"Do not covet what God has given to some of you more than others- men have the portion they have earned; and women the portion they have earned- you should rather ask God for some of His bounty: He has full knowledge of everything."
Bad manners
Number of verses: 482
"[Prophet], have you considered those who claim purity for themselves? No! God purifies whoever He will: no one will be wronged by as much as the husk of a date stone."
"Do not turn your nose up at people, nor walk about the place arrogantly, for God does not love arrogant or boastful people."
"so you need not grieve for what you miss or gloat over what you gain. God does not love the conceited, the boastful,"
"Messenger, do not be grieved by those who race to surpass one another in disbelief- those who say with their mouths, ‘We believe,’ but have no faith in their hearts, and the Jews who listen eagerly to lies and to those who have not even met you, who distort the meanings of [revealed] words and say [to each other], ‘If you are given this ruling, accept it, but if you are not, then beware!’––if God intends some people to be so misguided, you will be powerless against God on their behalf. These are the ones whose hearts God does not intend to cleanse- a disgrace for them in this world, and then a heavy punishment in the Hereafter-"
"any eavesdropper will be pursued by a clearly visible flame."
"Do not covet what God has given to some of you more than others- men have the portion they have earned; and women the portion they have earned- you should rather ask God for some of His bounty: He has full knowledge of everything."
"Among you there is the sort of person who is sure to lag behind: if a calamity befalls you, he says, ‘God has been gracious to me that I was not there with them,’"
"to those who believe and do good works He will give due rewards and more of His bounty; to those who are disdainful and arrogant He will give an agonizing torment, and they will find no one besides God to protect or help them."
"so enter the gates of Hell. There you will remain- the home of the arrogant is evil indeed.’"
"Do not strut arrogantly about the earth: you cannot break it open, nor match the mountains in height."
"The evil of all these actions is hateful to your Lord."
"The only people who truly believe in Our messages are those who, when they are reminded of them, bow down in worship, cele-brate their Lord’s praises, and do not think themselves above this."
"On the Day of Resurrection, you [Prophet] will see those who told lies against God, their faces darkened. Is there not ample punishment for the arrogant in Hell?"
"It will be said, ‘Enter the gates of Hell: there you will remain. How evil is the abode of the arrogant!’"
"those who dispute God’s messages, with no authority given to them, are doing something that is loathed by God and by those who believe. In this way God seals up the heart of every arrogant tyrant."
"into scalding water, and then burned in the Fire,"
"All they said was, ‘Our Lord, forgive us our sins and our excesses. Make our feet firm, and give us help against the disbelievers,’"
"Test orphans until they reach marriageable age; then, if you find they have sound judgement, hand over their property to them. Do not consume it hastily before they come of age: if the guardian is well off he should abstain from the orphan’s property, and if he is poor he should use only what is fair. When you give them their property, call witnesses in; but God takes full account of everything you do."
"On account of [his deed], We decreed to the Children of Israel that if anyone kills a person- unless in retribution for murder or spreading corruption in the land- it is as if he kills all mankind, while if any saves a life it is as if he saves the lives of all mankind. Our messengers came to them with clear signs, but many of them continued to commit excesses in the land."
"It is He who produces both trellised and untrellised gardens, date palms, crops of diverse flavours, the olive, the pomegranate, alike yet different. So when they bear fruit, eat some of it, paying what is due on the day of harvest, but do not be wasteful: God does not like wasteful people."
"Children of Adam, dress well whenever you are at worship, and eat and drink [as We have permitted] but do not be extravagant: God does not like extravagant people."
"You lust after men rather than women! You transgress all bounds!’"
"When trouble befalls man he cries out to Us, whether lying on his side, sitting, or standing, but as soon as We relieve him of his trouble he goes on his way as if he had never cried out to Us to remove his trouble. In this way the deeds of such heedless people are made attractive to them."
"But no one believed in Moses except a few of his own people, for fear that Pharaoh and their leaders would persecute them: Pharaoh was domineering in the land and prone to excess."
"This is how We reward those who go too far, and who do not believe in their Lord’s revelations. The greatest and most enduring punishment is in the Hereafter."
"We fulfilled Our promise to them in the end: We saved them and those We wished to save, and We destroyed those who exceeded all bounds."
"They are those who are neither wasteful nor niggardly when they spend, but keep to a just balance;"
"do not obey those who are given to excess"
"The messengers said, ‘The evil omen is within yourselves. Why do you take it as an evil omen when you are reminded of the Truth? You are going too far!’"
"Say, ‘[God says], My servants who have harmed yourselves by your own excess, do not despair of God’s mercy. God forgives all sins: He is truly the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful."
"A secret believer from Pharaoh’s family said, ‘How can you kill a man just for saying, “My Lord is God”? He has brought you clear signs from your Lord- if he is a liar, on his own head be it- and if he is truthful, then at least some of what he has threatened will happen to you. God does not guide any rebellious, outrageous liar."
"Joseph came to you before with clear signs, but you never ceased to doubt the message he brought you. When he died, you said, “God will not send another messenger.”’ In this way God leaves the doubting rebels to stray-"
"There is no doubt that what you call me to serve is not fit to be invoked either in this world or the Hereafter: our return is to God alone, and it will be the rebels who will inhabit the Fire."
"Should We ignore you and turn this revelation away from you because you are insolent people?"
"at the hands of Pharaoh: he was a tyrant who exceeded all bounds."
"marked by your Lord for those who exceed all bounds.’"
"You fled without looking back while the Messenger was calling out to you from behind, and God rewarded you with sorrow for sorrow. [He has now forgiven you] so that you may not grieve for what you missed or for what happened to you. God is well aware of everything you do."
"so you need not grieve for what you miss or gloat over what you gain. God does not love the conceited, the boastful,"
"those who break their covenant with God after it has been confirmed, who sever the bonds that God has commanded to be joined, who spread corruption on the earth- these are the losers."
"Remember when Moses prayed for water for his people and We said to him, ‘Strike the rock with your staff.’ Twelve springs gushed out, and each group knew its drinking place. ‘Eat and drink the sustenance God has provided and do not cause corruption in the land.’"
"Those who wage war against God and His Messenger and strive to spread corruption in the land should be punished by death, crucifixion, the amputation of an alternate hand and foot, or banishment from the land: a disgrace for them in this world, and then a terrible punishment in the Hereafter,"
"The Jews have said, ‘God is tight-fisted,’ but it is they who are tight-fisted, and they are rejected for what they have said. Truly, God’s hands are open wide: He gives as He pleases. What has been sent down to you from your Lord is sure to increase insolence and defiance in many of them. We have sown enmity and hatred amongst them till the Day of Resurrection. Whenever they kindle the fire of war, God will put it out. They try to spread corruption in the land, but God does not love those who corrupt."
"do not corrupt the earth after it has been set right- call on Him fearing and hoping. The mercy of God is close to those who do good."
"Remember how He made you heirs after 'Ad and settled you in the land to build yourselves castles on its plains and carve houses out of the mountains: remember God’s blessings and do not spread corruption in the land,’"
"To the people of Midian We sent their brother, Shuayb. He said, ‘My people, serve God: you have no god other than Him. A clear sign has come to you from your Lord. Give full measure and weight and do not undervalue people’s goods; do not cause corruption in the land after it has been set in order: this is better for you, if you are believers."
"do not obey those who are given to excess"
"and who spread corruption in the land instead of doing what is right.’"
"‘If you turn away now, could it be that you will go on to spread corruption all over the land and break your ties of kinship?’"
"Those who are miserly with what God has granted them out of His grace should not think that it is good for them; on the contrary, it is bad for them. Whatever they meanly withhold will be hung around their necks on the Day of Resurrection. It is God who will inherit the heavens and earth: God is well aware of everything you do."
"who are miserly and order other people to be the same, hiding the bounty God has given them. We have prepared a humiliating torment for such ungrateful people."
"If a wife fears high-handedness or alienation from her husband, neither of them will be blamed if they come to a peaceful settlement, for peace is best. Although human souls are prone to selfishness, if you do good and are mindful of God, He is well aware of all that you do."
"Believers, many rabbis and monks wrongfully consume people’s possessions and turn people away from God’s path. [Prophet], tell those who hoard gold and silver instead of giving in God’s cause that they will have a grievous punishment:"
"on the Day it is heated up in Hell’s Fire and used to brand their foreheads, sides, and backs, they will be told, ‘This is what you hoarded up for yourselves! Now feel the pain of what you hoarded!’"
"yet when He did give them some of His bounty, they became mean and turned obstinately away."
"Do not be tight-fisted, nor so open-handed that you end up blamed and overwhelmed with regret."
"Say, ‘If you possessed the very stores of my Lord’s bounty, you would hold them back in your fear of spending: man is ever grudging.’"
"They are those who are neither wasteful nor niggardly when they spend, but keep to a just balance;"
"the life of this world is only a game, a pastime, but if you believe and are mindful of God, He will recompense you. He does not ask you to give up [all] your posses-sions-"
"you would be grudging if He were to ask you and press you for them, and He would bring your ill-will to light-"
"though now you are called upon to give [a little] for the sake of God, some of you are grudging. Whoever is grudging is so only towards himself: God is the source of wealth and you are the needy ones. He will substitute other people for you if you turn away, and they will not be like you."
"As for those who avoid grave sins and foul acts, though they may commit small sins, your Lord is ample in forgiveness. He has been aware of you from the time He produced you from the earth and from your hiding places in your mothers’ wombs, so do not assert your own goodness:He knows best who is mindful of Him."
"[Prophet], consider that man who turned away:"
"he only gave a little and then he stopped."
"Does he have knowledge of the Unseen? Can he see [the Hereafter]?"
"Has he not been told what was written in the Scriptures of Moses"
"and of Abraham, who fulfilled his duty:"
"that no soul shall bear the burden of another;"
"that man will only have what he has worked towards;"
"that his labour will be seen"
"and that in the end he will be repaid in full for it;"
"so you need not grieve for what you miss or gloat over what you gain. God does not love the conceited, the boastful,"
"those who are miserly, and who tell other people to be miserly. If anyone turns away, remember that God is self-sufficient and worthy of praise."
"Those who were already firmly established in their homes [in Medina], and firmly rooted in faith, show love for those who migrated to them for refuge and harbour no desire in their hearts for what has been given to them. They give them preference over themselves, even if they too are poor: those who are saved from their own souls’ greed are truly successful."
"be mindful of God as much as you can; hear and obey; be charitable- it is for your own good. Those who are saved from their own meanness will be the prosperous ones:"
"But no! There is a raging flame"
"that strips away the skin,"
"and it will claim everyone who rejects the truth, turns away,"
"amasses wealth and hoards it."
"There is the one who is miserly, who is self-satisfied,"
"who denies goodness––"
"We shall smooth his way towards hardship"
"and his wealth will not help him as he falls."
"Woe to every fault-finding backbiter"
"who amasses riches, counting them over,"
"thinking they will make him live for ever."
"No indeed! He will be thrust into the Crusher!"
"You who believe, be steadfast in your devotion to God and bear witness impartially: do not let hatred of others lead you away from justice, but adhere to justice, for that is closer to awareness of God. Be mindful of God: God is well aware of all that you do."
"it is the one who hates you who has been cut off."
"If you wish to replace one wife with another, do not take any of her bride-gift back, even if you have given her a great amount of gold."
"and anyone who commits an offence or a sin, and then throws the blame on to some innocent person, has burdened himself with deceit as well as flagrant sin."
"and because they disbelieved and uttered a terrible slander against Mary,"
"As for those who accuse chaste women of fornication, and then fail to provide four witnesses, strike them eighty times, and reject their testimony ever afterwards: they are the lawbreakers,"
"except for those who repent later and make amends––God is most forgiving and merciful."
"When you heard the lie, why did you not say, ‘We should not repeat this- God forbid!- It is a monstrous slander’?"
"A painful punishment waits in this world and the next for those who like indecency to spread among the believers: God knows and you do not."
"Those who accuse honourable but unwary believing women are rejected by God, in this life and the next. A painful punishment awaits them"
"on the Day when their own tongues, hands, and feet will testify against them about what they have done-"
"on that Day, God will pay them their just due in full- and they will realize that God is the Truth that makes everything clear."
"and those who undeservedly insult believing men and women will bear the guilt of slander and flagrant sin."
"Believers, if a troublemaker brings you news, check it first, in case you wrong others unwittingly and later regret what you have done,"
"do not yield to any contemptible swearer,"
"to any backbiter, slander-monger,"
"or hinderer of good, to anyone who is sinful, aggressive,"
"coarse, and on top of all that, an imposter."
"Just because he has wealth and sons,"
"when our revelations are recited to him, he says, ‘These are just ancient fables.’"
"We shall brand him on the snout!"
"Woe to every fault-finding backbiter"
"It is He who produces both trellised and untrellised gardens, date palms, crops of diverse flavours, the olive, the pomegranate, alike yet different. So when they bear fruit, eat some of it, paying what is due on the day of harvest, but do not be wasteful: God does not like wasteful people."
"Give relatives their due, and the needy, and travellers- do not squander your wealth wastefully:"
"those who squander are the brothers of Satan, and Satan is most ungrateful to his Lord-"
"Do not be tight-fisted, nor so open-handed that you end up blamed and overwhelmed with regret."
"They are those who are neither wasteful nor niggardly when they spend, but keep to a just balance;"
"And do not go anywhere near adultery: it is an outrage, and an evil path."
"Believers, avoid making too many assumptions- some assumptions are sinful- and do not spy on one another or speak ill of people behind their backs: would any of you like to eat the flesh of your dead brother? No, you would hate it. So be mindful of God: God is ever relenting, most merciful."
"Do not sit in every pathway, threatening and barring those who believe in God from His way, trying to make it crooked. Remember how you used to be few and He made you multiply. Think about the fate of those who used to spread corruption."
"If the hypocrites, the sick at heart, and those who spread lies in the city do not desist, We shall rouse you [Prophet] against them, and then they will only be your neighbours in this city for a short while."
"This has been God’s practice with those who went before. You will find no change in God’s practices."
"When they meet the believers, they say, ‘We too believe.’ But when they are alone with each other they say, ‘How could you tell them about God’s revelation [to us]? They will be able to use it to argue against you before your Lord! Have you no sense?’"
"Worship God; join nothing with Him. Be good to your parents, to relatives, to orphans, to the needy, to neighbours near and far, to travellers in need, and to your slaves. God does not like arrogant, boastful people,"
"The Messiah would never disdain to be a servant of God, nor would the angels who are close to Him. He will gather before Him all those who disdain His worship and are arrogant:"
"to those who believe and do good works He will give due rewards and more of His bounty; to those who are disdainful and arrogant He will give an agonizing torment, and they will find no one besides God to protect or help them."
"God said, ‘Get down from here! This is no place for your arrogance. Get out! You are contemptible!’"
"Say [Prophet], ‘Who has forbidden the adornment and the nourishment God has provided for His servants?’ Say, ‘They are [allowed] for those who believe during the life of this world: they will be theirs alone on the Day of Resurrection.’ This is how We make Our revelation clear for those who understand."
"The gates of Heaven will not be open to those who rejected Our revelations and arrogantly spurned them; even if a thick rope were to pass through the eye of a needle they would not enter the Garden. This is how We punish the guilty-"
"and so We let loose on them the flood, locusts, lice, frogs, blood- all clear signs. They were arrogant, wicked people."
"I will keep distracted from My signs those who behave arrogantly on Earth without any right, and who, even if they see every sign, will not believe in them; they will not take the way of right guidance if they see it, but will take the way of error if they see that. This is because they denied Our signs and paid them no heed:"
"[even] those who live in the presence of your Lord are not too proud to worship Him: they glorify Him and bow down before Him."
"There is no doubt that God knows what they conceal and what they reveal. He does not love the arrogant."
"When they are asked, ‘What has your Lord sent down?’ they say, ‘Ancient fables.’"
"On the Day of Resurrection they will bear the full weight of their own burden, as well as some of the burden of those they misled with no true knowledge. How terrible their burden will be!"
"Those who went before them also schemed, but God attacked the very foundations of what they built. The roof fell down on them: punishment came on them from unimagined directions."
"In the end, on the Day of Resurrection, He will shame them, saying, ‘Where are these “partners” of Mine on whose account you opposed [Me]?’ Those given knowledge will say, ‘Shame and misery on the disbelievers today!’"
"Those whose lives the angels take while they are wronging themselves will show submission: ‘We were doing no evil.’ ‘Yes you were: God knows fully everything that you have done,"
"so enter the gates of Hell. There you will remain- the home of the arrogant is evil indeed.’"
"Do not strut arrogantly about the earth: you cannot break it open, nor match the mountains in height."
"The evil of all these actions is hateful to your Lord."
"Those who do not fear to meet Us say, ‘Why are the angels not sent down to us?’ or ‘Why can we not see our Lord?’ They are too proud of themselves and too insolent."
"The servants of the Lord of Mercy are those who walk humbly on the earth, and who, when the foolish address them, reply, ‘Peace’;"
"We grant the Home in the Hereafter to those who do not seek superiority on earth or spread corruption: the happy ending is awarded to those who are mindful of God."
"Do not turn your nose up at people, nor walk about the place arrogantly, for God does not love arrogant or boastful people."
"The only people who truly believe in Our messages are those who, when they are reminded of them, bow down in worship, cele-brate their Lord’s praises, and do not think themselves above this."
"but not Iblis, who was too proud. He became a rebel."
"God said, ‘Iblis, what prevents you from bowing down to the man I have made with My own hands? Are you too high and mighty?’"
"No indeed! My messages came to you and you rejected them: you were arrogant and rejected the truth.’"
"On the Day of Resurrection, you [Prophet] will see those who told lies against God, their faces darkened. Is there not ample punishment for the arrogant in Hell?"
"It will be said, ‘Enter the gates of Hell: there you will remain. How evil is the abode of the arrogant!’"
"those who dispute God’s messages, with no authority given to them, are doing something that is loathed by God and by those who believe. In this way God seals up the heart of every arrogant tyrant."
"Your Lord says, ‘Call on Me and I will answer you; those who are too proud to serve Me will enter Hell humiliated.’"
"Enter the gates of Hell, there to remain- an evil home for the arrogant.’"
"On the Day when those who deny the truth are brought before the Fire, it will be said to them, ‘You squandered the good things you were given in your earthly life, you took your fill of pleasure there, so on this Day a punishment of shame is yours: you were arrogant on earth without any right, and exceeded all limits.’"
"so you need not grieve for what you miss or gloat over what you gain. God does not love the conceited, the boastful,"
"Believers, no one group of men should jeer at another, who may after all be better than them; no one group of women should jeer at another, who may after all be better than them; do not speak ill of one another; do not use offensive nicknames for one another. How bad it is to be called a mischief-maker after accepting faith! Those who do not repent of this behaviour are evildoers."
"You who believe, do not be like those who disbelieved and said of their brothers who went out on a journey or a raid, ‘If only they had stayed with us they would not have died or been killed,’ for God will make such thoughts a source of anguish in their hearts. It is God who gives life and death; God sees everything you do."
"Whether you are killed for God’s cause or die, God’s forgiveness and mercy are better than anything people amass."
"Among you there is the sort of person who is sure to lag behind: if a calamity befalls you, he says, ‘God has been gracious to me that I was not there with them,’"
"yet he is sure to say, if you are favoured by God, ‘If only I had been with them, I could have made great gains,’ as if there had been no ties of affection between you and him."
"Believers, when you meet the disbelievers in battle, never turn your backs on them:"
"if anyone does so on such a day- unless maneuvring to fight or to join a fighting group- he incurs the wrath of God, and Hell will be his home, a wretched destination!"
"Those who have faith in God and the Last Day do not ask you for exemption from struggle with their possessions and their persons- God knows exactly who is mindful of Him-"
"Some of them said, ‘Give me permission to stay at home: do not trouble me.’ They are already in trouble: Hell will engulf the disbelievers."
"They swear by God that they belong with you [believers], but they do not. They are cowardly:"
"if they could find a place of refuge, or a cave, or somewhere to crawl into, they would run there with great haste."
"God does not like bad words to be made public unless someone has been wronged: He is all hearing and all knowing."
"A painful punishment waits in this world and the next for those who like indecency to spread among the believers: God knows and you do not."
"Even after the truth has become clear to them, many of the People of the Book wish they could turn you back to disbelief after you have believed, out of their selfish envy. Forgive and forbear until God gives his command: He has power over all things."
"Do they envy [other] people for the bounty God has granted them? We gave the descendants of Abraham the Scripture and wisdom- and We gave them a great kingdom-"
"When you [believers] set off for somewhere that promises war gains, those who [previously] stayed behind will say, ‘Let us come with you.’ They want to change God’s words, but tell them [Prophet], ‘You may not come with us: God has said this before.’ They will reply, ‘You begrudge us out of jealousy.’ How little they understand!"
"Say [Prophet], ‘I seek refuge with the Lord of daybreak"
"against the harm in what He has created,"
"the harm in the night when darkness gathers,"
"the harm in witches when they blow on knots,"
"the harm in the envier when he envies.’"
"those who break their covenant with God after it has been confirmed, who sever the bonds that God has commanded to be joined, who spread corruption on the earth- these are the losers."
"If any of you does these things, out of hostility and injustice, We shall make him suffer Fire: that is easy for God."
"[Prophet], say, ‘My people, you carry on as you are, and so will I: you will come to realize who will have a happy homecoming in the Hereafter.’ The evildoers will not prosper."
"they cannot help you against God in any way. Wrongdoers only have each other to protect them; the righteous have God Himself as their protector."
"Believers, no one group of men should jeer at another, who may after all be better than them; no one group of women should jeer at another, who may after all be better than them; do not speak ill of one another; do not use offensive nicknames for one another. How bad it is to be called a mischief-maker after accepting faith! Those who do not repent of this behaviour are evildoers."
"You [believers] are permitted to lie with your wives during the night of the fast: they are [close] as garments to you, as you are to them. God was aware that you were betraying yourselves, so He turned to you in mercy and pardoned you: now you can lie with them- seek what God has ordained for you- eat and drink until the white thread of dawn becomes distinct from the black. Then fast until nightfall. Do not lie with them during the nights of your devotional retreat in the mosques: these are the bounds set by God, so do not go near them. In this way God makes His messages clear to people, that they may guard themselves against doing wrong."
"It is inconceivable that a prophet would ever dishonestly take something from the battle gains. Anyone who does so will carry it with him on the Day of Resurrection, when each soul will be fully repaid for what it has done: no one will be wronged."
"We have sent down the Scripture to you [Prophet] with the truth so that you can judge between people in accordance with what God has shown you. Do not be an advocate for those who betray trust."
"Ask God for forgiveness: He is most forgiving and merciful."
"Do not argue for those who betray their own souls: God does not love anyone given to treachery and sin."
"They try to hide themselves from people, but they cannot hide from God. He is with them when they plot at night, saying things that do not please Him: He is fully aware of everything they do."
"There you [believers] are, arguing on their behalf in this life, but who will argue on their behalf with God on the Day of Resurrection? Who will be their defender?"
