130. And who turns away
From the religion of Abraham
But such as debase their souls
With folly? Him We chose
And rendered pure in this world:
And he will be in the Hereafter
In the ranks of the Righteous.

131. Behold! his Lord said
To him: “Bow (thy will to Me):”
He said: “I bow (my will)
To the Lord and Cherisher
Of the Universe.”

132. And this was the legacy
That Abraham left to his sons,
And so did Jacob;
“Oh my sons! God hath chosen
The Faith for you; then die not
Except in the Faith of Islam.”

133. Were ye witnesses
When Death appeared before Jacob?
Behold, he said to his sons:
“What will ye worship after me?”
They said: “We shall worship
Thy God and the God of thy fathers, —
Of Abraham, Ismā'īl, and Isaac, —
The One (True) God:
To Him we bow (in Islam).”

134. That was a People that hath
Passed away. They shall reap
The fruit of what they did,
And ye of what ye do!
Of their merits
There is no question in your case!

135. They say: “Become Jews
Or Christians if ye would be guided
(To salvation).” Say thou:
“Nay! (I would rather) the Religion
Of Abraham the True,
And he joined not gods with God.”

136. Say ye: “We believe
In God, and the revelation
Given to us, and to Abraham,
Ismā'īl, Isaac, Jacob,
And the Tribes, and that given
To Moses and Jesus, and that given
To (all) Prophets from their Lord:
We make no difference
Between one and another of them:
And we bow to God (in Islam).”

137. So if they believe
As ye believe, they are indeed
On the right path; but if
They turn back, it is they
Who are in schism; but God will
Suffice thee as against them,
And He is the All-Hearing,
The All-Knowing.

138. (Our religion is)
The Baptism of God:
And who can baptize better
Than God? And it is He
Whom we worship.

139. Say: Will ye dispute
With us about God, seeing
That He is our Lord
And your Lord; that we
Are responsible for our doings
And ye for yours; and that
We are sincere (in our faith) In him?

140. Or do ye say that
Abraham, Ismā'īl, Isaac,
Jacob and the Tribes were
Jews or Christians?
Say: Do ye know better
Than God? Ah! who
Is more unjust than those
Who conceal the testimony
They have from God?
But God is not unmindful
Of what ye do!

141. That was a people that hath
Passed away. They shall reap
The fruit of what they did,
And ye of what ye do!
Of their merits
There is no question in your case:

SECTION 17.

142. The Fools among the people
Will say: “What hath turned
Them from the Qibla to which
They were used?” Say:
To God belong both East and West:
He guideth whom He will
To a Way that is straight.

143. Thus have We made of you
An Ummat justly balanced,
That ye might be witnesses
Over the nations,
And the Apostle a witness
Over yourselves;
And We appointed the Qibla
To which thou wast used,
Only to test those who followed
The Apostle from those
Who would turn on their heels
(From the Faith). Indeed it was
(A change) momentous, except
To those guided by God.
And never would God
Make your faith of no effect.
For God is to all people
Most surely full of kindness,
Most Merciful.

144. We see the turning Of thy face (for guidance)
To the heavens: now
Shall We turn thee
To a Qibla that shall
Please thee. Turn then
Thy face in the direction
Of the sacred Mosque:
Wherever ye are, turn
Your faces in that direction.
The people of the Book
Know well that that is
The truth from their Lord.
Nor is God unmindful
Of what they do.

145. Even if thou wert to bring
To the people of the Book
All the Signs (together),
They would not follow
Thy Qibla; nor art thou
Going to follow their Qibla;
Nor indeed will they follow
Each other’s Qibla. If thou
After the knowledge hath reached thee,
Wert to follow their (vain)
Desires, — then wert thou
Indeed (clearly) in the wrong.

146. The people of the Book
Know this as they know
Their own sons; but some
Of them conceal the truth
Which they themselves know.

147. The Truth is from thy Lord;
So be not at all in doubt.

SECTION 18.

148. To each is a goal
To which God turns him;
Then strive together (as in a race)
Towards all that is good.
Wheresoever ye are,
God will bring you
Together, For God
Hath power over all things.

149. From whencesoever
Thou startest forth, turn
Thy face in the direction
Of the Sacred Mosque;
That is indeed the truth
From thy Lord. And God
Is not unmindful
Of what ye do.

