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THE QUR'ÂN.
XXIV, 49-56.
should deal unfairly by them?-Nay, it is they who are unjust.
80
[50] The speech of the believers, when they are called to God and His Apostle to judge between them, is only to say, 'We hear and we obey;' and these it is who are the prosperous, for whoso obeys God and His Apostle and dreads God and fears Him, these it is who are the happy.
They swear by God with their most strenuous oath that hadst Thou ordered them they would surely go forth. Say, 'Do not swear-reasonable obedience 1; verily, God knows what ye do.'
Say, 'Obey God and obey the Apostle; but if ye turn your backs he has only his burden to bear, and ye have only your burden to bear. But if ye obey him, ye are guided; but the Apostle has only his plain message to deliver.'
God promises those of you who believe and do right that He will give them the succession in the earth as He gave the succession to those before them, and He will establish for them their religion which He has chosen for them, and to give them, after their fear, safety in exchange;-they shall worship me, they shall not associate aught with me: but whoso disbelieves after that, those it is who are the sinners.
[55] And be steadfast in prayer and give alms and obey the Apostle, haply ye may obtain mercy.
Do not reckon that those who misbelieve can
1 The construction of the original is vague, and the commentators themselves make but little of it. The most approved rendering, however, seems to be either that obedience is the reasonable course to pursue, and not the mere swearing to obey.
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