.] yet God saw all that you did.     You, you those who believed, remember/mention God's blessing/goodness on you, when soldiers/warriors came to you, so We sent on (to) them a wind, and soldiers/warriors you did not see it (them), and God was/is with what you make/do seeing/knowing.     yaayha alXyn amnwa aXkrwa n`m+ allh `lykm aX ja'tkm jnwd farslna `lyhm ryHa wjnwda lm trwha wkan allh bma t`mlwn bSyra
 
10.  *     Behold! they came on you from above you and from below you, and behold, the eyes became dim and the hearts gaped up to the throats, and ye imagined various (vain) thoughts about Allah.     [Remember what you felt] when they came upon you from above you and from below you, [The Ghatafan group tried to take the trench by assault from the upper, eastern part of the Medina plain, while the Quraysh and their allies launched an attack from its lower, i.e., western part (Zamakhshari), and this obviously in consonance with their original lines of approach - the Ghatafan having come from the highlands (Najd), and the Quraysh from the coastal lowlands (the Tihamah).] and when [your] eyes became dim and [your] hearts came up to [your] throats, and [when] most conflicting thoughts about God passed through your minds: [Lit., "[when] you thought all [manner of] thoughts about God": i.e., "whether He would save you or allow your enemies to triumph".]     When they came to you from above you and from lower than you, and when the eyesights/knowledge deviated/turned away, and the hearts/minds reached the larynxes/voice boxes (throats), and you think/assume with God the thoughts/assumptions.     aX jaWwkm mn fwqkm wmn asfl mnkm waXa zaGt alabSar wblGt alqlwb alHnajr wtZnwn ballh alZnwna
 
11.  *     In that situation were the Believers tried: they were shaken as by a tremendous shaking.     [for] there and then were the believers tried, and shaken with a shock severe.     At that place and time the believers were tested, and they were shaken/trembled a strong (severe) shake/tremble.     hnalk abtly almWmnwn wzlzlwa zlzala $dyda
 
12.  *     And behold! The Hypocrites and those in whose hearts is a disease (even) say: "(Allah) and His Messenger promised us nothing but delusion!"     And [remember how it was] when the hypocrites and those with hearts diseased [This phrase obviously denotes here the weak of faith among the believers.] said [to one another], "God and His Apostle have promised us nothing but delusions!" [This is a reference to Muhammad's prophetic vision, at the time of digging the trench, of the future Muslim conquest of the whole Arabian Peninsula as well as of the Persian and Byzantine Empires (Tabari). Several authentic Traditions testify to the Prophet's announcement of this vision at the time in question.]     And when the hypocrites and those whom in their hearts (is) sickness/disease say: "God and His messenger did not promise us except deceit/temptation."     waX yqwl almnafqwn walXyn fy qlwbhm mrD maw`dna allh wrswlh ala Grwra
 
13.  *     Behold! A party among them said: "Ye men of Yathrib! ye cannot stand (the attack)! therefore go back!" And a band of them ask for leave of the Prophet, saying, "Truly our houses are bare and exposed," though they were not exposed they intended nothing but to run away.     and when some of them said, "O you people of Yathrib! You cannot withstand [the enemy] here: [I.e., outside the city, defending the trench.] hence, go back [to your homes]!" -- Whereupon a party from among them asked leave of the Prophet, saying, "Behold, our houses are exposed [to attack]!" -- The while they were not [really] exposed: they wanted nothing but to flee.     And when a group of people from them said: "You people (of) Yethrib, (there is) no position/status for you, so return." And a group/party from them ask the prophet for permission/pardon (E) they say: "That truly our houses/homes (are) weakly defended." And it is not with weakly defended, that truly they want except escape.     waX qalt TaYf+ mnhm yaahl yxrb lamqam lkm farj`wa wystAXn fryq mnhm alnby yqwlwn an bywtna `wr+ wmahy b`wr+ an yrydwn ala frara
 
14.  *     And if an entry had been effected to them from the sides of the (city), and they had been incited to sedition, they would certainly have brought it to pass, with none but a brief delay!     Now if their town had been stormed, [Lit., "if entry to them had been forced".] and they had been asked [by the enemy] to commit apostasy, [the hypocrites] would have done so without much delay [Lit., "and would not have tarried more than a little [while]".] --     And if (it) is entered on them from its sides/directions then they were asked (for) the treason, they would have given it (E) and they would not have delayed/remained with it (the treason) except little.     wlw dKlt `lyhm mn aqTarha xm sYlwa alftn+ latwha wmatlbxwa bha ala ysyra
 
15.  *     And yet they had already covenanted with Allah not to turn their backs, and a covenant with Allah must (surely) be answered for.     although ere that they had vowed before God that they would never turn their backs [on His message]: and a vow made to God must surely be answered for!     And they were had been (E) they promised God from before (they had before promised God that) they do not turn away (on) the backs/ends, and God's promise was questioned.     wlqd kanwa `ahdwa allh mn qbl laywlwn aladbar wkan `hd allh msWwla
 
16.  *     Say: "Running away will not profit you if ye are running away from death or slaughter; and even if (ye do escape), no more than a brief (respite) will ye be allowed to enjoy!"     Say: "Whether you flee from [natural] death or from being slain [in battle], flight will not profit you - for, however you fare, [Lit., "for then" or "in that case" (idhan), signifying here "however it may be".] you are not [allowed] to enjoy life for more than a little while!"     Say: "The escape/flight will never/not benefit you if you escaped/fled from the death/lifelessness or the killing/fighting, and then you do not be living long/enjoying except a little."     ql ln ynf`km alfrar an frrtm mn almwt aw alqtl waXa latmt`wn ala qlyla
 
17.  *     Say: "Who is it that can screen you from Allah if it be His wish to give you punishment or to give you Mercy?" Nor will they find for themselves, besides Allah, any protector or helper.     Say: "Who is there that could keep you away from God if it be His will to harm you, or if it be His will to show you mercy?" For, [do they not know that] besides God they can find none to protect them, and none to bring them succour?     Say: "Who that protects/shelters you from God if He willed/wanted bad/evil/harm with you? Or He willed/wanted mercy with you? And they do not find for them from other than God a guardian/ally, and nor a victorior/savior."     ql mn Xa alXy y`Smkm mn allh an arad bkm sw'a aw arad bkm rHm+ wlayjdwn lhm mn dwn allh wlya wlanSyra
 
18.  *     Verily Allah knows those among you who keep back (men) and those who say to their brethren, "Come along to us", but come not to the fight except for just a little while.     God is indeed aware of those of you who would divert others [from fighting in His cause], as well as of those who say to their brethren, "Come hither to us [and face the enemy]!" -- The while they [themselves] join battle but seldom,     God had known the hinderers, obstructers, disincentivators and delayers from you and the saying/speakers to their brothers: "Come to us." And they do not come/do (join) the war/hardship, except a little/few.     qd y`lm allh alm`wqyn mnkm walqaYlyn laKwanhm hlm alyna wlayatwn albas ala qlyla
 
19.  *     Covetous over you. Then when fear comes, thou wilt see them looking to thee, their eyes revolving, like (those of) one over whom hovers death: but when the fear is past, they will smite you with sharp tongues, covetous of goods. Such men have no faith, and so Allah has made their deeds of none effect: and that is easy for Allah.     begrudging you all help. But then, when danger threatens, thou canst see them looking to thee [for help, O Prophet], their eyes rolling [in terror] like [the eyes of] one who is overshadowed by death: yet as soon as the danger has passed, they will assail you [believers] with sharp tongues, begrudging you all that is good! [People like] these have never known faith - and therefore God will cause all their works to come to nought: for this is indeed easy for God.     Miser/stingy/careful on (to) you, so if the fear/fright came, you saw them looking to you, their eyes/sights turn/roll as who makes/becomes unconscious on him from the death/lifelessness (as who faints from fear of death), so if the fear/fright went away they harmed/stabbed you with sharp/hard tongues/speeches, miser/stingy/careful on the good, those they did not believe, so God wasted/invalidated their deeds, and that was on God easy/little.     a$H+ `lykm faXa ja' alKwf raythm ynZrwn alyk tdwr a`ynhm kalXy yG$i `lyh mn almwt faXa Xhb alKwf slqwkm balsn+ Hdad a$H+ `li alKyr awlYk lm yWmnwa faHbT allh a`malhm wkan Xlk `li allh ysyra
 
