A. J. Arberry - Sura 4: Women lyrics

In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compa**ionate 4:1 Mankind, fear your Lord, who created you of a single soul, and from it created its mate, and from the pair of them scattered abroad many men and women; and fear God by whom you demand one of another, and the wombs; surely God ever watches over you. Give the orphans their property, and do not exchange the corrupt for the good; and devour not their property with your property; surely that is a great crime. If you fear that you will not act justly towards the orphans, marry such women as seem good to you, two, three, four; but if you fear you will not be equitable, then only one, or what your right hands own; so it is likelier you will not be partial. And give the women their dowries as a gift spontaneous; but if they are pleased to offer you any of it, consume it with wholesome appetite. But do not give to fools their property that God has a**igned to you to manage; provide for them and clothe them out of it, and speak to them honourable words. 4:5 Test well the orphans, until they reach the age of marrying; then, if you perceive in them right judgment, deliver to them their property; consume it not wastefully and hastily ere they are grown. If any man is rich, let him be abstinent; if poor, let him consume in reason. And when you deliver to them their property, take witnesses over them; God suffices for a reckoner. To the men a share of what parents and kinsmen leave, and to the women a share of what parents and kinsmen leave, whether it be little or much, a share apportioned; and when the division is attended by kinsmen and orphans and the poor, make provision for them out of it, and speak to them honourable words. 4:10 And let those fear who, if they left behind them weak seed, would be afraid on their account, and let them fear God, and speak words hitting the mark. Those who devour the property of orphans unjustly, devour Fire in their bellies, and shall a**uredly roast in a Blaze. God charges you, concerning your children: to the male the like of the portion of two females, and if they be women above two, then for them two-thirds of what he leaves, but if she be one then to her a half; and to his parents to each one of the two the sixth of what he leaves, if he has children; but if he has no children, and his heirs are his parents, a third to his mother, or, if he has brothers, to his mother a sixth, after any bequest he may bequeath, or any debt. Your fathers and your sons -- you know not which out of them is nearer in profit to you. So God apportions; surely God is All-knowing, All-wise. And for you a half of what your wives leave, if they have no children; but if they have children, then for you of what they leave a fourth, after any bequest they may bequeath, or any debt. And for them a fourth of what you leave, if you have no children; but if you have children, then for them of what you leave an eighth, after any bequest you may bequeath, or any debt. 15 If a man or a woman have no heir direct, but have a brother or a sister, to each of the two a sixth; but if they are more numerous than that, they share equally a third, after any bequest he may bequeath, or any debt not prejudicial; a charge from God. God is All-knowing, All-clement. Those are God's bounds. Whoso obeys God and His Messenger, He will admit him to gardens underneath which rivers flow, therein dwelling forever; that is the mighty triumph. But whoso disobeys God, and His Messenger, and transgresses His bounds, him He will admit to a Fire, therein dwelling forever, and for him there awaits a humbling chastisement. Such of your women as commit indecency, call four of you to witness against them; and if they witness, then detain them in their houses until d**h takes them or God appoints for them a way. 20 And when two of you commit indecency, punish them both; but if they repent and make amends, then suffer them to be; God turns, and is All-compa**ionate. God shall turn only towards those who do evil in ignorance, then shortly repent; God will return towards those; God is All-knowing, All-wise. But God shall not turn towards those who do evil deeds until, when one of them is visited by d**h, he says, 'Indeed now I repent,' neither to those who die disbelieving; for them We have prepared a painful chastisement. O believers, it is not lawful for you to inherit women against their will; neither debar them, that you may go off with part of what you have given them, except when they commit a flagrant indecency. Consort with them honourably; or if you are averse to them, it is possible you may be averse to a thing, and God set in it much good. And if you desire to exchange a wife in place of another, and you have given to one a hundredweight, take of it nothing. What, will you take it by way of calumny and manifest sin? 25 How shall you take it, when each of you has been privily with the other, and they have taken from you a solemn compact? And do not marry women that your fathers married, unless it be a thing of the past; surely that is indecent and hateful; an evil way. Forbidden to you are your mothers and daughters, your sisters, your