150. So from whencesoever
Thou startest forth, turn
Thy face in the direction
Of the Sacred Mosque;
And wheresoever ye are,
Turn your face thither:
That there be no ground
Of dispute against you
Among the people,
Except those of them that are
Bent on wickedness; so fear
Them not, but fear Me;
And that I may complete
My favours on you, and ye
May (consent to) be guided;

151. A similar (favour
Have ye already received)
In that We have sent
Among you an Apostle
Of your own, rehearsing to you
Our Signs, and sanctifying
You, and instructing you
In Scripture and Wisdom,
And in new Knowledge.

152. Then do ye remember
Me; I will remember
You. Be grateful to Me,
And reject not Faith.

SECTION 19.

153. O ye who believe! seek help
With patient Perseverance
And Prayer: for God is with those
Who patiently persevere.

154. And say not of those
Who are slain in the way
Of God: “They are dead.”
Nay, they are living,
Though ye perceive (it) not.

155. Be sure we shall test you
With something of fear
And hunger, some loss
In goods or lives or the fruits
(Of your toil), but give
Glad tidings to those
Who patiently persevere, —

156. Who say, when afflicted
With calamity: “To God
We belong, and to Him
Is our return”: —

157. They are those on whom
(Descend) blessings from God,
And Mercy,
And they are the ones
That receive guidance.

158. Behold! Safa and Marwa
Are among the Symbols
Of God. So if those who visit
The House in the Season
Or at other times,
Should compass them round,
It is no sin in them.
And if any one obeyeth his own
Impulse to Good, —
Be sure that God
Is He Who recogniseth
And knoweth.

159. Those who conceal
The clear (Signs) We have
Sent down, and the Guidance,
After We have made it
Clear for the People
In the Book, — on them
Shall be God’s curse,
And the curse of those
Entitled to curse, —

160. Except those who repent
And make amends
And openly declare (the Truth):
To them I turn;
For I am Oft-returning,
Most Merciful.

161. Those who reject Faith,
And die rejecting, —
On them is God’s curse,
And the curse of angels,
And of all mankind;

162. They will abide therein:
Their penalty will not
Be lightened, nor will
Respite be their (lot).

163. And your God
Is One God:
There is no god
But He,
Most Gracious,
Most Merciful.

SECTION 20.

164. Behold! In the creation
Of the heavens and the earth;
In the alternation
Of the Night and the Day;
In the sailing of the ships
Through the Ocean
For the profit of mankind;
In the rain which God
Sends down from the skies,
And the life which He gives therewith
To an earth that is dead;
In the beasts of all kinds
That He scatters
Through the earth;
In the change of the winds,
And the clouds which they
Trail like their slaves
Between the sky and the earth; —
(Here) indeed are Signs
For a people that are wise.

165. Yet there are men
Who take (for worship)
Others besides God,
As equal (with God):
They love them
As they should love God.
But those of Faith are
Overflowing in their love
For God. If only
The unrighteous could see,
Behold, they would see
The Penalty: that to God
Belongs all power, and God
Will strongly enforce
The Penalty.

166. Then would those
Who are followed
Clear themselves of those
Who follow (them):
They would see the Penalty,
And all relations
Between them would be cut off.

167. And those who followed
Would say: “If only
We had one more chance,
We would clear ourselves
Of them, as they have
Cleared themselves of us.”
Thus will God show them
(The fruits of) their deeds
As (nothing but) regrets.
Nor will there be a way
For them out of the Fire.

SECTION 21.

168. O ye people!
Eat of what is on earth,
Lawful and good;
And do not follow
The footsteps of the Evil One,
For he is to you
An avowed enemy.

169. For he commands you
What is evil
And shameful,
And that ye should say
Of God that of which
Ye have no knowledge.

170. When it is said to them:
“Follow what God hath revealed:”
They say: “Nay! we shall follow
The ways of our fathers.”
What! even though their fathers
Were void of wisdom and guidance?

171. The parable of those
Who reject Faith is
As if one were to shout
Like a goat-herd, to things
That listen to nothing
But calls and cries:
Deaf, dumb, and blind,
They are void of wisdom.

172. O ye who believe!
Eat of the good things
That We have provided for you,
And be grateful to God,
If it is Him ye worship.

173. He hath only forbidden you Dead meat, and blood,
And the flesh of swine,
And that on which
Any other name hath been invoked
Besides that of God.
But if one is forced by necessity,
Without wilful disobedience,
Nor transgressing due limits, —
Then is he guiltless.
For God is Oft-forgiving
Most Merciful.

