Quran — Page 206

And [He turned in His mercy, too,] towards the three [groups of believers] who had fallen prey to corruption, until in the end-after the earth, despite all its vastness, had become [too] narrow for them and their souls had become [utterly] constricted they came to know with certainty that there is no refuge from God other than [a return] unto Him; and thereupon He turned again unto them in His mercy, so that they might repent: for, verily, God alone is an acceptor of repentance, a dispenser of grace.

O YOU who have attained to faith! Remain conscious of God, and be among those who are true to their word!

It does not behove the people of the [Prophet's] City and the bedouin [who live] around them to hold back from following God's Apostle, or to care for their own selves more than for him -for, whenever they suffer from thirst or weariness or hunger in God's cause, and whenever they take any step which confounds those who deny the truth, and whenever there comes to them from the enemy whatever may be destined for them -[whenever anything thereof comes to pass,,] a good deed is recorded in their favour. Verily, God does not fail to requite the doers of good!

And whenever they spend anything [for the sake of God], be it little or much, and whenever they move on earth [in God's cause] -it is recorded in their favour, and God will grant them the best reward for all that they have been doing.

With all this, it is not desirable that all of the believers take the field [in time of war]. From within every group in their midst, some shall refrain from going forth to war, and shall devote themselves [instead] to acquiring a deeper knowledge of the Faith. and [thus be able to] teach their home-coming brethren, so that these [too] might guard themselves against evil.