Koran Curious - A Guide for Infidels and Believers (27 page)

[33:2] Follow what is revealed to you from your Lord. GOD is fully Cognizant of everything you all do.

[33:3] And put your trust in GOD. GOD suffices as an advocate.

[33:4] GOD did not give any man two hearts in his chest. Nor did He turn your wives whom you estrange (according to your custom) into your mothers. Nor did He turn your adopted children into genetic offspring. All these are mere utterances that you have invented. GOD speaks the truth, and He guides in the (right) path.

[33:5] You shall give your adopted children names that preserve their relationship to their genetic parents. This is more equitable in the sight of GOD. If you do not know their parents, then, as your brethren in religion, you shall treat them as members of your family. You do not commit a sin if you make a mistake in this respect; you are responsible for your purposeful intentions. GOD is Forgiver, Most Merciful.

[33:6] The prophet is closer to the believers than they are to each other, and his wives are like mothers to them. The relatives ought to take care of one another in accordance with GOD’s scripture. Thus, the believers shall take care of their relatives who immigrate to them, provided they have taken care of their own families first. These are commandments of this scripture.

[33:9] O you who believe, remember GOD’s blessing upon you; when soldiers attacked you, we sent upon them violent wind and invisible soldiers. GOD is Seer of everything you do.

[33:10] When they came from above you, and from beneath you, your eyes were terrified, your hearts ran out of patience, and you harbored unbefitting thoughts about GOD.

[33:11] That is when the believers were truly tested; they were severely shaken up.

[33:16] Say, “If you flee, you can never flee from death or from being killed. No matter what happens, you only live a short while longer.”

[33:17] Say, “Who would protect you from GOD if He willed any adversity, or willed any blessing for you?” They can never find, beside GOD, any other lord and master.

[33:18] GOD is fully aware of the hinderers among you, and those who say to their comrades, “Let us all stay behind.” Rarely do they mobilize for defense.

[33:21] The messenger of GOD has set up a good example for those among you who seek GOD and the Last Day, and constantly think about GOD.

[33:22] When the true believers saw the parties (ready to attack), they said, “This is what GOD and His messenger have promised us, and GOD and His messenger are truthful.” This (dangerous situation) only strengthened their faith and augmented their submission.

[33:32] O wives of the prophet, you are not the same as any other women, if you observe righteousness. (You have a greater responsibility.) Therefore, you shall not speak too softly, lest those with disease in their hearts may get the wrong ideas; you shall speak only righteousness.

[33:33] You shall settle down in your homes, and do not mingle with the people excessively, like you used to do in the old days of ignorance. You shall observe the Contact Prayers (Salat), and give the obligatory charity (Zakat), and obey GOD and His messenger. GOD wishes to remove all unholiness from you, O you who live around the Sacred Shrine, and to purify you completely.

[33:36] No believing man or believing woman, if GOD and His messenger issue any command, has any choice regarding that command. Anyone who disobeys GOD and His messenger has gone far astray.

[33:37] Recall that you said to the one who was blessed by GOD, and blessed by you, “Keep your wife and reverence GOD,” and you hid inside yourself what GOD wished to proclaim. Thus, you feared the people, when you were supposed to fear only GOD. When Zeid was completely through with his wife, we had you marry her, in order to establish the precedent that a man may marry the divorced wife of his adopted son. GOD’s commands shall be done.

[33:38] The prophet is not committing an error by doing anything that is made lawful by GOD. Such is GOD’s system since the early generations. GOD’s command is a sacred duty.

[33:49] O you who believe, if you married believing women, then divorced them before having intercourse with them, they do not owe you any waiting interim (before marrying another man). You shall compensate them equitably, and let them go amicably.

[33:50] O prophet, we made lawful for you your wives to whom you have paid their due dowry, or what you already have, as granted to you by GOD. Also lawful for you in marriage are the daughters of your father’s brothers, the daughters of your father’s sisters, the daughters of your mother’s brothers, the daughters of your mother’s sisters, who have emigrated with you. Also, if a believing woman gave herself to the prophet - by forfeiting the dowry - the prophet may marry her without a dowry, if he so wishes. However, her forfeiting of the dowry applies only to the prophet, and not to the other believers. We have already decreed their rights in regard to their spouses or what they already have. This is to spare you any embarrassment. GOD is Forgiver, Most Merciful.