aunts paternal and maternal, your brother's daughters, your sister's daughters, your mothers who have given s** to you, your s**ling sisters, your wives' mothers, your stepdaughters who are in your care being born of your wives you have been in to -- but if you have not yet been in to them it is no fault in you -- and the spouses of your sons who are of your loins, and that you should take to you two sisters together, unless it be a thing of the past; God is All-forgiving, All-compa**ionate; and wedded women, save what your right hands own. So God prescribes for you. Lawful for you, beyond all that, is that you may seek, using your wealth, in wedlock and not in licence. Such wives as you enjoy thereby, give them their wages apportionate; it is no fault in you in your agreeing together, after the due apportionate. God is All-knowing, All-wise. Any one of you who has not the affluence to be able to marry believing freewomen in wedlock, let him take believing handmaids that your right hands own; God knows very well your faith; the one of you is as the other. So marry them, with their people's leave, and give them their wages honourably as women in wedlock, not as in licence or taking lovers. 30 But when they are in wedlock, if they commit indecency, they shall be liable to half the chastisement of freewomen. That provision is for those of you who fear fornication; yet it is better for you to be patient. God is All-forgiving, All-compa**ionate. God desires to make clear to you, and to guide you in the institutions of those before you, and to turn towards you; God is All-knowing, All-wise; and God desires to turn towards you, but those who follow their lusts desire you to swerve away mightily. God desires to lighten things for you, for man was created a weakling. O believers, consume not your goods between you in vanity, except there be trading, by your agreeing together. And k** not one another. Surely God is compa**ionate to you. But whosoever does that in transgression and wrongfully, him We shall certainly roast at a Fire; and that for God is an easy matter. 35 If you avoid the heinous sins that are forbidden you, We will acquit you of your evil deeds, and admit you by the gate of honour. Do not covet that whereby God in bounty has preferred one of you above another. To the men a share from what they have earned, and to the women a share from what they have earned. And ask God of His bounty; God knows everything. To everyone We have appointed heirs of that which parents and kinsmen leave, and those with whom you have sworn compact. So give to them their share; God is witness over everything. Men are the managers of the affairs of women for that God has preferred in bounty one of them over another, and for that they have expended of their property. Righteous women are therefore obedient, guarding the secret for God's guarding. And those you fear may be rebellious admonish; banish them to their couches, and beat them. If they then obey you, look not for any way against them; God is All-high, All-great. And if you fear a breach between the two, bring forth an arbiter from his people and from her people an arbiter, if they desire to set things right; God will compose their differences; surely God is All-knowing, All-aware. 40 Serve God, and a**ociate naught with Him. Be kind to parents, and the near kinsman, and to orphans, and to the needy, and to the neighbour who is of kin, and to the neighbour who is a stranger, and to the companion at your side, and to the traveller, and to that your right hands own. Surely God loves not the proud and boastful such as are n***ardly, and bid other men to be n***ardly, and themselves conceal the bounty that God has given them. We have prepared for the unbelievers a humbling chastisement, and such as expend of their substance to show off to men, and believe not in God and the Last Day. Whosoever has Satan for a comrade, an evil comrade is he. Why, what would it harm them, if they believed in God and the Last Day, and expended of that God has provided them? God knows them. Surely God shall not wrong so much as the weight of an ant; and if it be a good deed He will double it, and give from Himself a mighty wage. 45 How then shall it be, when We bring forward from every nation a witness, and bring thee to witness against those? Upon that day the unbelievers, those who have disobeyed the Messenger, will wish that the earth might be levelled with them; and they will not conceal from God one tiding. O believers, draw not near to prayer when you are drunken until you know what you are saying, or defiled -- unless you are traversing a way -- until you have washed yourselves; but if you are sick, or on a journey, or if any of you comes from the privy, or you have touched women, and you can find no water, then have recourse to wholesome dust and wipe your faces and your hands; God is All-pardoning, All-forgiving. Hast thou not regarded those who were given a share of the Book purchasing error, and desiring that you should also err from the way? God knows well your enemies; God suffices as a protector, God suffices as a helper. Some of the Jews pervert words from their meanings saying, 