20.  *     They think that the Confederates have not withdrawn; and if the Confederates should come (again), they would wish they were in the deserts (wandering) among the Bedouins, and seeking news about you (from a safe distance); and if they were in your midst, they would fight but little.     They think that the Confederates have not [really] withdrawn; [Sc., "but would come back in force and resume the siege".] and should the Confederates return, these [hypocrites] would prefer to be in the desert, among the bedouin, asking for news about you, [O believers, from far away;] and even were they to find themselves in your midst, they would but make a pretence at fighting [by your side]. [Lit., "they would not fight except a little".]     They suppose (that) the groups/parties did not go and if the groups/parties come, they wish/love if that they truly are desert dwellers in the Arabs, they ask/question about your information/news, and if they were in (between) you, they would not have fought/killed except a little/few.     yHsbwn alaHzab lm yXhbwa wan yat alaHzab ywdwa lw anhm badwn fy ala`rab ysAlwn `n anbaYkm wlw kanwa fykm maqatlwa ala qlyla
 
21.  *     Ye have indeed in the Messenger of Allah a beautiful pattern (of conduct) for any one whose hope is in Allah and the Final Day, and who engages much in the Praise of Allah.     VERILY, in the Apostle of God you have a good example for everyone who looks forward [with hope and awe] to God and the Last Day, and remembers God unceasingly. [This verse (and the passage that follows) connects with verses 9 - 11 above, and especially with verse 11 - "there and then were the believers tried, and shaken with a shock severe" - which summarizes, as it were, their experiences during the critical days and weeks of the War of the Trench. Although it is addressed, in the first instance, to those early defenders of Medina who were thus exhorted to emulate the Prophet's faith, courage and steadfastness, the above verse is timeless in its import and its validity for all situations and conditions. Since the verb rajawa, as well as the noun-forms rajw, rujuww and raja derived from it, carry the connotation of both "hope" and "fear" (or "awe"), I have rendered yarju accordingly.]     (It) had been for you in God's messenger a good example/model to who was hoping/expecting God, and the Day the Last/Resurrection Day, and remembered/mentioned God much.     lqd kan lkm fy rswl allh asw+ Hsn+ lmn kan yrjw allh walywm alaKr wXkr allh kxyra
 
22.  *     When the Believers saw the Confederate forces, they said: "This is what Allah and his Messenger had promised us, and Allah and His Messenger told us what was true." And it only added to their faith and their zeal in obedience.     And [so,] when the believers saw the Confederates [advancing against them], they said, "This is what God and His Apostle have promised us!"- and, "Truly spoke God and His Apostle !" [These seem to be allusions to 29:2 (which may have been one of the last Meccan revelations) as well as to 2:155 and 214 (i.e., verses of the first surah of the Medina period).] -- and all this but increased their faith and their readiness to surrender themselves unto God.     And when the believers saw/understood the groups/parties, they said: "That (is) what God promised us and His messenger, and God was/is truthful and His messenger." And (it) did not increase them except belief and submission/surrender.     wlma rai almWmnwn alaHzab qalwa hXa maw`dna allh wrswlh wSdq allh wrswlh wmazadhm alaaymana wtslyma
 
23.  *     Among the Believers are men who have been true to their covenant with Allah. of them some have completed their vow (to the extreme), and some (still) wait: but they have never changed (their determination) in the least:     Among the believers are men who have [always] been true to what they have vowed before God; [Specifically, this verse is said to apply to certain of the Companions who vowed, at the time of the early campaigns, that they would fight until death at the Prophet's side (Zamakhshari); in its wider sense, however, it relates to all efforts involving a supreme sacrifice in God's cause.] and among them are such as have [already] redeemed their pledge by death, and such as yet await [its fulfillment] without having changed [their resolve] in the least.     From the believers (are) men, they were truthful (on) what they promised God on it, so from them who accomplished/carried out His vow or duty upon himself, and from them who awaits/watches, and they did not change exchange/change.     mn almWmnyn rjal Sdqwa ma`ahdwa allh `lyh fmnhm mn qDi nHbh wmnhm mn yntZr wmabdlwa tbdyla
 
24.  *     That Allah may reward the men of Truth for their Truth, and punish the Hypocrites if that be His Will, or turn to them in Mercy: for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.     [Such trials are imposed upon man] so that God may reward the truthful for having been true to their word, and cause the hypocrites to suffer - if that be His will - or [if they repent,] accept their repentance: [Cf. 6:12 "God, who has willed upon Himself the law of grace and mercy" - and the corresponding note.] for, verily, God is indeed much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace!     (It is to) God to reward/reimburse the truthful with their truthfulness, and He tortures the hypocrites, if He wants or He forgives on them, that truly God was/is a forgiver, merciful.     lyjzy allh alSadqyn bSdqhm wy`Xb almnafqyn an $a' aw ytwb `lyhm an allh kan Gfwra rHyma
 
25.  *     And Allah turned back the Unbelievers for (all) their fury: no advantage did they gain; and enough is Allah for the believers in their fight. And Allah is full of Strength, able to enforce His Will.     Thus, for all their fury, God repulsed those who were bent on denying the truth; [I.e., the pagans among the Confederates (see note on verse 9 above); their Jewish allies are mentioned separately in the next verse.] no advantage did they gain, since God was enough to [protect] the believers in battle - seeing that God is most powerful, almighty;     And God returned those who disbelieved with their anger/rage, they did not obtain goodness, and God stopped/prevented the believers (from) the fighting/killing, and God was/is powerful/strong, glorious/mighty 300     wrd allh alXyn kfrwa bGyZhm lm ynalwa Kyra wkfi allh almWmnyn alqtal wkan allh qwya `zyza
 
26.  *     And those of the People of the Book who aided them - Allah did take them down from their strongholds and cast terror into their hearts. (So that) some ye slew, and some ye made prisoners.     and He brought down from their strongholds those of the followers of earlier revelation who had aided the aggressors, [Lit., "them", i.e., the tribes allied against Muhammad and his community. The "followers of earlier revelation" (ahl al-kitab) referred to here were the Jews of the tribe of Banu Qurayzah, who despite their monotheistic faith had betrayed the Muslims and made common cause with the pagan Confederates. After the dismal rout of the latter, the Banu Qurayzah, anticipating the vengeance of the community which they had betrayed, withdrew to their fortresses in the vicinity of Medina. After a siege lasting twenty-five days they surrendered to the Muslims, forfeiting all that they possessed.] and cast terror into their hearts: some you slew, and some you made captive;     And He descended those who cooperated/supported (against) them, from The Book's people from their fortresses/strong holds, and He threw/hurled in their hearts/minds the terror/fright, a group/party you kill, and a group/party you capture/imprison.     wanzl alXyn Zahrwhm mn ahl alktab mn SyaSyhm wqXf fy qlwbhm alr`b fryqa tqtlwn wtasrwn fryqa
 
27.  *     And He made you heirs of their lands, their houses, and their goods, and of a land which ye had not frequented (before). And Allah has power over all things.     and He made you heirs to their lands, and their houses, and their goods - and [promised you] lands on which you had never yet set foot: [I.e., lands which the Muslims were to conquer and hold in the future. This clause - with its allusion to yet more prosperous times to come - provides a connection between the present passage and the next.] for God has indeed the power to will anything.     And He made you inherit their land and their homes/countries, and their properties/possessions, and a land you did not step on/set foot on, and God was/is on every thing capable/able.     wawrxkm arDhm wdyarhm wamwalhm warDa lm tTWwha wkan allh `li kl $Y qdyra
 
