O ye who believe! When ye deal with each other, in transactions involving future obligations in a fixed period of time, reduce them to writing Let a scribe write down faithfully as between the parties: let not the scribe refuse to write: as Allah Has taught him, so let him write. Let him who incurs the liability dictate, but let him fear His Lord Allah, and not diminish aught of what he owes. If they party liable is mentally deficient, or weak, or unable Himself to dictate, Let his guardian dictate faithfully, and get two witnesses, out of your own men, and if there are not two men, then a man and two women, such as ye choose, for witnesses, so that if one of them errs, the other can remind her. The witnesses should not refuse when they are called on (For evidence). Disdain not to reduce to writing (your contract) for a future period, whether it be small or big: it is juster in the sight of Allah, More suitable as evidence, and more convenient to prevent doubts among yourselves but if it be a transaction which ye carry out on the spot among yourselves, there is no blame on you if ye reduce it not to writing. But take witness whenever ye make a commercial contract; and let neither scribe nor witness suffer harm. If ye do (such harm), it would be wickedness in you. So fear Allah; For it is Good that teaches you. And Allah is well acquainted with all things. If ye are on a journey, and cannot find a scribe, a pledge with possession (may serve the purpose). And if one of you deposits a thing on trust with another, let the trustee (faithfully) discharge his trust, and let him Fear his Lord conceal not evidence; for whoever conceals it, - his heart is tainted with sin. And Allah knoweth all that ye do.

Hast thou not turned Thy vision to those who were told to hold back their hands (from fight) but establish regular prayers and spend in regular charity? When (at length) the order for fighting was issued to them, behold! a section of them feared men as - or even more than - they should have feared Allah: They said: "Our Lord! Why hast Thou ordered us to fight? Wouldst Thou not Grant us respite to our (natural) term, near (enough)?" Say: "Short is the enjoyment of this world: the Hereafter is the best for those who do right: Never will ye be dealt with unjustly in the very least!

But every time We removed the penalty from them according to a fixed term which they had to fulfil,- Behold! they broke their word!

"(And to preach thus), 'Seek ye the forgiveness of your Lord, and turn to Him in repentance; that He may grant you enjoyment, good (and true), for a term appointed, and bestow His abounding grace on all who abound in merit! But if ye turn away, then I fear for you the penalty of a great day:

We did send messengers before thee, and appointed for them wives and children: and it was never the part of a messenger to bring a sign except as Allah permitted (or commanded). For each period is a Book (revealed).

Their messengers said: "Is there a doubt about Allah, The Creator of the heavens and the earth? It is He Who invites you, in order that He may forgive you your sins and give you respite for a term appointed!" They said: "Ah! ye are no more than human, like ourselves! Ye wish to turn us away from the (gods) our fathers used to worship: then bring us some clear authority."

So warn mankind of the Day when the Wrath will reach them: then will the wrong-doers say: "Our Lord! respite us (if only) for a short term: we will answer Thy call, and follow the messengers!" "What! were ye not wont to swear aforetime that ye should suffer no decline?

If Allah were to punish men for their wrong-doing, He would not leave, on the (earth), a single living creature: but He gives them respite for a stated Term: When their Term expires, they would not be able to delay (the punishment) for a single hour, just as they would not be able to anticipate it (for a single hour).

O mankind! if ye have a doubt about the Resurrection, (consider) that We created you out of dust, then out of sperm, then out of a leech-like clot, then out of a morsel of flesh, partly formed and partly unformed, in order that We may manifest (our power) to you; and We cause whom We will to rest in the wombs for an appointed term, then do We bring you out as babes, then (foster you) that ye may reach your age of full strength; and some of you are called to die, and some are sent back to the feeblest old age, so that they know nothing after having known (much), and (further), thou seest the earth barren and lifeless, but when We pour down rain on it, it is stirred (to life), it swells, and it puts forth every kind of beautiful growth (in pairs).

In them ye have benefits for a term appointed: in the end their place of sacrifice is near the Ancient House.

Seest thou not that Allah merges Night into Day and he merges Day into Night; that He has subjected the sun, and the moon (to his Law), each running its course for a term appointed; and that Allah is well-acquainted with all that ye do?

If Allah were to punish men according to what they deserve. He would not leave on the back of the (earth) a single living creature: but He gives them respite for a stated Term: when their Term expires, verily Allah has in His sight all His Servants.

It is Allah that takes the souls (of men) at death; and those that die not (He takes) during their sleep: those on whom He has passed the decree of death, He keeps back (from returning to life), but the rest He sends (to their bodies) for a term appointed verily in this are Signs for those who reflect.

And they became divided only after Knowledge reached them,- through selfish envy as between themselves. Had it not been for a Word that went forth before from thy Lord, (tending) to a Term appointed, the matter would have been settled between them: But truly those who have inherited the Book after them are in suspicious (disquieting) doubt concerning it.

and spend something (in charity) out of the substance which We have bestowed on you, before Death should come to any of you and he should say, "O my Lord! why didst Thou not give me respite for a little while? I should then have given (largely) in charity, and I should have been one of the doers of good".