'We have heard and we disobey' and 'Hear, and be thou not given to hear' and 'Observe us,' twisting with their tongues and traducing religion. If they had said, 'We have heard and obey' and 'Hear' and 'Regard us,' it would have been better for them, and more upright; but God has cursed them for their unbelief so they believe not except a few. 50 You who have been given the Book, believe in what We have sent down, confirming what is with you, before We obliterate faces, and turn them upon their backs, or curse them as We cursed the Sabbath-men, and God's command is done. God forgives not that aught should be with Him a**ociated; less than that He forgives to whomsoever He will. Whoso a**ociates with God anything, has indeed forged a mighty sin. Hast thou not regarded those who purify themselves? Nay; only God purifies whom He will; and they shall not be wronged a single date-thread. Consider how they forge falsehood against God; and that suffices for a manifest sin; Hast thou not regarded those who were given a share of the Book believing in demons and idols, and saying to the unbelievers, 'These are more rightly guided on the way than the believers'? 55 Those are they whom God has cursed; he whom God has cursed, thou wilt not find for him any helper. Or have they a share in the Kingdom? If that is so, they do not give the people a single date-spot. Or are they jealous of the people for the bounty that God has given them? Yet We gave the people of Abraham the Book and the Wisdom, and We gave them a mighty kingdom. And some of them there are that believe, and some of them that bar from it; Gehenna suffices for a Blaze! Surely those who disbelieve in Our signs -- We shall certainly roast them at a Fire; as often as their skins are wholly burned, We shall give them in exchange other skins, that they may taste the chastisement. Surely God is All-mighty, All-wise. 60 And those that believe, and do deeds of righteousness, them We shall admit to gardens underneath which rivers flow, therein dwelling forever and ever; therein for them shall be spouses purified, and We shall admit them to a shelter of plenteous shade. God commands you to deliver trusts back to their owners; and when you judge between the people, that you judge with justice. Good is the admonition God gives you; God is All-hearing, All-seeing. O believers, obey God, and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. If you should quarrel on anything, refer it to God and the Messenger, if you believe in God and the Last Day; that is better, and fairer in the issue. Hast thou not regarded those who a**ert that they believe in what has been sent down to thee, and what was sent down before thee, desiring to take their disputes to idols, yet they have been commanded to disbelieve in them? But Satan desires to lead them astray into far error. And when it is said to them, 'Come now to what God has sent down, and the Messenger,' then thou seest the hypocrites barring the way to thee. 65 How shall it be, when they are visited by an affliction for what their own hands have forwarded, then they come to thee swearing by God, 'We sought only kindness and conciliation'? Those -- God knows what is in their hearts; so turn away from them, and admonish them, and say to them penetrating words about themselves. We sent not ever any Messenger, but that he should be obeyed, by the leave of God. If; when they wronged themselves, they had come to thee, and prayed forgiveness of God, and the Messenger had prayed forgiveness for them, they would have found God turns, All-compa**ionate. But no, by thy Lord! they will not believe till they make thee the judge regarding the disagreement between them, then they shall find in themselves no impediment touching thy verdict, but shall surrender in full submission. But had We prescribed for them, saying, 'Slay yourselves' or 'Leave your habitations,' they would not have done it, save a few of them; yet if they had done as they were admonished it would have been better for them, and stronger confirming them, 70 and then We surely would have given them from Us a mighty wage, and guided them on a straight path. Whosoever obeys God, and the Messenger -- they are with those whom God has blessed, Prophets, just men, martyrs, the righteous; good companions they! That is the bounty from God; God suffices as One who knows. O believers, take your precautions; then move forward in companies, or move forward all together. Some of you there are that are dilatory; then, if an affliction visits you, he says, 'God has blessed me, in that I was not a martyr with them.' 75 But if a bounty from God visits you, he will surely say, as if there had never been any affection between you and him, 'Would that I had been with them, to attain a mighty triumph!' So let them fight in the way of God who sell the present life for the world to come; and whosoever fights in the way of God and is slain, or conquers, We shall bring him a mighty wage. How is it with you, that you do not fight in the way of God, and for the men, women, and children who, being abased, say, 'Our Lord, bring us forth from this city whose people are evildoers, and appoint to us a protector from Thee, and appoint to us from Thee a helper'? The believers fight in the way of God, and the unbelievers fight in the idols' way. Fight you therefore against the friends of Satan; surely the guile of Satan is ever feeble. Hast thou not regarded those to whom it was said, 'Restrain your hands, and perform the prayer, and pay the alms'? Then, as soon as fighting is prescribed for them, there is a party of them fearing the people as they would fear God, or with a greater fear, and they say, 'Our Lord, why hast thou prescribed fighting for us? Why not defer us to a near term?' Say: 'The enjoyment of this world is little; the world to come is better for him who fears God; you shall not be wronged a single date-thread.' 