That God may separate the bad from the good, and put the bad one upon the other, and heap them all up and put them into Hell! These are they who shall be lost.
SAY to the infidels: If they desist from their unbelief, what is now past shall be forgiven them; but if they return to it, they have already before them11 the doom of the ancients!
Fight then against them till strife be at an end, and the religion be all of it God's. If they desist, verily God beholdeth what they do:
But if they turn their back, know ye that God is your protector: Excellent protector! excellent helper!
And know ye, that when ye have taken any booty, a fifth12 part belongeth to God and to the Apostle, and to the near of kin, and to orphans, and to the poor, and to the wayfarer, if ye believe in God, and in that which we have sent down to our servant on the day of the victory,13 the day of the meeting of the Hosts. Over all things is God potent.
When ye were encamped on the near side of the valley, and they were on the further side, and the caravan was below you, if ye had made an engagement to attack ye would have failed the engagement; but ye were led into action notwithstanding, that God might accomplish the thing destined to be done:
That he who should perish might perish with a clear token14 before him, and that he who liveth might live with it. And verily, God Heareth, Knoweth.
Remember when God shewed them to thee in thy dream, as few: Had he shown them numerous, ye would certainly have become fainthearted, and would certainly have disputed about the matter-But from this God kept you-He knoweth the very secrets of the breast-
And when, on your meeting, he made them to appear to your eyes as few, and diminished you in their eyes, that God might carry out the thing that was to be done.15 To God do all things return.
Believers! when ye confront a troop, stand firm and make frequent mention of the name of God, that it may fare well with you: