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Page:Sacred Books of the East - Volume 6.djvu/145

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II, 129-135.
The Chapter of the Heifer.
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They say, ‘Be ye Jews or Christians so shall ye be guided.’ Say, ‘Not so! but the faith of Abraham the ‘Hanîf[1], he was not of the idolaters.’

130 Say ye, ‘We believe in God, and what has been revealed to us, and what has been revealed to Abraham, and Ishmael, and Isaac, and Jacob, and the Tribes, and what was brought to Moses and Jesus, and what was brought unto the Prophets from their Lord; we will not distinguish between any one of them, and unto Him are we resigned.’

If they believe in that in which ye believe, then are they guided; but if they turn back, then are they only in a schism, and God will suffice thee against them, for He both hears and knows.

The dye[2] of God! and who is better than God at dyeing? and we are worshippers of Him.

Say, ‘Do ye dispute with us concerning God, and He is our Lord and your Lord? Ye have your works and we have ours, and unto Him are we sincere.’

Do ye say that Abraham, and Ishmael, and Isaac, and Jacob, and the Tribes were Jews or Christians? Say, ‘Are ye more knowing than God? Who is more unjust than one who conceals a testimony that he has from God?’ But God is not careless of what ye do.

135 That is a nation that has passed away; theirs is what they gained, and yours shall be what ye have gained; ye shall not be questioned as to that which they have done.


  1. The word means in Arabic ‘inclining to what is right;’ it is often used technically for one who professes El Islâm.
  2. The metaphor is derived from dyeing cloth, and must not be translated by the technical word baptism, as in Sale’s version.

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