وَاذكُر أَخا عادٍ إِذ أَنذَرَ قَومَهُ بِالأَحقافِ وَقَد خَلَتِ النُّذُرُ مِن بَينِ يَدَيهِ وَمِن خَلفِهِ أَلّا تَعبُدوا إِلَّا اللَّهَ إِنّي أَخافُ عَلَيكُم عَذابَ يَومٍ عَظيمٍ

Mention the brother of Aad, when he warned his people amidst the dunes. Numerous warners had come before and after him, saying, “worship only God; I fear for you the punishment of a momentous day.”

قالوا أَجِئتَنا لِتَأفِكَنا عَن آلِهَتِنا فَأتِنا بِما تَعِدُنا إِن كُنتَ مِنَ الصّادِقينَ

They responded, “Did you come to steer us away from our gods? So bring us what you promise us, if you are truthful.

قالَ إِنَّمَا العِلمُ عِندَ اللَّهِ وَأُبَلِّغُكُم ما أُرسِلتُ بِهِ وَلـٰكِنّي أَراكُم قَومًا تَجهَلونَ

He replied, “The knowledge of that is with God alone, and I only convey to you what I was sent with. But I see that you are a people behaving ignorantly.”

فَلَمّا رَأَوهُ عارِضًا مُستَقبِلَ أَودِيَتِهِم قالوا هـٰذا عارِضٌ مُمطِرُنا ۚ بَل هُوَ مَا استَعجَلتُم بِهِ ۖ ريحٌ فيها عَذابٌ أَليمٌ

When they saw a cloud approaching their valleys, they exclaimed, “This cloud will bring us rain!” But it was what they had requested: a storm wind in which is painful punishment.

تُدَمِّرُ كُلَّ شَيءٍ بِأَمرِ رَبِّها فَأَصبَحوا لا يُرىٰ إِلّا مَساكِنُهُم ۚ كَذٰلِكَ نَجزِي القَومَ المُجرِمينَ

It destroyed everything by the command of its Lord. By morning, nothing could be seen, except their dwellings. Thus We recompense the guilty people.

وَلَقَد أَهلَكنا ما حَولَكُم مِنَ القُرىٰ وَصَرَّفنَا الآياتِ لَعَلَّهُم يَرجِعونَ

We’ve destroyed communities around you, and We displayed various signs, so they may return.

فَلَولا نَصَرَهُمُ الَّذينَ اتَّخَذوا مِن دونِ اللَّهِ قُربانًا آلِهَةً ۖ بَل ضَلّوا عَنهُم ۚ وَذٰلِكَ إِفكُهُم وَما كانوا يَفتَرونَ

Why then didn’t those whom they took to draw them closer to God come to their aid? They abandoned them, for they were merely their own fabrication.

وَإِذ صَرَفنا إِلَيكَ نَفَرًا مِنَ الجِنِّ يَستَمِعونَ القُرآنَ فَلَمّا حَضَروهُ قالوا أَنصِتوا ۖ فَلَمّا قُضِيَ وَلَّوا إِلىٰ قَومِهِم مُنذِرينَ

When We sent a group of jinn towards you, listened to the Quran. Upon their arrival, they said to each other, “Pay attention!” When the recitation was completed, they went back to their own people as warners.

قالوا يا قَومَنا إِنّا سَمِعنا كِتابًا أُنزِلَ مِن بَعدِ موسىٰ مُصَدِّقًا لِما بَينَ يَدَيهِ يَهدي إِلَى الحَقِّ وَإِلىٰ طَريقٍ مُستَقيمٍ

They declared, “O our people, we’ve heard a scripture revealed after Moses; it confirms what preceded it; it guides to the truth and to a straight path.

يا قَومَنا أَجيبوا داعِيَ اللَّهِ وَآمِنوا بِهِ يَغفِر لَكُم مِن ذُنوبِكُم وَيُجِركُم مِن عَذابٍ أَليمٍ

O our people, Respond to God’s caller, and have faith in Him. He will absolve you of your sins and shield you from a painful punishment.”