of God was a motive of action; this is followed by repentance and turning to God. A complete surrender to God's will (_islam_) is the necessary condition of religious life and is expressed in the phrase so common in everyday speech among the Moslems--_inshallah_, "if God will." God has full power to overlook evil deeds if he will. Unbelievers can acquire no merit, however moral their actions. A short account of the chief ethical requirements of the Koran is given in xvii. 23-40:-- "Put not God with other gods, or thou wilt sit despised and forsaken. Thy Lord has decreed that ye shall not serve other than Him; and kindness to one's parents, whether one or both of them reach old age with thee, and say not to them, 'Fie,' and do not grumble at them, but speak to them a generous speech. And lower to them the wing of humility out of compassion, and say, 'O Lord! have compassion on them as they brought me up when I was little!' Your Lord knows best what is in your souls if ye be righteous, and, verily, He is forgiving unto those who come back penitent. "And give thy kinsman his due and the poor and the son of the road; and waste not wastefully, for the wasteful were ever the devil's brothers, and the devil is ever ungrateful to his Lord. "But if thou dost turn away from them to seek after mercy from thy Lord, which thou hopest for, then speak to them an easy speech. "Make not thy hand fettered to thy neck, nor yet spread it out quite open, lest thou shouldest have to sit down blamed and straightened in means. Verily, thy Lord spreads out provision to whomsoever He will or He doles it out. Verily, He is ever well aware of and sees His servants. "And slay not your children for fear of poverty; we will provide for them; beware! for to slay them is ever a great sin. "And draw not near to fornication; verily, it is ever an abomination, and evil is the way thereof. "And slay not the soul that God has forbidden you, except for just cause; for he who is slain unjustly we have given his next of kin authority; yet let him not exceed in slaying; verily, he is ever helped. "And draw not near to the wealth of the orphan, save to improve it, until he reaches the age of puberty, and fulfil your compacts; verily, a compact is ever enquired of. "And give full measure when ye measure out, and weigh with a right balance; that is better and a fairer determination. "And do not pursue that of which thou hast no knowledge; verily, the hearing, the sight and the heart, all of these shall be enquired of. "And walk not on the earth proudly; verily, thou canst not cleave the earth, and thou shalt not reach the mountains in height. "All this is ever evil in the sight of your Lord and abhorred." (E. H. Palmer's translation.) Eschatology.