Page:Sacred Books of the East - Volume 6.djvu/168

42 Those who expend their wealth in God’s way, then do not follow up what they expend by taunting with it and by annoyance, these have their hire with their Lord, and no fear is on them, neither shall they grieve.

Kind speech and pardon are better than almsgiving followed by annoyance, and God is rich and clement.

O ye who believe! make not your almsgiving vain by taunts and annoyance, like him who expends what he has for the sake of appearances before men, and believes not in God and the last day; for his likeness is as the likeness of a flint with soil upon it, and a heavy shower falls on it and leaves it bare rock ; they can do nought with what they earn, for God guides not the misbelieving folk.

But the likeness of those who expend their wealth craving the goodwill of God, and as an insurance for their souls, is as the likeness of a garden on a hill. A heavy shower falls on it, and it brings forth its eatables twofold ; and if no heavy shower falls on it, the dew does ; and God on what ye do doth look.

Would one of you fain have a garden of palms and vines, with rivers flowing beneath it, in which is every fruit ; and when old age shall reach him, have weak seed, and there fall on it a storm wind with fire therein, and it gets burnt ?

Thus does God manifest to you His signs, mayhap ye will reflect.

O ye who believe ! expend in alms of the good things that ye have earned, and of what we have brought forth for you out of the earth, and do not take the vile thereof to spend in alms, — what you would not take yourselves save by connivance