21 Preface إِنَّ الَّذينَ يَكفُرونَ بِآياتِ اللَّهِ وَيَقتُلونَ النَّبِيّينَ بِغَيرِ حَقٍّ وَيَقتُلونَ الَّذينَ يَأمُرونَ بِالقِسطِ مِنَ النّاسِ فَبَشِّرهُم بِعَذابٍ أَليمٍYusuf AliAs to those who deny the Signs of God and in defiance of right1, slay the prophets, and slay those who teach just dealing with mankind2, announce to them a grievous penalty.Right: haqq has many shades of meaning: (1) right, in the sense of having a right to something; (2) right, in the sense of straight conduct, as opposed to wrong; (3) truth; (4) justice. All these shades are implied here.Examples of the Prophets slain were: “the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar”: Matt. 23:35. Cf. 2:61. n. 75. Again, John the Baptist (Yahya, noble, chaste, a prophet, of the goodly company of the righteous, 3:39), was bound, imprisoned, and beheaded, and his head presented to a dancing harlot: Matt. 14:1-11 (Cf. 4:155).