________________
XLIX, 3-9.
CHAPTER OF THE INNER CHAMBERS.
239
Verily, those who lower their voice before the Apostle of God, they are those whose hearts God has proved for piety, for them is forgiveness and a mighty hire.
Verily, those who cry out to thee from behind the inner chambers !, most of them have no sense; [5] but did they wait until thou come out to them, it were better for them ;-but God is forgiving, merciful.
O ye who believe ! if there come to you a sinner with an information, then discriminate, lest ye fall upon a people in ignorance and on the morrow repent of what ye have done?
And know that among you is the Apostle of God; if he should obey you in many a matter ye would commit a sins; God has made faith beloved by you, and has made it seemly in your hearts, and has made misbelief and iniquity and rebellion hateful to you.—These are the rightly directed-grace from God and favour! and God is knowing, wise.
And if the two parties of the believers quarrel",
1 Two of the Arabs wishing to speak with Mohammed when he was sleeping at noon in his harîm, cried out rudely to him, Mohammed, come out to us!' See p. 82.
Al Walid ibn 'Hugbâ was sent by Mohammed to collect the zakât (see Introduction, p. lxxiii) from the tribe of Mustaleq, with whom he had had a feud in the time preceding Islâm. Seeing them coming out to meet him in large numbers, he grew apprehensive, and returned hastily with the information that the tribe had refused the tribute. Mohammed thereupon sent 'Halîd ibn Walîd to reduce them by force, when it was found that the former messenger's fears had been quite groundless.
8 I. e. ye would mislead him.
• Alluding to one of the frequent disputes between the tribes of Aus and 'Hazrag at Medînah. See Introduction, p. xxxiv.
Digitized by
Digitized by Google
: