Believers, fear God and seek ways to come closer to Him and strive for His cause, so that you may prosper. 35 Surely (as for) those who disbelieve, even if they had what is in the earth, all of it, and the like of it with it, that they might ransom themselves with it from the punishment of the day of resurrection, it shall not be accepted from them, and they shall have a painful punishment. 36 They will desire to come forth from the Fire, but they will not come forth from it; for them awaits a lasting chastisement. 37 As for the thief, both male and female, cut off their hands. It is the reward of their own deeds, an exemplary punishment from Allah. Allah is Mighty, Wise. 38 So if one repents after his wrongdoing and reforms himself, Allah will incline towards him with His mercy; indeed Allah is Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful. 39 Do you not know that to Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth? He punishes whom He wills and forgives whom He wills, and Allah is over all things competent. 40 ۞ O Messenger! Do not be grieved on account of those who vie with one another in disbelieving: even though they be those who say with their mouths: 'We believe' even though their hearts have no faith; or they be Jews who have their ears eagerly turned to falsehood and spy for other people who did not chance to come to you, who pervert the words of Allah, taking them out of their proper context in order to distort their meaning. They say to people: 'If such and such teaching is given to you, accept it; if you are not given that, then beware! You can be of no avail to him whom Allah wills to fall into error. Those are the ones whose hearts Allah does not want to purify. For them there is degradation in this world and a mighty chastisement in the Next. 41 They are listeners to lies and devourers of the unlawful. If they come to you, judge between them or turn away from them. If you avoid them they cannot harm you in anything; but if you judge, judge between them with fairness. Allah loves the just. 42 But how is it that they ask thee for judgment seeing that they have the Torah, containing God's injunctions - and thereafter turn away [from thy judgment]? Such as these, then, are no [true] believers. 43