the Book brought them before you, and from those who associate others with God, much harm. But if ye be patient and fear, verily, that is one of the determined affairs.

When God took the compact from those who have had the Book brought them that 'Ye shall of a surety manifest it unto men, and not hide it,' they cast it behind their backs, and bought therewith a little price, but evil is what they buy.

Count not that those who rejoice in what they have produced, and love to be praised for what they have not done,think not that they are in safety from woe,-for them is grievous woe!

God's is the kingdom of the heavens and the earth, and God is mighty over all!

Verily, in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the succession of night and day, are signs to those possessed of minds; who remember God standing and sitting or lying on their sides, and reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth. 'O Lord! thou hast not created this in vain. We celebrate Thy praise; then keep us from the torment of the fire! Lord! verily, whomsoever Thou hast made to enter the fire, Thou hast disgraced him; and the unjust shall have none to help them.

'Lord! verily, we heard a crier calling to the faith, "Believe in your Lord," and we did believe. Lord! forgive us our sins and cover our offences, and let us die with the righteous. Lord! and bring us what Thou hast promised us by Thy apostles, and disgrace us not upon the resurrection day; for, verily, Thou dost not break Thy promises!' And the Lord shall answer them, 'I waste not the works of a worker amongst you, be it male or female,—one of you is from the other.20

26

'Those who fled, and were turned out of their houses, and were harmed in my way, and who fought and were killed, I will cover their offences, and I will make them enter into gardens beneath which rivers flow.' A reward from God; for God, with Him are the best of rewards.

Let it not deceive you that those who misbelieve go to 26 This passage was revealed in answer to the objection of Umm Salma, one of Mohammed's wives, when the women who fled with him were not mentioned as well as the men in the promised reward of the future life.

and fro in the earth. It is a slight possession, and then their resort is Hell; an evil couch shall it be. But those who fear their Lord, for them are gardens beneath which rivers flow, and they shall dwell therein for aye,-an entertainment from God; and that which is with God is best for the righteous.

Verily, of the people of the Book are some who do believe in God, and in what has been revealed to you, and what was revealed to them, humbling themselves before God, and selling not the signs of God for a little price. These shall have their reward with their Lord; verily, God is quick at reckoning up.

O ye who believe! be patient and vie in being patient," and be on the alert, and fear God, that haply ye may prosper.

THE CHAPTER OF THE RANKS

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.

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

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!'-but when he did come to them with manifest signs, they said, 'This is manifest sorcery!'

27 That is, with their enemies.

1 Who fight in close and unbroken lines.

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 aрpákλnтos has been substituted in the Greek for #epixλutós, which would mean the same as Ahmed.

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.

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

He will pardon you your sins, and bring you into 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 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!'

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!

THE CHAPTER OF WOMEN

In the name of the merciful and compassionate God. O ye folk! fear your Lord, who created you from one soul, and created therefrom its mate, and diffused from them twain many men and women. And fear God, in whose name ye beg of one another, and the wombs; verily, God over you doth watch.1

And give unto the orphans their property, and give them not the vile in exchange for the good, and devour not their property to your own property; verily, that were a great sin. Ansar.

1 That is, fear God, and pay respect to your mothers and wives.

But if ye fear that ye cannot do justice between orphans, then marry what seems good to you of women, by twos, or threes, or fours; and if ye fear that ye cannot be equitable, then only one, or what your right hands possess. That keeps you nearer to not being partial.

2

And give women their dowries freely; and if they are good enough to remit any of it of themselves, then devour it with good digestion and appetite.

But do not give up to fools their property which God has made you to stand by; but maintain them from it, and clothe them, and speak to them with a reasonable speech. Prove orphans until they reach a marriageable age, and if ye perceive in them right management, then hand over to them their property, and do not devour it extravagantly in anticipation of their growing up. And he who is rich, let him abstain; but he who is poor, let him devour in reason, and when ye hand over to them their property, then take witnesses against them; but God sufficeth for taking account.

Men should have a portion of what their parents and kindred leave, and women should have a portion of what their parents and kindred leave, whether it be little or much, a determined portion. And when the next of kin and the orphans and the poor are present at the division, then maintain them out of it, and speak to them a reasonable speech. And let these fear lest they leave behind them a weak seed, for whom they would be afraid; and let them fear God, and speak a straightforward speech. Verily, those who devour the property of orphans unjustly, only devour into their bellies fire, and they shall broil in flames.

God instructs you concerning your children; for a male the like of the portion of two females, and if there be women above two, then let them have two-thirds of what (the deceased) leaves; and if there be but one, then let her have a half; and as to the parents, to each of them a sixth of

That is, female slaves.

The Arabic idiom for the enjoyment of property being to eat it up, Mohammed here gives the men permission to enjoy such portion of their wives' dowries as the latter might be pleased to remit, and adds, with a sort of humour, the colloquial expression used by the Arabs when any one is eating. The sentence might be paraphrased and if they are kind enough to remit any portion of it of their own accord, then enjoy it, and much good may it do you!'

To idiots or persons of weak intellect.

what he leaves, if he has a son; but if he have no son, and his parents inherit, then let his mother have a third, and if he have brethren, let his mother have a sixth after payment of the bequest he bequeaths and of his debt.

Your parents or your children, ye know not which of them is nearest to you in usefulness:—an ordinance this from God; verily, God is knowing and wise! And ye shall have half of what your wives leave, if they have no son; but if they have a son, then ye shall have a fourth of what they leave, after payment of the bequests they bequeath or of their debts. And they shall have a fourth of what ye leave, if ye have no son; but if ye have a son, then let them have an eighth of what ye leave, after payment of the bequest ye bequeath and of your debts.

And if the man's or the woman's (property) be inherited by a kinsman who is neither parent nor child, and he have a brother or sister, then let each of these two have a sixth; but if they are more than that, let them share in a third after payment of the bequest he bequeaths and of his debts, without prejudice, an ordinance this from God, and God is knowing and clement!

These be God's bounds, and whoso obeys God and the Apostle He will make him enter into gardens beneath which rivers flow, and they shall dwell therein for aye;—that is the mighty happiness.

But whoso rebels against God and His Apostle, and transgresses His bounds, He will make him enter into fire, and dwell therein for aye; and for him is shameful woe.

Against those of your women who commit adultery, call witnesses four in number from among yourselves; and if these bear witness, then keep the women in houses until death release them, or God shall make for them a way.

And if two of you commit it, then hurt them both; but if they turn again and amend, leave them alone, verily, God is easily turned, compassionate.

I. e. to the heirs.

Women taken in adultery or fornication were at the beginning of Islâm literally immured.

The commentators are not agreed as to the nature of the offence here referred to. The text, however, speaks of two of the masculine gender. The punishment to be inflicted is also the subject of dispute, the original merely saying, as I have translated it, 'hurt them.'