The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics)

a
See also 
29: 2.
Repentance
117
9: 20

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strove hard in God’s way with their possessions and their persons,
are in God’s eyes much higher in rank; it is they who will triumph;
21and their Lord gives them the good news of His mercy and pleas-
ure, Gardens where they will have lasting bliss 
22and where they will
remain for ever: truly, there is a tremendous reward with God.
23Believers, do not take your fathers and brothers as allies
a
if they
prefer disbelief to faith: those of you who do so are doing wrong.
24Say [Prophet], ‘If your fathers, sons, brothers, wives, tribes, the
wealth you have acquired, the trade which you fear will decline, and
the dwellings you love are dearer to you than God and His Messen-
ger and the struggle in His cause, then wait until God brings about
His punishment.’ God does not guide those who break away. 
25God
has helped you [believers] on many battle
fields, even on the day of
the Battle of Hunayn.
b
You were well pleased with your large num-
bers, but they were of no use to you: the earth seemed to close in on
you despite its spaciousness, and you turned tail and 
fled. 26Then
God sent His calm down to His Messenger and the believers, and
He sent down invisible forces. He punished the disbelievers –
– this
is what the disbelievers deserve –
–
27but God turns in His mercy to
whoever He will. God is most forgiving and merciful.
28Believers, those who ascribe partners to God are truly unclean:
do not let them come near the Sacred Mosque after this year. If you
are afraid you may become poor, [bear in mind that] God will enrich
you out of His bounty if He pleases: God is all knowing and wise.
29Fight those of the People of the Book who do not [truly]
c
believe
in God and the Last Day, who do not forbid what God and His
Messenger have forbidden, who do not obey the rule of justice,
d
until they pay the tax
e
and agree to submit.
f
30The Jews said, ‘Ezra is
a
Against the Muslims. Cf. 
4: 144.
b
This took place in a valley between Mecca and Ta
 if in the year ah 8/630 ce.
c
‘Truly’ is implied, as it is in many other statements in the Qur
an, e.g. 2: 32; 8: 41;
and
65: 3.
d
The main meaning of the Arabic dana is ‘he obeyed’. It also means ‘behave’, and
‘follow a way of life or religion’ (Qamus and Lane).
e
Etymologically, jizya means ‘payment in return’, related to jaza
 meaning ‘reward’,
i.e. in return for the protection of the Muslim state with all the accruing bene
fits and
exemption from military service, and such taxes on Muslims as zakah. This tax was
levied only on able-bodied free men who could a
fford it, and monks were exempted.
The amount was generally low (e.g. one dinar per year).
f
Commentators in the past generally understood wa hum saghirun to mean they
should be humiliated when paying. However, it is clear from the context that they were
unwilling to pay, and the clause simply means they should submit to paying this tax.
The Qur
an
9: 21
118

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the son of God,’
a
and the Christians said, ‘The Messiah is the son of
God’: they said this with their own mouths, repeating what earlier
disbelievers had said. May God confound them! How far astray they
have been led! 
31They take their rabbis and their monks as lords, as
well as Christ, the son of Mary. But they were commanded to serve
only one God: there is no god but Him; He is far above whatever
they set up as His partners! 
32They try to extinguish God’s light
with their mouths, but God insists on bringing His light to its full-
ness, even if the disbelievers hate it. 
33It is He who has sent His
Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth, to show that it is
above all [other] religions, however much the idolaters may hate this.
34Believers, many rabbis and monks wrongfully consume people’s
possessions and turn people away from God’s path. [Prophet], tell
those who hoard gold and silver instead of giving in God’s cause that
they will have a grievous punishment: 
35on the Day it is heated up in
Hell’s Fire and used to brand their foreheads, sides, and backs, they
will be told, ‘This is what you hoarded up for yourselves! Now feel
the pain of what you hoarded!’
36God decrees that there are twelve months–– ordained in God’s
Book on the Day when He created the heavens and earth –
– four
months of which are sacred: