LXI. The Chapter of the Ranks

The Qur'ân, part II (Sacred Books of the East volume 9), Palmer edition [1880]; at sacred-texts.com

THE CHAPTER OF THE RANKS.

(LXI. Mecca.)

IN the name of the merciful and compassionate God.

What is in the heavens and what is in the earth celebrates the praises of God, for He is the mighty, the wise!

O ye who believe! say not what ye do not. It is most hateful to God that ye say what ye do not.

p. 281

Verily, God loves those who fight in His cause in ranks as though they were a compact building ¹.

[5] When Moses said to his people, 'O my people! why do ye hurt me, when ye know that I am the apostle of God to you?' and when they swerved, God made their hearts to swerve; for God guides not the people who work abomination!

And when Jesus the son of Mary said, 'O children of Israel! verily, I am the apostle of God to you, verifying the law that was before me and giving you glad tidings of an apostle who shall come after me, whose name shall be A‘hmed ²!'--but when he did come to them with manifest signs, they said, 'This is manifest sorcery!'

And who is more unjust than he who forges against God a lie when called unto Islâm? but God guides not the unjust people.

They desire to put out the light of God with their mouths; but God will perfect His light, averse although the misbeliever be!

He it is who sent His Apostle with guidance and the religion of truth to set it above all religion; averse although the idolaters may be.

[10] O ye who believe! shall I lead you to a merchandise which will save you from grievous woe?

To believe in God and His Apostle, and to fight strenuously in God's cause with your property and

p. 282

your persons; that is better for you if ye did but know!

He will pardon you your sins, and bring you inter gardens beneath which rivers flow, and goodly dwellings in gardens of Eden;--that is the mighty bliss!

And other things which ye love,--help from God and victory nigh! so do thou give the glad tidings unto the believers!

O ye who believe! be ye the helpers ¹ of God! as Jesus son of Mary said to the apostles, 'Who are my helpers for God?' Said the apostles, 'We are God's helpers ²!'

And a party of the children of Israel believed, and a party misbelieved. And we aided those who believed against their enemies, and they were on the morrow superior!

Footnotes

281:1 Who fight in close and unbroken lines.

281:2 Ahmed is equivalent in meaning to Mohammed, and means 'Praised,' 'Laudable.' The allusion is to the promise of the Paraclete in John xvi. 7, the Muslims declaring that the word παράκλητος has been substituted in the Greek for περικλυτός, which would mean the same as A‘hmed. See Introduction; p. xlix.

282:1 Ansâr.

282:2 See Part I, p. 53 (Chapter III, verse 45).