Now faith is assurance of things hoped for, proof of things not seen. 2This is what the elders were commended for.
3By faith, we understand that the universe was framed by the Word1 of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.
4By faith, Habil2 offered to God3 a more excellent sacrifice than Qabil4, through which Habil was commended as being righteous, God speaking well of his gifts; and through it he, being dead, still speaks.
5By faith, Idris5 was taken away, so that he would not see death, and
“he was not, because God took him.” 6
For before his departure he was commended as having pleased God. 6Without faith it is impossible to please him, for he who comes to God must believe that he exists, and that he rewards those who seek him.
7By faith, Nuh7, being warned about things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his house, through which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which comes by faith.
8By faith, Ibrahim8, when he was called, obeyed to go out to the place which he was to receive for an inheritance. He went out, not knowing where he went. 9By faith, he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a land not his own, dwelling in tents, with Ishaq9 and Yaqub10, the heirs with him of the same promise. 10For he looked for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
11By faith, even Sarah herself received power to conceive, and she bore a child when she was past age, since she counted him faithful who had promised. 12Therefore, descendants as numerous as the stars of the sky, and as countless as the sand on the sea shore, were fathered by one man, and him as good as dead.
13These people all died in faith, not having received the promises, but they saw them and embraced them from afar, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. 14For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country for their own. 15If indeed they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had enough time to return. 16But now they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.
17By faith, Ibrahim, being tested, offered up Ishaq. Yes, he who had gladly received the promises was offering up his one and only son; 18even he to whom it was said,
“In Ishaq will your seed be called;“ 11
19accounting that God is able even to raise the dead. Figuratively speaking, he also did receive him back from the dead.
20By faith, Ishaq blessed Yaqub and Esau concerning things to come.
21By faith, Yaqub, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Yusuf12, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.
22By faith, Yusuf, when his end was near, made mention of the departure of Bani-Israel; and gave instructions concerning his bones.
23By faith, Musa13, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that he was a beautiful child, and they were not afraid of the king’s commandment.
24By faith, Musa, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Firaun’s daughter, 25choosing rather to share ill treatment with God’s people, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a time; 26accounting reproach for AL-MASIH14 greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he looked to the reward.
27By faith, he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.
28By faith, he kept the Passover, and the sprinkling of the blood, that the destroyer of the firstborn should not touch them.
29By faith, they passed through the Red sea as on dry land. When the Egyptians tried to do so, they were swallowed up.
30By faith, the walls of Jericho fell down, after they had been encircled for seven days.
31By faith, Rahab the prostitute, did not perish with those who were disobedient, having received the spies in peace.
32What more shall I say? For the time would fail me if I told of Gideon, Barak, Shamaun15, Jephthah, Dawud16, Samuel, and the prophets; 33who, through faith subdued kingdoms, worked out righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, grew mighty in war, and turned to flight armies of foreigners. 35Women received their dead by resurrection. Others were tortured, not accepting their deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. 36Others were tried by mocking and scourging, yes, and by bonds and imprisonment. 37They were stoned. They were sawn apart. They were tempted. They were slain with the sword. They went around in sheep skins and in goat skins; being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated 38(of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts, mountains, caves, and the holes of the earth.
39These were all commended for their faith, yet did not receive the promise. 40God had planned something better for us so that they should not be made complete without us.
- 11:3 Word, that is, ‘ISA AL-MASIH in his preincarnate state. Compare John 1:1-3 which says: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him. Without him nothing was made that has been made.” ↩︎
- 11:4 Habil, or Abel who was murdered by his brother. ↩︎
- 11:4 God, English translation of theos. It is the Greek equivalent of elohim and eloah (Hebrew) which are related to allah (Arabic) and alaha (Syriac), all of which translate as “God,” and refer to the one true God. ↩︎
- 11:4 Qabil, or Cain who murdered his own brother. ↩︎
- 11:5 Idris, or Enoch. ↩︎
- 11:5 Quoting from the Taurat, Genesis 5:24 which says: “Idris walked with God, and he was not, because God took him.” ↩︎
- 11:7 Nuh, or Noah. ↩︎
- 11:8 Ibrahim, or Abraham. ↩︎
- 11:9 Ishaq, or Isaac. ↩︎
- 11:9 Yaqub, or Jacob. ↩︎
- 11:18 Quoting from the Taurat, Genesis 21:12 which says: God said to Ibrahim, “Do not let it be grievous in your sight because of the boy, and because of your maidservant. In all that Sarah says to you, listen to her voice. For in Ishaq will your seed be called.” ↩︎
- 11:21 Yusuf, or Joseph. ↩︎
- 11:23 Musa, this Arabic name is derived from the Hebrew name Moses meaning “to pull out” or “draw out” (of water); referring to the biblical story where he was rescued from the Nile River by Firaun’s daughter. ↩︎
- 11:26 AL-MASIH – an Arabic title equivalent to the Messiah (Hebrew) or Christ (Greek), all of which mean the Anointed One, that is, God’s Chosen One. In ancient times, divinely-appointed kings, priests and prophets were anointed with oil to signify their appointment to office. All of them point ahead to God’s ultimate Anointed One, the Messiah, AL-MASIH. Al-Kitab unanimously points to ‘ISA Ibn Maryam as the only person worthy to bear the title AL-MASIH. He is the one whom God sent into this world to save people from sin, and to usher in God’s Kingdom at his Second Coming. ↩︎
- 11:32 Shamaun, or Samson. ↩︎
- 11:32 Dawud, or David. ↩︎