The Table

[CXIV.]

Medina.—120 Verses

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

O BELIEVERS! be faithful to your engagements. You are allowed the flesh of cattle other than what is hereinafter recited, except game, which is not allowed you while ye are on pilgrimage. Verily, God ordaineth what he pleaseth.

O Believers! violate neither the rites of God, nor the sacred month Muharram, nor the offering, nor its ornaments¹, nor those who press on to the sacred house seeking favour from their Lord and his good pleasure in them.

But when all is over², then take to the chase: and let not ill will at those³ who would have kept you from the sacred mosque lead you to transgress⁴, but rather be helpful to one another according to goodness and piety, but be not helpful for evil and malice: and fear ye God. Verily, God is severe in punishing!

That which dieth of itself, and blood, and swine’s flesh, and all that hath been sacrificed under the invocation of any other name than that of God, and the strangled, and the killed by a blow, or by a fall, or by goring⁵, and that which hath been eaten by beasts of prey, unless ye make it clean by giving the death-stroke yourselves, and that which hath been sacrificed on the blocks of stone⁶, is forbidden you: and to make division of the slain by consulting the arrows,⁷ is impiety in you. Woe this day on those who forsake your religion! And fear them not, but fear Me.

This day have I perfected your religion for you, and have filled up the measure of my favours upon you: and it is my pleasure that Islam be your religion; but whoso without wilful leanings to wrong shall be forced by hunger to transgress, to him,verily, will God be Indulgent, Merciful.

They will ask thee what is made lawful for them. Say: Those things which are good⁸ are legalised to you, and the prey of beasts of chase which ye have trained like dogs, teaching them as God hath taught you. Eat, therefore, of what they shall catch for you, and make mention of the name of God over it, and fear God: Verily, Swift is God to reckon:

This day, things healthful are legalised to you, and the meats of those who have received the Scriptures are allowed to you, as your meats are to them. And you are permitted to marry virtuous women who are believers, and virtuous women of those who have received the Scriptures before you, when you shall have provided them their portions, living chastely with them without fornication, and without taking concubines. Vain the works of him who shall renounce the faith! and in the next world he shall be of the lost.

O Believers! when ye address yourselves to prayer, wash your faces, and your hands up to the elbow, and wipe your heads, and your feet to the ankles.

And if ye have become unclean, then purify yourselves. But if ye are sick, or on a journey, or if one of you come from the place of retirement, or if ye have touched women, and ye find no water, then take clean sand and rub your faces and your hands with it.⁹ God desireth not to lay a burden upon you, but he desireth to purify you, and He would fill up the measure of His favour upon you, that ye may be grateful.

And remember the favour of God upon you, and His covenant which He hath covenanted with you, when ye said, “We have heard and will obey;”¹⁰ and fear God; verily, God knoweth the very secrets of the breast.