Page:Sacred Books of the East - Volume 6.djvu/192

66 there can help you after Him ? Upon God then let believers rely.

It is not for the prophet to cheat; and he who cheats shall bring what he has cheated on the resurrection day. Then shall each soul be paid what it has earned, and they shall not be wronged. Is he who follows the pleasure of God, like him who has drawn on himself anger from God, whose resort is hell ? An evil journey shall it be ! These are degrees with God, and God sees what ye do.

God was surely very gracious to the believers, when He sent amongst them an apostle from themselves, to recite to them His signs, and purify them, and teach them the Book and wisdom, although they surely were before his time in manifest error. Or when an accident befals you, and ye have fallen on twice as much, ye say, ‘ How is this ?’ Say, ‘ It is from yourselves. Verily, God is mighty over all.’'

And what befel you the day when the two armies met, it was by God’s permission ; that He might know the believers, and might know those who behaved hypocritically ; for it was said to them, ‘ Come, fight in God’s way,’ or ‘ repel (the foe);’ they said, ‘ If we knew how to fight we would surely follow you.’ They were that day far nigher unto misbelief than they were to faith. They say with their mouths what is not in their hearts, but God doth know best what they hid. Those who said of their brethren, whilst they themselves stayed at home, ‘ Had they obeyed us they would not have