28.  *     O Prophet! Say to thy Consorts: "If it be that ye desire the life of this World, and its glitter,- then come! I will provide for your enjoyment and set you free in a handsome manner.     O PROPHET! Say unto thy wives: "If you desire [but] the life of this world and its charms - well, then, I shall provide for you and release you in a becoming manner; [By the time this verse was revealed (see note on verse 52 of this surah) the Muslims had conquered the rich agricultural region of Khaybar, and the community had grown more prosperous. But while life was becoming easier for most of its members, this ease was not reflected in the household of the Prophet who, as before, allowed himself and his family only the absolute minimum necessary for the most simple living. In view of the changed circumstances, it was no more than natural that his wives were longing for a share in the comparative luxuries which other Muslim women could now enjoy: but an acquiescence by Muhammad to their demand would have conflicted with the principle, observed by him throughout his life, that the standard of living of God's Apostle and his family should not be higher than that of the poorest of the believers.]     You, you the prophet, say to your wives: "If you were (F) wanting (F) the life the present/worldly life and its decoration/beauty, so come, I make you (F) enjoy, I divorce/free you (F), divorce/freeing gracefully (peaceful/quiet)."     yaayha alnby ql lazwajk an kntn trdn alHya+ aldnya wzyntha ft`alyn amt`kn wasrHkn sraHa jmyla
 
29.  *     But if ye seek Allah and His Messenger, and the Home of the Hereafter, verily Allah has prepared for the well-doers amongst you a great reward.     but if you desire God and His Apostle, and [thus the good of] the life in the hereafter, then [know that], verily, for the doers of good among you God has readied a mighty reward!" [When, immediately after their revelation, the Prophet recited the above two verses to his wives, all of them emphatically rejected all thought of separation and declared that they had chosen "God and His Apostle and the [good of the] hereafter" (recorded in several compilations of ahadith, among them Bukhari and Muslim). Some of the earliest Islamic scholars (e.g., Qatadah and Al-Hasan, as quoted by Tabari) held that the subsequent revelation of verse 52 of this surah constituted God's reward, as it were, for this attitude.]  SPECIAL RESPONSIBILITIES AND PRIVILEGES OF PROPHET'S WIVES     And if you were (F) wanting (F) God and His messenger, and the end's (other life's) house/home, so then God prepared to the good doers (F) from you (F) a great reward.     wan kntn trdn allh wrswlh waldar alaKr+ fan allh a`d llmHsnat mnkn ajra `Zyma
 
30.  *     O Consorts of the Prophet! If any of you were guilty of evident unseemly conduct, the Punishment would be doubled to her, and that is easy for Allah.     O wives of the Prophet! If any of you were to become guilty of manifestly immoral conduct, [Regarding this connotation of the term fahishah, see surah 4, second note on verse16. According to Zamakhshari, in his commentary on the present verse, this term comprises all that may be described as a "gross sin" (kabirah).] double [that of other sinners] would be her suffering [in the hereafter]: for that is indeed easy for God.     You, the prophet's women (wives), who does/commits from you (F) with an evident enormous/atrocious deed, the torture be doubled/multiplied for her two doubles, and that was/is on God easy/little.     yansa' alnby mn yat mnkn bfaH$+ mbyn+ yDa`f lha al`Xab D`fyn wkan Xlk `li allh ysyra
 
31.  *     But any of you that is devout in the service of Allah and His Messenger, and works righteousness,- to her shall We grant her reward twice: and We have prepared for her a generous Sustenance.     But if any of you devoutly obeys God and His Apostle and does good deeds, on her shall We bestow her reward twice-over: for We shall have readied for her a most excellent sustenance [in the life to come]. [See note on 8:4.]     And who from you obeys humbly to God and His messenger and makes/does correct/righteous deeds, We give/bring her her reward twice, and We prepared for her an honoured/generous provision.     wmn yqnt mnkn llh wrswlh wt`ml SalHa nWtha ajrha mrtyn wa`tdna lha rzqa kryma
 
32.  *     O Consorts of the Prophet! Ye are not like any of the (other) women: if ye do fear ((Allah)), be not too complacent of speech, lest one in whose heart is a disease should be moved with desire: but speak ye a speech (that is) just.     O wives of the Prophet! You are not like any of the [other] women, provided that you remain [truly] conscious of God. [Sc., "and, thus, conscious of your special position as the consorts of God's Apostle and mothers of the believers".] Hence, be not over-soft in your speech, lest any whose heart is diseased should be moved to desire [you]: but, withal, speak in a kindly way.     You, the prophet's women (wives), you are not as anyone from the women, if you feared and obeyed so do not soften/submit/obey with the word/opinion and belief, so wishes/desires who in his heart/mind (is) sickness/disease, and say (F) a kind/generous word/opinion and belief.     yansa' alnby lstn kaHd mn alnsa' an atqytn fla tKD`n balqwl fyTm` alXy fy qlbh mrD wqln qwla m`rwfa
 
33.  *     And stay quietly in your houses, and make not a dazzling display, like that of the former Times of Ignorance; and establish regular Prayer, and give regular Charity; and obey Allah and His Messenger. And Allah only wishes to remove all abomination from you, ye members of the Family, and to make you pure and spotless.     And abide quietly in your homes, and do not flaunt your charms as they used to flaunt them in the old days of pagan ignorance; [The term jahiliyyah denotes the period of a people's - or civilization's - moral ignorance between the obliteration of one prophetic teaching and the emergence of another; and, more specifically, the period of Arabian paganism before the advent of Muhammad. Apart from these historical connotations, however, the term describes the state of moral ignorance or unconsciousness in its general sense, irrespective of time or social environment. (See also note on 5:50.)] and be constant in prayer, and render the purifying dues, and pay heed unto God and His Apostle: for God only wants to remove from you all that might be loathsome, O you members of the [Prophet's] household, and to purify you to utmost purity.     And join/dwell/be respected in your houses/homes, and do not show your beauty/decoration, the first pre-Islamic paganism's/ignorance's showing off (of) beauty/decoration, and stand/keep up (F) the prayers, and give/bring the charity/purification, and obey God and His messenger, truly God wants to eliminate/wipe off from you the filth/torture, people (of) the House/Home, and He purifies you purification.     wqrn fy bywtkn wlatbrjn tbrj aljahly+ alawli waqmn alSla+ watyn alzka+ waT`n allh wrswlh anma yryd allh lyXhb `nkm alrjs ahl albyt wyThrkm tThyra
 
34.  *     And recite what is rehearsed to you in your homes, of the Signs of Allah and His Wisdom: for Allah understands the finest mysteries and is well-acquainted (with them).     And bear in mind all that is recited in your homes of God's messages and [His] wisdom: for God is unfathomable [in His wisdom], all-aware. [For the meaning of the term latif as applied to God, especially in combination with the term khabir, see note on 6:103.]     And mention/remember (F) what is read/recited in your (F) houses/homes from God's verses/evidences and the wisdom, that truly God was/is kind/soothing, expert/experienced.     waXkrn maytli fy bywtkn mn ayat allh walHkm+ an allh kan lTyfa Kbyra
 
35.  *     For Muslim men and women,- for believing men and women, for devout men and women, for true men and women, for men and women who are patient and constant, for men and women who humble themselves, for men and women who give in Charity, for men and women who fast (and deny themselves), for men and women who guard their chastity, and for men and women who engage much in Allah.s praise,- for them has Allah prepared forgiveness and great reward.     VERILY, for all men and women who have surrendered themselves unto God, and all believing men and believing women, and all truly devout men and truly devout women, and all men and women who are true to their word, and all men and women who are patient in adversity, and all men and women who humble themselves [before God], and all men and women who give in charity, and all self-denying men and self-denying women, [The term saim, usually rendered as "fasting", has here its primary connotation of "one who abstains [from anything]" or "denies to himself [anything]": cf. 19:26, where the noun sawm denotes "abstinence from speech".] and all men and women who are mindful of their chastity, [Lit., "the men who guard their private parts and the women who guard [them]": see note on 24:30.] and all men and women who remember God unceasingly: for [all of] them has God readied forgiveness of sins and a mighty reward.     That truly the Moslems/submitters (M), and the Moslems/submitters (F), and the believers (M), and the believers (F), and the obeying humbly (M), and the obeying humbly (F), and the truthful (M), and the truthful (F), and the patient (M), and the patient (F), and the humble/submissive (M), and the humble/submissive (F), and the charity givers (M), and the charity givers (F), and the fasters (M),and the fasters (F), and the protecting/observing (M) their genital parts between their (M) legs, and the protecting/observing (F), and the mentioning/remembering God much, and the mentioning/remembering (F), God prepared for them a forgiveness and a great reward.     an almslmyn walmslmat walmWmnyn walmWmnat  walqantyn walqantat walSadqyn walSadqat walSabryn  walSabrat walKa$`yn walKa$`at walmtSdqyn walmtSdqat walSaYmyn walSaYmat walHafZyn frwjhm walHafZat walXakryn allh kxyra walXakrat a`d allh lhm  mGfr+ wajra `Zyma
 
