Sura LXIV.--Mutual Deceit [XCIII.]

The Qur'ân, Rodwell edition [1876]; at sacred-texts.com

SURA LXIV.--MUTUAL DECEIT [XCIII.]

MEDINA. ¹--18 Verses

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

ALL that is in the Heavens, and all that is in the Earth, praiseth God: His the Kingdom and His the Glory! And He hath power over all things!

It is He who hath created you all; yet some of you are infidel and others believers: but God beholdeth all your actions.

He hath created the Heavens and the Earth in Truth; and He hath fashioned you and given you goodly forms; and to Him must ye all return.

He knoweth all that passeth in the Heavens and in the Earth; and He knoweth what ye hide and what ye bring to light; and God knoweth the very secrets of men's breasts.

Hath not the story reached you of those who disbelieved of yore, and therefore tasted the evil consequences of their doings? And a sore punishment doth await them.

This, for that when their apostles came to them with the clear tokens, they said, "What! shall men be our guides?" And they believed not and turned their backs. But God can dispense with them; for God is the Rich, the Praiseworthy!

The infidels pretend that they shall not be raised from the dead. SAY: Yea, by my Lord, ye shall surely be raised; then shall ye surely be told of your deeds! And easy is this for God.

Believe then in God and his apostle and in the light which we have sent down; for God is fully aware of all ye do.

The day when He shall gather you together for the day of mutual gathering, will be the day of MUTUAL DECEIT, ² and whoso shall have believed in God and done what is right, for him will He cancel his deeds of evil; and He will bring him into the gardens beneath whose shades the rivers flow, to abide therein for evermore. This will be the great bliss!

But the unbelieving--those who gave the lie to our signs--shall be the inmates of the fire, wherein they shall remain for ever. And a wretched passage thither!

No mischance chanceth but by God's permission; and whoso believeth in God, that man's heart will he guide: and God knoweth all things.

Obey God then and obey the apostle: but if ye turn away, our apostle is not to blame, for he is only charged with plain preaching.

God! there is no God but He! On God, then, let the faithful trust.

O ye who believe! Verily, in your wives and your children ye have an enemy: wherefore beware of them. But if ye pass it ³ over and pardon, and are lenient, then God too is Lenient, Merciful.

Your wealth and your children are only a source of trial! but God! with Him is the great recompense.

Fear God, then, with all your might, and hear and obey: and give alms for your own weal; for such as are saved from their own greed, shall prosper.

If ye lend God a generous loan, He will double it to you and will forgive you, for God is Grateful, Long-suffering.

He knoweth alike the Hidden and the Manifest: the Mighty, the Wise!

Footnotes

1 The first verse of this Sura, and the phrase obey God and the Apostle (verses 8, 12), which usually occurs only in Medina Suras, the phrases in verse 16 compared with Sura [cii.] lix. 9, as well as the subject matter, incline me to follow those Muslim commentators who are of opinion that the whole Sura was revealed at Medina. Weil and Muir suppose it to be Meccan.

2 That is, the day on which it will be found that if the just had been wicked they would have taken the place of the reprobates, while the reprobates will see that if they had been just persons they would have gone to Paradise.

3 Their occasionally beguiling you from your duty, especially that of contending for the faith. Comp. 1 Cor. vii. 32.