اتَّبِعوا مَن لا يَسأَلُكُم أَجرًا وَهُم مُهتَدونَ
Follow those who ask no payment from you, and are themselves guided.
وَما لِيَ لا أَعبُدُ الَّذي فَطَرَني وَإِلَيهِ تُرجَعونَ
“Why shouldn’t I worship Him who originated me, and to whom you’ll be returned?
أَأَتَّخِذُ مِن دونِهِ آلِهَةً إِن يُرِدنِ الرَّحمـٰنُ بِضُرٍّ لا تُغنِ عَنّي شَفاعَتُهُم شَيئًا وَلا يُنقِذونِ
Should I take other gods besides Him? If the Merciful intends harm for me, their intercession won’t avail me at all, nor will they save me.
إِنّي إِذًا لَفي ضَلالٍ مُبينٍ
In that case, I would be in clear error.
إِنّي آمَنتُ بِرَبِّكُم فَاسمَعونِ
I have believed in your Lord, so listen to me.”
قيلَ ادخُلِ الجَنَّةَ ۖ قالَ يا لَيتَ قَومي يَعلَمونَ
It was said, “Enter Paradise,” he exclaimed, “If only my people knew.
بِما غَفَرَ لي رَبّي وَجَعَلَني مِنَ المُكرَمينَ
How my Lord has forgiven me and made me among the honored.”
وَما أَنزَلنا عَلىٰ قَومِهِ مِن بَعدِهِ مِن جُندٍ مِنَ السَّماءِ وَما كُنّا مُنزِلينَ
We didn’t send down upon his people, after him, any hosts from heaven, nor was it necessary.
إِن كانَت إِلّا صَيحَةً واحِدَةً فَإِذا هُم خامِدونَ
It was but one shout, and behold, they were extinguished.
يا حَسرَةً عَلَى العِبادِ ۚ ما يَأتيهِم مِن رَسولٍ إِلّا كانوا بِهِ يَستَهزِئونَ
Alas for the beings! Whenever a messenger comes to them, they ridicule him.
أَلَم يَرَوا كَم أَهلَكنا قَبلَهُم مِنَ القُرونِ أَنَّهُم إِلَيهِم لا يَرجِعونَ
Didn’t they consider how many generations We destroyed before them, which will never return to them?