36.  *     It is not fitting for a Believer, man or woman, when a matter has been decided by Allah and His Messenger to have any option about their decision: if any one disobeys Allah and His Messenger, he is indeed on a clearly wrong Path.     Now whenever God and His Apostle have decided a matter, [I.e., whenever a specific law has been formulated as such in the Quran or in an injunction promulgated by the Prophet.] it is not for a believing man or a believing woman to claim freedom of choice insofar as they themselves are concerned: [Lit., "to have a choice in their concern (min amrihim)" - i.e., to let their attitude or course of action be determined, not by the relevant law, but by their personal interests or predilections.] for he who [thus] rebels against God and His Apostle has already, most obviously, gone astray.     And (it) was not to a believer (M) and nor a believer (F), if God and His messenger ordered/passed judgment an order/command/matter/affair that to be for them the choice from their matter/affair, and who disobeys God and His messenger, so he had misguided a clear/evident misguidance.     wmakan lmWmn wlamWmn+ aXa qDi allh wrswlh amra an ykwn lhm alKyr+ mn amrhm wmn y`S allh wrswlh fqd Dl Dlala mbyna
 
37.  *     Behold! Thou didst say to one who had received the grace of Allah and thy favour: "Retain thou (in wedlock) thy wife, and fear Allah." But thou didst hide in thy heart that which Allah was about to make manifest: thou didst fear the people, but it is more fitting that thou shouldst fear Allah. Then when Zaid had dissolved (his marriage) with her, with the necessary (formality), We joined her in marriage to thee: in order that (in future) there may be no difficulty to the Believers in (the matter of) marriage with the wives of their adopted sons, when the latter have dissolved with the necessary (formality) (their marriage) with them. And Allah.s command must be fulfilled.     AND LO, [O Muhammad,] thou didst say unto the one to whom God had shown favour and to whom thou hadst shown favour, [I.e., Zayd ibn Harithah, whom God had caused to become one of the earliest believers, and whom the Prophet had adopted as his son.] "Hold on to thy wife, and remain conscious of God!" And [thus] wouldst thou hide within thyself something that God was about to bring to light  [Namely, that the marriage of Zayd and Zaynab, which had been sponsored by Muhammad himself, and on which he had so strongly insisted, was a total failure and could only end in divorce (see also next note).] - for thou didst stand in awe of [what] people [might think], whereas it was God alone of whom thou shouldst have stood in awe! [Lit., "whereas God was more worthy (ahaqq) that thou shouldst stand in awe of Him". Referring to this divine reprimand (which, in itself, disproves the allegation that the Quran was "composed by Muhammad"), Aishah is reliably quoted as having said, "Had the Apostle of God been inclined to suppress anything of what was revealed to him, he would surely have suppressed this verse" (Bukhari and Muslim).]     And when you say to who God blessed/comforted and eased on (to) him, and you blessed/comforted and eased on (to) him: "Hold/grasp on (to) you your wife, and fear and obey God." And you hide in your self what God (is) showing it (E), and you fear the people, and God (is) more worthy/deserving that (E)301you fear Him, so when Zeyd carried out/ended from her a need/desire (divorced) We made you marry her, so that (there) not be on the believers hardship/blame in wives/spouses (of their adopted) ones called after them, if they carried out/ended from them (F) a need/desire (divorced), and God's order/command was/is made/done.     waX tqwl llXy an`m allh `lyh wan`mt `lyh amsk `lyk zwjk watq allh wtKfy fy nfsk maallh mbdyh wtK$i alnas wallh aHq an tK$ah flma qDi zyd mnha wTra zwjnakhalky laykwn `li almWmnyn Hrj fy azwaj ad`yaYhm aXa qDwa mnhn wTra wkan amr allh mf`wla
 
38.  *     There can be no difficulty to the Prophet in what Allah has indicated to him as a duty. It was the practice (approved) of Allah amongst those of old that have passed away. And the command of Allah is a decree determined.     [Hence,] no blame whatever attaches to the Prophet for [having done] what God has ordained for him. [I.e., his marriage with Zaynab, which was meant to exemplify a point of canon law as well as to satisfy what the Prophet regarded as his personal moral duty.] [Indeed, such was] God's way with those that have passed away aforetime [I.e., the prophets who preceded Muhammad, in all of whom, as in him, all personal desires coincided with their willingness to surrender themselves to God: an inborn, harmonious disposition of the spirit which characterizes God's elect and - as the subsequent, parenthetic clause declares - is their "destiny absolute" (qadar maqdur).] - and [remember that] God's will is always destiny absolute-;     (There) was not on the prophet from strain/blame in what God specified/stipulated to him, God's law/manner in those who past/expired from before, and God's order/command was/is a predestiny predestined/estimated.     makan `li alnby mn Hrj fyma frD allh lh sn+ allh fy alXyn Klwa mn qbl wkan amr allh qdra mqdwra
 
39.  *     (It is the practice of those) who preach the Messages of Allah, and fear Him, and fear none but Allah. And enough is Allah to call (men) to account.     [and such will always be His way with] those who convey God's messages [to the world], and stand in awe of Him, and hold none but God in awe: for none can take count [of man's doings] as God does!     Those who communicate/deliver God's messages, and they fear Him, and they do not fear anyone except God, and enough/sufficient with God counting/calculating.     alXyn yblGwn rsalat allh wyK$wnh wlayK$wn aHda ala allh wkfi ballh Hsyba
 
40.  *     Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but (he is) the Messenger of Allah, and the Seal of the Prophets: and Allah has full knowledge of all things.     [And know, O believers, that] Muhammad is not the father of any one of your men, [I.e., he is the spiritual "father" of the whole community (cf. note on verse 6 of this surah), and not of any one person or particular persons - thus, incidentally, refuting the erroneous idea that physical descent from a prophet confers, by itself, any merit on the persons concerned.] but is God's Apostle and the Seal of all Prophets. [I.e., the last of the prophets, just as a seal (khatam) marks the end of a document; apart from this, the term khatam is also synonymous with khitam, the "end" or "conclusion" of a thing: from which it follows that the message revealed through Muhammad - the Quran - must be regarded as the culmination and the end of all prophetic revelation (cf. note on the first sentence of the second paragraph of 5:48, and note on 7:158). See also note on 21:107.] And God has indeed full knowledge of everything.     Mohammad was not a father (to) anyone from your men, and but God's messenger, and the prophets' end/conclusion/final, and God was/is with every thing knowledgeable.     makan mHmd aba aHd mn rjalkm wlkn rswl allh wKatm alnbyyn wkan allh bkl $Y `lyma
 
41.  *     O ye who believe! Celebrate the praises of Allah, and do this often;     O YOU who have attained to faith! Remember God with unceasing remembrance,     You, you those who believed, remember/mention God much remembering/mentioning.     yaayha alXyn amnwa aXkrwa allh Xkra kxyra
 
42.  *     And glorify Him morning and evening.     and extol His limitless glory from morn to evening. [Lit., "at morn and evening", i.e., at all times.]     And praise/glorify Him, (at) daybreaks/early mornings and evening to sunset.     wsbHwh bkr+ waSyla
 
