cometh wherein there shall be no merchandising, nor
friendship, nor intercession. The infidels are
unjust doers. God! there is no God but he;[42]
the living, the self-subsisting: neither slumber
nor sleep seizeth him; to him belongeth whatsoever
is in heaven, and on earth. Who is he that can
intercede with him, but through his good pleasure!
He knoweth that which is past, and that which is to
come unto them, and they shall not comprehend anything
of his knowledge, but so far as he pleaseth.
His throne is extended over heaven and earth,[43]
and the preservation of both is no burden unto him.
He is the high, the mighty. Let there be no violence
in religion. Now is right direction manifestly
distinguished from deceit: whoever therefore shall
deny Tagut, and believe in God, he shall surely take
hold on a strong handle, which shall not be broken;
God is he who heareth and seeth. God is the patron
of those who believe; he shall lead them out of darkness
into light: but as to those who believe not,
their patrons are Tagut; they shall lead them from
the light into darkness; they shall be the companions
of hell fire, they shall remain therein forever.
Hast thou not considered him who disputed with Abraham
concerning his Lord, because God had given him the
kingdom? When Abraham said, My Lord is he who
giveth life, and killeth: he answered, I give
life, and I kill. Abraham said, Verily God bringeth
the sun from the east, now do thou bring it from the
west. Whereupon the infidel was confounded; for
God directeth not the ungodly people. Or hast
thou not considered how he behaved who passed by a
city which had been destroyed, even to her foundations?
He said, How shall God quicken this city, after she
hath been dead? And God caused him to die for
a hundred years, and afterwards raised him to life.
And God said, How long hast thou tarried here?
He answered, A day, or part of a day. God said,
Nay, thou hast tarried here a hundred years.
Now look on thy food and the drink, they are not yet
corrupted; and look on thine ass: and this have
we done that we might make thee a sign unto men.
And look on the bones of thine ass, how we raise them,
and afterwards clothe them with flesh. And when
this was shown unto him, he said, I know that God
is able to do all things. And when Abraham said,
O Lord, show me how thou wilt raise the dead; God
said, Dost thou not yet believe? He answered,
Yea; but I ask this that my heart may rest at ease.
God said, take therefore four birds, and divide them;
then lay a part of them on every mountain; then call
them, and they shall come swiftly unto thee:
and know that God is mighty and wise. The similitude
of those who lay out their substance for advancing
the religion of God, is as a grain of corn which produceth
seven ears, and in every ear a hundred grains; for
God giveth twofold unto whom he pleaseth: God
is bounteous and wise. They who lay out their
substance for the religion of God, and afterwards
follow not what they have so laid out by reproaches