MEDINA.-II Verses
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
ALL that is in the Heavens, and all that is on the Earth, uttereth the Praise of God, the King! the Holy! the Mighty! the Wise!
It is He who hath sent to the pagan folk (Arabs) an Apostle from among themselves, to rehearse His signs to them, and to purify them, and to impart to them a knowledge of "the Book" and wisdom; for aforetime were they in manifest error.
And others among them have not yet overtaken those who preceded them in the faith. But He is the Mighty, the Wise!
This is the goodness of God: He bestoweth it on whom He will: God is of immense goodness!
They on whom the burden of the law was laid, and would not bear it, are like an ass beneath a load of books. A sorry likeness this, for the people who give the lie to the signs of God! God guideth not the people who do this wrong!
SAY: O ye Jews, if ye profess that ye rather than other men are the friends of God, then wish for death if ye are men of truth.
But never on account of their previous handywork will they wish for it, and God knoweth the wrong doers.
SAY: Verily the death from which ye flee will surely meet you. Then shall ye be brought back to Him who knoweth alike the things done in secret and openly: and He will tell you of your actions.
O ye who believe! When ye are summoned to prayer on the day of THE ASSEMBLY,1 haste to the commemoration of God, and quit your traffic. This, if ye knew it, will be best for you.
And when the Prayer is ended, then disperse yourselves abroad and go in quest of the bounties of God; and, that it may be well with you, oft remember God.
But when they get a sight of merchandise or sport, they disperse after it, and leave thee standing alone.2 SAY: God hath in reserve what is better than sport or wares. And God is the best provider!
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1 Friday; the day on which Muhammad made his first entry into Medina, and the day on which creation was finished.
2 It is said that when Muhammad was preaching, Dahya Alkalbi, while yet a heathen, came, on a Friday, into Medina at the head of a caravan, and that all the congregation, attracted by the music of the tambours which preceded it, left the sermon for the spectacle. Muquâtil ap. Alfarrâ. If this account be accurate, we may approximate to the date of this Sura as in Hej. 5 (towards the close). Dahya is known to have fought in the ranks of the Muslims at the battle of the Ditch. And as the former part is aimed at the Jews, it is probably of the same period as Sura [xci.] ii.
