and he will lead him into gardens beneath which rivers flow, to remain therein forever. This will be great felicity. But they who shall not believe, and shall accuse our signs of falsehood, those shall be the inhabitants of hell fire, wherein they shall remain forever; and a wretched journey shall it be thither! No misfortune happeneth but by the permission of GOD; and whoso believeth in GOD, he will direct his heart: and GOD knoweth all things. Wherefore obey GOD, and obey the apostle but if ye turn back, verily the duty incumbent on our apostle is only public preaching. GOD! there is no GOD but he: wherefore in God let the faithful put their trust. O true believers, verily of your wives and your children ye have an enemy: wherefore beware of them. But if ye pass over their offences, and pardon, and forgive them; GOD is likewise inclined to forgive, and merciful. Your wealth and your children are only a temptation; but with GOD is a great reward. Wherefore fear GOD, as much as ye are able; and hear, and obey and give alms, for the good of your souls; for whoso is preserved from the covetousness of his own soul, they shall prosper. If ye lend unto GOD an acceptable loan, he will double the same unto you, and will forgive you: for GOD is grateful, and longsuffering, knowing both what is hidden, and what is divulged; the Mighty, the Wise.

CHAPTER LXV.

INTITLED, DIVORCE; REVEALED AT MEDINA.

IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD.

O PROPHET, when ye divorce women, put them away at their appointed term; and compute the term exactly: and fear GOD, your LORD. Oblige them not to go out of their apartments, neither let them go out, until the term be expired, unless they be guilty of manifest uncleanness. These are the statutes of GOD: and whoever transgresseth the statutes of GOD assuredly injureth his own soul. Thou knowest not

whether GOD will bring something new to pass, which may reconcile them after this. And when they shall have fulfilled their term, either retain them with kindness, or part from them honorably and take witnesses from among you, men of integrity; and give your testimony as in the presence of GOD. This admonition is given unto him who believeth in GOD and the last day: and whoso feareth GOD, unto him will he grant a happy issue out of all his afflictions, and he will bestow on him an ample provision from whence he expecteth it not and whoso trusteth in GOD, he will be his sufficient support; for GOD will surely attain his purpose. Now hath GOD appointed unto everything a determined period. As to such of your wives as shall despair having their courses, by reason of their age; if ye be in doubt thereof, let their term be three months: and let the same be the term of those who have not yet had their courses. But as to those who are pregnant, their term shall be, until they be delivered of their burden. And whoso feareth GOD, unto him will he make his command easy. This is the command of GOD, which he hath sent down unto you. And whoso feareth GOD, he will expiate his evil deeds from him, and will increase his reward. Suffer the women whom ye divorce to dwell in some part of the houses wherein ye dwell; according to the room and conveniences of the habitations which ye possess and make them not uneasy, that ye may reduce them to straits. And if they be with child, expend on them what shall be needful, until they be delivered of their burden. And if they suckle their children for you, give them their hire; and consult among yourselves, according to what shall -be just and reasonable. And if ye be put to a difficulty herein, and another woman shall suckle the child for him, let him who hath plenty expend proportionably in the maintenance of the mother and the nurse, out of his plenty: and let him whose income is scanty expend in proportion out of that which God hath given him. GOD obligeth no man to more than he hath given him ability to perform: GOD will cause ease to succeed hardship. How many cities have turned aside from the command of the LORD and his apostles! Wherefore we brought them to a severe account; and we chastised them with a grievous chastisement: and they tasted the evil consequence of their business; and the end of their business was perdition. God hath prepared for them a severe pun

ishment: wherefore fear GOD, O ye who are endued with understanding. True believers, now hath GOD sent down unto you an admonition, an apostle who may rehearse unto you the perspicuous signs of GOD; that he may bring forth those who believe and do good works, from darkness into light. And whoso believeth in GOD, and doth that which is right, him will he lead into gardens beneath which rivers flow, to remain therein forever: now hath GOD made an excellent provision for him. It is GOD who hath created seven heavens, and as many different stories of the earth: the divine command descendeth between them; that ye may know that GOD is omnipotent, and that GOD comprehendeth all things by his knowledge.

CHAPTER LXVI.