"Believers, do not betray God and the Messenger, or knowingly betray [other people’s] trust in you."
"And if you learn of treachery on the part of any people, throw their treaty back at them, for God does not love the treacherous."
"But if they mean to betray you, they have betrayed God before, and He has given you mastery over them: He is all knowing, all wise."
"[Joseph said, ‘This was] for my master to know that I did not betray him behind his back: God does not guide the mischief of the treacherous."
"God will defend the believers; God does not love the unfaithful or the ungrateful."
"If God so willed, He would have made you all one people, but He leaves to stray whoever He will and guides whoever He will. You will be questioned about your deeds."
"Do not use your oaths to deceive each other lest any foot should slip after being firmly placed and lest you should taste the penalty for having hindered others from the path of God, and suffer terrible torment."
"God will defend the believers; God does not love the unfaithful or the ungrateful."
"When they meet the believers, they say, ‘We believe,’ but when they are alone with their evil ones, they say, ‘We’re really with you; we were only mocking.’"
"God is mocking them, and allowing them more slack to wander blindly in their insolence."
"Remember when Moses said to his people, ‘God commands you to sacrifice a cow.’ They said, ‘Are you making fun of us?’ He answered, ‘God forbid that I should be so ignorant.’"
"The life of this world is made to seem glamorous to the disbelievers, and they laugh at those who believe. But those who are mindful of God will be above them on the Day of Resurrection: God provides immeasurably for whoever He pleases."
"As He has already revealed to you [believers] in the Scripture, if you hear people denying and ridiculing God’s revelation, do not sit with them unless they start to talk of other things, or else you yourselves will become like them: God will gather all the hypocrites and disbelievers together into Hell."
"You who believe, do not take as allies those who ridicule your religion and make fun of it- whether people who were given the Scripture before you, or disbelievers- and be mindful of God if you are true believers."
"When you make the call to prayer, they ridicule it and make fun of it: this is because they are people who do not reason."
"So they denied the truth when it came to them, but the very thing they laughed at will be brought home to them."
"Messengers have been mocked before you [Muhammad], and those who mocked them were engulfed by the very punishment they had mocked."
"The hypocrites fear that a sura will be revealed exposing what is in their hearts- say, ‘Carry on with your jokes: God will bring about what you fear!’-"
"yet if you were to question them, they would be sure to say, ‘We were just chatting, just amusing ourselves.’ Say, ‘Were you making jokes about God, His Revelations, and His Mes-senger?"
"It is they who criticize the believers who give freely and those who can only give a little with great effort: they scoff at such people, but it is God who scoffs at them- a painful punishment awaits them."
"If We defer their punishment for a determined time, they are sure to say, ‘What is holding it back?’ But on the Day it comes upon them, nothing will divert it from them; what they mocked will be all around them."
"So he began to build the Ark, and whenever leaders of his people passed by, they laughed at him. He said, ‘You may scorn us now, but we will come to scorn you:"
"Many messengers before you [Muhammad] were mocked, but I granted respite to the disbelievers: in the end, I took them to task- how terrible My punishment was!"
"but they mocked every single messenger that came to them:"
"We are enough for you against all those who ridicule your message,"
"So the evil they had done hit them and they were surrounded by the very thing they had mocked."
"We only send messengers to bring good news and to deliver warning, yet the disbelievers seek to refute the truth with false arguments and make fun of My messages and warnings."
"Their recompense for having disbelieved and made fun of My messages and My messengers will be Hell."
"When the disbelievers see you, they laugh at you: ‘Is this the one who talks about your gods?’ They reject any talk of the Lord of Mercy."
"Messengers before you [Muhammad] were also ridiculed, but those who mocked them were overwhelmed in the end by the very thing they had mocked."
"they deny it, but the truth of what they scorned will soon hit them."
"Later the evildoers met a terrible end for rejecting and [repeatedly] mocking God’s revelations."
"But there is the sort of person who pays for distracting tales, intending, without any knowledge, to lead others from God’s way, and to hold it up to ridicule. There will be humiliating torment for him!"
"Alas for human beings! Whenever a messenger comes to them they ridicule him."
"You marvel as they scoff,"
"and resort to ridicule when they see a sign,"
"the evil of their deeds will become plain to them, and they will be overwhelmed by that at which they used to laugh."
"and your soul says, “Woe is me for having neglected what is due to God, and having been one of those who scoffed!”"
"When messengers came to them with clear signs, they revelled in the knowledge they had, and so they were engulfed by the very punishment they mocked:"
"Are they the ones who share out your Lord’s grace? We are the ones who give them their share of livelihood in this world and We have raised some of them above others in rank, so that some may take others into service: your Lord’s grace is better than anything they accumulate."
"who, if he knows anything about Our revelations, ridicules it! Such people will have a humiliating torment:"
"The evil of their actions will [then] become clear to them. The punishment they mocked will engulf them."
"because you received God’s revelations with ridicule and were deceived by worldly life.’ They will not be brought out of the Fire on that Day, nor will they be given the chance to make amends."
"We had established them in a way we have not established you [people of Mecca]; We gave them hearing, sight, and hearts, yet their hearing, sight, and hearts were of no use to them, since they denied God’s revelations. They were overwhelmed by the punishment they had mocked."
"Believers, no one group of men should jeer at another, who may after all be better than them; no one group of women should jeer at another, who may after all be better than them; do not speak ill of one another; do not use offensive nicknames for one another. How bad it is to be called a mischief-maker after accepting faith! Those who do not repent of this behaviour are evildoers."
"After sorrow, He caused calm to descend upon you, a sleep that overtook some of you. Another group, caring only for themselves, entertained false thoughts about God, thoughts more appropriate to pagan ignorance, and said, ‘Do we get a say in any of this?’ [Prophet], tell them, ‘Everything to do with this affair is in God’s hands.’ They conceal in their hearts things they will not reveal to you. They say, ‘If we had had our say in this, none of us would have been killed here.’ Tell them, ‘Even if you had resolved to stay at home, those who were destined to be killed would still have gone out to meet their deaths.’ God did this in order to test everything within you and in order to prove what is in your hearts. God knows your innermost thoughts very well."
"Believers, avoid making too many assumptions- some assumptions are sinful- and do not spy on one another or speak ill of people behind their backs: would any of you like to eat the flesh of your dead brother? No, you would hate it. So be mindful of God: God is ever relenting, most merciful."
"People, eat what is good and lawful from the earth, and do not follow Satan’s footsteps, for he is your sworn enemy."
"Do not covet what God has given to some of you more than others- men have the portion they have earned; and women the portion they have earned- you should rather ask God for some of His bounty: He has full knowledge of everything."
"Do not look longingly at the good things We have given some to enjoy. Do not grieve over the [disbelievers], but lower your wings over the believers"
"and do not gaze longingly at what We have given some of them to enjoy, the finery of this present life: We test them through this, but the provision of your Lord is better and more lasting."
"Every soul will taste death and you will be paid in full only on the Day of Resurrection. Whoever is kept away from the Fire and admitted to the Garden will have triumphed. The present world is only an illusory pleasure:"
"he makes them promises and raises false hopes, but Satan’s promises are nothing but delusion."
"Leave to themselves those who take their religion for a mere game and distraction and are deceived by the life of this world, but continue to remind them with the [Quran], lest any soul be damned by what it has done- it will have no one to protect it from God and no one to intercede; whatever ransom it may offer will not be accepted. Such are those who are damned by their own actions: they will have boil-ing water to drink and a painful punishment, because they used to defy [God]."
"‘Company of jinn and mankind! Did messengers not come from among you to recite My revelations to you and warn that you would meet this Day?’ They will say, ‘We testify against ourselves.’ The life of this world seduced them, but they will testify against themselves that they rejected the truth:"
"those who took their religion for distraction, a mere game, and were deluded by worldly life.’ Today We shall ignore them, just as they have ignored their meeting with this Day and denied Our Revelations."