43.  *     He it is Who sends blessings on you, as do His angels, that He may bring you out from the depths of Darkness into Light: and He is Full of Mercy to the Believers.     He it is who bestows His blessings upon you, with His angels [echoing Him], so that He might take you out of the depths of darkness into the light. And, indeed, a dispenser of grace is He unto the believers.     He is who blesses and compliments on ( for) you and His angels to bring you out (E) from the darknesses to the light, and He was/is with the believing merciful.     hw alXy ySly `lykm wmlaYkth lyKrjkm mn alZlmat ali alnwr wkan balmWmnyn rHyma
 
44.  *     Their salutation on the Day they meet Him will be "Peace!"; and He has prepared for them a generous Reward.     On the Day when they meet Him, they will be welcomed with the greeting, "Peace"; and He will have readied for them a most excellent reward.     Their greeting (on) a day/time they meet/find Him (is): "A greeting/peace." And He prepared for them, an honored/generous reward/wage.     tHythm ywm ylqwnh slam wa`d lhm ajra kryma
 
45.  *     O Prophet! Truly We have sent thee as a Witness, a Bearer of Glad Tidings, and Warner,-     [And as for thee,] O Prophet - behold, We have sent thee as a witness [to the truth], and as a herald of glad tidings and a warner,     You, you the prophet, that We, We sent you (as) a witness/testifier, and announcer of good news, and a warner/giver of notice.     yaayha alnby ana arslnak $ahda wmb$ra wnXyra
 
46.  *     And as one who invites to Allah.s (grace) by His leave, and as a lamp spreading light.     and as one who summons [all men] to God by His leave, [I.e., at His behest (Tabari).] and as a light-giving beacon.     And calling to God with His permission/pardon and a lamp luminous/giving light.     wda`ya ali allh baXnh wsraja mnyra
 
47.  *     Then give the Glad Tidings to the Believers, that they shall have from Allah a very great Bounty.     And [so,] convey to the believers the glad tiding that a great bounty from God awaits them;     And announce good news (to) the believers with that for them from God (is) great grace/favour/blessing.     wb$ralmWmnyn ban lhm mn allh fDla kbyra
 
48.  *     And obey not (the behests) of the Unbelievers and the Hypocrites, and heed not their annoyances, but put thy Trust in Allah. For enough is Allah as a Disposer of affairs.     and defer not to [the likes and dislikes of] the deniers of the truth and the hypocrites, and disregard their hurtful talk, [Or: "yet [withal,] abstain from injuring them" (Zamakhshari - depending on whether adhahum is taken to mean "the hurt caused by them" or "done to them".] and place thy trust in God: for none is as worthy of trust as God.     And do not obey the disbelievers and the hypocrites, and leave/desert (forget) their mild harm, and rely/depend on God, and enough/sufficient with God (as) a guardian/ally.     wlatT` alkafryn walmnafqyn wd` aXahm wtwkl `li allh wkfi ballh wkyla
 
49.  *     O ye who believe! When ye marry believing women, and then divorce them before ye have touched them, no period of 'Iddat have ye to count in respect of them: so give them a present. And set them free in a handsome manner.     O YOU who have attained to faith! If you marry believing women and then divorce them ere you have touched them, you have no reason to expect, and to calculate, any waiting period on their part: [Lit., "you have no waiting-period whatever upon them which you should count" - i.e., "which either of you should take into account as an obligation": cf. the first part of 2:228, and the corresponding note. Since the question of pregnancy does not arise if the marriage has not been consummated, a waiting-period on the part of the divorced wife would be meaningless and of no benefit either to her or to her former husband.] hence, make [at once] provision for them, and release them in a becoming manner. [This injunction, relating to certain marital problems which affect the believers in general, forms an introduction, as it were, to resumption, in the next verse, of the discourse on the marital laws applying exclusively to the Prophet: thus, it connects with the passage beginning with the words, "O wives of the Prophet! You are not like any of the [other] women" (verse 32), as well as with the subsequent reference to his marriage with Zaynab (verses 37 f.).]     You, you those who believed, if you married the believers (F) then you divorced/freed them (F) from before that you touch them (F), so (there is) no term/counting (no waiting period) you count it, so give them alimony, and divorce/release them (F) beautifully divorce/release.     yaayha alXyn amnwa aXa nkHtm almWmnat xm Tlqtmwhn mn qbl an tmswhn fmalkm `lyhn mn `d+ t`tdwnha fmt`whn wsrHwhn sraHa jmyla
 
50.  *     O Prophet! We have made lawful to thee thy wives to whom thou hast paid their dowers; and those whom thy right hand possesses out of the prisoners of war whom Allah has assigned to thee; and daughters of thy paternal uncles and aunts, and daughters of thy maternal uncles and aunts, who migrated (from Makka) with thee; and any believing woman who dedicates her soul to the Prophet if the Prophet wishes to wed her;- this only for thee, and not for the Believers (at large); We know what We have appointed for them as to their wives and the captives whom their right hands possess;- in order that there should be no difficulty for thee. And Allah is Oft- Forgiving, Most Merciful.     O PROPHET! Behold, We have made lawful to thee thy wives unto whom thou hast paid their dowers, [The term ajr is in this context synonymous with faridah in its specific sense of "dower" (mahr): see note on surah 2:236.] as well as those whom thy right hand has come to possess from among the captives of war whom God has bestowed upon thee. [As pointed out in several places (see, in particular, note on 4:25), Islam does not countenance any form of concubinage, and categorically prohibits sexual relations between a man and a woman unless they are lawfully married to one another. In this respect, the only difference between a "free" woman and a slave is that whereas the former must receive a dower from her husband, no such obligation is imposed on a man who marries his rightfully owned slave (lit., "one whom his right hand possesses") - that is, a woman taken captive in a "holy war" (jihad) waged in defense of the Faith or of liberty (notes on 2:190 and on 8:67) -: for, in such a case, the freedom conferred upon the bride by the very act of marriage is considered to be equivalent to a dower.] And [We have made lawful to thee] the daughters of thy paternal uncles and aunts, and the daughters of thy maternal uncles and aunts, who have migrated with thee [to Yathrib]; [This was - in addition to his not being allowed to divorce any of his wives (see verse 52 below) - a further restriction imposed on the Prophet in the matter of marriage: whereas all other Muslims are free to marry any of their paternal or maternal cousins, the Prophet was allowed to marry only such from among them as had proved their strong, early attachment to Islam by having accompanied him on his exodus (the hijrah) from Mecca to Medina. In the opinion of Baghawi - an opinion obviously based on the corresponding, ancient Arabian usage - the term "daughters of thy paternal uncles and aunts" comprises in this context not only the actual paternal cousins but, in general, all women of the tribe of Quraysh, to which Muhammad's father belonged, while the term "daughters of thy maternal uncles and aunts" comprises all women of his mother's tribe, the Banu Zuhrah.] and any believing woman who offers herself freely to the Prophet and whom the Prophet might be willing to wed: [The relevant clause reads, literally, "if she offered herself as a gift (in wahabat nafsaha) to the Prophet". Most of the classical commentators take this to mean "without demanding or expecting a dower (mahr)", which, as far as ordinary Muslims are concerned, is an essential item in a marriage agreement (cf. 4:4 and 24, and the corresponding notes; also surah 2:236).] [this latter being but] a privilege for thee, and not for other believers - [seeing that] We have already made known what We have enjoined upon them with regard to their wives and those whom their right hands may possess. [The above parenthetic sentence refers to the previously revealed, general laws relating to marriage (see 2:221, 4:3-4 and 19-25, as well as the corresponding notes), and particularly the laws bearing on the question of dower.] [And] in order that thou be not burdened with [undue] anxiety - for God is indeed much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace -     You, you the prophet, that We, We permitted/allowed for you your wives/spouses those who you gave their rewards (dowries), and what your right (hand) owned/possessed from what God bestowed upon you, and your paternal uncles' daughters, and your paternal aunts' daughters, and your maternal uncles' daughters, and your maternal aunts' daughters, who (F) emigrated with you, and a believing woman if she presented herself to the prophet, if the prophet wanted that He marries her, clearly/purely for you from other than the believers, We had known what We had commanded/imposed/stipulated on them in their wives and what their right (hands) owned/possessed, so that strain/blame/sin not be on you, and God was/is forgiving, merciful.     yaayhaalnby ana aHllna lk azwajk allaty atyt ajwrhn wmamlkt ymynk mma afa' allh `lyk wbnat `mk wbnat `matk wbnat Kalk wbnat Kalatk alty hajrn m`k wamra+ mWmn+ an whbt nfsha llnby an arad alnby an ystnkHha KalS+ lk mn dwn almWmnyn qd `lmna mafrDna  `lyhm fy azwajhm wmamlkt aymanhm lkyla ykwn `lyk Hrj wkan allh Gfwra rHyma
 