174. Those who conceal
God’s revelations in the Book,
And purchase for them
A miserable profit, —
They swallow into themselves
Naught but Fire;
God will not address them
On the Day of Resurrection,
Nor purify them:
Grievous will be
Their Penalty.

175. They are the ones
Who buy Error
In place of Guidance
And Torment in place
Of Forgiveness.
Ah! what boldness
(They show) for the Fire!

176. (Their doom is) because
God sent down the Book
In truth but those who seek
Causes of dispute in the Book
Are in a schism
Far (from the purpose).

SECTION 22.

177. It is not righteousness That ye turn your faces
Towards East or West;
But it is righteousness —
To believe in God
And the Last Day,
And the Angels,
And the Book,
And the Messengers;
To spend of your substance,
Out of love for Him,
For your kin,
For orphans,
For the needy,
For the wayfarer,
For those who ask,
And for the ransom of slaves;
To be steadfast in prayer,
And practice regular charity;
To fulfil the contracts
Which ye have made;
And to be firm and patient,
In pain (or suffering)
And adversity,
And throughout
All periods of panic.
Such are the people
Of truth, the God-fearing.

178. O ye who believe! The law of equality
Is prescribed to you
In cases of murder:
The free for the free,
The slave for the slave,
The woman for the woman.
But if any remission
Is made by the brother
Of the slain, then grant
Any reasonable demand,
And compensate him
With handsome gratitude.
This is a concession
And a Mercy
From your Lord.
After this whoever
Exceeds the limits
Shall be in grave penalty.

179. In the Law of Equality
There is (saving of) Life
To you, O ye men of understanding;
That ye may
Restrain yourselves.

180. It is prescribed,
When death approaches
Any of you, if he leave
Any goods, that he make a bequest
To parents and next of kin,
According to reasonable usage;
This is due
From the God-fearing.

181. If anyone changes the bequest
After hearing it,
The guilt shall be on those
Who make the change.
For God hears and knows
(All things).

182. But if anyone fears
Partiality or wrong-doing
On the part of the testator,
And makes peace between
(The parties concerned),
There is no wrong in him:
For God is Oft-forgiving,
Most Merciful.

SECTION 23.

183. O ye who believe!
Fasting is prescribed to you
As it was prescribed
To those before you,
That ye may (learn)
Self-restraint, —

184. (Fasting) for a fixed
Number of days;
But if any of you is ill,
Or on a journey,
The prescribed number
(Should be made up)
From days later.
For those who can do it
(With hardship), is a ransom,
The feeding of one
That is indigent.
But he that will give
More, of his own free will, —
It is better for him.
And it is better for you
That ye fast,
If ye only knew.

185. Ramadhān is the (month)
In which was sent down
The Qur-ān, as a guide
To mankind, also clear (Signs)
For guidance and judgment
(Between right and wrong).
So every one of you
Who is present (at his home)
During that month
Should spend it in fasting,
But if any one is ill,
Or on a journey,
The prescribed period
(Should be made up)
By days later.
God intends every facility
For you; He does not want
To put you to difficulties.
(He wants you) to complete
The prescribed period,
And to glorify Him
In that He has guided you;
And perchance ye shall be grateful.

186. When My servants
Ask thee concerning Me,
I am indeed
Close (to them): I listen
To the prayer of every
Suppliant when he calleth on Me:
Let them also, with a will,
Listen to My call,
And believe in Me:
That they may walk
In the right way.

187. Permitted to you,
On the night of the fasts,
Is the approach to your wives.
They are your garments
And ye are their garments.
God knoweth what ye
Used to do secretly among yourselves;
But He turned to you
And forgave you;
So now associate with them,
And seek what God
Hath ordained for you,
And eat and drink,
Until the white thread
Of dawn appear to you
Distinct from its black thread;
Then complete your fast
Till the night appears;
But do not associate
With your wives
While ye are in retreat
In the mosques. Those are
Limits (set by) God:
Approach not nigh thereto.
Thus doth God make clear
His Signs to men: that
They may learn self-restraint.

188. And do not eat up Your property among yourselves
For vanities, nor use it
As bait for the judges,
With intent that ye may
Eat up wrongfully and knowingly
A little of (other) people’s property.

SECTION 24.

