قُل كونوا حِجارَةً أَو حَديدًا

Respond, “Be you stones or iron.

أَو خَلقًا مِمّا يَكبُرُ في صُدورِكُم ۚ فَسَيَقولونَ مَن يُعيدُنا ۖ قُلِ الَّذي فَطَرَكُم أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ ۚ فَسَيُنغِضونَ إِلَيكَ رُءوسَهُم وَيَقولونَ مَتىٰ هُوَ ۖ قُل عَسىٰ أَن يَكونَ قَريبًا

Or any creation you deem more even formidable.” Then they will question, “Who will restore us?” Respond, “The One who created you in the first place.” Then they’ll shake their heads at you and ask, “When will this happen?” Say, “It could be quite soon.”

يَومَ يَدعوكُم فَتَستَجيبونَ بِحَمدِهِ وَتَظُنّونَ إِن لَبِثتُم إِلّا قَليلًا

On the Day He calls you, you will respond praising Him, realizing that you lingered only briefly.

وَقُل لِعِبادي يَقولُوا الَّتي هِيَ أَحسَنُ ۚ إِنَّ الشَّيطانَ يَنزَغُ بَينَهُم ۚ إِنَّ الشَّيطانَ كانَ لِلإِنسانِ عَدُوًّا مُبينًا

Tell My servants to speak in a most kindly manner, for Satan sows discord among them. Satan is a clear enemy of man.

رَبُّكُم أَعلَمُ بِكُم ۖ إِن يَشَأ يَرحَمكُم أَو إِن يَشَأ يُعَذِّبكُم ۚ وَما أَرسَلناكَ عَلَيهِم وَكيلًا

Your Lord knows you best. If He wills, He will have mercy on you. And if He wills, He will punish you. We didn’t send you as their overseer.

قُلِ ادعُوا الَّذينَ زَعَمتُم مِن دونِهِ فَلا يَملِكونَ كَشفَ الضُّرِّ عَنكُم وَلا تَحويلًا

Say, “Invoke those you presume besides Him; they lack the power to alleviate your suffering or change your condition.”

أُولـٰئِكَ الَّذينَ يَدعونَ يَبتَغونَ إِلىٰ رَبِّهِمُ الوَسيلَةَ أَيُّهُم أَقرَبُ وَيَرجونَ رَحمَتَهُ وَيَخافونَ عَذابَهُ ۚ إِنَّ عَذابَ رَبِّكَ كانَ مَحذورًا

Those whom they call upon are themselves seeking a way to their Lord, vying for His proximity, hoping for His mercy, and dreading His punishment. Your Lord’s punishment is to be avoided.

وَإِن مِن قَريَةٍ إِلّا نَحنُ مُهلِكوها قَبلَ يَومِ القِيامَةِ أَو مُعَذِّبوها عَذابًا شَديدًا ۚ كانَ ذٰلِكَ فِي الكِتابِ مَسطورًا

There is no community that We won’t obliterate or severely chastise before Resurrection Day. This is inscribed in the Book.

وَما مَنَعَنا أَن نُرسِلَ بِالآياتِ إِلّا أَن كَذَّبَ بِهَا الأَوَّلونَ ۚ وَآتَينا ثَمودَ النّاقَةَ مُبصِرَةً فَظَلَموا بِها ۚ وَما نُرسِلُ بِالآياتِ إِلّا تَخويفًا

Nothing prevents Us from sending miracles, except that the previous generations rejected them. We gave Thamud the she-camel as a clear sign, but they maltreated her. We send signs only to instill fear.

وَإِذ قُلنا لَكَ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ أَحاطَ بِالنّاسِ ۚ وَما جَعَلنَا الرُّؤيَا الَّتي أَرَيناكَ إِلّا فِتنَةً لِلنّاسِ وَالشَّجَرَةَ المَلعونَةَ فِي القُرآنِ ۚ وَنُخَوِّفُهُم فَما يَزيدُهُم إِلّا طُغيانًا كَبيرًا

We’ve informed you that your Lord encompasses all people. The vision We showed you and the cursed tree mentioned in the Quran are trials for people. We frighten them, but it only increases their defiance.