80 Wherever you may be, d**h will overtake you, though you should be in raised-up towers. And if a good thing visits them, they say, 'This is from God'; but if an evil thing visits them, they say, 'This is from thee.' Say: 'Everything is from God.' How is it with this people? They scarcely understand any tiding. Whatever good visits thee, it is of God; whatever evil visits thee is of thyself. And We have sent thee to men a Messenger; God suffices for a witness. Whosoever obeys the Messenger, thereby obeys God; and whosoever turns his back -- We have not sent thee to be a watcher over them. They say, 'Obedience'; but when they sally forth from thee, a party of them meditate all night on other than what thou sayest. God writes down their meditations; so turn away from them, and put thy trust in God; God suffices for a guardian. What, do they not ponder the Koran? If it had been from other than God surely they would have found in it much inconsistency. 85 When there comes to them a matter, be it of security or fear, they broadcast it; if they had referred it to the Messenger and to those in authority among them, those of them whose task it is to investigate would have known the matter. And but for the bounty of God to you, and His mercy, you would surely have followed Satan, except a few. So do thou fight in the way of God; thou art charged only with thyself. And urge on the believers; haply God will restrain the unbelievers' might; God is stronger in might, more terrible in punishing. Whoso intercedes with a good intercession shall receive a share of it; whosoever intercedes with a bad intercession, he shall receive the like of it; God has power over everything. And when you are greeted with a greeting greet with a fairer than it, or return it; surely God keeps a watchful count over everything. God -- there is no god but He. He will surely gather you to the Resurrection Day, no doubt of it. And who is truer in tidings than God? 90 How is it with you, that you are two parties touching the hypocrites, and God has overthrown them for what they earned? What, do you desire to guide him whom God has led astray? Whom God leads astray, thou wilt not find for him a way. They wish that you should disbelieve as they disbelieve, and then you would be equal; therefore take not to yourselves friends of them, until they emigrate in the way of God; then, if they turn their backs, take them, and slay them wherever you find them; take not to yourselves any one of them as friend or helper except those that betake themselves to a people who are joined with you by a compact, or come to you with breasts constricted from fighting with you or fighting their people. Had God willed, He would have given them authority over you, and then certainly they would have fought you. If they withdraw from you, and do not fight you, and offer you peace, then God a**igns not any way to you against them. You will find others desiring to be secure from you, and secure from their people, yet whenever they are returned to temptation, they are overthrown in it. If they withdraw not from you, and offer you peace, and restrain their hands, take them, and slay them wherever you come on them; against them We have given you a clear authority. It belongs not to a believer to slay a believer, except it be by error. If any slays a believer by error, then let him set free a believing slave, and bloodwit is to be paid to his family unless they forgo it as a freewill offering. If he belong to a people at enmity with you and is a believer, let the slayer set free a believing slave. If he belong to a people joined with you by a compact, then bloodwit is to be paid to his family and the slayer shall set free a believing slave. But if he finds not the means, let him fast two successive months -- God's turning; God is All-knowing, All-wise. 95 And whoso slays a believer wilfully, his recompense is Gehenna, therein dwelling forever, and God will be wroth with him and will curse him, and prepare for him a mighty chastisement. O believers, when you are journeying in the path of God, be discriminating, and do not say to him who offers you a greeting, 'Thou art not a believer,' seeking the chance goods of the present life. With God are spoils abundant. So you were aforetime; but God has been gracious to you. So be discriminating; surely God is aware of the things you do. Such believers as sit at home -- unless they have an injury -- are not the equals of those