189. They ask thee
Concerning the New Moons.
Say: They are but signs
To mark fixed periods of time
In (the affairs of) men,
And for Pilgrimage.
It is no virtue if ye enter
Your houses from the back:
It is virtue if ye fear God.
Enter houses
Through the proper doors:
And fear God:
That ye may prosper.

190. Fight in the cause of God
Those who fight you,
But do not transgress limits;
For God loveth not transgressors.

191. And slay them
Wherever ye catch them,
And turn them out
From where they have
Turned you out;
For tumult and oppression
Are worse than slaughter;
But fight them not
At the Sacred Mosque,
Unless they (first)
Fight you there;
But if they fight you,
Slay them.
Such is the reward
Of those who suppress faith.

192. But if they cease,
God is Oft-forgiving,
Most Merciful.

193. And fight them on
Until there is no more
Tumult or oppression,
And there prevail
Justice and faith in God;
But if they cease,
Let there be no hostility
Except to those
Who practise oppression.

194. The prohibited month
For the prohibited month, —
And so for all things prohibited, —
There is the law of equality.
If then any one transgresses
The prohibition against you,
Transgress ye likewise
Against him.
But fear God, and know
That God is with those
Who restrain themselves.

195. And spend of your substance
In the cause of God,
And make not your own hands
Contribute to (your) destruction;
But do good;
For God loveth those
Who do good.

196. And complete
The Hajj or ‘umra
In the service of God.
But if ye are prevented
(From completing it),
Send an offering
For sacrifice,
Such as ye may find,
And do not shave your heads
Until the offering reaches
The place of sacrifice.
And if any of you is ill,
Or has an ailment in his scalp,
(Necessitating shaving),
(He should) in compensation
Either fast, or feed the poor,
Or offer sacrifice;
And when ye are
In peaceful conditions (again),
If any one wishes
To continue the ‘umra
On to the hajj,
He must make an offering,
Such as he can afford,
But if he cannot afford it,
He should fast
Three days during the hajj
And seven days on his return,
Making ten days in all.
This is for those
Whose household
Is not in (the precincts
Of) the Sacred Mosque.
And fear God,
And know that God.
Is strict in punishment?

SECTION 25.

197. For Hajj
Are the months well known.
If any one undertakes
That duty therein,
Let there be no obscenity,
Nor wickedness,
Nor wrangling
In the Hajj.
And whatever good
Ye do, (be sure)
God knoweth it.
And take a provision
(With you) for the journey,
But the best of provisions
Is right conduct.
So fear Me,
O ye that are wise.

198. It is no crime in you
If ye seek of the bounty
Of your Lord (during pilgrimage).
Then when ye pour down
From (Mount) ’Arafāt,
Celebrate the praises of God
At the Sacred Monument,
And celebrate His praises
As He has directed you,
Even though, before this,
Ye went astray.

199. Then pass on
At a quick pace from the place
Whence it is usual
For the multitude
So to do, and ask
For God’s forgiveness.
For God is Oft-forgiving,
Most Merciful.

200. So when ye have
Accomplished your holy rites,
Celebrate the praises of God,
As ye used to celebrate
The praises of your fathers, —
Yea, with far more
Heart and soul.
There are men who say:
“Our Lord! Give us
(Thy bounties) in this world!”
But they will have
No portion in the Hereafter.

201. And there are men who say:
“Our Lord! Give us
Good in this world
And good in the Hereafter,
And defend us
From the torment
Of the Fire!”

202. To these will be allotted
What they have earned;
And God is quick in account.

203. Celebrate the praises of God
During the Appointed Days.
But if any one hastens
To leave in two days,
There is no blame on him,
And if any one stays on,
There is no blame on him,
If his aim is to do right.
Then fear God, and know
That ye will surely
Be gathered unto Him.

204. There is the type of man
Whose speech
About this world’s life
May dazzle thee,
And he calls God to witness
About what is in his heart;
Yet is he the most contentious
Of enemies.

205. When he turns his back,
His aim everywhere
Is to spread mischief
Through the earth and destroy
Crops and cattle.
But God loveth not mischief.

206. When it is said to him,
“Fear God,”
He is led by arrogance
To (more) crime.
Enough for him is Hell; —
An evil bed indeed
(To lie on)!

207. And there is the type of man
Who gives his life
To earn the pleasure of God;
And God is full of kindness
To (His) devotees.

