بَل قالوا إِنّا وَجَدنا آباءَنا عَلىٰ أُمَّةٍ وَإِنّا عَلىٰ آثارِهِم مُهتَدونَ
But they say, “We found our ancestors upon a course, and we are guided by their footsteps.”
وَكَذٰلِكَ ما أَرسَلنا مِن قَبلِكَ في قَريَةٍ مِن نَذيرٍ إِلّا قالَ مُترَفوها إِنّا وَجَدنا آباءَنا عَلىٰ أُمَّةٍ وَإِنّا عَلىٰ آثارِهِم مُقتَدونَ
Likewise, whenever We sent a warner before you to any city, its affluent inhabitants said, “We found our forefathers following a path, and we are following in their footsteps.”
قالَ أَوَلَو جِئتُكُم بِأَهدىٰ مِمّا وَجَدتُم عَلَيهِ آباءَكُم ۖ قالوا إِنّا بِما أُرسِلتُم بِهِ كافِرونَ
He would say, “Even if I bring you better guidance than what you found your forefathers following?” They would reply, “We reject what you’ve been sent with.”
فَانتَقَمنا مِنهُم ۖ فَانظُر كَيفَ كانَ عاقِبَةُ المُكَذِّبينَ
So We wreaked vengeance on them. Consider the end of the deniers.
وَإِذ قالَ إِبراهيمُ لِأَبيهِ وَقَومِهِ إِنَّني بَراءٌ مِمّا تَعبُدونَ
Abraham told his father and his people, “I am free from what you worship.
إِلَّا الَّذي فَطَرَني فَإِنَّهُ سَيَهدينِ
Only He who created me will guide me.”
وَجَعَلَها كَلِمَةً باقِيَةً في عَقِبِهِ لَعَلَّهُم يَرجِعونَ
He left this a lasting word among his descendants, so they might return.
بَل مَتَّعتُ هـٰؤُلاءِ وَآباءَهُم حَتّىٰ جاءَهُمُ الحَقُّ وَرَسولٌ مُبينٌ
I allowed these and their ancestors some enjoyment, until the truth arrived with a transparent messenger.
وَلَمّا جاءَهُمُ الحَقُّ قالوا هـٰذا سِحرٌ وَإِنّا بِهِ كافِرونَ
However, when the truth came to them, they said, “This is sorcery, and we disbelieve it.”
وَقالوا لَولا نُزِّلَ هـٰذَا القُرآنُ عَلىٰ رَجُلٍ مِنَ القَريَتَينِ عَظيمٍ
They ask, “Why wasn’t this Quran revealed to a notable man from one of the two cities?”
أَهُم يَقسِمونَ رَحمَتَ رَبِّكَ ۚ نَحنُ قَسَمنا بَينَهُم مَعيشَتَهُم فِي الحَياةِ الدُّنيا ۚ وَرَفَعنا بَعضَهُم فَوقَ بَعضٍ دَرَجاتٍ لِيَتَّخِذَ بَعضُهُم بَعضًا سُخرِيًّا ۗ وَرَحمَتُ رَبِّكَ خَيرٌ مِمّا يَجمَعونَ
Is it they who dispense your Lord’s mercy? It is We who distribute their sustenance in this life, elevating some in ranks above others, so that they may take one another in service. Your Lord’s mercy is far better than whatever they amass.