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II, 62-59.
THE CHAPTER OF IMRÂN'S FAMILY.
55
A sect of the people of the Book would fain they could lead you astray, but they only lead themselves astray, and they do not perceive.
O people of the Book! why do ye disbelieve in the signs of God, the while ye witness them? O people of the Book! why do ye clothe. the truth with falsehood and hide the truth the while ye know? [65] A sect of the people of the Book say, 'Believe in what was revealed to those who believed at the first appearance of the day, and disbelieve it at the end thereof,'—that (others) may perchance go back (from their faith)" — do not believe save one who followeth your religion.'
Say, 'Verily, the (true) guidance is the guidance of God, that one should be given like what ye are given.' Or would they dispute with you before your Lord, say, 'Grace is in the hand of God, He gives it to whom he pleases, for God both comprehends and knows. He specially favours with his mercy whom he pleases, for God is Lord of mighty grace.'
And of the people of the Book, there are some of them who, if thou entrust them with a talent ? give it back to you; and some of them, if thou entrust them with a dinâr?, he will not give it back to thee except so long as thou dost stand over him. That is because they say, 'We owe no duty
1 This is said to allude to some Jews who professed Islâm in the morning and recanted at night, saying that they had in the meantime consulted their books and found nothing to confirm it, hoping by this stratagem to raise doubts in the believers' minds.
' A 'talent,' qintâr, is used for any very large sum, a dînâr (denarius') was a gold coin worth about 1os.
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