208. O ye who believe!
Enter into Islam
Whole-heartedly;
And follow not
The footsteps
Of the Evil One;
For he is to you
An avowed enemy.

209. If ye backslide
After the clear (Signs)
Have come to you,
Then know that God
Is Exalted in Power, Wise.

210. Will they wait
Until God comes to them
In canopies of clouds,
With angels (in His train)
And the question
Is (thus) settled?
But to God
Do all questions
Go back (for decision).

SECTION 26.

211. Ask the Children of Israel How many Clear (Signs)
We have sent them.
But if any one,
After God’s favour
Has come to him,
Substitutes (something else),
God is strict in punishment.

212. The life of this world
Is alluring to those
Who reject faith,
And they scoff at those
Who believe.
But the righteous
Will be above them
On the Day of Resurrection;
For God bestows His abundance
Without measure
On whom He will.

213. Mankind was one single nation,
And God sent Messengers
With glad tidings and warnings;
And with them He sent
The Book in truth,
To judge between people
In matters wherein
They differed;
But the People of the Book,
After the clear Signs
Came to them, did not differ
Among themselves,
Except through selfish contumacy.
God by His Grace
Guided the Believers
To the Truth,
Concerning that
Wherein they differed.
For God guides
Whom He will
To a path
That is straight.

214. Or do ye think
That ye shall enter
The Garden (of Bliss)
Without such (trials)
As came to those
Who passed away
Before you?
They encountered
Suffering and adversity,
And were so shaken in spirit
That even the Apostle
And those of faith
Who were with him
Cried: “When (will come)
The help of God?”
Ah! Verily, the help of God
Is (always) near!

215. They ask thee
What they should spend
(In charity). Say: Whatever
Ye spend that is good,
Is for parents and kindred
And orphans
And those in want
And for wayfarers.
And whatever ye do
That is good, — God
Knoweth it well.

216. Fighting is prescribed
For you, and ye dislike it.
But it is possible
That ye dislike a thing
Which is good for you,
And that ye love a thing
Which is bad for you.
But God knoweth,
And ye know not.

SECTION 27.

217. They ask thee
Concerning fighting
In the Prohibited Month.
Say: “Fighting therein
Is a grave (offence);
But graver is it
In the sight of God
To prevent access
To the path of God,
To deny Him,
To prevent access
To the Sacred Mosque,
And drive out its members.
Tumult and oppression
Are worse than slaughter.
Nor will they cease
Fighting you until
They turn you back
From your faith
If they can.
And if any of you
Turn back from their faith
And die in unbelief,
Their works will bear no fruit
In this life
And in the Hereafter;
They will be
Companions of the Fire
And will abide therein.

218. Those who believed
And those who suffered exile
And fought (and strove and struggled)
In the path of God, —
They have the hope
Of the Mercy of God;
And God is Oft-forgiving,
Most Merciful.

219. They ask thee
Concerning wine and gambling.
Say: “In them is great sin,
And some profit, for men;
But the sin is greater
Than the profit.”
Whey ask thee how much
They are to spend;
Say: “What is beyond
Your needs.”
Thus doth God
Make clear to you
His Signs: in order that
Ye may consider —

220. (Their bearings) on
This life and the Hereafter.
They ask thee
Concerning orphans.
Say: “The best thing to do
Is what is for their good;
If ye mix
Their affairs with yours,
They are your brethren;
But God knows
The man who means mischief
From the man who means good.
And if God had wished,
He could have put you
Into difficulties:
He is indeed
Exalted in Power, Wise.

221. Do not marry
Unbelieving women (idolaters),
Until they believe:
A slave woman who believes
Is better than an unbelieving woman,
Even though she allure you.
Nor marry (your girls)
To unbelievers until
They believe:
A man slave who believes
Is better than an unbeliever,
Even though he allure you.
Unbelievers do (but)
Beckon you to the Fire.
But God beckons by His Grace
To the Garden (of Bliss)
And forgiveness,
And makes His Signs
Clear to mankind:
That they may
Celebrate His praise.

SECTION 28.

222. They ask thee
Concerning women’s courses.
Say: They are
A hurt and a pollution:
So keep away from women
In their courses, and do not
Approach them until
They are clean.
But when they have
Purified themselves,
Ye may approach them
In any manner, time, or place
Ordained for you by God.
For God loves those
Who turn to Him constantly
And He loves those
Who keep themselves pure and clean.

