The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics)

a
This refers to Prophet Muhammad.
b
Alternatively Suddi gives ‘hidden from’ as the interpretation of thaqulat (Razi),
literally ‘weighs heavy’.
The Heights
107
7: 188

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except as God may please: if I had knowledge of what is hidden, I
would have abundant good things and no harm could touch me.
I am no more than a bearer of warning, and good news to those
who believe.’
189It is He who created you all from one soul, and from it made its
mate so that he might 
find comfort in her: when one [of them] lies
with his wife and she conceives a light burden, going about freely,
then grows heavy, they both pray to God, their Lord, ‘If You give us
a good child we shall certainly be grateful,’
190and yet when He gives
them a good child they ascribe some of what He has granted them to
others. 
191God is far above the partners they set up alongside Him!
How can they set up with Him these partners that create nothing
and are themselves created, 
192that cannot help them at all, or even
help themselves?
193If you [believers] call such people to guidance, they do not fol-
low you: it makes no di
fference whether you call them or remain
silent.
194Those you [idolaters] call upon instead of God are created
beings like you. Call upon them, then, and let them respond to you if
what you say is true. 
195Do they have feet to walk, hands to strike, eyes
to see, or ears to hear? Say [Prophet], ‘Call on your “partners”!
Scheme against me! Do not spare me! 
196My protector is God: He has
revealed the Scripture, and it is He who protects the righteous, 
197but
those you call on instead of Him cannot help you or even help them-
selves.’
198If you [believers] call such people to guidance, they do not
hear. You [Prophet] may observe them looking at you, but they can-
not see. 
199Be tolerant and command what is right: pay no attention to
foolish people. 
200If Satan should prompt you to do something, seek
refuge with God –
– He is all hearing, all knowing –
–
201those who are
aware of God think of Him when Satan prompts them to do some-
thing and immediately they can see [straight]; 
202the followers of
devils
a
are led relentlessly into error by them and cannot stop.
203When you do not bring them a fresh revelation, they say, ‘But
can you not just ask for one?’ Say, ‘I merely repeat
b
what is revealed
to me from my Lord: this revelation brings you insights from
your Lord, and guidance and mercy for those who believe, 
204so pay
a
Ikhwan ‘brothers’ –– cf. 
17: 27, where the devils’ followers are described as their
ikhwan.
b
Cf. 
75: 18.
The Qur
an
7: 189
108

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attention and listen quietly when the Qur
an is recited, so that you
may be given mercy.’
205[Prophet], remember your Lord inwardly, in
all humility and awe, without raising your voice, in the mornings and
in the evenings –
– do not be one of the heedless –
–
206[even] those who
live in the presence of your Lord are not too proud to worship Him:
they glorify Him and bow down before Him.
The Heights
109
7: 206

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8. BATTLE GAINS
The main part of this Medinan sura is a comment on the Battle of Badr (near
Medina), the 
first fought between the Muslims and their Meccan opponents in