"Rouse whichever of them you can with your voice, muster your cavalry and infantry against them, share their wealth and their children with them, and make promises to them- Satan promises them nothing but delusion-"
"People, be mindful of your Lord and fear a day when no parent will take the place of their child, nor a child take the place of their parent, in any way. God’s promise is true, so do not let the present life delude you, nor let the Deceiver delude you about God."
"People! God’s promise is true, so do not let the present life deceive you. Do not let the Deceiver deceive you about God:"
"because you received God’s revelations with ridicule and were deceived by worldly life.’ They will not be brought out of the Fire on that Day, nor will they be given the chance to make amends."
"The hypocrites will call out to the believers, ‘Were we not with you?’ They will reply, ‘Yes. But you allowed yourselves to be tempted, you were hesitant, doubtful, deceived by false hopes until God’s command came- the Deceiver tricked you about God."
"Bear in mind that the present life is just a game, a diversion, an attraction, a cause of boasting among you, of rivalry in wealth and children. It is like plants that spring up after the rain: their growth at first delights the sowers, but then you see them wither away, turn yellow, and become stubble. There is terrible punishment in the next life as well as forgiveness and approval from God; the life of this world is only an illusory pleasure."
"What force can help you if the Lord of Mercy does not? The disbelievers are truly deluded."
"Mankind, what has lured you away from God,"
"Woe to those who give short measure,"
"who demand of other people full measure for themselves,"
"but give less than they should when it is they who weigh or measure for others!"
"Hurry towards your Lord’s forgiveness and a Garden as wide as the heavens and earth prepared for the righteous,"
"who give, both in prosperity and adversity, who restrain their anger and pardon people- God loves those who do good-"
"and remove the rage from their hearts. God turns to whoever He will in His mercy; God is all knowing and wise."
"What you have been given is only the fleeting enjoyment of this world. Far better and more lasting is what God will give to those who believe and trust in their Lord;"
"who shun great sins and gross indecencies; who forgive when they are angry;"
"May the hands of Abu Lahab be ruined! May he be ruined too!"
"Neither his wealth nor his gains will help him:"
"he will burn in the Flaming Fire––"
"and so will his wife, the firewood-carrier,"
"with a palm-fibre rope around her neck."
"It is inconceivable that a prophet would ever dishonestly take something from the battle gains. Anyone who does so will carry it with him on the Day of Resurrection, when each soul will be fully repaid for what it has done: no one will be wronged."
"and We shall remove any bitterness from their hearts: [they will be like] brothers, sitting on couches, face to face."
"Those who came after them say, ‘Lord, forgive us our sins and the sins of our brothers who believed before us, and leave no malice in our hearts towards those who believe. Lord, You are truly compassionate and merciful.’"
"Believers, avoid making too many assumptions- some assumptions are sinful- and do not spy on one another or speak ill of people behind their backs: would any of you like to eat the flesh of your dead brother? No, you would hate it. So be mindful of God: God is ever relenting, most merciful."
"Woe to every fault-finding backbiter"
"If any of your women commit a lewd act, call four witnesses from among you, then, if they testify to their guilt, keep the women at home until death comes to them or until God shows them another way."
"If two men commit a lewd act, punish them both; if they repent and mend their ways, leave them alone- God is always ready to accept repentance, He is full of mercy."
"Say, ‘Come! I will tell you what your Lord has really forbidden you. Do not ascribe anything as a partner to Him; be good to your parents; do not kill your children in fear of poverty’- We will provide for you and for them- ‘ stay well away from committing obscenities, whether openly or in secret; do not take the life God has made sacred, except by right. This is what He commands you to do: perhaps you will use your reason."
"but some faces will be dust-stained"
"and covered in darkness:"
"those are the disbelievers, the licentious."
"and the wicked will burn in the Fire."
"When it is said to them, ‘Do not cause corruption in the land,’ they say, ‘We are only putting things right,’"
"but really they are causing corruption, though they do not realize it."
"those who break their covenant with God after it has been confirmed, who sever the bonds that God has commanded to be joined, who spread corruption on the earth- these are the losers."
"[Prophet], when your Lord told the angels, ‘I am putting a successor on earth,’ they said, ‘How can You put someone there who will cause damage and bloodshed, when we celebrate Your praise and proclaim Your holiness?’ but He said, ‘I know things you do not.’"
"Remember when Moses prayed for water for his people and We said to him, ‘Strike the rock with your staff.’ Twelve springs gushed out, and each group knew its drinking place. ‘Eat and drink the sustenance God has provided and do not cause corruption in the land.’"
"When he leaves, he sets out to spread corruption in the land, destroying crops and live-stock- God does not like corruption."
"On account of [his deed], We decreed to the Children of Israel that if anyone kills a person- unless in retribution for murder or spreading corruption in the land- it is as if he kills all mankind, while if any saves a life it is as if he saves the lives of all mankind. Our messengers came to them with clear signs, but many of them continued to commit excesses in the land."
"Those who wage war against God and His Messenger and strive to spread corruption in the land should be punished by death, crucifixion, the amputation of an alternate hand and foot, or banishment from the land: a disgrace for them in this world, and then a terrible punishment in the Hereafter,"
"The Jews have said, ‘God is tight-fisted,’ but it is they who are tight-fisted, and they are rejected for what they have said. Truly, God’s hands are open wide: He gives as He pleases. What has been sent down to you from your Lord is sure to increase insolence and defiance in many of them. We have sown enmity and hatred amongst them till the Day of Resurrection. Whenever they kindle the fire of war, God will put it out. They try to spread corruption in the land, but God does not love those who corrupt."
"do not corrupt the earth after it has been set right- call on Him fearing and hoping. The mercy of God is close to those who do good."
"Remember how He made you heirs after 'Ad and settled you in the land to build yourselves castles on its plains and carve houses out of the mountains: remember God’s blessings and do not spread corruption in the land,’"
"To the people of Midian We sent their brother, Shuayb. He said, ‘My people, serve God: you have no god other than Him. A clear sign has come to you from your Lord. Give full measure and weight and do not undervalue people’s goods; do not cause corruption in the land after it has been set in order: this is better for you, if you are believers."
"Do not sit in every pathway, threatening and barring those who believe in God from His way, trying to make it crooked. Remember how you used to be few and He made you multiply. Think about the fate of those who used to spread corruption."
"After these, We sent Moses to Pharaoh and his leading supporters with Our signs, but they rejected them. See the fate of those who used to spread corruption."
"We appointed thirty nights for Moses, then added ten more: the term set by his Lord was completed in forty nights. Moses said to his brother Aaron, ‘Take my place among my people: act rightly and do not follow the way of those who spread corruption.’"
"The disbelievers support one another. If you do not do the same, there will be persecution in the land and great corruption."
"When they did so, Moses said, ‘Everything you have brought is sorcery and God will show it to be false. God does not make the work of mischief-makers right;"
"‘Now? When you had always been a rebel, and a troublemaker!"
"My people, in fairness, give full measure and weight. Do not withhold from people things that are rightly theirs, and do not spread corruption in the land."
"If only there had been, among the generations before your time, people with a rem-nant of good sense, to forbid corruption on the earth! We saved only a few of them, while the unjust pursued the enjoyment of plenty, and persisted in sin."
"They said, ‘By God! You must know that we did not come to make mischief in your land: we are no thieves.’"
"But there will be rejection for those who break their confirmed agreements made in God’s name, who break apart what God has commanded to be joined and who spread corruption on earth: theirs is the dreadful home-"
"Because of the corruption they spread, We shall add torment upon torment for those who disbelieved and barred others from the path of God."
"and who spread corruption in the land instead of doing what is right.’"
"do not deprive people of what is theirs. Do not spread corruption on earth."
"They denied them, in their wickedness and their pride, even though their souls acknowledged them as true. See how those who spread corruption met their end!"
