nd admonish them, and speak unto them a word
which may affect their souls. We have not sent any apostle, but that he
might be obeyed by the permission of God: but if they, after they have
injured their own souls, come unto thee, and ask pardon of God, and the
apostle ask pardon for them, they shall surely find God easy to be
reconciled and merciful. And by thy Lord they will not perfectly
believe, until they make thee judge of their controversies; and shall
not afterwards find in their own minds any hardship in what thou shalt
determine, but shall acquiesce therein with entire submission. And if we
had commanded them, saying, Slay yourselves, or depart from your houses,
they would not have done it, except a few of them. And if they had done
what they were admonished, it would certainly have been better for them,
and more efficacious for confirming their faith; and we should then have
surely given them in our sight an exceeding great reward, and we should
have directed them in the right way. Whoever obeyeth God and the
apostle, they shall be with those unto whom God hath been gracious, of
the prophets, and the sincere, and the martyrs, and the righteous; and
these are the most excellent company. This is bounty from God; and God
is sufficiently knowing. O true believers, take your necessary
precaution against your enemies, and either go forth to war in separate
parties, or go forth all together in a body. There is of you who
tarrieth behind; and if a misfortune befall you, he saith, Verily God
hath been gracious unto me, that I was not present with them: but if
success attend you from God, he will say (as if there was no friendship
between you and him), Would to God I had been with them, for I should
have acquired great merit. Let them therefore fight for the religion of
God, who part with the present life in exchange for that which is to
come; for whosoever fighteth for the religion of God, whether he be
slain, or be victorious, we will surely give him a great reward. And
what ails you, that ye fight not for God's true religion, and in defence
of the weak among men, women, and children, who say, O Lord, bring us
forth from this city, whose inhabitants are wicked; grant us from before
thee a protector, and grant us from thee a defender. They who believe
fight for the religion of God; but they who believe not fight for the
religion of Taghut. Fight therefore against the friends of Satan, for
the stratagem of Satan is weak. H