Verse 2:254 in Context

Translator Abdel Haleem

250 وَلَمَّا بَرَزُوا۟ لِجَالُوتَ وَجُنُودِهِۦ قَالُوا۟ رَبَّنَاۤ أَفۡرِغۡ عَلَیۡنَا صَبۡرࣰا وَثَبِّتۡ أَقۡدَامَنَا وَٱنصُرۡنَا عَلَى ٱلۡقَوۡمِ ٱلۡكَـٰفِرِینَ ۝٢٥٠ walammā barazū lijālūta wajunūdihi qālū rabbanā afrigh ʿalaynā ṣabran wathabbit aqdāmanā wa-unṣur'nā ʿalā l-qawmi l-kāfirīn And when they met Goliath and his warriors, they said, ‘Our Lord, pour patience on us, make us stand firm, and help us against the disbelievers,’ 251 فَهَزَمُوهُم بِإِذۡنِ ٱللَّهِ وَقَتَلَ دَاوُۥدُ جَالُوتَ وَءَاتَىٰهُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡمُلۡكَ وَٱلۡحِكۡمَةَ وَعَلَّمَهُۥ مِمَّا یَشَاۤءُۗ وَلَوۡلَا دَفۡعُ ٱللَّهِ ٱلنَّاسَ بَعۡضَهُم بِبَعۡضࣲ لَّفَسَدَتِ ٱلۡأَرۡضُ وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱللَّهَ ذُو فَضۡلٍ عَلَى ٱلۡعَـٰلَمِینَ ۝٢٥١ fahazamūhum bi-idh'ni l-lahi waqatala dāwūdu jālūta waātāhu l-lahu l-mul'ka wal-ḥik'mata waʿallamahu mimmā yashāu walawlā dafʿu l-lahi l-nāsa baʿḍahum bibaʿḍin lafasadati l-arḍu walākinna l-laha dhū faḍlin ʿalā l-ʿālamīn and so with God’s permission they defeated them. David killed Goliath, and God gave him sovereignty and wisdom and taught him what He pleased. If God did not drive some back by means of others the earth would be completely corrupt, but God is bountiful to all 252 تِلۡكَ ءَایَـٰتُ ٱللَّهِ نَتۡلُوهَا عَلَیۡكَ بِٱلۡحَقِّۚ وَإِنَّكَ لَمِنَ ٱلۡمُرۡسَلِینَ ۝٢٥٢ til'ka āyātu l-lahi natlūhā ʿalayka bil-ḥaqi wa-innaka lamina l-mur'salīn These are the revelations of God which We recite to you [Muhammad] with the truth, and you truly are one of the messengers 253 ۞ تِلۡكَ ٱلرُّسُلُ فَضَّلۡنَا بَعۡضَهُمۡ عَلَىٰ بَعۡضࣲۘ مِّنۡهُم مَّن كَلَّمَ ٱللَّهُۖ وَرَفَعَ بَعۡضَهُمۡ دَرَجَـٰتࣲۚ وَءَاتَیۡنَا عِیسَى ٱبۡنَ مَرۡیَمَ ٱلۡبَیِّنَـٰتِ وَأَیَّدۡنَـٰهُ بِرُوحِ ٱلۡقُدُسِۗ وَلَوۡ شَاۤءَ ٱللَّهُ مَا ٱقۡتَتَلَ ٱلَّذِینَ مِنۢ بَعۡدِهِم مِّنۢ بَعۡدِ مَا جَاۤءَتۡهُمُ ٱلۡبَیِّنَـٰتُ وَلَـٰكِنِ ٱخۡتَلَفُوا۟ فَمِنۡهُم مَّنۡ ءَامَنَ وَمِنۡهُم مَّن كَفَرَۚ وَلَوۡ شَاۤءَ ٱللَّهُ مَا ٱقۡتَتَلُوا۟ وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱللَّهَ یَفۡعَلُ مَا یُرِیدُ ۝٢٥٣ til'ka l-rusulu faḍḍalnā baʿḍahum ʿalā baʿḍin min'hum man kallama l-lahu warafaʿa baʿḍahum darajātin waātaynā ʿīsā ib'na maryama l-bayināti wa-ayyadnāhu birūḥi l-qudusi walaw shāa l-lahu mā iq'tatala alladhīna min baʿdihim min baʿdi mā jāathumu l-bayinātu walākini ikh'talafū famin'hum man āmana wamin'hum man kafara walaw shāa l-lahu mā iq'tatalū walākinna l-laha yafʿalu mā