223. Your wives are
As a tilth unto you;
So approach your tilth
When or how ye will;
But do some good act
For your souls beforehand;
And fear God,
And know that ye are
To meet Him (in the Hereafter),
And give (these) good tidings
To those who believe.

224. And make not
God’s (name) an excuse
In your oaths against
Doing good, or acting rightly,
Or making peace
Between persons;
For God is One
Who heareth and knoweth
All things.

225. God will not
Call you to account
For thoughtlessness
In your oaths,
But for the intention
In your hearts;
And He is
Oft-forgiving
Most Forbearing.

226. For those who take
An oath for abstention
From their wives,
A waiting for four months
Is ordained;
If then they return,
God is Oft-forgiving,
Most Merciful.

227. But if their intention
Is firm for divorce,
God heareth
And knoweth all things.

228. Divorced women
Shall wait concerning themselves
For three monthly periods.
Nor is it lawful for them
To hide what God
Hath created in their wombs,
If they have faith
In God and the Last Day.
And their husbands
Have the better right
To take them back
In that period, if
They wish for reconciliation.
And women shall have rights
Similar to the rights
Against them, according
To what is equitable;
But men have a degree
(Of advantage) over them.
And God is Exalted in Power, Wise.

SECTION 29.

229. A divorce is only
Permissible twice: after that,
The parties should either hold
Together on equitable terms,
Or separate with kindness.
It is not lawful for you,
(Men), to take back
Any of your gifts (from your wives)
Except when both parties
Fear that they would be
Unable to keep the limits
Ordained by God.
If ye (judges) do indeed
Fear that they would be
Unable to keep the limits
Ordained by God,
There is no blame on either
Of them if she give
Something for her freedom.
These are the limits
Ordained by God;
So do not transgress them
If any do transgress
The limits ordained by God,
Such persons wrong
(Themselves as well as others).

230. So if a husband
Divorces his wife (irrevocably),
He cannot, after that,
Re-marry her until
After she has married
Another husband and
He has divorced her.
In that case there is
No blame on either of them
If they re-unite, provided
They feel that they
Can keep the limits
Ordained by God.
Such are the limits
Ordained by God,
Which He makes plain
To those who understand.

231. When ye divorce
Women, and they fulfil
The term of their (’Iddat),
Either take them back
On equitable terms
Or set them free
On equitable terms;
But do not take them back
To injure them, (or) to take
Undue advantage;
If any one does that,
He wrongs his own soul.
Do not treat God’s Signs
As a jest,
But solemnly rehearse
God’s favours on you,
And the fact that
He Sent down to you
The Book
And Wisdom,
For your instruction.
And fear God,
And know that God
Is well acquainted
With all things.

SECTION 30.

232. When ye divorce
Women, and they fulfil
The term of their (’Iddat),
Do not prevent them
From marrying
Their (former) husbands,
If they mutually agree
On equitable terms.
This instruction
Is for all amongst you,
Who believe in God
And the Last Day.
That is (the course
Making for) most virtue
And purity amongst you,
And God knows,
And ye know not.

233. The mothers shall give suck
To their offspring
For two whole years,
If the father desires
To complete the term.
But he shall bear the cost
Of their food and clothing
On equitable terms.
No soul shall have
A burden laid on it
Greater than it can bear.
No mother shall be
Treated unfairly
On account of her child.
Nor father
On account of his child,
An heir shall be chargeable
In the same way.
If they both decide
On weaning,
By mutual consent,
And after due consultation,
There is no blame on them.
If ye decide
On a foster-mother
For your offspring,
There is no blame on you,
Provided ye pay (the mother)
What ye offered,
On equitable terms.
But fear God and know
That God sees well
What ye do.

234. If any of you die
And leave widows behind,
They shall wait concerning themselves
Four months and ten days:
When they have fulfilled
Their term, there is no blame
On you if they dispose
Of themselves in a just
And reasonable manner.
And God is well acquainted
With what ye do.

235. There is no blame
On you if ye make
An offer of betrothal
Or hold it in your hearts.
God knows that ye
Cherish them in your hearts:
But do not make a secret contract
With them except in terms
Honourable, nor resolve on the tie
Of marriage till the term
Prescribed is fulfilled.
And know that God
Knoweth what is in your hearts,
And take heed of Him;
And know that God is
Oft-forgiving, Most Forbearing.