INTITLED, PROHIBITION; REVEALED AT MEDINA.

IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD.

O PROPHET, Why holdest thou that to be prohibited which GOD hath allowed thee, seeking to please thy wives; since GOD is inclined to forgive, and merciful? GOD hath allowed you the dissolution of your oaths: and GOD is your master; and he is knowing and wise. When the prophet intrusted as a secret unto one of his wives a certain accident; and when she disclosed the same, and GOD made it known unto him; he acquainted her with part of what she had done, and forbore to upbraid her with the other part thereof. And when he had acquainted her therewith, she said, Who hath discovered this unto thee? He answered, The knowing, the sagacious God hath discovered it unto me. If ye both be turned unto GOD (for your hearts have swerved) it is well: but if ye join against him, verily GOD is his patron; and Gabriel, and the good man among the faithful, and the angels also are his assistants. If he divorce you, his LORD can easily give him in exchange other wives better than you, women resigned unto God, true believers, devout, penitent,

obedient, given to fasting, both such as have been known by other men, and virgins. O true believers, save your souls, and those of your families, from the fire whose fuel is men and stones, over which are set angels fierce and terrible; who disobey not GOD in what he hath commanded them, but per form what they are commanded. O unbelievers, excuse not yourselves this day; ye shall surely be rewarded for what ye have done. O true believers, turn unto GOD with a sincere repentance : peradventure your LORD will do away from you your evil deeds, and will admit you into gardens, through which rivers flow; on the day whereon GOD will not put to shame the prophet, or those who believe with him: their light shall run before them, and on their right hands, and they shall say, LORD, make our light perfect, and forgive us for thou art almighty. O prophet, attack the infidels with arms, and the hypocrites with arguments; and treat them with severity: their abode shall be hell, and an ill journey shall it be thither. GOD propoundeth as a similitude unto the unbelievers, the wife of Noah, and the wife of Lot: they were under two of our righteous servants, and they deceived them both: wherefore their husbands were of no advantage unto them at all, in the sight of GOD: and it shall be said unto them, at the last day, Enter ye into hell fire, with those who enter therein. GOD also propoundeth as a similitude unto those who believe, the wife of Pharaoh; when she said, LORD, build me a house with thee in paradise; and deliver me from Pharaoh and his doings, and deliver me from the unjust people and Mary the daughter of Imran ; who preserved her chastity, and into whose womb we breathed of our spirit, and who believed in the words of her LORD, and his scriptures, and was a devout and obedient person.

CHAPTER LXVII.

INTITLED, THE KINGDOM; REVEALED AT MECCA.

IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD.

BLESSED be he in whose hand is the kingdom, for he is almighty! Who hath created death and life, that he might prove you, which of you is most righteous in his actions: and he is mighty, and ready to forgive. Who hath created seven heavens, one above another thou canst not see in a creature of the most Merciful any unfitness or disproportion. Lift up thine eyes again to heaven, and look whether thou seest any flaw: then take two other views; and thy sight shall return unto thee dull and fatigued. Moreover we have adorned the lowest heaven with lamps, and have appointed them to be darted at the devils, for whom we have prepared the torment of burning fire: and for those who believe not in their LORD is also prepared the torment of hell; an ill journey shall it be thither. When they shall be thrown thereinto, they shall hear it bray like an ass; and it shall boil, and almost burst for fury. So often as a company of them shall be thrown therein, the keepers thereof shall ask them, saying, Did not a warner come unto you? They shall answer, Yea, a warner came unto us: but we accused him of imposture, and said, God hath not revealed anything; ye are in no other than a great error: and they shall say, If we had hearkened, or had rightly considered, we should not have been among the inhabitants of burning fire: and they shall confess their sins; but far be the inhabitants of burning fire from obtaining mercy! Verily they who fear their LORD in secret shall receive pardon and a great reward. Either conceal your discourse, or make it public; he knoweth the innermost parts of your breasts: shall not he know all things who hath created them; since he is the sagacious, the knowing? It is he who hath levelled the earth for you: therefore walk through the regions thereof, and eat of his provision; unto him, shall be the resurrection. Are ye secure that he who dwelleth in heaven will not cause the earth to swallow you up? and behold, it shall shake. Or are you secure that

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