yurīd We favoured some of these messengers above others. God spoke to some; others He raised in rank; We gave Jesus, son of Mary, Our clear signs and strengthened him with the holy spirit. If God had so willed, their successors would not have fought each other after they had been brought clear signs. But they disagreed: some believed and some disbelieved. If God had so willed, they would not have fought each other, but God does what He will

254 یَـٰۤأَیُّهَا ٱلَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوۤا۟ أَنفِقُوا۟ مِمَّا رَزَقۡنَـٰكُم مِّن قَبۡلِ أَن یَأۡتِیَ یَوۡمࣱ لَّا بَیۡعࣱ فِیهِ وَلَا خُلَّةࣱ وَلَا شَفَـٰعَةࣱۗ وَٱلۡكَـٰفِرُونَ هُمُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ ۝٢٥٤ yāayyuhā alladhīna āmanū anfiqū mimmā razaqnākum min qabli an yatiya yawmun lā bayʿun fīhi walā khullatun walā shafāʿatun wal-kāfirūna humu l-ẓālimūn You who believe, give from what We have provided for you, before the Day comes when there is no bargaining, no friendship, and no intercession. It is the disbelievers who are wrong

255 ٱللَّهُ لَاۤ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلۡحَیُّ ٱلۡقَیُّومُۚ لَا تَأۡخُذُهُۥ سِنَةࣱ وَلَا نَوۡمࣱۚ لَّهُۥ مَا فِی ٱلسَّمَـٰوَ ٰتِ وَمَا فِی ٱلۡأَرۡضِۗ مَن ذَا ٱلَّذِی یَشۡفَعُ عِندَهُۥۤ إِلَّا بِإِذۡنِهِۦۚ یَعۡلَمُ مَا بَیۡنَ أَیۡدِیهِمۡ وَمَا خَلۡفَهُمۡۖ وَلَا یُحِیطُونَ بِشَیۡءࣲ مِّنۡ عِلۡمِهِۦۤ إِلَّا بِمَا شَاۤءَۚ وَسِعَ كُرۡسِیُّهُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَ ٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضَۖ وَلَا یَءُودُهُۥ حِفۡظُهُمَاۚ وَهُوَ ٱلۡعَلِیُّ ٱلۡعَظِیمُ ۝٢٥٥ al-lahu lā ilāha illā huwa l-ḥayu l-qayūmu lā takhudhuhu sinatun walā nawmun lahu mā fī l-samāwāti wamā fī l-arḍi man dhā alladhī yashfaʿu ʿindahu illā bi-idh'nihi yaʿlamu mā bayna aydīhim wamā khalfahum walā yuḥīṭūna bishayin min ʿil'mihi illā bimā shāa wasiʿa kur'siyyuhu l-samāwāti wal-arḍa walā yaūduhu ḥif'ẓuhumā wahuwa l-ʿaliyu l-ʿaẓīm God: there is no god but Him, the Ever Living, the Ever Watchful.Neither slumber nor sleep overtakes Him. All that is in the heavens and in the earth belongs to Him. Who is there that can intercede with Him except by His leave? He knows what is before them and what is behind them, but they do not comprehend any of His knowledge except what He wills. His throne extends over the heavens and the earth; it does not weary Him to preserve them both. He is the Most High, the Tremendous 256 لَاۤ إِكۡرَاهَ فِی ٱلدِّینِۖ قَد تَّبَیَّنَ ٱلرُّشۡدُ مِنَ ٱلۡغَیِّۚ فَمَن یَكۡفُرۡ بِٱلطَّـٰغُوتِ وَیُؤۡمِنۢ بِٱللَّهِ فَقَدِ ٱسۡتَمۡسَكَ بِٱلۡعُرۡوَةِ ٱلۡوُثۡقَىٰ لَا ٱنفِصَامَ لَهَاۗ وَٱللَّهُ سَمِیعٌ عَلِیمٌ ۝٢٥٦ lā ik'rāha fī l-dīni qad tabayyana l-rush'du mina l-ghayi faman yakfur bil-ṭāghūti wayu'min bil-lahi faqadi is'tamsaka bil-ʿur'wati l-wuth'qā lā infiṣāma lahā wal-lahu samīʿun ʿalīmu There is no compulsion in religion: true guidance has become distinct from error, so whoever rejects false gods and believes in God has grasped the firmest hand-hold, one that will never break. God is all hearing and all knowing 257 ٱللَّهُ وَلِیُّ ٱلَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوا۟ یُخۡرِجُهُم مِّنَ ٱلظُّلُمَـٰتِ إِلَى ٱلنُّورِۖ وَٱلَّذِینَ كَفَرُوۤا۟ أَوۡلِیَاۤؤُهُمُ ٱلطَّـٰغُوتُ یُخۡرِجُونَهُم مِّنَ ٱلنُّورِ إِلَى ٱلظُّلُمَـٰتِۗ أُو۟لَـٰۤىِٕكَ أَصۡحَـٰبُ ٱلنَّارِۖ هُمۡ فِیهَا خَـٰلِدُونَ ۝٢٥٧ al-lahu waliyyu alladhīna āmanū yukh'rijuhum mina l-ẓulumāti ilā l-nūri wa-alladhīna kafarū awliyāuhumu l-ṭāghūtu yukh'rijūnahum mina l-nūri ilā l-ẓulumāti ulāika aṣḥābu l-nāri hum fīhā khālidūn God is the ally of those who believe: He brings them out of the depths of darkness and into the light. As for the disbelievers, their allies are false gods who take them from the light into the depths of darkness, they are the inhabitants of the Fire, and there they will remain 258 أَلَمۡ تَرَ إِلَى ٱلَّذِی حَاۤجَّ إِبۡرَ ٰهِـۧمَ فِی رَبِّهِۦۤ أَنۡ ءَاتَىٰهُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡمُلۡكَ إِذۡ قَالَ إِبۡرَ ٰهِـۧمُ رَبِّیَ ٱلَّذِی یُحۡیِۦ وَیُمِیتُ قَالَ أَنَا۠ أُحۡیِۦ وَأُمِیتُۖ قَالَ إِبۡرَ ٰهِـۧمُ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ یَأۡتِی بِٱلشَّمۡسِ مِنَ ٱلۡمَشۡرِقِ فَأۡتِ بِهَا مِنَ ٱلۡمَغۡرِبِ فَبُهِتَ ٱلَّذِی كَفَرَۗ وَٱللَّهُ لَا یَهۡدِی ٱلۡقَوۡمَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِینَ ۝٢٥٨ alam tara ilā alladhī ḥājja ib'rāhīma fī rabbihi an ātāhu l-lahu l-mul'ka idh qāla ib'rāhīmu rabbiya alladhī yuḥ'yī wayumītu qāla anā uḥ'yī wa-umītu qāla ib'rāhīmu fa-inna l-laha yatī bil-shamsi mina l-mashriqi fati bihā mina l-maghribi fabuhita alladhī kafara wal-lahu lā yahdī l-qawma l-ẓālimīn [Prophet], have you not thought about the man who disputed with Abraham about his Lord, because God had given him power to rule? When Abraham said, ‘It is my Lord who gives life and death,’ he said, ‘I too give life and death.’ So Abraham said, ‘God brings the sun from the east; so bring it from the west.’ The disbeliever was dumbfounded: God does not guide those who do evil