The Majestic Quran

12 Believers, do not be suspicious, since some suspicion s 18 are sins. Neither spy on one another nor backbite about each other. Would anyone of you like to eat the meat of his dead brother? Never! You would hate it. So be fearful of God. God is indeed Forgiving, Caring. O 13 People, We created you from a male and female; then made you into different races and tribes so you may know each other. The most honourable in the sight of God is the most mindful of God, the Knower, the Aware. T 14 The Bedouins say, “We believe,” tell them: “You haven’t believed yet, you should say, ‘We have surrendered’.” Faith hasn’t fully entered their hearts. Had they obeyed God and His Messenger, none of their deeds would be lost. Indeed, God is Forgiving, the Caring. 15 The true believers are those who believed in God and His Messenger, and have no doubts. They strive with their wealth and their lives in God’s way. They are the truthful. 16 Are you teaching God your religion? God knows what is in the Heavens and the Earth; God knows all things. 17 They think they have done you a favour by embracing Islam; say: “By embracing Islam you haven’t done me any favour; in fact God has done you a favour. He has guided you to the faith, if you are true in faith.” 18 God knows the secrets of Heaven and the Earth, and God sees all you do. 1 Literally: This is it! 2 “Those given knowledge” refers to the true believers, the practising Muslims. 3 See introduction to chapter. 4 Al-Qurtubi says this means, “ask God to protect you from sins”. I have translated accordingly, since the Prophet r we believe is always free from sins. 5 Sawwal also means to deceive, dupe and trick. 6 Since the Messenger r is sinless and protected from all sins, the only appropriate translation is to assume there is an ellipsis: your people. For further discussion see the introduction to the chapter. 7 Qaumum boura literally means ruined person who has not a speck of goodness in him or her. 8 This predicts the victory of Khybar that occurred immediately after this. (Ibn Abbas) 9 Literally this means, “he held back people’s hands from you”, simply put this means “protected you”. 10 Otherwise God would have allowed you to fight them. 11 Kalimat tutaqwa means “there is no God but God and Muhammad is the messenger of God” according to Imam Ali.