تِلكَ إِذًا قِسمَةٌ ضيزىٰ

What a bizarre distribution!

إِن هِيَ إِلّا أَسماءٌ سَمَّيتُموها أَنتُم وَآباؤُكُم ما أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ بِها مِن سُلطانٍ ۚ إِن يَتَّبِعونَ إِلَّا الظَّنَّ وَما تَهوَى الأَنفُسُ ۖ وَلَقَد جاءَهُم مِن رَبِّهِمُ الهُدىٰ

These are nothing but names you named—you and your forefathers—without any authorization from God. They follow nothing except assumption and what the souls desire, even though guidance did come to them from their Lord.

أَم لِلإِنسانِ ما تَمَنّىٰ

Or is man to have whatever he desires?

فَلِلَّهِ الآخِرَةُ وَالأولىٰ

But to God belong the afterlife and the first.

وَكَم مِن مَلَكٍ فِي السَّماواتِ لا تُغني شَفاعَتُهُم شَيئًا إِلّا مِن بَعدِ أَن يَأذَنَ اللَّهُ لِمَن يَشاءُ وَيَرضىٰ

How many angels there are in the heavens, whose intercession would not benefit at all, except after God gives permission for whom He wills and approves.

وَما لَهُم بِهِ مِن عِلمٍ ۖ إِن يَتَّبِعونَ إِلَّا الظَّنَّ ۖ وَإِنَّ الظَّنَّ لا يُغني مِنَ الحَقِّ شَيئًا

They don’t know of this. They follow not except assumption, and assumption avails not against the truth at all.

فَأَعرِض عَن مَن تَوَلّىٰ عَن ذِكرِنا وَلَم يُرِد إِلَّا الحَياةَ الدُّنيا

So turn away from whoever turns his back on Our message and desires nothing but the worldly life.

ذٰلِكَ مَبلَغُهُم مِنَ العِلمِ ۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعلَمُ بِمَن ضَلَّ عَن سَبيلِهِ وَهُوَ أَعلَمُ بِمَنِ اهتَدىٰ

That’s the extent of their knowledge. Your Lord knows best who strays from His path and who is guided.

وَلِلَّهِ ما فِي السَّماواتِ وَما فِي الأَرضِ لِيَجزِيَ الَّذينَ أَساءوا بِما عَمِلوا وَيَجزِيَ الَّذينَ أَحسَنوا بِالحُسنَى

To God belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on earth—so He may recompense those who commit evil according to their deeds, and reward those who do good with the best.

الَّذينَ يَجتَنِبونَ كَبائِرَ الإِثمِ وَالفَواحِشَ إِلَّا اللَّمَمَ ۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ واسِعُ المَغفِرَةِ ۚ هُوَ أَعلَمُ بِكُم إِذ أَنشَأَكُم مِنَ الأَرضِ وَإِذ أَنتُم أَجِنَّةٌ في بُطونِ أُمَّهاتِكُم ۖ فَلا تُزَكّوا أَنفُسَكُم ۖ هُوَ أَعلَمُ بِمَنِ اتَّقىٰ

Those who avoid major sins and immoralities—except for minor lapses—your Lord is vast in forgiveness. He knew you well, ever since He produced you from the earth, and when you were embryos in your mothers’ wombs. So don’t claim yourselves pure; He knows best who is righteous.