51.  *     Thou mayest defer (the turn of) any of them that thou pleasest, and thou mayest receive any thou pleasest: and there is no blame on thee if thou invite one whose (turn) thou hadst set aside. This were nigher to the cooling of their eyes, the prevention of their grief, and their satisfaction - that of all of them - with that which thou hast to give them: and Allah knows (all) that is in your hearts: and Allah is All- Knowing, Most Forbearing.     [know that] thou mayest put off for a time whichever of them thou pleasest, and mayest take unto thee whichever thou pleasest; and [that,] if thou seek out any from whom thou hast kept away [for a time], thou wilt incur no sin [thereby]: [Thus, the Prophet was told that he need not observe a strict "rotation" in the conjugal attentions due to his wives, although he himself, impelled by an inborn sense of fairness, always endeavoured to give them a feeling of absolute equality.] this will make it more likely that their eyes are gladdened [whenever they see thee], [I.e., by the inner certainty that whenever he turned to any of them, he did so on impulse, out of genuine affection, and not out of a sense of marital "obligation".] and that they do not grieve [whenever they are overlooked], and that all of them may find contentment in whatever thou hast to give them: for God [alone] knows what is in your hearts - and God is indeed all-knowing, forbearing. [According to a hadith on the authority of Aishah, recorded in the Musnad of Ibn Hanbal, the Prophet "used to divide his attentions equitably among his wives, and then would pray: `O God! I am doing whatever is in my power: do not, then, blame me for [failing in] something which is in Thy power [alone], and not in mine!'- thus alluding to his heart, and to loving some [of his wives] more than others."]     You delay/postpone whom you will/want from them (F), and you shelter/give refuge (near) to you whom you will/want, and whom you wished/desired from whom you isolated/set aside, so no strain/blame/sin (is) on you, that (is) nearer that their (F) eyes/sights delight/please, and they not be sad/grievous,302and they accept/approve with what you gave them (F), all of them, and God knows what (is) in your hearts/minds, and God was/is knowledgeable, clement.     trjy mn t$a' mnhn wtWwy alyk mn t$a' wmn abtGyt mmn `zlt fla jnaH `lyk Xlk adni an tqr a`ynhn wlayHzn wyrDyn bma atythn klhn wallh y`lm mafy qlwbkm wkan allh `lyma Hlyma
 
52.  *     It is not lawful for thee (to marry more) women after this, nor to change them for (other) wives, even though their beauty attract thee, except any thy right hand should possess (as handmaidens): and Allah doth watch over all things.     No [other] women shall henceforth be lawful to thee [Some commentators (e.g., Tabari) assume that this restriction relates to the four categories of women enumerated in verse 50 above: it is, however, much more probable that it is a prohibition barring the Prophet from marrying any woman in addition to those to whom he was already married (Baghawi, Zamakhshari). Some of the earliest, most outstanding authorities on the Quran, like Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, Ad-Dahhak, Qatadah, Ibn Zayd (all of them cited by Ibn Kathir), or Al-Hasan al-Basri (quoted by Tabari in his commentary on verses 28-29), link this prohibition of further marriages with the choice between the charms of worldly life and the good of the hereafter with which the wives of the Prophet were confronted on the strength of verses 28-29, and their emphatic option for "God and His Apostle" (cf. note on verse 29 above). All those early authorities describe the revelation of verse 52 and the assurance which it was meant to convey to the wives of the Prophet - as God's reward, in this world, of their faith and fidelity. Since it is inconceivable that the Prophet could have disregarded the categorical injunction, "No [other] women shall henceforth be lawful to thee", the passage in question cannot have been revealed earlier than the year 7 H., that is, the year in which the conquest of Khaybar and the Prophet's marriage with Safiyyah - his last marriage - took place. Consequently, verses 28-29 (with which, as we have seen, verse 52 is closely connected) must have been revealed at that later period, and not, as some commentators think, in the year 5 H. (i.e., at the time of the Prophet's marriage with Zaynab).] - nor art thou [allowed] to supplant [any of] them by other wives, [I.e., to divorce any of them with a view to taking another wife in her stead (with the prohibitive accent on the "supplanting"- i.e., divorcing - of any of his wives).] even though their beauty should please thee greatly -: [none shall be lawful to thee] beyond those whom thou [already] hast come to possess. [In my opinion, the expression ma malakat yaminuka (lit., "what thy right hand possesses", or has come to possess") has here the same meaning as in 4:24, namely, "those whom thou hast come to possess through wedlock" (see note on surah 4:24); thus, the above verse is to be understood as limiting the Prophet's marriages to those already contracted.] And God keeps watch over everything.     The women are not permitted/allowed to you from after, and nor that you exchange/replace with them (F) from wives, and even if their goodness/beauty pleased/marveled you, except what your right (hand) owned/possessed, and God was/is on every thing observing/watching.     layHl lk alnsa' mn b`d wla an tbdl bhn mn azwaj wlw a`jbk Hsnhn ala mamlkt ymynk wkan allh `li kl $Y rqyba
 
53.  *     O ye who believe! Enter not the Prophet's houses,- until leave is given you,- for a meal, (and then) not (so early as) to wait for its preparation: but when ye are invited, enter; and when ye have taken your meal, disperse, without seeking familiar talk. Such (behaviour) annoys the Prophet: he is ashamed to dismiss you, but Allah is not ashamed (to tell you) the truth. And when ye ask (his ladies) for anything ye want, ask them from before a screen: that makes for greater purity for your hearts and for theirs. Nor is it right for you that ye should annoy Allah.s Messenger, or that ye should marry his widows after him at any time. Truly such a thing is in Allah.s sight an enormity.     O YOU who have attained to faith! Do not enter the Prophet's dwellings unless you are given leave; [and when invited] to a meal, do not come [so early as] to wait for it to be readied: but whenever you are invited, enter [at the proper time]; and when you have partaken of the meal, disperse without lingering for the sake of mere talk: that, behold, might give offence to the Prophet, and yet he might feel shy of [asking] you [to leave]: but God is not shy of [teaching you] what is right. [Connecting with the reference, in verses 45-48, to the Prophet's mission, the above passage is meant to stress his unique position among his contemporaries; but as is so often the case with Quranic references to historical events and situations, the ethical principle enunciated here is not restricted to a particular time or environment. By exhorting the Prophet's Companions to revere his person, the Quran reminds all believers, at all times, of his exalted status (cf. note on 2:104); beyond that, it teaches them certain rules of behaviour bearing on the life of the community as such: rules which, however insignificant they may appear at first glance, are of psychological value in a society that is to be governed by a genuine feeling of brotherhood, mutual consideration, and respect for the sanctity of each other's personality and privacy.]     You, you those who believed, do not enter the prophet's houses/homes except that (it) be permitted/allowed to you, not waiting to (for) feeding/food at it, and but if you were called/invited so enter, so if you ate so spread out (disperse), and not perceiving/seeing (expecting) to an information/speech (conversation), that, that was harming mildly the prophet, so he feels ashamed/shy from you, and God does not shame from the truth, and if you asked them (F) (for) belongings/effects/goods, so ask them (F) from behind/beyond a divider/partition, that is purer to your hearts/minds and their (F) hearts/minds, and (it) was not for you that you harm mildly God's messenger, and nor that you marry his wives from after him ever (E), that truly that was at God great.     yaayha alXyn amnwa latdKlwa bywt alnby ala an yWXn lkm ali T`am Gyr naZryn anah wlkn aXa d`ytm fadKlwa faXa T`mtm fant$rwa wlamstAnsyn lHdyx an Xlkm kan yWXy alnby fystyHy mnkm wallh laystHyy mn alHq waXa saltmwhn mta`a fsAlwhn mn wra' Hjab Xlkm  aThr lqlwbkm wqlwbhn wmakan lkm an tWXwa rswl allh wlaan tnkHwa azwajh mn b`dh abda an Xlkm kan `nd allh `Zyma
 
