The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics)

44
The Quran
3: 129
God relents towards them or punishes them is not for you [Prophet]
to decide: they are wrongdoers. 129 Everything in the heavens and
earth belongs to God. He forgives whoever He will and punishes
whoever He will: God is most forgiving and merciful.
130 You who believe, do not consume usurious interest, doubled
and redoubled. Be mindful of God so that you may prosper –
131 beware of the Fire prepared for those who ignore [Him] – 132 and
obey God and the Prophet so that you may be given mercy. 133 Hurry
towards your Lord’s forgiveness and a Garden as wide as the
heavens and earth prepared for the righteous, 134 who give, both in
prosperity and adversity, who restrain their anger and pardon
people – God loves those who do good – 135 those who remember
God and implore forgiveness for their sins if they do something
shameful or wrong themselves – who forgives sins but God? – and
who never knowingly persist in doing wrong. 136 The reward for such
people is forgiveness from their Lord, and Gardens graced with
flowing streams, where they will remain. How excellent is the reward
of those who labour!
137 God’s ways have operated before your time: travel through the
land, and see what was the end of those who disbelieved. 138 This is a
clear lesson to people, and guidance and teaching for those who are
mindful of God. 139 Do not lose heart or despair – if you are true
believers you have the upper hand – 140 if you have suffered a blow,
they too have suffered one like it. a We deal out such days among
people in turn, for God to find out who truly believes, for Him to
choose martyrs b from among you – God does not love evildoers –
141 for Him to cleanse those who believe and for Him to destroy the
disbelievers. 142 Did you think you would enter the Garden without
God first proving which of you would struggle for His cause and
remain steadfast? 143 Before you encountered death, you were hoping
for it. Well, now you have seen it with your own eyes.
144 Muhammad is only a messenger before whom many messengers
a This part of the sura refers to the Battle of Uhud, where the Muslims were
defeated, having disobeyed the Prophet’s orders.
b The noun shahid is much more complex than the term ‘martyr’ chosen to render it
in this context. The root sh–h–d conveys ‘to witness, to be present, to attend’, but also
‘to testify’ or ‘to give evidence’. Thus the ‘martyrs’ here are chosen by God to witness
Him in heaven, are given the opportunity to give evidence of the depth of their faith
by sacrificing their worldly lives, and will testify with the prophets on the Day of
Judgement.