O YOU who have attained to faith! Do not ask about matters which, if they were to be made manifest to you [in terms of law,] might cause you hardship; for, if you should ask about them while the Qur'an is being revealed, they might [indeed] be made manifest to you [as laws]. God has absolved [you from any obligation] in this respect: for God is much-forgiving, forbearing. 101 Other people before you enquired about such things, but when they were disclosed to them, they refused to carry them out. 102 Allah has not instituted things like Bahirah (a she-camel whose milk was spared for the idols and nobody was allowed to milk it) or a Sa'ibah (a she-camel let loose for free pasture for their false gods, e.g. idols, etc., and nothing was allowed to be carried on it), or a Wasilah (a she-camel set free for idols because it has given birth to a she-camel at its first delivery and then again gives birth to a she-camel at its second delivery) or a Ham (a stallion-camel freed from work for their idols, after it had finished a number of copulations assigned for it, all these animals were liberated in honour of idols as practised by pagan Arabs in the pre-Islamic period). But those who disbelieve invent lies against Allah, and most of them have no understanding. 103 And when it is said to them, “Come towards what Allah has sent down and towards the Noble Messenger”, they say, “Sufficient for us is what we found our forefathers upon”; even if their forefathers did not have knowledge nor had guidance? 104 O you who have believed, upon you is [responsibility for] yourselves. Those who have gone astray will not harm you when you have been guided. To Allah is you return all together; then He will inform you of what you used to do. 105 O YOU who have attained to faith! Let there be witnesses to what you do when death approaches you and you are about to make bequests: two persons of probity from among your own people, or - if the pangs of death come upon you while you are travelling far from home - two other persons from [among people] other than your own. Take hold of the two after having prayed; and if you have any doubt in your mind, let each of them swear by God, "We shall not sell this [our word] for any price, even though it were [for the sake of] a near kinsman; and neither shall we conceal aught of what we have witnessed before God - or else, may we indeed be counted among the sinful." 106 But if it is discovered that both of them have been subject to sinning, then two others shall stand in their place, these being the nearest of those most concerned, and they shall swear by Allah: 'Our testimony is truer than their testimony, and we have not transgressed, because then we would surely be among the harmdoers' 107 That is more likely that they will give testimony according to its [true] objective, or [at least] they would fear that [other] oaths might be taken after their oaths. And fear Allah and listen; and Allah does not guide the defiantly disobedient people. 108