"She said, ‘Whenever kings go into a city, they ruin it and humiliate its leaders- that is what they do-"
"Seek the life to come by means of what God has granted you, but do not neglect your rightful share in this world. Do good to others as God has done good to you. Do not seek to spread corruption in the land, for God does not love those who do this,’"
"To the people of Midian We sent their brother Shuayb. He said, ‘My people, serve God and think ahead to the Last Day. Do not commit evil and spread corruption in the land.’"
"Corruption has flourished on land and sea as a result of people’s actions and He will make them taste the consequences of some of their own actions so that they may turn back."
"‘If you turn away now, could it be that you will go on to spread corruption all over the land and break your ties of kinship?’"
"and spread corruption there:"
"God does not shy from drawing comparisons even with something as small as a gnat, or larger: the believers know it is the truth from their Lord, but the disbelievers say, ‘What does God mean by such a comparison?’ Through it He makes many go astray and leads many to the right path. But it is only the rebels He makes go astray:"
"You are forbidden to eat carrion; blood; pig’s meat; any animal over which any name other than God’s has been invoked; any animal strangled, or victim of a violent blow or a fall, or gored or savaged by a beast of prey, unless you still slaughter it [in the correct manner]; or anything sacrificed on idolatrous altars. You are also forbidden to allot shares [of meat] by drawing marked arrows -a heinous practice- today the disbelievers have lost all hope that you will give up your religion. Do not fear them: fear Me. Today I have perfected your religion for you, completed My blessing upon you, and chosen as your religion islam: [total devotion to God]; but if any of you is forced by hunger to eat forbidden food, with no intention of doing wrong, then God is most forgiving and merciful."
"So [Prophet] judge between them according to what God has sent down. Do not follow their whims, and take good care that they do not tempt you away from any of what God has sent down to you. If they turn away, remember that God intends to punish them for some of the sins they have committed: a great many people are lawbreakers."
"Say [Prophet], ‘People of the Book, do you resent us for any reason other than the fact that we believe in God, in what has been sent down to us, and in what was sent before us, while most of you are disobedient?’"
"that will make it more likely they will give true and proper testimony, or fear that their oaths might be refuted by others afterwards. Be mindful of God and listen; God does not guide those who break His laws."
"As for those who rejected Our signs, torment will afflict them as a result of their defiance."
"and do not eat anything over which God’s name has not been pronounced, for that is breaking the law. The evil ones incite their followers to argue with you: if you listen to them, you too will become idolaters."
"[Prophet], ask them about the town by the sea; how its people broke the Sabbath when their fish surfaced for them only on that day, never on weekdays- We tested them in this way: because of their disobedience-"
"When they ignored [the warning] they were given, We saved those who forbade evil, and punished the wrongdoers severely because of their disobedience."
"Say [Prophet], ‘If your fathers, sons, brothers, wives, tribes, the wealth you have acquired, the trade which you fear will decline, and the dwellings you love are dearer to you than God and His Messenger and the struggle in His cause, then wait until God brings about His punishment.’ God does not guide those who break away."
"Say, ‘Whether you give willingly or unwillingly, what you give will not be accepted, for you are disobedient people.’"
"The hypocrites, both men and women, are all the same: they order what is wrong and forbid what is right; they are tight-fisted. They have ignored God, so He has ignored them. The hypocrites are the disobedient ones."
"It makes no difference [Prophet] whether you ask forgiveness for them or not: God will not forgive them even if you ask seventy times, because they reject God and His Messenger. God does not guide those who rebel against Him."
"Do not hold prayers for any of them if they die, and do not stand by their graves: they disbelieved in God and His Messenger and died rebellious."
"they will swear to you in order to make you accept them, but even if you do accept them, God will not accept people who rebel against Him."
"When We decide to destroy a town, We command those corrupted by wealth [to reform], but they [persist in their] disobedience; Our sentence is passed, and We destroy them utterly."
"We said to the angels, ‘Bow down before Adam,’ and they all bowed down, but not Iblis: he was one of the jinn and he disobeyed his Lord’s command. Are you [people] going to take him and his offspring as your masters instead of Me, even though they are your enemies? What a bad bargain for the evildoers!"
"As for those who accuse chaste women of fornication, and then fail to provide four witnesses, strike them eighty times, and reject their testimony ever afterwards: they are the lawbreakers,"
"God has made a promise to those among you who believe and do good deeds: He will make them successors to the land, as He did those who came before them; He will empower the religion He has chosen for them; He will grant them security to replace their fear. ‘They will worship Me and not join anything with Me.’ Those who are defiant after that will be the rebels.-"
"and we shall send a punishment from heaven down on the people of this town because they violate [God’s order].’"
"So, is someone who believes equal to someone who defies God? No, they are not equal."
"As for those who defy God, their home will be the Fire. Whenever they try to escape it, they will be driven back into it, and they will be told, ‘Taste the torment of the Fire, which you persistently denied.’"
"On the Day when those who deny the truth are brought before the Fire, it will be said to them, ‘You squandered the good things you were given in your earthly life, you took your fill of pleasure there, so on this Day a punishment of shame is yours: you were arrogant on earth without any right, and exceeded all limits.’"
"Whatever you [believers] may have done to [their] palm trees–– cutting them down or leaving them standing on their roots––was done by God’s leave, so that He might disgrace those who defied Him."
"Do not be like those who forget God, so God causes them to forget their own souls: they are the rebellious ones-"
"Moses said to his people, ‘My people, why do you hurt me when you know that I am sent to you by God?’ When they went astray, God left their hearts to stray: God does not guide rebellious people."
"It makes no difference whether you ask forgiveness for them or not, God will not forgive them: God does not guide such treacherous people."
"You who believe, do not ask about matters which, if made known to you, might make things difficult for you- if you ask about them while the Quran is being revealed, they will be made known to you- for God has kept silent about them: God is most forgiving and forbearing."
"Believers, avoid making too many assumptions- some assumptions are sinful- and do not spy on one another or speak ill of people behind their backs: would any of you like to eat the flesh of your dead brother? No, you would hate it. So be mindful of God: God is ever relenting, most merciful."
"God does not like bad words to be made public unless someone has been wronged: He is all hearing and all knowing."
"How can you tell people to do what is right and forget to do it yourselves, even though you recite the Scripture? Have you no sense?"
"You who believe, why do you say things and then do not do them?"
"Say, ‘Come! I will tell you what your Lord has really forbidden you. Do not ascribe anything as a partner to Him; be good to your parents; do not kill your children in fear of poverty’- We will provide for you and for them- ‘ stay well away from committing obscenities, whether openly or in secret; do not take the life God has made sacred, except by right. This is what He commands you to do: perhaps you will use your reason."
"Yet when [these people] do something disgraceful, they say, ‘We found our forefathers doing this,’ and, ‘God has commanded us to do this.’ Say [Prophet], ‘God does not command disgraceful deeds. How can you say about God things that you do not know [to be true]?’"
"God commands justice, doing good, and generosity towards relatives and He forbids what is shameful, blameworthy, and oppressive. He teaches you, so that you may take heed."
"Even after that, your hearts became as hard as rocks, or even harder, for there are rocks from which streams spring out, and some from which water comes when they split open, and others which fall down in awe of God: He is not unaware of what you do."
"But they broke their pledge, so We distanced them [from Us] and hardened their hearts. They distort the meaning of [revealed] words and have forgotten some of what they were told to remember: you [Prophet] will always find treachery in all but a few of them. Overlook this and pardon them: God loves those who do good."
"If only they had learned humility when suffering came from Us! But no, their hearts became hard and Satan made their foul deeds alluring to them."
"He makes Satan’s insinuations a temptation only for the sick at heart and those whose hearts are hardened- the evildoers are profoundly opposed [to the Truth]-"
"What about the one whose heart God has opened in devotion to Him, so that he walks in light from his Lord? Alas for those whose hearts harden at the mention of God! They have clearly lost their way."
