180 Those who are miserly with what God has granted them out of His grace should not think that it is good for them; on the contrary, it is bad for them. Whatever they meanly withhold will be hung around their necks on the Day of Resurrection. It is God who will inherit the heavens and earth: God is well aware of everything you do.
181 God has certainly heard the words of those who sneer, ‘So God is poor, while we are rich’. [a] We shall record everything they say– as well as their killing of prophets in defiance of all that is right– and We shall say to them, ‘Taste the torment of the scorching fire. 182 That is on account of what you stored up for yourselves with your own hands: God is never unjust to His servants.’ 183 To those who say, ‘God has commanded us not to believe in any messenger unless he brings us an offering that fire [from heaven] consumes,’ say [Prophet], ‘Messengers before me have come to you with clear signs, including the one you mention. If you are sincere, why did you kill them?’ 184 If they reject you, so have other messengers been rejected before you, even though they came with clear evidence, books of wisdom and enlightening scripture. 185 Every soul will taste death and you will be paid in full only on the Day of Resurrection. Whoever is kept away from the Fire and admitted to the Garden will have triumphed. The present world is only an illusory pleasure: 186 you are sure to be tested through your possessions and persons; you are sure to hear much that is hurtful from those who were given the Scripture before you and from those who associate others with God. If you are steadfast and mindful of God, that is the best course.
187 God took a pledge from those who were given the Scripture– ‘Make it known to people; do not conceal it’– but they tossed the pledge over their shoulders, they bartered it for a small price: what a bad bargain they made! 188 Do not think [Prophet] that those who exult in what they have done and seek praise for things they have not done will escape the torment; agonizing torment awaits them.
189 Control of the heavens and earth belongs to God; God has power over everything. 190 There truly are signs in the creation of the heavens and earth, and in the alternation of night and day, for those with understanding, 191 who remember God standing, sitting, and lying down, who reflect on the creation of the heavens and earth: ‘Our Lord! You have not created all this without purpose– You are far above that!– so protect us from the torment of the Fire. 192 Our Lord! You will truly humiliate those You commit to the Fire. The evildoers have no one to help them. 193 Our Lord! We have heard someone calling us to faith–“ Believe in your Lord”– and we have believed. Our Lord! Forgive us our sins, wipe out our bad deeds, and grant that we join the righteous when we die. 194 Our Lord! Bestow upon us all that You have promised us through Your messengers– do not humiliate us on the Day of Resurrection– You never break Your promise.’ 195 Their Lord has answered them: ‘I will not allow the deeds of any one of you to be lost, whether you are male or female, each is like the other [in rewards]. [b] I will certainly wipe out the bad deeds of those who emigrated and were driven out of their homes, who suffered harm for My cause, who fought and were killed. I will certainly admit them to Gardens graced with flowing streams, as a reward from God: the best reward is with God.’
Patience Rewarded
196 [Prophet], do not be deceived by the disbelievers’ [lucrative] trading to and fro in the land: 197 this is only a brief enjoyment, after which Hell will be their home– a miserable resting place! 198 But those who were mindful of their Lord will have Gardens graced with flowing streams where they will stay as a reward from God. What God has is best for those who are truly good.
199 Some of the People of the Book believe in God, in what has been sent down to you and in what was sent down to them: humbling themselves before God, they would never sell God’s revelation for a small price. These people will have their rewards with their Lord: God is swift in reckoning. 200 You who believe, be steadfast, more steadfast than others; be ready; [c] always be mindful of God, so that you may prosper.
Footnotes
a. A retort to 2: 245, which was often cited by the Prophet when asking for financial contributions to the cause.
b. Literally ‘you come from each other’, i.e. you are equal.
c. ‘For prayer’ or ‘to ward off an attack’.
The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics)
The Qur'an / a new translation by M. A. S. Abdel Haleem, copyright © 2004 Oxford World's Classics (Oxford University Press). Used by permission. All rights reserved.