54.  *     Whether ye reveal anything or conceal it, verily Allah has full knowledge of all things.     Whether you do anything openly or in secret, [remember that,] verily, God has full knowledge of everything.     If you show a thing or you hide it, so then God was with every thing knowledgeable.     an tbdwa $yYa aw tKfwh fan allh kan bkl $Y `lyma
 
55.  *     There is no blame (on these ladies if they appear) before their fathers or their sons, their brothers, or their brother's sons, or their sisters' sons, or their women, or the (slaves) whom their right hands possess. And, (ladies), fear Allah. for Allah is Witness to all things.     [However,] it is no sin for them [I.e., the wives of the Prophet (connecting with the injunction, in verse 53 above, that they should be spoken to "from behind a screen").] [to appear freely] before their fathers, or their sons, or their brothers, or their brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons, or their womenfolk, or such [male slaves] as their right hands may possess. But [always, O wives of the Prophet,] [This interpolation is conditioned by the feminine gender of the subsequent plural imperative ittaqina.] remain conscious of God - for, behold, God is witness unto everything.     No offense/guilt/sin (is) on them in their (F) fathers, and nor their (F) sons, and nor their (F) brothers, and nor their (F) brother's sons, and nor their sisters' (F) sons, and nor their women (F), and nor what their (F) rights (hands) owned/possessed, and fear and obey God, that truly God was/is on every thing a witness/testifier.     lajnaH `lyhn fy abaYhn wlaabnaYhn wlaaKwanhn wla abna' aKwanhn wlaabna' aKwathn wlansaYhn wlamamlkt aymanhn watqyn allh an allh kan `li kl $Y $hyda
 
56.  *     Allah and His angels send blessings on the Prophet: O ye that believe! Send ye blessings on him, and salute him with all respect.     Verily, God and His angels bless the Prophet: [hence,] O you who have attained to faith, bless him and give yourselves up [to his guidance] in utter self-surrender!     That truly God and His angels bless and compliment on the prophet. You, you those who believed, pray and call for God's blessing on him (the prophet) and great greetings.     an allh wmlaYkth ySlwn `li alnby yaayha alXyn amnwa Slwa `lyh wslmwa tslyma
 
57.  *     Those who annoy Allah and His Messenger - Allah has cursed them in this World and in the Hereafter, and has prepared for them a humiliating Punishment.     Verily, as for those who [knowingly] affront God and His Apostle - God will reject them in this world and in the life to come; and shameful suffering will He ready for them. [In classical Arabic, the term lanah is more or less synonymous with ibad ("removal into distance" or "banishment"); hence. God's lanah denotes "His rejection of a sinner from all that is good" (Lisan al-Arab) or "exclusion from His grace" (Manar II, 50). The term malun which occurs in verse 61 below signifies, therefore, "one who is bereft of God's grace".]     That truly those who harm mildly God and His messengers, God cursed/humiliated them in the present world, and the end (other life), and He prepared for them a disgracing/degrading torture.     an alXyn yWXwn allh wrswlh l`nhm allh fy aldnya walaKr+ wa`d lhm `Xaba mhyna
 
58.  *     And those who annoy believing men and women undeservedly, bear (on themselves) a calumny and a glaring sin.     And as for those who malign believing men and believing women without their having done any wrong - they surely burden themselves with the guilt of calumny, and [thus] with a flagrant sin!     And those who harm mildly/harm the believers (M) and the believers (F) without what they earned/acquired (unjustly), so they had endured/burdened falsehood/slander, and a clear/evident sin/crime.     walXyn yWXwn almWmnyn walmWmnat bGyr maaktsbwa fqd aHtmlwa bhtana waxma mbyna
 
59.  *     O Prophet! Tell thy wives and daughters, and the believing women, that they should cast their outer garments over their persons (when abroad): that is most convenient, that they should be known (as such) and not molested. And Allah is Oft- Forgiving, Most Merciful.     O Prophet! Tell thy wives and thy daughters, as well as all [other] believing women, that they should draw over themselves some of their outer garments [when in public]: this will be more conducive to their being recognized [as decent women] and not annoyed. [Cf. the first two sentences of 24:31 and the corresponding notes.] But [withal,] God is indeed much- forgiving, a dispenser of grace! [The specific, time-bound formulation of the above verse (evident in the reference to the wives and daughters of the Prophet), as well as the deliberate vagueness of the recommendation that women "should draw upon themselves some of their outer garments min jalabibihinna)" when in public, makes it clear that this verse was not meant to be an injunction (hukm) in the general, timeless sense of this term but, rather, a moral guideline to be observed against the ever-changing background of time and social environment. This finding is reinforced by the concluding reference to God's forgiveness and grace.]     You, you the prophet, say to your wives and your daughters and the believers' women they (F) near (lengthen) on them from their shirts/gowns/wide dresses, that (is) nearer that (E) they (F) be known (better than being identified), so they (F) do not be harmed mildly/harmed, and God was/is forgiving, merciful.     yaayha alnby ql lazwajk wbnatk wnsa' almWmnyn ydynyn `lyhn mn jlabybhn Xlk adni an y`rfn fla yWXyn wkan allh Gfwra rHyma
 
60.  *     Truly, if the Hypocrites, and those in whose hearts is a disease, and those who stir up sedition in the City, desist not, We shall certainly stir thee up against them: Then will they not be able to stay in it as thy neighbours for any length of time:     THUS IT IS: if [For my above rendering of lain see note on surah 30:51. With this passage, the discourse returns to the theme touched upon in verse 1 and more fully dealt with in verses 9-27: namely, the opposition with which the Prophet and his followers were faced in their early years at Yathrib (which by that time had come to be known as Madinat an-Nabi, "the City of the Prophet").]the hypocrites, and they in whose hearts is disease, [See note on verse 12 above.] and they who, by spreading false rumours, would cause disturbances [Thus Zamakhshari, explaining the term al-murjifun in the above context.] in the City [of the Prophet] desist not [from their hostile doings]. We shall indeed give thee mastery over them, [O Muhammad] - and then they will not remain thy neighbours in this [city] for more than a little while: [I.e., "there will be open warfare between thee and them", which will result in their expulsion from Medina: a prediction which was fulfilled in the course of time.]     If (E) the hypocrites and those whom in their hearts/minds (is) sickness/disease and the spreaders of agitating rumors and bad news to provoke people in the city/town do not end/stop, We will urge/attract (influence) you (to get rid of) with them, then they do not become a neighbor to you in it except a few.     lYn lm ynth almnafqwn walXyn fy qlwbhm mrD walmrjfwn fy almdyn+ lnGrynk bhm xm layjawrwnk fyha ala qlyla
 
61.  *     They shall have a curse on them: whenever they are found, they shall be seized and slain (without mercy).     bereft of God's grace, they shall be seized wherever they may be found, and slain one and all. [Lit., "slain with [a great] slaying". See in this connection note on 2:191. For my rendering of malunin as "bereft of God's grace", see note on verse 57 above.]     Cursed/humiliated wherever they were defeated/caught up with, they were taken/punished,and they were killed killingly.     ml`wnyn aynma xqfwa aKXwa wqtlwa tqtyla
 