who struggle in the path of God with their possessions and their selves. God has preferred in rank those who struggle with their possessions and their selves over the ones who sit at home; yet to each God has promised the reward most fair; and God has preferred those who struggle over the ones who sit at home for the bounty of a mighty wage, in ranks standing before Him, forgiveness and mercy; surely God is All-forgiving, All-compa**ionate. And those the angels take, while still they are wronging themselves -- the angels will say, 'In what circumstances were you?' They will say, 'We were abased in the earth.' The angels will say, 'But was not God's earth wide, so that you might have emigrated in it?' Such men, their refuge shall be Gehenna -- an evil homecoming! -- 100 except the men, women, and children who, being abased, can devise nothing and are not guided to a way; haply them God will yet pardon, for God is All-pardoning, All-forgiving. Whoso emigrates in the way of God will find in the earth many refuges and plenty; whoso goes forth from his house an emigrant to God and His Messenger, and then d**h overtakes him, his wage shall have fallen on God; surely God is All-forgiving, All-compa**ionate. And when you are journeying in the land there is no fault in you that you shorten the prayer, if you fear the unbelievers may afflict you; the unbelievers are for you a manifest foe. When thou art amongst them, and performest for them the prayer, let a party of them stand with thee, and let them take their weapons. When they bow themselves, let them be behind you; and let another party who have not prayed come and pray with thee, taking their precautions and their weapons. The unbelievers wish that you should be heedless of your weapons and your baggage, then they would wheel on you all at once. There is no fault in you, if rain molests you, or you are sick, to lay aside your weapons; but take your precautions. God has prepared for the unbelievers a humbling chastisement. When you have performed the prayer, remember God, standing and sitting and on your sides. Then, when you are secure, perform the prayer; surely the prayer is a timed prescription for the believers. 105 Faint not in seeking the heathen; if you are suffering, they are also suffering as you are suffering, and you are hoping from God for that for which they cannot hope; God is All-knowing, All-wise. Surely We have sent down to thee the Book with the truth, so that thou mayest judge between the people by that God has shown thee. So be not an advocate for the traitors; and pray forgiveness of God; surely God is All-forgiving, All-compa**ionate. And do not dispute on behalf of those who betray themselves; surely God loves not the guilty traitor. They hide themselves from men, but hide not themselves from God; for He is with them while they meditate at night discourse unpleasing to Him; God encompa**es the things they do. Ha, there you are; you have disputed on their behalf in the present life; but who will dispute with God on their behalf on the Resurrection Day, or who will be a guardian for them? 110 Whosoever does evil, or wrongs himself; and then prays God's forgiveness, he shall find God is All-forgiving, All-compa**ionate. And whosoever earns a sin, earns it against himself only; and God is ever All-knowing, All-wise. And whosoever earns a fault or a sin and then casts it upon the innocent, thereby has laid upon himself calumny and manifest sin. But for God's bounty to thee and His mercy a party of them purposed to lead thee astray; but they lead only themselves astray; they do not hurt thee in anything. God has sent down on thee the Book and the Wisdom, and He has taught thee that thou knewest not; God's' bounty to thee is ever great. No good is there in much of their conspiring, except for him who bids to freewill offering, or honour, or setting things right between the people. Whoso does that, seeking God's good pleasure, We shall surely give him a mighty wage. 115 But whoso makes a breach with the Messenger after the guidance has become clear to him and follows a way other than the believers', him We shall turn over to what he has turned to and We shall roast him in Gehenna -- an evil homecoming! God forgives not that aught should be with Him a**ociated; less than that He forgives to whomsoever He will. Whoso a**ociates with God anything, has gone astray into far error. In stead of Him, they pray not except to female beings; they pray not except to a rebel Satan accursed by God. He said, 'Assuredly I will take unto myself a portion appointed of Thy servants, and I will lead them astray, and fill them with fancies and I will command them and they will cut off the cattle's ears; I will command them and they will alter God's creation.' Whoso takes Satan to him for a friend, instead of God, has surely suffered a manifest loss. He promises them and fills them with fancies, but there is nothing Satan promises them except delusion. 