[33:51] You may gently shun any one of them, and you may bring closer to you any one of them. If you reconcile with any one you had estranged, you commit no error. In this way, they will be pleased, will have no grief, and will be content with what you equitably offer to all of them. GOD knows what is in your hearts. GOD is Omniscient, Clement.

[33:52] Beyond the categories described to you, you are enjoined from marrying any other women, nor can you substitute a new wife (from the prohibited categories), no matter how much you admire their beauty. You must be content with those already made lawful to you. GOD is watchful over all things.

[33:63] The people ask you about the Hour (end of the world). Say, “The knowledge thereof is only with GOD. For all that you know, the Hour may be close.”

[33:64] GOD has condemned the disbelievers, and has prepared for them Hell.

[33:65] Eternally they abide therein. They will find no lord, nor a supporter.

[33:66] The day they are thrown into Hell, they will say, “Oh, we wish we obeyed GOD, and obeyed the messenger.”

[33:67] They will also say, “Our Lord, we have obeyed our masters and leaders, but they led us astray.

[33:68] “Our Lord, give them double the retribution, and curse them a tremendous curse.”

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

[34:1] Praise be to GOD - to whom belongs everything in the heavens and the earth; all praise is also due to Him in the Hereafter. He is the Most Wise, the Cognizant.

[34:3] Those who disbelieve have said, “The Hour will never come to pass!” Say, “Absolutely - by my Lord - it will most certainly come to you. He is the Knower of the future. Not even the equivalent of an atom’s weight is hidden from Him, be it in the heavens or the earth. Not even smaller than that, or larger (is hidden). All are in a profound record.”

[34:7] Those who disbelieve have said, “Let us show you a man who tells you that after you are torn apart you will be created anew.

[34:8] “Either he fabricated lies about GOD, or he is crazy.” Indeed, those who disbelieve in the Hereafter have incurred the worst retribution; they have gone far astray.

[4:14] When the appointed time for his death came, they had no clue that he had died. Not until one of the animals tried to eat his staff, and he fell down, did the jinns realized that he was dead. They thus realized that if they really knew the unseen, they would have stopped working so hard as soon as he died.

[34:20] Satan found them readily fulfilling his expectations. They followed him, except a few believers.

[34:43] When our proofs were recited to them, perfectly clear, they said, “This is simply a man who wants to divert you from the way your parents are worshipping.” They also said, “These are fabricated lies.” Those who disbelieved also said about the truth that came to them, “This is obviously magic.”

[34:44] We did not give them any other books to study, nor did we send to them before you another warner.

[34:46] Say, “I ask you to do one thing: Devote yourselves to GOD, in pairs or as individuals, then reflect. Your friend (Rashad) is not crazy. He is a manifest warner to you, just before the advent of a terrible retribution.”

[34:47] Say, “I do not ask you for any wage; you can keep it. My wage comes only from GOD. He witnesses all things.”

[34:48] Say, “My Lord causes the truth to prevail. He is the Knower of all secrets.”

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

[35:4] If they disbelieve you, messengers before you have been disbelieved. GOD is in control of all things.

[35:5] O people, GOD’s promise is the truth; therefore, do not be distracted by this lowly life. Do not be diverted from GOD by mere illusions.

[35:6] The devil is your enemy, so treat him as an enemy. He only invites his party to be the dwellers of Hell.

[35:7] Those who disbelieve have incurred a severe retribution, and those who believe and lead a righteous life have deserved forgiveness and a great recompense.

[35:10] Anyone seeking dignity should know that to GOD belongs all dignity. To Him ascends the good words, and He exalts the righteous works. As for those who scheme evil works, they incur severe retribution; the scheming of such people is destined to fail.

[35:13] He merges the night into the day, and merges the day into the night. He has committed the sun and the moon to run for a predetermined period of time. Such is GOD your Lord; to Him belongs all kingship. Any idols you set up beside Him do not possess as much as a seed’s shell.

[35:14] If you call on them, they cannot hear you. Even if they hear you, they cannot respond to you. On the Day of Resurrection, they will disown you. None can inform you like the Most Cognizant.