The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics)

76
The Quran 5: 83
to learning and ascetics. a These people are not given to arrogance,
83 and when they listen to what has been sent down to the Messenger,
you will see their eyes overflowing with tears because they recognize
the Truth [in it]. They say, ‘Our Lord, we believe, so count us amongst
the witnesses. 84 Why should we not believe in God and in the Truth
that has come down to us, when we long for our Lord to include us
in the company of the righteous?’ 85 For saying this, God has rewarded
them with Gardens graced with flowing streams, and there they
will stay: that is the reward of those who do good. 86 Those who reject
the truth and deny Our messages will be the inhabitants of Hellfire.
87 You who believe, do not forbid the good things God has made
lawful to you – do not exceed the limits: God does not love those who
exceed the limits – 88 but eat the lawful and good things that God provides
for you. Be mindful of God, in whom you believe. 89 God does not
take you [to task] for what is thoughtless in your oaths, b only for your
binding oaths: the atonement for breaking an oath is to feed ten poor
people with food equivalent to what you would normally give your own
families, or to clothe them, or to set free a slave – if a person cannot find
the means, he should fast for three days. This is the atonement for
breaking your oaths – keep your oaths. In this way God makes clear
His revelations to you, so that you may be thankful.
90 You who believe, intoxicants and gambling, idolatrous practices,
and [divining with] c arrows are repugnant acts – Satan’s doing –
shun them so that you may prosper. 91 With intoxicants and gambling,
Satan seeks only to incite enmity and hatred among you, and
to stop you remembering God and prayer. Will you not give them
up? 92 Obey God, obey the Messenger, and always be on your guard:
if you pay no heed, bear in mind that the sole duty of Our Messenger
is to deliver the message clearly. 93 Those who believe and do good
deeds will not be blamed for what they may have consumed [in the
past] d as long as they are mindful of God, believe and do good deeds,
a Most translators render these as ‘priests and monks’, which are their modern
meanings, not the etymological senses of the words (al-Raghib, Mufradat ).
b Some Muslims swore to renounce the world and not to eat certain good foods or
wear fine clothes, and when told this was wrong, they asked the Prophet what they could
do about their oaths.
c See note to verse 3 above.
d It was reported that when wine was forbidden, some companions asked the Prophet,
‘What about those believers who used to drink and have already died? What state would
they be in?’ This is the reply to that question, and it also applies to the living.