"Is it not time for believers to humble their hearts to the remembrance of God and the Truth that has been revealed, and not to be like those who received the Scripture before them, whose time was extended but whose hearts hardened and many of whom were lawbreakers?"
"There is a disease in their hearts, to which God has added more: agonizing torment awaits them for their persistent lying."
"See how they lie against themselves and how those they invented have deserted them."
"Because they broke their promise to God, because of all the lies they told, He made hypocrisy settle in their hearts until the Day they meet Him."
"Falsehood is fabricated only by those who do not believe in God’s revelation: they are the liars."
"All this [is ordained by God]: anyone who honours the sacred ordinances of God will have good rewards from his Lord. Livestock have been made lawful to you, except for what has been explicitly forbidden. Shun the filth of idolatrous beliefs and practices and shun false utterances."
"true devotion is due to God alone. [As for] those who choose other protectors beside Him, saying, ‘We only worship them because they bring us nearer to God,’ God Himself will judge between them regarding their differences. God does not guide any ungrateful liar."
"You who believe, why do you say things and then do not do them?"
"It is most hateful to God that you say things and then do not do them;"
"The worst creatures in the sight of God are those who reject Him and will not believe;"
"When trouble befalls man he cries out to Us, whether lying on his side, sitting, or standing, but as soon as We relieve him of his trouble he goes on his way as if he had never cried out to Us to remove his trouble. In this way the deeds of such heedless people are made attractive to them."
"It is He who enables you to travel on land and sea until, when you are sailing on ships and rejoicing in the favouring wind, a storm arrives: waves come at those on board from all sides and they feel there is no escape. Then they pray to God, professing sincere devotion to Him, ‘If You save us from this we shall be truly thankful.’"
"Yet no sooner does He save them than, back on land, they behave outrageously against all that is right. People! Your outrageous behaviour only works against yourselves. Take your little enjoyment in this present life; in the end you will return to Us and We shall confront you with everything you have done."
"How desperate and ungrateful man becomes when We let him taste Our mercy and then withhold it!"
"And if We let him taste mercy after some harm has touched him, he is sure to say, ‘Misfortune has gone away from me.’ He becomes exultant and boastful."
"Whatever good things you possess come from God, and when hardship afflicts you, it is to Him alone you cry out for help,"
"yet when He has relieved you of your hardship- lo and behold!- some of you attribute partners to your Lord."
"Let them show ingratitude for the favours We have shown them; ‘Enjoy your brief time- soon you will know.’"
"[Prophet], anyone God guides is truly guided, and you will find no protector other than Him for anyone He leaves astray. On the Day of Resurrection We shall gather them, lying on their faces, blind, dumb, and deaf. Hell will be their Home. Whenever the Fire goes down, We shall make it blaze more fiercely for them."
"When We favour man he turns arrogantly to one side, but when harm touches him, he falls into despair."
"Whenever they go on board a ship they call on God, and dedicate their faith to Him alone, but once He has delivered them safely back to land, see how they ascribe partners to Him!"
"When the waves loom over those on board like giant shadows they call out to God, devoting their religion entirely to Him. But, when He has delivered them safely to land, some of them waver- only a treacherous, thankless person refuses to acknowledge Our signs."
"If you are ungrateful, remember God has no need of you, yet He is not pleased by ingrati-tude in His servants; if you are grateful, He is pleased [to see] it in you. No soul will bear another’s burden. You will return to your Lord in the end and He will inform you of what you have done: He knows well what is in the depths of [your] hearts."
"When man suffers some affliction, he prays to his Lord and turns to Him, but once he has been granted a favour from God, he forgets the One he had been praying to and sets up rivals to God, to make others stray from His path. Say, ‘Enjoy your ingratitude for a little while: you will be one of the inhabitants of the Fire.’"
"When man suffers some affliction, he cries out to Us, but when We favour him with Our blessing, he says, ‘All this has been given to me because of my knowledge’- it is only a test, though most of them do not know it."
"Those who lived before them said the same. What they did was of no use to them;"
"they suffered its evil effects. Today’s wrongdoers will also suffer the evil effects of their deeds: they will not escape."
"Man never tires of asking for good, but if evil touches him he loses all hope and becomes despondent."
"Whenever We let him taste some of Our mercy after he has been afflicted, he is sure to say, ‘This is all my own doing: I do not think the Hour will ever come, but even if I were to be taken back to my Lord, the best reward would await me with Him.’ We shall most certainly inform the disbelievers of what they have done and give them a taste of severe torment."
"Whenever We are gracious to man, he goes away haughtily, but, as soon as evil touches him, he turns to prolonged prayer."
"He will not call you to account for oaths you have uttered unintentionally, but He will call you to account for what you mean in your hearts. God is most forgiving and forbearing."
"God does not take you [to task] for what is thoughtless in your oaths, only for your binding oaths: the atonement for breaking an oath is to feed ten poor people with food equivalent to what you would normally give your own families, or to clothe them, or to set free a slave- if a person cannot find the means, he should fast for three days. This is the atonement for breaking your oaths- keep your oaths. In this way God makes clear His revelations to you, so that you may be thankful."
"[How] prosperous are the believers!"
"Those who pray humbly,"
"who shun idle talk,"
"[The servants of the Lord of Mercy are] those who do not give false testimony, and who, when they see some frivolity, pass by with dignity;"
"and turn away whenever they hear frivolous talk, saying, ‘We have our deeds and you have yours. Peace be with you! We do not seek the company of ignorant people.’"
"It is they who criticize the believers who give freely and those who can only give a little with great effort: they scoff at such people, but it is God who scoffs at them- a painful punishment awaits them."
"Believers, no one group of men should jeer at another, who may after all be better than them; no one group of women should jeer at another, who may after all be better than them; do not speak ill of one another; do not use offensive nicknames for one another. How bad it is to be called a mischief-maker after accepting faith! Those who do not repent of this behaviour are evildoers."
"Woe to every fault-finding backbiter"
"who amasses riches, counting them over,"
"You who believe, do not take as allies those who ridicule your religion and make fun of it- whether people who were given the Scripture before you, or disbelievers- and be mindful of God if you are true believers."
"When you make the call to prayer, they ridicule it and make fun of it: this is because they are people who do not reason."
"The life of this world is nothing but a game and a distraction; the Home in the Hereafter is best for those who are aware of God. Why will you [people] not understand?"
"Leave to themselves those who take their religion for a mere game and distraction and are deceived by the life of this world, but continue to remind them with the [Quran], lest any soul be damned by what it has done- it will have no one to protect it from God and no one to intercede; whatever ransom it may offer will not be accepted. Such are those who are damned by their own actions: they will have boil-ing water to drink and a painful punishment, because they used to defy [God]."
"those who took their religion for distraction, a mere game, and were deluded by worldly life.’ Today We shall ignore them, just as they have ignored their meeting with this Day and denied Our Revelations."
"If We had wished for a pastime, We could have found it within Us- if We had wished for any such thing."
"The life of this world is merely an amusement and a diversion; the true life is in the Hereafter, if only they knew."
"People! God’s promise is true, so do not let the present life deceive you. Do not let the Deceiver deceive you about God:"
"the life of this world is only a game, a pastime, but if you believe and are mindful of God, He will recompense you. He does not ask you to give up [all] your posses-sions-"
"Bear in mind that the present life is just a game, a diversion, an attraction, a cause of boasting among you, of rivalry in wealth and children. It is like plants that spring up after the rain: their growth at first delights the sowers, but then you see them wither away, turn yellow, and become stubble. There is terrible punishment in the next life as well as forgiveness and approval from God; the life of this world is only an illusory pleasure."
"Yet they scatter towards trade or entertainment whenever they observe it, and leave you [Prophet] standing there. Say, ‘God’s gift is better than any entertainment or trade: God is the best provider.’"
