what ye do. O true believers, if ye obey some
of those who have received the scripture, they will
render you infidels, after ye have believed: and
how can ye be infidels, when the signs of God are read
unto you, and his apostle is among you? But he
who cleaveth firmly unto God, is already directed
into the right way. O believers, fear God with
his true fear; and die not unless ye also be true
believers. And cleave all of you unto the covenant
of God, and depart not from it, and remember the favor
of God towards you: since ye were enemies, and
he reconciled your hearts, and ye became companions
and brethren by his favor: and ye were on the
brink of a pit of fire, and he delivered you thence.
Thus God declareth unto you his signs, that ye may
be directed. Let there be people among you, who
invite to the best religion; and command that which
is just, and forbid that which is evil; and they shall
be happy. And be not as they who are divided,
and disagree in matters of religion, after manifest
proofs have been brought unto them: they shall
suffer a great torment. On the day of resurrection
some faces shall become white, and other faces shall
become black. And unto them whose faces shall
become black, God will say, Have ye returned unto
your unbelief, after ye had believed? therefore taste
the punishment, for that ye have been unbelievers:
but they whose faces shall become white shall be in
the mercy of God, therein shall they remain forever.
These are the signs of God: we recite them unto
thee with truth. God will not deal unjustly with
his creatures. And to God belongeth whatever is
in heaven and on earth; and to God shall all things
return. Ye are the best nation that hath been
raised up unto mankind: ye command that which
is just, and ye forbid that which is unjust, and ye
believe in God. And if they who have received
the scriptures had believed, it had surely been the
better for them: there are believers among them,
but the greater part of them are transgressors.
They shall not hurt you, unless with a slight hurt;
and if they fight against you, they shall turn their
backs to you, and they shall not be helped. They
are smitten with vileness wheresoever they are found;
unless they obtain security by entering into a treaty
with God, and a treaty with men: and they draw
on themselves indignation from God, and they are afflicted
with poverty. This they suffer, because they
disbelieved the signs of God, and slew the prophets
unjustly; this, because they were rebellious, and
transgressed. Yet they are not all alike:
there are of those who have received the scriptures,
upright people; they meditate on the signs of God
in the night season, and worship; they believe in
God and the last day; and command that which is just,
and forbid that which is unjust, and zealously strive
to excel in good works: these are of the righteous.
And ye shall not be denied the reward of the good
which ye do; for God knoweth the pious. As for
the unbelievers, their wealth shall not profit them