62.  *     (Such was) the practice (approved) of Allah among those who lived aforetime: No change wilt thou find in the practice (approved) of Allah.     Such has been God's way with those who [sinned in like manner and] passed away aforetime - and never wilt thou find any change in God's way! [Cf. 35:42--44, and particularly the last paragraph of verse 43.]     God's way/manner in those who past/expired from before, and you will never/not find to God's way/manner (an) exchange/replacement.     sn+ allh fy alXyn Klwa mn qbl wln tjd lsn+ allh tbdyla
 
63.  *     Men ask thee concerning the Hour: Say, "The knowledge thereof is with Allah (alone)": and what will make thee understand?- perchance the Hour is nigh!     PEOPLE will ask thee about the Last Hour. Say: "Knowledge thereof rests with God alone; yet for all thou knowest, the Last Hour may well be near!" [See 7:187.]     The people ask/question you about the Hour/Resurrection, say: "Truly its knowledge (is) at God, and what informs you maybe/perhaps the Hour/Resurrection be near/close."     ysAlk alnas `n alsa`+ ql anma `lmha `nd allh wmaydryk l`l alsa`+ tkwn qryba
 
64.  *     Verily Allah has cursed the Unbelievers and prepared for them a Blazing Fire,-     Verily, God has rejected the deniers of the truth, and has readied for them a blazing fire,     That truly God cursed/humiliated the disbelievers, and He prepared for them blazing/inflaming (fire).303     an allh l`n alkafryn wa`d lhm s`yra
 
65.  *     To dwell therein for ever: no protector will they find, nor helper.     therein to abide beyond the count of time: no protector will they find, and none to bring them succour.     Immortally/eternally in it (for) ever (E), they do not find a guardian/ally, and nor a victorior/savior.     Kaldyn fyha abda layjdwn wlya wlanSyra
 
66.  *     The Day that their faces will be turned upside down in the Fire, they will say: "Woe to us! Would that we had obeyed Allah and obeyed the Messenger."     On the Day when their faces shall be tossed about in the fire, [As in several other instances in the Quran, the "face", being the noblest and most expressive part of a human person, represents here man's "personality" in its entirety; and its being "tossed about in the fire" is symbolic of the annihilation of the sinner's will and his reduction to utter passivity.] they will exclaim, "Oh, would that we had paid heed unto God, and paid heed unto the Apostle!"     A day/time their faces/fronts will be turned over in the fire, they say: "Oh if only we obeyed God and we obeyed the messenger/two messengers ?"     ywm tqlb wjwhhm fy alnar yqwlwn yalytna aT`na allh waT`na alrswla
 
67.  *     And they would say: "Our Lord! We obeyed our chiefs and our great ones, and they misled us as to the (right) Path.     And they will say: "O our Sustainer! Behold, we paid heed unto our leaders and our great men, and it is they who have led us astray from the right path!     And they said: "Our Lord, that we obeyed our masters/rulers, and our bigger ones/oldest so they misguided us (from) the two ways/paths/way/path."     wqalwa rbna ana aT`na sadtna wkbra'na faDlwna alsbyla
 
68.  *     "Our Lord! Give them double Penalty and curse them with a very great Curse!"     O our Sustainer! Give them double suffering, and banish them utterly from Thy grace!" [Lit., "reject them (il anhum) with a great rejection", i.e., "from Thy grace".]     Our Lord give/bring them two doubles from the torture, and curse/humiliate them a great,curse/humiliation.     rbna athm D`fyn mn al`Xab wal`nhm l`na kbyra
 
69.  *     O ye who believe! Be ye not like those who vexed and insulted Moses, but Allah cleared him of the (calumnies) they had uttered: and he was honourable in Allah.s sight.     O YOU who have attained to faith! Be not like those [children of Israel] who gave offence to Moses, and [remember that] God showed him to be innocent of whatever they alleged [against him or demanded of him]: [This is an allusion to the aspersions occasionally cast upon Moses by some of his followers and mentioned in the Old Testament (e.g., Numbers xii, 1-13), as well as to the blasphemous demands of which the Quran speaks - e.g., "O Moses, indeed we shall not believe thee until we see God face to face"     You, you those who believed, do not be as those who harmed mildly/harmed Moses, so God acquitted/cured him, from what they said, and he was at God noble.     yaayha alXyn amnwa latkwnwa kalXyn aXwa mwsi fbrah allh mma qalwa wkan `nd allh wjyha
 
70.  *     O ye who believe! Fear Allah, and (always) say a word directed to the Right:     O you who have attained to faith! Remain conscious of God, and [always] speak with a will to bring out [only] what is just and true - [The expression qawl sadid signifies, literally, "a saying that hits the mark", i.e., is truthful, relevant and to the point. In the only other instance where this expression is used in the Quran (at the end of 4:9) it may be appropriately rendered as "speaking in a just manner"; in the present instance, however, it obviously relates to speaking of others in a manner devoid of all hidden meanings, insinuations and frivolous suspicions, aiming at no more and no less than the truth.]     You, you those who believed, fear and obey God and say an accurate/truthful saying/word and opinion.     yaayha alXyn amnwa atqwa allh wqwlwa qwla sdyda
 
71.  *     That He may make your conduct whole and sound and forgive you your sins: He that obeys Allah and His Messenger, has already attained the highest achievement.     [whereupon] He will cause your deeds to be virtuous, and will forgive you your sins. And [know that] whoever pays heed unto God and His Apostle has already attained to a mighty triumph.     He corrects/repairs for you your deeds, and He forgives for you your crimes, and who obeys God and His messenger, so he had triumphed/succeeded a great triumph/success.     ySlH lkm a`malkm wyGfr lkm Xnwbkm wmn yT` allh wrswlh fqd faz fwza `Zyma
 
72.  *     We did indeed offer the Trust to the Heavens and the Earth and the Mountains; but they refused to undertake it, being afraid thereof: but man undertook it;- He was indeed unjust and foolish;-     Verily, We did offer the trust [of reason and volition] to the heavens, and the earth, and the mountains: [The classical commentators give all kinds of laborious explanations to the term amanah ("trust") occurring in this parable, but the most convincing of them (mentioned in Lane I, 102, with reference to the above verse) are "reason", or "intellect", and "the faculty of volition" - i.e., the ability to choose between two or more possible courses of action or modes of behaviour, and thus between good and evil.] but they refused to bear it because they were afraid of it. Yet man took it up - [Sc., "and then failed to measure up to the moral responsibility arising from the reason and the comparative free will with which he has been endowed" (Zamakhshari. This obviously applies to the human race as such and not necessarily to all of its individuals.] for, verily, he has always been prone to be most wicked, most foolish.     We displayed/presented the trust (choice between good and evil) on the skies/space and the earth/Planet Earth, and the mountains, so they refused/hated that (E) they bear/endure it, and they were cautious/afraid from it, and the human/mankind bore/endured it, that he truly was/is often unjust and oppressive, lowly/ignorant.     ana `rDna alaman+ `li alsmawat walarD waljbal fabyn an yHmlnha wa$fqn mnha wHmlha alansan anh kan Zlwma jhwla
 
73.  *     (With the result) that Allah has to punish the Hypocrites, men and women, and the Unbelievers, men and women, and Allah turns in Mercy to the Believers, men and women: for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.     [And so it is] that God imposes suffering on the hypocrites, both men and women, as well as on the men and women who ascribe divinity to aught beside Him. [In other words, on those who offend against what their own reason and conscience would have them do. This suffering, whether in this world or in the hereafter, is but a causal consequence - as the lam al-aqibah at the beginning of this sentence shows - of man's moral failure, and not an arbitrary act of God. (Cf. in this connection note on 2:7. which speaks of God's "sealing" the hearts of those who are bent on denying the truth.)] And [so, too, it is] that God turns in His mercy unto the believing men and believing women: for God is indeed much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace!     (It is for) God to punish the hypocrites (M), and the hypocrites (F), and the sharers/takers of partners (with God) (M), and the sharers/takers of partners (with God) (F), and God forgives on the believers (M), and the believers (F), and God was/is forgiving, merciful.304     ly`Xb allh almnafqyn walmnafqat walm$rkyn walm$rkat wytwb allh `lialmWmnyn walmWmnat wkan allh Gfwra rHyma