46. Ahkaf · verses 23–28

قَالَ إِنَّمَا ٱلۡعِلۡمُ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ وَأُبَلِّغُكُم مَّآ أُرۡسِلۡتُ بِهِۦ وَلَٰكِنِّيٓ أَرَىٰكُمۡ قَوۡمٗا تَجۡهَلُونَ

Qala innama alAAilmu AAinda Allahi waoballighukum ma orsiltu bihi walakinnee arakum qawman tajhaloona

He said: "The Knowledge (of when it will come) is only with Allah: I proclaim to you the mission on which I have been sent: But I see that ye are a people in ignorance!"..

فَلَمَّا رَأَوۡهُ عَارِضٗا مُّسۡتَقۡبِلَ أَوۡدِيَتِهِمۡ قَالُواْ هَٰذَا عَارِضٞ مُّمۡطِرُنَاۚ بَلۡ هُوَ مَا ٱسۡتَعۡجَلۡتُم بِهِۦۖ رِيحٞ فِيهَا عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٞ

Falamma raawhu AAaridan mustaqbila awdiyatihim qaloo hatha AAaridun mumtiruna bal huwa ma istaAAjaltum bihi reehun feeha AAathabun aleemun

Then, when they saw the (Penalty in the shape of) a cloud traversing the sky, coming to meet their valleys, they said, "This cloud will give us rain!" "Nay, it is the (Calamity) ye were asking to be hastened!- A wind wherein is a Grievous Penalty!

تُدَمِّرُ كُلَّ شَيۡءِۭ بِأَمۡرِ رَبِّهَا فَأَصۡبَحُواْ لَا يُرَىٰٓ إِلَّا مَسَٰكِنُهُمۡۚ كَذَٰلِكَ نَجۡزِي ٱلۡقَوۡمَ ٱلۡمُجۡرِمِينَ

Tudammiru kulla shayin biamri rabbiha faasbahoo la yura illa masakinuhum kathalika najzee alqawma almujrimeena

"Everything will it destroy by the command of its Lord!" Then by the morning they - nothing was to be seen but (the ruins of) their houses! thus do We recompense those given to sin!

وَلَقَدۡ مَكَّنَّٰهُمۡ فِيمَآ إِن مَّكَّنَّٰكُمۡ فِيهِ وَجَعَلۡنَا لَهُمۡ سَمۡعٗا وَأَبۡصَٰرٗا وَأَفۡـِٔدَةٗ فَمَآ أَغۡنَىٰ عَنۡهُمۡ سَمۡعُهُمۡ وَلَآ أَبۡصَٰرُهُمۡ وَلَآ أَفۡـِٔدَتُهُم مِّن شَيۡءٍ إِذۡ كَانُواْ يَجۡحَدُونَ بِـَٔايَٰتِ ٱللَّهِ وَحَاقَ بِهِم مَّا كَانُواْ بِهِۦ يَسۡتَهۡزِءُونَ

Walaqad makkannahum feema in makkannakum feehi wajaAAalna lahum samAAan waabsaran waafidatan fama aghna AAanhum samAAuhum wala absaruhum wala afidatuhum min shayin ith kanoo yajhadoona biayati Allahi wahaqa bihim ma kanoo bihi yastahzioona

And We had firmly established them in a (prosperity and) power which We have not given to you (ye Quraish!) and We had endowed them with (faculties of) hearing, seeing, heart and intellect: but of no profit to them were their (faculties of) hearing, sight, and heart and intellect, when they went on rejecting the Signs of Allah; and they were (completely) encircled by that which they used to mock at!

وَلَقَدۡ أَهۡلَكۡنَا مَا حَوۡلَكُم مِّنَ ٱلۡقُرَىٰ وَصَرَّفۡنَا ٱلۡأٓيَٰتِ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَرۡجِعُونَ

Walaqad ahlakna ma hawlakum mina alqura wasarrafna alayati laAAallahum yarjiAAoona

We destroyed aforetime populations round about you; and We have shown the Signs in various ways, that they may turn (to Us).

فَلَوۡلَا نَصَرَهُمُ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّخَذُواْ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ قُرۡبَانًا ءَالِهَةَۢۖ بَلۡ ضَلُّواْ عَنۡهُمۡۚ وَذَٰلِكَ إِفۡكُهُمۡ وَمَا كَانُواْ يَفۡتَرُونَ

Falawla nasarahumu allatheena ittakhathoo min dooni Allahi qurbanan alihatan bal dalloo AAanhum wathalika ifkuhum wama kanoo yaftaroona

Why then was no help forthcoming to them from those whom they worshipped as gods, besides Allah, as a means of access (to Allah)? Nay, they left them in the lurch: but that was their falsehood and their invention.