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Sura Xxxiii. Azab, Or The Confederates

*
"The Holy Quran", tr. by Yusuf Ali, [1934],

p. 1102

Sra Xxxiii.

\"AZB", Or The Confederates.

In the name of God, Most Gracious,

Most Merciful.

1. O
Prophet! Fear God,

And hearken not

To the Unbelievers

And the Hypocrites:


Verily god is full

Of knowledge and wisdom.

2.
But follow that which

Comes to thee by inspiration

From thy Lord: for God

Is well acquainted

With (all) that ye do.

3.
And put thy trust

In God, and enough is God

As a Disposer of affairs.

4.
God has not made

For any man two hearts

p. 1103

In his (one) body: nor has

He made your wives whom

Ye divorce by ihr

Your mothers: nor has He

Made your adopted sons

Your sons. Such is (only)

Your (manner of) speech

By your mouths. but God

Tells (you) the Truth, and He

Shows the (right) Way.

5.
Call them by (the names

Of
) their fathers: that is

Juster in the sight of God.

But if ye know not

Their father's (names, call

Them
) your Brothers in faith,

Or your Mauls.

But there is no blame

On you if ye make

A mistake therein:


(What counts is)

The intention of your hearts:

And god is Oft-Returning,

Most Merciful.

p. 1104

6.
The Prophet is closer

To the Believers than

Their own selves,

And his wives are

Their mothers. Blood-relations

Among each other have

Closer personal ties,

In the Decree of God.

Than (the Brotherhood of)

Believers and Muhjirs:


Nevertheless do ye

What is just to your

Closest friends: such is

The writing in the Decree

(Of God).

7.
And remember We took

From the Prophets their

Covenant:


As (We did) from thee:

From Noah, Abraham, Moses,

And Jesus the son of Mary:


We took from them

A solemn Covenant:

p. 1105

8.
That (God) may question

The (Custodians) of Truth concerning

The Truth they (were charged with):

And He has prepared

For the Unbelievers

A grievous Penalty.

Section 2.

9. O
ye who believe!

Remember the Grace of God,

(Bestowed) on you, when

There came down on you

Hosts (to overwhelm you):


But We sent against them

p. 1106

A hurricane and forces

That ye saw not:


But God sees (clearly)

All that ye do.

10.
Behold! they came on you

From above you and from

Below you, and behold,

The eyes became dim

And the hearts gaped

Up to the throats,

And ye imagined various

(Vain) thoughts about God!

11. In that situation

Were the Believers tried:


They were shaken as by

A tremendous shaking.

12.
Find behold! The Hypocrites

And those in whose hearts

Is a disease (even) say: "God

And His Apostle promised us

Nothing but delusions!"

13.
Behold! A party among them

Said: "Ye men of Yathrib!

Ye cannot stand (the attack)!

Therefore go back!"

And a band of them

Ask for leave of the Prophet,

p. 1107

Saying, "Truly our houses

Are bare and exposed," though

They were not exposed:


They intended nothing but

To run away.

14.
And if an entry had

Been effected to them

From the sides of the (City),

And they had been

Incited to sedition.

They would certainly have

Brought it to pass, with

None but a brief delay!

15.
And yet they had already

Covenanted with God not to turn

Their backs, and a covenant

With God must (surely)

Be answered for.

16.
Say: "Running away will not

Profit you if ye are

Running away from death

Or slaughter; and even if

(Ye do escape), no more

Than a brief (respite)

Will ye be allowed to enjoy!
"

p. 1108

17.
Say: "Who is it that can

Screen you from God

If it be His wish

To give you Punishment

Or to give you Mercy?"

Nor will they find for themselves,

Besides God, any protector

Or helper.

18.
Verily God knows those

Among you who keep back

(Men) and those who say

To their brethren, "Come along

To us
", but come not

To the fight except

For just a little while,

19.
Covetous over you

Then when fear comes,

Thou wilt see them looking

To thee, their eyes revolving,

Like (those of) one over whom

Hovers death: but when

The fear is past,

They will smite you

With sharp tongues, covetous

Of goods. Such men have

No faith, and so God

Has made their deeds

Of none effect: and that

Is easy for God.

p. 1109

20.
They think that the Confederates

Have not withdrawn; and if

The Confederates should come (again),

They would wish they were

In the deserts (wandering)

Among the Bedouins, and

Seeking news about you

(From a safe distance);

And if they were

In your midst, they

Would fight but little.

Section 3.

21.
Ye have indeed

In the Apostle of God

A beautiful pattern (of conduct)

For any one whose hope is

In God and the Final Day,

And who engages much

In the praise of God.

p. 1110

22.
When the Believers saw

The Confederate forces,

They said: "This is

What God and His Apostle is

Had promised us, and God

And His Apostle told us

What was true.
" And it

Only added to their faith

And their zeal in obedience.

23.
Among the Believers are then

Who have been true to

Their Covenant with God:


Of them some have completed

Their vow (to the extreme),

And some (still) wait:


But they have never changed

(Their determination) in the least:

24.
That God may reward

The men of Truth for

Their Truth, and punish

The Hypocrites if that be

p. 1111

His Will, or turn to them

In Mercy: for God is

Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

25.
And God turned back

The Unbelievers for (all)

Their fury: no advantage

Did they gain; and enough

Is God for the Believers

In their fight. And God

Is full of Strength, Able

To enforce His Will.

26.
And those of the people

Of the Book who aided

Them--God did take them

Down from their strongholds

p. 1112

And cast terror into

Their hearts, (so that)

Some ye slew, and some

Ye made prisoners,

27.
And He made you heirs

Of their lands, their houses,

And their goods,

And of a land which

p. 1113

Ye had not frequented

(Before). And God has

Power over all things.

Section 4.

28. O Prophet! say

To thy Consorts:


"If it be that ye desire

The life of this world,

And its glitter,--then come!

I will provide for your

p. 1114

Enjoyment and set you free

In a handsome manner.

29.
But if ye seek God

And His Apostle, and

The Home of the Hereafter,

Verily God has prepared

For the well-doers amongst you

A great reward.

30. O
Consorts of the Prophet

If any of you were guilty

Of evident unseemly conduct,

The Punishment would be

Doubled to her, and that

Is easy for God

p. 1115

31.
But any of you that is

Devout in the service of

God and His Apostle,

And works righteousness,--

To her shall We grant

Her reward twice: and We

Have prepared for her

A generous Sustenance.

32. O
Consorts of the Prophet!

Ye are not like any

Of the (other) women:


If ye do fear (God),

Be not too complaisant

Of speech, lest one

In whose heart is

A disease should be moved

With desire: but speak ye

A speech (that is) just.

33.
And stay quietly in

Your houses, and make not

A dazzling display, like

That of the former Times

Of Ignorance; and establish

Regular Prayer, and give

Regular Charity; and obey

God and His Apostle.

And God only wishes

To remove all abomination

p. 1116

From you, ye Members

Of the Family, and to make

You pure and spotless.

34.
And recite what is

Rehearsed to you in your

Homes, of the Signs of God

And His Wisdom:


For God understands

The finest mysteries and

Is well-acquainted (with them).

Section 5.

35.
For Muslim men and women,--

For believing men and women,

For devout men and women,

For true men and women,

For men and women who are

Patient and constant, for men

And women who humble themselves

For men and women who give

In charity, for men and women

Who fast (and deny themselves),

For men and women who

Guard their chastity, and

For men and women who

p. 1117

Engage much in God's praise,--

For them has God prepared

Forgiveness and great reward.

36.
It is not fitting

For a Believer, man or woman.

When a matter has been decided

By God and His Apostle,

To have any option

About their decision:


If any one disobeys God

And His Apostle, he is indeed

On a clearly wrong Path.

37.
Behold! thou didst say

To one who had received

The grace of God

And thy favour: "Retain thou

(In wedlock) thy wife,

And fear God.
" But thou

Didst hide in thy heart

That which God was about

To make manifest: thou didst

Fear the people, but it is

p. 1118

More fitting that thou shouldst

Fear God. Then when Zaid

Had dissolved (his marriage)

With her, with the necessary

(Formality), We joined her

In marriage to thee:

In order that (in future)

There may be no difficulty

To the Believers in (the matter

Of
) marriage with the vives

Of their adopted sons, when

The latter have dissolved

With the necessary (formality)

(Their marriage) with them.

And God's command must

Be fulfilled.

38.
There can be no difficulty

To the Prophet in what

God has indicated to him

As a duty. It was

The practice (approved) of God

Amongst those of old

That have passed away.

And the command of God

Is a decree determined.

39.
(It is the practice of those)

Who preach the Messages

Of God, and fear Him,

And fear none but God.

p. 1119

And enough is God

To call (men) to account.

40.
Muhammad is not

The father of any

Of your men, but (he is)

The Apostle of God,

And the Seal of the Prophets:


And God has full knowledge

Of all things.

Section 6.

41. O
ye who believe!

Celebrate the praises of God,

And do this often;

42.
And glorify Him

Morning and evening.

43.
He it is Who sends

Blessings on you, as do

His angels, that He may

Bring you out from the depths

Of Darkness into Light:


And He is Full of Mercy

To the Believers.

44.
Their salutation on the Day

They meet Him will be

"Peace!"; and He has

Prepared for them

A generous Reward.

45. O
Prophet! Truly We

Have sent thee as

p. 1120

A
Witness, a Bearer

Of Glad Tidings,

And a Warner,--

46.
And as one who invites

To God's (Grace) by His leave,

And as a Lamp

Spreading Light.

47.
Then give the glad tidings

To the Believers, that

They shall have from God

A very great Bounty.

48.
And obey not (the behests)

Of the Unbelievers

And the Hypocrites,

And heed not their annoyances,

But put thy trust in God.

For enough is God

As a Disposer of affairs.

49. O
ye who believe!

When ye marry believing women,

And then divorce them

Before ye have touched them,

p. 1121

No period of 'Iddat

Have ye to count

In respect of them:


So give them a present,

And set them free

In a handsome manner.

50. O
Prophet! We have

Made lawful to thee

Thy wives to whom thou

Hast paid their dowers;

And those whom thy

Right hand possesses out of

The prisoners of war whom

God has assigned to thee;

And daughters of thy paternal

Uncles and aunts, and daughters

Of thy maternal uncles

And aunts, who migrated

(From Mecca) with thee;

And any believing woman

Who dedicates her soul

p. 1122

To the Prophet if the Prophet

Wishes to wed her;--this

Only for thee, and not

For the Believers (at large);

We know what We have

Appointed for them as to

Their wives and the captives

Whom their right hands

Possess;--in order that

There should be no difficulty

For thee. And God is

Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

51.
Thou mayest defer (the turn

Of
) any of them that thou

Pleasest, and thou mayest receive

Any thou pleasest: and there

Is no blame on thee if

Thou invite one whose (turn)

p. 1123

Thou hadst set aside.

This were nigher to

The cooling of their eyes,

The prevention of their grief,

And their satisfaction--

That of all of them--

With that which thou

Hast to give them:


And God knows (all)

That is in your hearts:

And God is All-Knowing,

Most Forbearing.

52.
It is not lawful for thee

(To marry more) women

After this, nor to change

Them for (other) wives,

Even though their beauty

Attract thee, except any

Thy right hand should

Possess (as handmaidens):


And God doth watch

Over all things.

p. 1124

Section 7.

53. O
ye who believe!

Enter not the Prophet's houses,--

Until leave is given you,

For a meal, (and then)

Not (so early as) to wait

For its preparation: but when

Ye are invited, enter;

And when ye have taken

Your meal, disperse,

Without seeking familiar talk.

Such (behaviour) annoys

The Prophet: he is ashamed

To dismiss you, but

God is not ashamed

(To tell you) the truth.

And when ye

Ask (his ladies)

For anything ye want,

Ask them from before

A screen: that makes

For greater purity for

Your hearts and for theirs.

Nor is it right for you

p. 1125

That ye should annoy

God's Apostle, or that

Ye should marry his widows

After him at any time.

Truly such a thing is

In God's sight an enormity.

54.
Whether ye reveal anything

Or conceal it, verily

God has full knowledge

Of all things.

55.
There is no blame

(On these ladies if they

Appear
) before their fathers

Or their sons, their brothers,

Or their brothers' sons,

Or their sisters' sons,

Or their women,

Or the (slaves) whom

Their right hands possess.

And, (ladies), fear God;

For God is Witness

To all things.

56.
God and His Angels

Send blessings on the Prophet:

p. 1126

O
ye that believe!

Send ye blessings on him,

And salute him

With all respect.

57.
Those who annoy

God and His Apostle--

God has cursed them

In this world and

In the Hereafter,

And has prepared for them

A humiliating Punishment.

58.
And those who annoy

Believing men and women

Undeservedly, bear

(on themselves)

A calumny and a glaring sin.

Section 8.

59. O
Prophet! Tell

Thy wives and daughters,

And the believing women,

That they should cast

Their outer garments over

Their persons (when abroad):

That is most convenient,

That they should be known

p. 1127

(As such) and not molested.

And God is Oft-Forgiving,

Most Merciful.

60.
Truly, if the Hypocrites,

And those in whose hearts

Is a disease, and those who

Stir up sedition in the City,

Desist not, We shall certainly

Stir thee up against them:

Then will they not be

Able to stay in it

As thy neighbours

For any length of time:

61.
They shall have a curse

On them: wherever they

Are found, they shall be

Seized and slain

(Without mercy).

62.
(Such was) the practice

(Approved) of God among those

Who lived aforetime:

No change wilt thou find

In the practice (approved)

Of God.

p. 1128

63.
Men ask thee concerning

The Hour: say, "The knowledge

Ther is with God (alone)":


And what will make thee

Understand?--perchance

The Hour is nigh!

64.
Verily God has cursed

The Unbelievers and prepared

For them a Blazing Fire,--

65. To dwell therein for ever:


No protector will they find,

Nor helper.

66.
The Day that their faces

Will be turned upside down

In the Fire, they will say:

"Woe to us! would that

We had obeyed God

And obeyed the Apostle!"

67. And they would say:


"Our Lord! We obeyed

Our chiefs and our great ones,

And they misled us

As to the (right) path.

68.
\"Our Lord! Give them

Double Penalty

And curse them

With a very great Curse!"

p. 1129

Section 9.

69. O
ye who believe!

Be ye not like those

Who vexed and insulted Moses,

But God cleared him

Of the (calumnies) they

Had uttered: and he

Was honourable in God's sight.

70. O
ye who believe!

Fear God, and (always) say

A word directed to the Right:

71.
That He may make

Your conduct whole and sound

And forgive you your sins:

He that obeys God

And His Apostle, has already

Attained the highest

Achievement.

72.
We did indeed offer

The Trust to the Heavens

p. 1130

And the Earth

And the Mountains;

But they refused

To undertake it,

Being afraid ther:


But man undertook it;--

He was indeed unjust

And foolish;--

p. 1131

73.
(With the result (that

God has to punish

The Hypocrites, men and women,

And the Unbelievers, men

And women, and God turns

In Mercy to the Believers,

Men and women: for God

Is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

p. 1132

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