Page:Sacred Books of the East - Volume 6.djvu/187

Ⅲ, 113-120. cold blast that falls upon a people’s tilth who have wronged themselves and destroys it. It is not God who wrongs them, but it is themselves they wrong.

O ye who believe! take not to intimacy with others than yourselves; they will not fail to spoil you ; they would fain ye came to trouble, — hatred is shown by their mouths ; but what their breasts conceal is greater still. We have made manifest to you our signs, did ye but understand.

Ye it is who love them, but they love not you ; and ye believe in the Book, all of it. But when they meet you they say, ‘ We believe ;’ and when they go aside they bite their finger tips at you through rage. Say, ‘ Die in your rage, for God doth know the nature of men’s breasts.’

If good luck touch you it is bad for them, but if bad luck befal you they rejoice therein ; yet if ye are patient and fear, their tricks shall not harm you, for what they do God comprehends.

When thou didst set forth early from thy people to settle for the believers a camp to fight ; — but God both hears and knows ; — when two companies of you were on the point of showing cowardice ; but God was their guardian, for on God surely the believers do rely. Why ! God gave you victory at Bedr when ye were in a poor way; fear God, then, haply ye may give thanks. When thou didst say unto the believers, ‘ Is it not enough for you that your Lord assists you with three thousand of the angels