"Do not consume your property wrongfully, nor use it to bribe judges, intending sinfully and knowingly to consume parts of other people’s property."
"God fulfilled His promise to you: you were routing them, with His permission, but then you faltered, disputed the order, and disobeyed, once He had brought you within sight of your goal- some of you desire the gains of this world and others desire the world to come- and then He prevented you from [defeating] them as a punishment. He has now forgiven you: God is most gracious to the believers."
"You who believe, do not wrongfully consume each other’s wealth but trade by mutual consent. Do not kill each other, for God is merciful to you."
"You who believe, obey God and the Messenger, and those in authority among you. If you are in dispute over any matter, refer it to God and the Messenger, if you truly believe in God and the Last Day: that is better and fairer in the end."
"[Prophet], remember when God made you see them in your sleep as few: if He had shown them to you [believers] as many, you would certainly have lost heart and argued about it, but God saved you. He knows the secrets of the heart."
"Obey God and His Messenger, and do not quarrel with one another, or you may lose heart and your spirit may desert you. Be steadfast: God is with the steadfast."
"women already married, other than your slaves.God has ordained all this for you. Other women are lawful to you, so long as you seek them in marriage, with gifts from your property, looking for wedlock rather than fornication. If you wish to enjoy women through marriage, give them their bride-gift- this is obligatory- though if you should choose mutually, after fulfilling this obligation, to do otherwise [with the bride-gift], you will not be blamed: God is all knowing and all wise."
"If any of you does not have the means to marry a believing free woman, then marry a believing slave- God knows best [the depth of] your faith: you are [all] part of the same family- so marry them with their people’s consent and their proper bride-gifts. [Make them] married women, not adulteresses or lovers. If they commit adultery when they are married, their punishment will be half that of free women. This is for those of you who fear that you will sin; it is better for you to practise selfrestraint. God is most forgiving and merciful,"
"Today all good things have been made lawful for you. The food of the People of the Book is lawful for you as your food is lawful for them. So are chaste, believing, women as well as chaste women of the people who were given the Scripture before you, as long as you have given them their bride-gifts and married them, not taking them as lovers or secret mistresses. The deeds of anyone who rejects faith will come to nothing, and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers."
"It will not be according to your hopes or those of the People of the Book: anyone who does wrong will be requited for it and will find no one to protect or help him against God;"
"Say [Prophet], ‘Bad cannot be likened to good, though you may be dazzled by how abundant the bad is. Be mindful of God, people of understanding, so that you may prosper.’"
"[Prophet], say, ‘My people, you carry on as you are, and so will I: you will come to realize who will have a happy homecoming in the Hereafter.’ The evildoers will not prosper."
"As for those who did evil, each evil deed will be requited by its equal and humiliation will cover them- no one will protect them against God- as though their faces were covered with veils cut from the darkness of the night. These are the inmates of the Fire, and there they shall remain."
"It is all the same to them whether you warn them or not: they will not believe."
"No sooner do We let people taste some mercy after some hardship has afflicted them, than they begin to scheme against Our revelations. Say, ‘God schemes even faster.’ Our messengersrecord all your scheming."
"Is He who stands over every soul marking its action [in need of any partner]? Yet they ascribe partners to God. Say, ‘Name them,’ or, ‘Can you tell Him about something on the earth He does not know to exist, or is this just a display of words?’ But the things they devise are made alluring to the disbelievers and they are barred from the [right] path: no one can guide those God leaves to stray."
"Those before them also schemed, but the overall scheme belongs to God: He knows what each soul does. In the end, the disbelievers will find out who will have the excellent home."
"They made their plots, but, even if their plots had been able to move mountains, God had the answer."
"Those who went before them also schemed, but God attacked the very foundations of what they built. The roof fell down on them: punishment came on them from unimagined directions."
"Are those who plan evil so sure that God will not make the earth swallow them up, that punishment will not come on them from some unimagined direction,"
"that it will not catch them suddenly in the midst of their comings and goings- for they cannot frustrate God-"
"or that it will not catch up with them gradually? Indeed your Lord is kind and merciful."
"So they devised their evil plan, but We too made a plan of which they were unaware."
"See how their scheming ended: We destroyed them utterly, along with all their people."
"The oppressed will say to them, ‘No, it was your scheming, night and day, ordering us to disbelieve in God and set up rivals to Him.’ When they see the punishment, they will fall silent with regret, and We shall put iron collars on the disbelievers’ necks. Why should they be rewarded for anything other than what they have done?"
"If anyone desires power, all power belongs to God; good words rise up to Him and He lifts up the righteous deed, but a severe torment awaits those who plot evil and their plotting will come to nothing."
"became more arrogant in the land, and intensified their plotting of evil- the plotting of evil only rebounds on those who plot. Do they expect anything but what happened to earlier people? You will never find any change in God’s practice; you will never find any deviation there."
"So God saved him from the harm they planned. A terrible punishment engulfed Pharaoh’s people;"
"who have made a grand plan,"
"everyone who hindered good, was aggressive, caused others to doubt,"
"do not yield to any contemptible swearer,"
"to any backbiter, slander-monger,"
"or hinderer of good, to anyone who is sinful, aggressive,"
"coarse, and on top of all that, an imposter."
"but tight-fisted when good fortune comes his way."
"and forbid common kindnesses."
"Those who spend their wealth in God’s cause, and do not follow their spending with reminders of their benevolence or hurtful words, will have their rewards with their Lord: no fear for them, nor will they grieve."
"A kind word and forgiveness is better than a charitable deed followed by hurtful [words]: God is self-sufficient, forbearing."
"You who believe, do not cancel out your charitable deeds with reminders and hurtful words, like someone who spends his wealth only to be seen by people, not believing in God and the Last Day. Such a person is like a rock with earth on it: heavy rain falls and leaves it completely bare. Such people get no rewards for their works: God does not guide the disbelievers."
"do not be overwhelmed and weaken;"
"those who break their covenant with God after it has been confirmed, who sever the bonds that God has commanded to be joined, who spread corruption on the earth- these are the losers."
"but those who sell out God’s covenant and their own oaths for a small price will have no share in the life to come. God will neither speak to them nor look at them on the Day of Resurrection- He will not cleanse them [of their sins]- agonizing torment awaits them."
"The worst creatures in the sight of God are those who reject Him and will not believe;"
"who, whenever you [Prophet] make a treaty with them, break it, for they have no fear of God."
"If you meet them in battle, make a fearsome example of them to those who come after them, so that they may take heed."
"And if you learn of treachery on the part of any people, throw their treaty back at them, for God does not love the treacherous."
"A release by God and His Messenger from the treaty you [believers] made with the idolaters [is announced]––"
"But there will be rejection for those who break their confirmed agreements made in God’s name, who break apart what God has commanded to be joined and who spread corruption on earth: theirs is the dreadful home-"
"Do not sell for a small price any pledge made in God’s name: what God has [to give] is better for you, if you only knew."
"Messenger, do not be grieved by those who race to surpass one another in disbelief- those who say with their mouths, ‘We believe,’ but have no faith in their hearts, and the Jews who listen eagerly to lies and to those who have not even met you, who distort the meanings of [revealed] words and say [to each other], ‘If you are given this ruling, accept it, but if you are not, then beware!’––if God intends some people to be so misguided, you will be powerless against God on their behalf. These are the ones whose hearts God does not intend to cleanse- a disgrace for them in this world, and then a heavy punishment in the Hereafter-"
"They would only have given you trouble if they had gone out [to battle] with you: they would have scurried around, trying to sow discord among you, and some of you would willingly have listened to them- God knows exactly who does evil."
"to any backbiter, slander-monger,"
"and say, ‘Lord, I take refuge with You from the goadings of the evil ones;"
"to any backbiter, slander-monger,"
"Woe to every fault-finding backbiter"