يَعمَلونَ لَهُ ما يَشاءُ مِن مَحاريبَ وَتَماثيلَ وَجِفانٍ كَالجَوابِ وَقُدورٍ راسِياتٍ ۚ اعمَلوا آلَ داوودَ شُكرًا ۚ وَقَليلٌ مِن عِبادِيَ الشَّكورُ

They made for him whatever he pleased—sanctuaries, statues, bowls like reservoirs, and firmly fixed cooking pots. “Work gratefully, O house of David.” But few of My servants are grateful.

فَلَمّا قَضَينا عَلَيهِ المَوتَ ما دَلَّهُم عَلىٰ مَوتِهِ إِلّا دابَّةُ الأَرضِ تَأكُلُ مِنسَأَتَهُ ۖ فَلَمّا خَرَّ تَبَيَّنَتِ الجِنُّ أَن لَو كانوا يَعلَمونَ الغَيبَ ما لَبِثوا فِي العَذابِ المُهينِ

When We decreed his death, nothing showed them his death except an earthworm consuming his staff. When he fell, the jinn perceived that if they had known the unseen, they wouldn’t have remained in the shameful torment.

لَقَد كانَ لِسَبَإٍ في مَسكَنِهِم آيَةٌ ۖ جَنَّتانِ عَن يَمينٍ وَشِمالٍ ۖ كُلوا مِن رِزقِ رَبِّكُم وَاشكُروا لَهُ ۚ بَلدَةٌ طَيِّبَةٌ وَرَبٌّ غَفورٌ

There was a sign for Sheba in their homeland: two gardens, one on the right and one on the left. “Eat from your Lord’s provisions, and give thanks to Him. A good land and a forgiving Lord.”

فَأَعرَضوا فَأَرسَلنا عَلَيهِم سَيلَ العَرِمِ وَبَدَّلناهُم بِجَنَّتَيهِم جَنَّتَينِ ذَواتَي أُكُلٍ خَمطٍ وَأَثلٍ وَشَيءٍ مِن سِدرٍ قَليلٍ

Yet they turned away, so We sent upon them the Flood of Dam, and We replaced their two gardens with gardens yielding bitter fruit, tamarisks, and a few thorny shrubs.

ذٰلِكَ جَزَيناهُم بِما كَفَروا ۖ وَهَل نُجازي إِلَّا الكَفورَ

We penalized them for their ingratitude. Would we penalize any but the ungrateful?

فَقالوا رَبَّنا باعِد بَينَ أَسفارِنا وَظَلَموا أَنفُسَهُم فَجَعَلناهُم أَحاديثَ وَمَزَّقناهُم كُلَّ مُمَزَّقٍ ۚ إِنَّ في ذٰلِكَ لَآياتٍ لِكُلِّ صَبّارٍ شَكورٍ

Yet they said, “Our Lord, extend the distances of our journeys,” and they wronged themselves. As a result, We made them legends and scattered them in every direction. There are signs in this for every patient, grateful individual.

وَلَقَد صَدَّقَ عَلَيهِم إِبليسُ ظَنَّهُ فَاتَّبَعوهُ إِلّا فَريقًا مِنَ المُؤمِنينَ

Satan’s prediction for them proved accurate; they followed him, except for a group of believers.

وَما كانَ لَهُ عَلَيهِم مِن سُلطانٍ إِلّا لِنَعلَمَ مَن يُؤمِنُ بِالآخِرَةِ مِمَّن هُوَ مِنها في شَكٍّ ۗ وَرَبُّكَ عَلىٰ كُلِّ شَيءٍ حَفيظٌ

He had no authority over them, except to distinguish those who believed in the Hereafter from those who harbored doubts. Your Lord oversees everything.

قُلِ ادعُوا الَّذينَ زَعَمتُم مِن دونِ اللَّهِ ۖ لا يَملِكونَ مِثقالَ ذَرَّةٍ فِي السَّماواتِ وَلا فِي الأَرضِ وَما لَهُم فيهِما مِن شِركٍ وَما لَهُ مِنهُم مِن ظَهيرٍ

Say, “Call upon those you claim besides God. They don’t possess even an atom’s weight in the heavens or the earth, nor do they have any share in them. And He has no helpers among them.”

وَلا تَنفَعُ الشَّفاعَةُ عِندَهُ إِلّا لِمَن أَذِنَ لَهُ ۚ حَتّىٰ إِذا فُزِّعَ عَن قُلوبِهِم قالوا ماذا قالَ رَبُّكُم ۖ قالُوا الحَقَّ ۖ وَهُوَ العَلِيُّ الكَبيرُ

Intercession with Him avails nothing except those to whom He grants permission. Once fear is dispelled from their hearts, they will ask, “What did your Lord say?” They will answer, “The truth; and He is the Most High, the Great.”