l, do they seek for power with them? since all power belongeth
unto God. And he hath already revealed unto you, in the book of the
Koran, the following passage: When ye shall hear the signs of God, they
shall not be believed, but they shall be laughed to scorn. Therefore sit
not with them who believe not, until they engage in different discourse;
for if ye do, ye will certainly become like unto them. God will surely
gather the ungodly and the unbelievers together in hell. They who wait
to observe what befalleth you, if victory be granted you from God, say,
Were we not with you? But if any advantage happen to the infidels, they
say unto them, Were we not superior to you, and have we not defended you
against the believers? God shall judge between you on the day of
resurrection; and God will not grant the unbelievers means to prevail
over the faithful. The hypocrites act deceitfully with God, but he will
deceive them; and when they stand up to pray, they stand carelessly,
affecting to be seen of men, and remember not God, unless a little,
wavering between faith and infidelity, and adhering neither unto these
nor unto those: and for him whom God shall lead astray, thou shalt find
no true path. O true believers, take not the unbelievers for your
protectors, besides the faithful. Will ye furnish God with an evident
argument of impiety against you? Moreover, the hypocrites shall be in
the lowest bottom of hell fire, and thou shalt not find any to help them
thence. But they who repent and amend, and adhere firmly unto God, and
approve the sincerity of their religion to God, they shall be numbered
with the faithful; and God will surely give the faithful a great reward.
And how should God go about to punish you, if ye be thankful and
believe? for God is grateful and wise. God loveth not the speaking ill
of anyone in public, unless he who is injured call for assistance; and
God heareth and knoweth: whether ye publish a good action, or conceal
it, or forgive evil, verily God is gracious and powerful. They who
believe not in God and his apostles, and would make a distinction
between God and his apostles, and say, We believe in some of the
prophets, and reject others of them, and seek to take a middle way in
this matter; these are really unbelievers, and we have prepared for the
unbelievers an ignominious punishment. But they who believe in God and
his apostles, and make no distinction between any of them, unto those
will we surely giv