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 مَكَّنّاهُم فيما إِن مَكَّنّاكُم فيهِ وَجَعَلنا لَهُم سَمعًا وَأَبصارًا وَأَفئِدَةً فَما أَغنىٰ عَنهُم سَمعُهُم وَلا أَبصارُهُم وَلا أَفئِدَتُهُم مِن شَيءٍ إِذ كانوا يَجحَدونَ بِآياتِ اللَّهِ وَحاقَ بِهِم ما كانوا بِهِ يَستَهزِئونَ

We had empowered them, just as We empowered you, giving them hearing, sight, and intellect. However, their hearing, sight, and intellect availed them not when they rejected God’s signs. And they were surrounded by what they used to mock.

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.”

وَمَن لا يُجِب داعِيَ اللَّهِ فَلَيسَ بِمُعجِزٍ فِي الأَرضِ وَلَيسَ لَهُ مِن دونِهِ أَولِياءُ ۚ أُولـٰئِكَ في ضَلالٍ مُبينٍ

Those who don’t respond to God’s call can’t escape on earth, nor will they have any protectors besides Him. Such are clearly in misguidance.