The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics)

a
See also 
53: 19–20.
b
An example of pagan superstitious practices: they used to dedicate cattle to their
gods by slitting their ears.
The Qur
an
4: 116
62

---

do. 
129You will never be able to treat your wives with equal fair-
ness, however much you may desire to do so, but do not ignore one
wife altogether, leaving her suspended [between marriage and
divorce]. If you make amends and remain conscious of God, He is
most forgiving and merciful, 
130but if husband and wife do separate,
God will provide for each out of His plenty: He is in
finite in plenty,
and all wise. 
131Everything in the heavens and the earth belongs
to God.
We have commanded those who were given the Scripture before
you, and We command you, to be mindful of God. Even if you do
ignore Him, everything in the heavens and the earth belongs to Him,
and He is self-su
fficient, worthy of all praise. 132Yes, indeed, every-
thing in the heavens and the earth belongs to God, and He is enough
for those who trust in Him. 
133If He so willed, He could remove you
altogether and replace you with new people: He has full power to
do so. 
134If some want the rewards of this world, the rewards of this
world and the next are both God’s to give: He hears and sees
everything.
135You who believe, uphold justice and bear witness to God, even
if it is against yourselves, your parents, or your close relatives.
Whether the person is rich or poor, God can best take care of both.
Refrain from following your own desire, so that you can act justly –
–
if you distort or neglect justice, God is fully aware of what you do.
136You who believe, believe in God and His Messenger and in the
Scripture He sent down to His Messenger, as well as what He sent
down before. Anyone who does not believe in God, His angels, His
Scriptures, His messengers, and the Last Day has gone far, far astray.
137As for those who believe, then reject the faith, then believe again,
then reject the faith again and become increasingly de
fiant, God will
not forgive them, nor will He guide them on any path. 
138[Prophet],
tell such hypocrites that an agonizing torment awaits them.
139Do those who ally themselves with the disbelievers rather than
the believers seek power through them? In reality all power is God’s
to give. 
140As He has already revealed to you [believers] in the Scrip-
ture, if you hear people denying and ridiculing God’s revelation, do
not sit with them unless they start to talk of other things, or else you
yourselves will become like them:
a
God will gather all the hypocrites
a
See
6: 68–– an earlier, Meccan sura.
Women
63
4: 140

---

and disbelievers together into Hell. 
141The [hypocrites] wait to see
what happens to you and, if God brings you success, they say, ‘Were
we not on your side?’ but if the disbelievers have some success, they
say to them, ‘Did we not have the upper hand over you, and [yet]
protect you from the believers?’ God will judge between you all on
the Day of Resurrection, and He will give the disbelievers no means
of overcoming the believers.
142The hypocrites try to deceive God, but it is He who causes
them to be deceived. When they stand up to pray, they do so slug-
gishly, showing o
ff in front of people, and remember God only a
little, 
143wavering all the time between this and that, belonging nei-
ther to one side nor the other. If God leaves someone to stray, you
[Prophet] will never 
find a way for him. 144You who believe, do not
take the disbelievers as allies and protectors instead of the believers:
do you want to o
ffer God clear proof against you? 145The hypocrites
will be in the lowest depths of Hell, and you will 
find no one to help
them.
146Not so those who repent, mend their ways, hold fast to
God, and devote their religion entirely to Him: these will be joined
with the believers, and God will give the believers a mighty reward.
147Why should God make you suffer torment if you are thankful and
believe in Him? God always rewards gratitude and He knows every-
thing. 
148God does not like bad words to be made public unless
someone has been wronged: He is all hearing and all knowing. 
149If
you do good, openly or in secret, or if you pardon something bad,
a
then God is most forgiving and powerful.
150As for those who ignore God and His messengers and want to
make a distinction between them, saying, ‘We believe in some but
not in others,’ seeking a middle way, 
151they are really disbelievers:
We have prepared a humiliating punishment for those who dis-
believe. 
152But God will give [due] rewards to those who believe in
Him and His messengers and make no distinction between any of
them. God is most forgiving and merciful.
153The People of the Book demand that you [Prophet] make a
book physically come down to them from heaven, but they
demanded even more than that of Moses when they said, ‘Show us
God face to face,’ and were struck by the thunderbolt for their