who followed him kindness and compassion: but as to the monastic life, they invented it themselves. The desire only of pleasing God did we prescribe to them, and this they observed not as it ought to have been observed: but to such of them as believed gave we their reward, though many of them were perverse.
O ye who believe! fear God and believe in his apostle: two portions of his mercy will He give you. He will bestow on you light to walk in, and He will forgive you: for God is Forgiving, Merciful;
That the people of the Book may know that they have no control over aught of the favours of God, and that these gifts of grace[1] are in the hands of God, and that He vouchsafeth them to whom he will; for God is of immense bounty.
O men! fear your Lord, who hath created you of one man (nafs, soul), and of him created his wife, and from these twain hath spread abroad so many men and WOMEN. And fear ye God, in whose name ye ask mutual favours,—and reverence the wombs that bare you. Verily is God watching over you!
And give to the orphans their property; substitute not worthless things of your own for their valuable ones, and devour not their property after adding it to your own; for this is a great crime.
And if ye are apprehensive that ye shall not deal fairly with
