The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics)

268
The Quran 33: 21
hardly fight at all. 21 The Messenger of God is an excellent model for
those of you who put your hope in God and the Last Day and
remember Him often.
22 When the believers saw the joint forces, they said, ‘This is what
God and His Messenger promised us: the promise of God and His
Messenger is true,’ and this only served to increase their faith and
submission to God. 23 There are men among the believers who honoured
their pledge to God: some of them have fulfilled it by death,
and some are still waiting. They have not changed in the least.
24 [Such trials are ordained] so that God may reward the truthful for
their honesty and punish the hypocrites, if He so wills, or He may
relent towards them, for God is forgiving and merciful. 25 God sent
back the disbelievers a along with their rage – they gained no benefit–
and spared the believers from fighting. He is strong and mighty.
26 He brought those People of the Book who supported them down
from their strongholds and put panic into their hearts. Some of
them you [believers] killed and some you took captive. 27 He passed
on to you their land, their houses, their possessions, and a land where
you had not set foot: God has power over everything.
28 Prophet, say to your wives, b ‘If your desire is for the present life
and its finery, then come, I will make provision for you and release
you with kindness, 29 but if you desire God, His Messenger, and the
Final Home, then remember that God has prepared great rewards
for those of you who do good.’ 30 Wives of the Prophet, if any of you
does something clearly outrageous, she will be doubly punished –
that is easy for God – 31 but if any of you is obedient to God and His
Messenger and does good deeds, know that We shall give her a
double reward and have prepared a generous provision for her.
32 Wives of the Prophet, you are not like any other woman. If you are
truly mindful of God, do not speak too softly in case the sick at heart
should lust after you, but speak in an appropriate manner; 33 stay at
home, and do not flaunt your finery as they used to in the pagan past;
keep up the prayer, give the prescribed alms, and obey God and His
Messenger. God wishes to keep uncleanness away from you, people
of the [Prophet’s] House, and to purify you thoroughly. 34 Remember
a This refers to the sandstorm that caused the disbelievers to go back without success.
b Some of the Prophet’s wives decided to ask him for more provision, seeing that he
had become leader of a new state.