120 Such men -- their refuge shall be Gehenna, and they shall find no asylum from it. But those that believe, and do deeds of righteousness, them We shall admit to gardens underneath which rivers flow, therein dwelling for ever and ever; God's promise in truth; and who is truer in speech than God? It is not your fancies, nor the fancies of the People of the Book. Whosoever does evil shall be recompensed for it, and will not find for him, apart from God, a friend or helper. And whosoever does deeds of righteousness, be it male or female, believing -- they shall enter Paradise, and not be wronged a single date-spot. And who is there that has a fairer religion than he who submits his will to God being a good-doer, and who follows the creed of Abraham, a man of pure faith? And God took Abraham for a friend. 125 To God belongs all that is in the heavens and in the earth, and God encompa**es everything. They will ask thee for a pronouncement concerning women. Say: 'God pronounces to you concerning them, and what is recited to you in the Book concerning the orphan women to whom you give not what is prescribed for them, and yet desire to marry them, and the oppressed children, and that you secure justice for orphans. Whatever good you do, God knows of it.' If a woman fear rebelliousness or aversion in her husband, there is no fault in them if the couple set things right between them; right settlement is better; and souls are very prone to avarice. If you do good and are godfearing, surely God is aware of the things you do. You will not be able to be equitable between your wives, be you ever so eager; yet do not be altogether partial so that you leave her as it were suspended. If you set things right, and are godfearing, God is All-forgiving, All-compa**ionate. But if they separate, God will enrich each of them of His plenty; God is All-embracing, All-wise. 130 To God belongs all that is in the heavens and in the earth. We have charged those who were given the Book before you, and you, 'Fear God.' If you disbelieve, to God belongs all that is in the heavens and in the earth; God is All-sufficient, All-laudable. To God belongs all that is in the heavens and in the earth; God suffices for a guardian. If He will, He can put you away, O men, and bring others; surely God is powerful over that. Whoso desires the reward of this world, with God is the reward of this world and of the world to come; God is All-hearing, All-seeing. O believers, be you securers of justice, witnesses for God, even though it be against yourselves, or your parents and kinsmen, whether the man be rich or poor; God stands closest to either. Then follow not caprice, so as to swerve; for if you twist or turn, God is aware of the things you do. 135 O believers, believe in God and His Messenger and the Book He has sent down on His Messenger and the Book which He sent down before. Whoso disbelieves in God and His angels and His Books, and His Messengers, and the Last Day, has surely gone astray into far error. Those who believe, and then disbelieve, and then believe, and then disbelieve, and then increase in unbelief -- God is not likely to forgive them, neither to guide them on any way. Give thou good tidings to the hypocrites that for them awaits a painful chastisement. Those who take unbelievers for their friends instead of believers -- do they seek glory in them? But glory altogether belongs to God. He has sent down upon you in the Book: 'When you hear God's signs being disbelieved and made mock of, do not sit with them until they plunge into some other talk, or else you will surely be like to them.' God will gather the hypocrites and the unbelievers all in Gehenna. 140 Those who wait upon you and, if a victory comes to you from God, say, 'Were we not with you?' but if the unbelievers get a share, they say, 'Did we not gain the mastery over you, and did we not defend you from the believers?' God will judge between you on the Resurrection Day, and God will not grant the unbelievers any way over the believers. The hypocrites seek to trick God, but God is tricking them. When they stand up to pray they stand up lazily, showing off to the people and not remembering God save a little; wavering all the time -- not to these, not to those; and whom God leads astray, thou wilt not find for him a way. O believers, take not the unbelievers as friends instead of the believers; or do you desire to give God over you a clear authority? Surely the hypocrites will be in the lowest reach of the Fire; thou wilt not find for them any helper; 145 save such as repent, and make amends, and hold fast to God, and make their religion sincerely God's; those are with the believers, and God will certainly give the believers a mighty wage. What would God do with chastising you if you are thankful, and believe? God is All-thankful, All-knowing. God likes not the shouting of evil words unless a man has been wronged; God is All-hearing, All-knowing. If you do good openly or in secret or pardon an evil, surely God is All-pardoning, All-powerful. Those who disbelieve in God and His Messengers and desire to make division between God and His Messengers, and say, 'We believe in part, and disbelieve in part,' desiring to take between this and that a way -- 150 those in truth are the unbelievers; and We have prepared for the unbelievers a humbling chastisement. And those who believe in God and His Messengers