وَكَمْ And how many wakam We (have) shattered qaṣamnā of min a town qaryatin (that) was kānat unjust ẓālimatan and We produced wa-anshanā after them baʿdahā another people qawman another people ākharīna
And how many a city which was unjust1 have We shattered and produced after it another people.
فَلَمَّآ Then when falammā they perceived aḥassū Our torment basanā behold idhā they hum from it min'hā were fleeing yarkuḍūna
And when they [i.e., its inhabitants] perceived Our punishment, at once they fled from it.
لَا Flee not lā Flee not tarkuḍū but return wa-ir'jiʿū to ilā what mā you were given luxury ut'rif'tum in it fīhi and to your homes wamasākinikum so that you may laʿallakum be questioned tus'alūna
[Some angels said], "Do not flee but return to where you were given luxury and to your homes - perhaps you will be questioned."1
قَالُوا۟ They said qālū O woe to us yāwaylanā Indeed, [we] innā we were kunnā wrongdoers ẓālimīna
They said, "O woe to us! Indeed, we were wrongdoers."
فَمَا Then not famā ceased zālat [this] til'ka their cry daʿwāhum until ḥattā We made them jaʿalnāhum reaped ḥaṣīdan extinct khāmidīna
And that declaration of theirs did not cease until We made them [as] a harvest [mowed down], extinguished [like a fire].
وَمَا And not wamā We created khalaqnā the heavens l-samāa and the earth wal-arḍa and what wamā (is) between them baynahumā (for) playing lāʿibīna
And We did not create the heaven and earth and that between them in play.
لَوْ If law We intended aradnā that an We take nattakhidha a pastime lahwan surely We (could have) taken it la-ittakhadhnāhu from min Us ladunnā if in We were kunnā doers fāʿilīna
Had We intended to take a diversion,1 We could have taken it from [what is] with Us - if [indeed] We were to do so.
بَلْ Nay bal We hurl naqdhifu the truth bil-ḥaqi against ʿalā [the] falsehood l-bāṭili and it breaks its head fayadmaghuhu behold fa-idhā it (is) huwa vanishing zāhiqun And for you walakumu (is) destruction l-waylu for what mimmā you ascribe taṣifūna
Rather, We dash the truth upon falsehood, and it destroys it,1 and thereupon it departs. And for you is destruction from that which you describe.2
وَلَهُۥ And to Him (belongs) walahu whoever man (is) in fī the heavens l-samāwāti and the earth wal-arḍi And (those) who waman (are) near Him ʿindahu not lā they are arrogant yastakbirūna to ʿan worship Him ʿibādatihi and not walā they tire yastaḥsirūna
To Him belongs whoever is in the heavens and the earth. And those near Him [i.e., the angels] are not prevented by arrogance from His worship, nor do they tire.
يُسَبِّحُونَ They glorify (Him) yusabbiḥūna [the] night al-layla and [the] day wal-nahāra not lā they slacken yafturūna
They exalt [Him] night and day [and] do not slacken.
أَمِ Or ami (have) they taken ittakhadhū gods ālihatan from mina the earth l-arḍi they hum raise (the dead) yunshirūna
Or have they [i.e., men] taken for themselves gods from the earth who resurrect [the dead]?
لَوْ If law (there) were kāna in both of them fīhimā gods ālihatun besides illā Allah l-lahu surely they (would) have been ruined lafasadatā So glorified fasub'ḥāna (is) Allah l-lahi Lord rabbi (of) the Throne l-ʿarshi (above) what ʿammā they attribute yaṣifūna
Had there been within them [i.e., the heavens and earth] gods besides Allāh, they both would have been ruined. So exalted is Allāh, Lord of the Throne, above what they describe.
لَا Not lā He (can) be questioned yus'alu about what ʿammā He does yafʿalu but they wahum will be questioned yus'alūna
He is not questioned about what He does, but they will be questioned.
أَمِ Or ami (have) they taken ittakhadhū besides Him min besides Him dūnihi gods ālihatan Say qul Bring hātū your proof bur'hānakum This hādhā (is) a Reminder dhik'ru (for those) who man (are) with me maʿiya and a Reminder wadhik'ru (for those) who man (were) before me qablī But bal most of them aktharuhum (do) not lā know yaʿlamūna the truth l-ḥaqa so they fahum (are) averse muʿ'riḍūna
Or have they taken gods besides Him? Say, [O Muḥammad], "Produce your proof. This [Qur’ān] is the message for those with me and the message of those before me."1 But most of them do not know the truth, so they are turning away.