The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics)

a
By living in a place where they are unable to practise their religion.
The Qur
an
4: 95
60

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performing the ritual prayer, continue to remember God –
– standing,
sitting, and lying on your sides –
– and once you are safe, keep up
regular prayer, for prayer is obligatory for the believers at prescribed
times. 
104Do not be faint-hearted in pursuing the enemy: if you
are su
ffering hardship, so are they, but you hope to receive some-
thing from God for which they cannot hope. God is all knowing
and wise.
105We have sent down the Scripture to you [Prophet] with the
truth so that you can judge between people in accordance with what
God has shown you. Do not be an advocate for those who betray
trust.
a
106Ask God for forgiveness: He is most forgiving and merci-
ful.
107Do not argue for those who betray their own souls: God does
not love anyone given to treachery and sin. 
108They try to hide them-
selves from people, but they cannot hide from God. He is with them
when they plot at night, saying things that do not please Him: He is
fully aware of everything they do. 
109There you [believers] are, argu-
ing on their behalf in this life, but who will argue on their behalf
with God on the Day of Resurrection? Who will be their defender?
110Yet anyone who does evil or wrongs his own soul and then asks
God for forgiveness will 
find Him most forgiving and merciful.
111He who commits sin does so against his own soul–– God is all
knowing and wise –
–
112and anyone who commits an offence or a sin,
and then throws the blame on to some innocent person, has bur-
dened himself with deceit as well as 
flagrant sin.
113If it were not for the grace of God and His mercy to you
[Prophet], a party of them would have tried to lead you astray; they
only lead themselves astray, and cannot harm you in any way, since
God has sent down the Scripture and Wisdom to you, and taught
you what you did not know. God’s bounty to you is great indeed.
114There is no good in most of their secret talk, only in commanding
charity, or good, or reconciliation between people. To anyone who
does these things, seeking to please God, We shall give a rich reward;
115if anyone opposes the Messenger, after guidance has been made
clear to him, and follows a path other than that of the believers, We
shall leave him on his chosen path –
– We shall burn him in Hell, an
evil destination.
a
A man from Medina stole a suit of armour and accused a Jew of doing it. He
brought his family to ask the Prophet to rule against the Jew and he was about to do this
when these verses were revealed (Razi).
Women
61
4: 115

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116God does not forgive the worship of others beside Him––
though He does forgive whoever He will for lesser sins –
– for who-
ever does this has gone far, far astray. 
117In His place the idolaters
invoke only females,
a
and Satan, the rebel 
118God rejected, who
said, ‘I will certainly take my due share of Your servants; 
119I will
mislead them and incite vain desires in them; I will command
them to slit the ears of cattle;
b
I will command them to tamper
with God’s creation.’ Whoever chooses Satan as a patron instead
of God is utterly ruined: 
120he makes them promises and raises
false hopes, but Satan’s promises are nothing but delusion. 
121Such
people will have Hell for their home and will 
find no escape from
it,
122but We shall admit those who believe and do good deeds into
Gardens graced with 
flowing streams, there to remain for ever–– a
true promise from God. Who speaks more truly than God? 
123It
will not be according to your hopes or those of the People of the
Book: anyone who does wrong will be requited for it and will 
find
no one to protect or help him against God; 
124anyone, male or
female, who does good deeds and is a believer, will enter Paradise
and will not be wronged by as much as the dip in a date stone.
125Who could be better in religion than those who direct themselves
wholly to God, do good, and follow the religion of Abraham, who
was true in faith? God took Abraham as a friend. 
126It is to God
that everything in the heavens and earth belongs: God is fully
aware of all things.
127They ask you [Prophet] for a ruling about women. Say, ‘God
Himself gives you a ruling about them. You already have what has
been recited to you in the Scripture about orphan girls [in your
charge] from whom you withhold the prescribed shares [of their
inheritance] and whom you wish to marry, and also about helpless
children –
– God instructs you to treat orphans fairly: He is well aware
of whatever good you do.’
128If a wife fears high-handedness or alienation from her husband,
neither of them will be blamed if they come to a peaceful settlement,
for peace is best. Although human souls are prone to sel
fishness, if
you do good and are mindful of God, He is well aware of all that you