"So He may forgive you your sins and give you respite for a stated Term: for when the Term given by Allah is accomplished, it cannot be put forward: if ye only knew."

信道的人们啊！你们彼此间成立定期借贷的时候，你们应当写一张借券，请一个会写字的人，秉公代写。代书人不得拒绝，当遵照真主所教他的方法而书写。由债务者口授，（他口授时），当敬畏真主──他的主──不要减少债额一丝毫。如果债务者是愚蠢的，或老弱的，或不能亲自口授的，那末，叫他的监护人秉公地替他口授。你们当从你们的男人中邀请两个人作证；如果没有两个男人，那末，从你们所认可的证人中请一个男人和两个女人作证。这个女人遗忘的时候，那个女人可以提醒她。证人被邀请的时候，不得拒绝。无论债额多寡，不可厌烦，都要写在借券上，并写明偿还的日期。在真主看来，这是最公平的，最易作证的，最可祛疑的。但你们彼此间的现款交易，虽不写买卖契约，对於你们是毫无罪过的。你们成立商业契约的时候，宜请证人，对代书者和作证者，不得加以妨害；否则，就是你们犯罪。你们应当敬畏真主，真主教诲你们，真主是全知万物的。

难道你没有看见吗？有人曾对他们说：“你们当制止自己的武力，当谨守拜功，当完纳天课。”当真主以抗战为他们的定制的时候，他们中有一部分人畏惧敌人，犹如畏惧真主，乃至更加畏惧。他们说：“我们的主啊！你为什么以抗战为我们的定制呢？你为什么不让我们延迟到一个临近的日期呢？”你说：“今世的享受，是些微的；后世的报酬，对于敬畏者，是更好的。你们不受一丝毫的亏枉。”

当我替他们暂时消除灾难的时候，他们忽然背约了。

你们应当向你们的主求饶，然后，向他悔过，他就使你们获得优美的享受，到一个 限期，并赏赐有美德者以大量的恩惠。如果你们违背正道，那末，我的确担心你们遭受重大日的惩罚。

在你之前，我确已派遣了许多使者，并赏赐他们妻子和儿女。除非奉真主的命令，任何使者不能昭示迹象。每个期限，各有判定。

他们族中的使者说：“难道对于真主--天地的创造者--还有怀疑吗？他号召你们行善，以便他饶恕你们的罪过，并对你们缓刑到一个定期。”他们说：“你们只是像我们一样的凡人，你们欲阻止我们崇拜我们的祖先所崇拜的（偶像），你们昭示我们一个明证吧！”

你应当警告众人，将来要有这样的一日，刑罚将来临他们，而不义者将说：“我们的主啊！求你让我们延迟到一个临近的定期，以便我们响应你的号召，顺从你的使者。”难道你们以前没有发誓说，你们绝不会灭亡吗？

如果真主为世人的不义而惩治他们，那末，他不留一个人在大地上，但他让他们延迟到一个定期，当他们的定期来临的时候，他们不得延迟一霎时，（当其未来临的时候），他们不能提前一霎时。

众人啊！如果你们对于复活的事还在怀疑之中，那末，我确已创造了你们，先用泥土，继用一小滴精液，继用一块凝血，继用完整的和不完整的肉团，以便我对你们阐明（道理）。我使我所意欲的（胎儿）在子宫里安居一个定期，然后，我使你们出生为婴儿，然后（我让你们活着），以便你们达到成年。你们中有夭折的；有复返于最劣的年纪的，以便他在有知识之后，什么也不知道。你看大地是不毛的，当我使雨水降于大地的时候，它就活动和膨胀，而且生出各种美丽的植物。

牲畜对于你们，有若干利益，至于一个定期， 然后（屠宰它们作供献）的合法地方应该是古房的附近。

难道你不知道吗？真主使黑夜侵入白昼，使白昼侵入黑夜，并制服日月，各自运行，至一定期。真主是彻知你们的行为的。

假若真主为世人所犯的罪恶而惩治他们，那末，他不留一个人在地面上，但他让他们延迟到一个定期，当他们的定期来临的时候，（他将依他们的行为而报酬他们），因为真主确是明察他的众仆的。

人们到了死亡的时候，真主将他们的灵魂取去；尚未到死期的人们，当他们睡眠的时候，真主也将他们的灵魂取去。他已判决其死亡者，他扣留他们的灵魂；他未判决其死亡者，便将他们的灵魂放回，至一定期。对于能思维的民众，此中确有许多迹象。

知识来临他们后，他们才为互相嫉妒而分派别。假若不是因为你的主已预先说过要延期惩治，那末，他们必已受裁判了。在他们之后继承天经的人们，对于天经，的确在使人犹豫的疑惑中。

在死亡降临之前，你们当分舍我赐予你们的，否则，将来人人说：“我的主啊！你为何不让我延迟到一个临近的定期，以便我有所施舍，而成为善人呢？”

他就赦宥你们的罪过，并且让你们延迟到一个定期。真主的定期一旦来临的时候，是绝不延迟的，假若你们知道。”