وَكَم أَرسَلنا مِن نَبِيٍّ فِي الأَوَّلينَ

How many a Prophet did We send among the ancients?

وَما يَأتيهِم مِن نَبِيٍّ إِلّا كانوا بِهِ يَستَهزِئونَ

Yet, no Prophet came to them but they mocked him.

فَأَهلَكنا أَشَدَّ مِنهُم بَطشًا وَمَضىٰ مَثَلُ الأَوَّلينَ

We destroyed those far more powerful than them, and the example of the ancients has gone past.

وَلَئِن سَأَلتَهُم مَن خَلَقَ السَّماواتِ وَالأَرضَ لَيَقولُنَّ خَلَقَهُنَّ العَزيزُ العَليمُ

If you were to ask them, “Who created the heavens and the earth?” They would surely state, “The Almighty, the All-Knowing created them.”

الَّذي جَعَلَ لَكُمُ الأَرضَ مَهدًا وَجَعَلَ لَكُم فيها سُبُلًا لَعَلَّكُم تَهتَدونَ

He who made the earth a cradle for you, and traced routes upon it for you, so you may find your way.

وَالَّذي خَلَقَ الأَزواجَ كُلَّها وَجَعَلَ لَكُم مِنَ الفُلكِ وَالأَنعامِ ما تَركَبونَ

He who created all paired things, and granted for you ships and animals that you may ride.

لِتَستَووا عَلىٰ ظُهورِهِ ثُمَّ تَذكُروا نِعمَةَ رَبِّكُم إِذَا استَوَيتُم عَلَيهِ وَتَقولوا سُبحانَ الَّذي سَخَّرَ لَنا هـٰذا وَما كُنّا لَهُ مُقرِنينَ

So that you may be mounted on their backs, remember your Lord’s favor when seated on them, and say, “Exalted be He who has put this under our control; we couldn’t have done it by ourselves.

وَإِنّا إِلىٰ رَبِّنا لَمُنقَلِبونَ

And indeed, to our Lord, we will return.”

وَجَعَلوا لَهُ مِن عِبادِهِ جُزءًا ۚ إِنَّ الإِنسانَ لَكَفورٌ مُبينٌ

They made some of His servants a part of Him. The human being is openly ungrateful.

أَمِ اتَّخَذَ مِمّا يَخلُقُ بَناتٍ وَأَصفاكُم بِالبَنينَ

Did He choose daughters for Himself from what He created, and favored you with sons?