The Quran

137

Preface

وَكَذٰلِكَ زَيَّنَ لِكَثيرٍ مِنَ المُشرِكينَ قَتلَ أَولادِهِم شُرَكاؤُهُم لِيُردوهُم وَلِيَلبِسوا عَلَيهِم دينَهُم ۖ وَلَو شاءَ اللَّهُ ما فَعَلوهُ ۖ فَذَرهُم وَما يَفتَرونَ

Yusuf Ali

Even so, in the eyes of most of the pagans,¹ their “partners” made alluring the slaughter of their children, in order to lead them to their own destruction, and cause confusion in their religion. If God had willed, they would not have done so: But leave alone them and their inventions.

The false gods and idols-among many nations, including the Arabs-were supposed to require human sacrifices. Ordinarily such sacrifices are revolting to man, but they are made “alluring”-a sacred rite-by Pagan custom, which falsely arrogates to itself the name of religion. Such customs, if allowed, would do nothing but destroy the people who practise them, and make their religion but a confused bundle of revolting superstitions.