and make no division between any of them, those -- We shall surely give them their wages; God is All-forgiving, All-compa**ionate. The People of the Book will ask thee to bring down upon them a Book from heaven; and they asked Moses for greater than that, for they said, 'Show us God openly.' And the thunderbolt took them for their evildoing. Then they took to themselves the Calf, after the clear signs had come to them; yet We pardoned them that, and We bestowed upon Moses a clear authority. And We raised above them the Mount, taking compact with them; and We said to them, 'Enter in at the gate, prostrating'; and We said to them, 'Transgress not the Sabbath'; and We took from them a solemn compact. So, for their breaking the compact, and disbelieving in the signs of God, and slaying the Prophets without right, and for their saying, 'Our hearts are uncircumcised' -- nay, but God sealed them for their unbelief, so they believe not, except a few -- 155 and for their unbelief, and their uttering against Mary a mighty calumny, and for their saying, 'We slew the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, the Messenger of God' -- yet they did not slay him, neither crucified him, only a likeness of that was shown to them. Those who are at variance concerning him surely are in doubt regarding him; they have no knowledge of him, except the following of surmise; and they slew him not of a certainty -- no indeed; God raised him up to Him; God is All-mighty, All-wise. There is not one of the People of the Book but will a**uredly believe in him before his d**h, and on the Resurrection Day he will be a witness against them. And for the evildoing of those of Jewry, We have forbidden them certain good things that were permitted to them, and for their barring from God's way many, and for their taking usury, that they were prohibited, and consuming the wealth of the people in vanity; and We have prepared for the unbelievers among them a painful chastisement. 160 But those of them that are firmly rooted in knowledge, and the believers believing in what has been sent down to thee, and what was sent down before thee, that perform the prayer and pay the alms, and those who believe in God and the Last Day -- them We shall surely give a mighty wage. We have revealed to thee as We revealed to Noah, and the Prophets after him, and We revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, Jesus and Job, Jonah and Aaron and Solomon, and We gave to David Psalms, and Messengers We have already told thee of before, and Messengers We have not told thee of; and unto Moses God spoke directly -- Messengers bearing good tidings, and warning, so that mankind might have no argument against God, after the Messengers; God is All-mighty, All-wise. But God bears witness to that He has sent down to thee; He has sent it down with His knowledge; and the angels also bear witness; and God suffices for a witness. 165 Surely those who disbelieve, and bar from the way of God, have gone astray into far error. Surely the unbelievers, who have done evil, God would not forgive them, neither guide them on any road but the road to Gehenna, therein dwelling forever and ever; and that for God is an easy matter. O men, the Messenger has now come to you with the truth from your Lord; so believe; better is it for you. And if you disbelieve, to God belongs all that is in the heavens and in the earth; and God is All-knowing, All-wise. People of the Book, go not beyond the bounds in your religion, and say not as to God but the truth. The Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, was only the Messenger of God, and His Word that He committed to Mary, and a Spirit from Him. So believe in God and His Messengers, and say not, 'Three.' Refrain; better is it for you. God is only One God. Glory be to Him -- That He should have a son! To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and in the earth; God suffices for a guardian. 170 The Messiah will not disdain to be a servant of God, neither the angels who are near stationed to Him. Whosoever disdains to serve Him, and waxes proud, He will a**uredly muster them to Him, all of them. As for the believers, who do deeds of righteousness, He will pay them in full their wages, and He will give them more, of His bounty; and as for them who disdain, and wax proud, them He will chastise with a painful chastisement, and they shall not find for them, apart from God, a friend or helper. O men, a proof has now come to you from your Lord; We have sent down to you a manifest light. As for those who believe in God, and hold fast to Him, He will surely admit them to mercy from Him, and bounty, and will guide them to Him on a straight path. 175 They will ask thee for a pronouncement. Say: 'God pronounces to you concerning the indirect heirs. If a man perishes having no children, but he has a sister, she shall receive a half of what he leaves, and he is her heir if she has no children. If there be two sisters, they shall receive two-thirds of what he leaves; if there be brothers and sisters, the male shall receive the portion of two females. God makes clear to you, lest you go astray; God has knowledge of everything.