________________
88
THE QUR'ÂN.
III, 11-19.
with His help those whom He pleases.' Verily, in that is a lesson for those who have perception. Seemly unto men is a life of lusts, of women, and children, and hoarded talents of gold and silver, and of horses well-bred, and cattle, and tilth ;—that is the provision for the life of this world; but God, with Him is the best resort.
Say, 'But shall we tell you of a better thing than this ?' For those who fear are gardens with their Lord, beneath which rivers flow; they shall dwell therein for aye, and pure wives and grace from God; the Lord looks on His servants, who say, 'Lord, we believe, pardon Thou our sins and keep us from the torment of the fire,' [15]—upon the patient, the truthful, the devout, and those who ask for pardon at the dawn.
God bears witness that there is no god but He, and the angels, and those possessed of knowledge standing up for justice. There is no God but He, the mighty, the wise.
Verily, (the true) religion in God's sight is Islâm, and those to whom the Book was given disagreed not until after that there was given to them knowledge, through mutual envy. But whoso disbelieves in God's signs, truly God is quick at reckoning up.
And if they would dispute with thee, then say, 'I turn my face with resignation unto God, and whoso follows me.'
And say to those who have been given the Book, unto the Gentiles, 'Are ye, too, resigned??' and
1 The word also means 'illiterate,' and refers here to the Pagan Arabs in Mohammed's time. He seems to have borrowed the expression from the Jews, ummiyûn having the same signification as the Hebrew goyîm.
See note, p. 15.
Digitized by Google