قالَ يا قَومِ إِنّي لَكُم نَذيرٌ مُبينٌ
He said, “O my people, I am a clear warner to you.
أَنِ اعبُدُوا اللَّهَ وَاتَّقوهُ وَأَطيعونِ
Worship God, fear Him, and obey me.
يَغفِر لَكُم مِن ذُنوبِكُم وَيُؤَخِّركُم إِلىٰ أَجَلٍ مُسَمًّى ۚ إِنَّ أَجَلَ اللَّهِ إِذا جاءَ لا يُؤَخَّرُ ۖ لَو كُنتُم تَعلَمونَ
He will forgive your sins and delay you to a specified term. When God’s appointed time arrives, it can’t be deferred—if only you could understand.”
قالَ رَبِّ إِنّي دَعَوتُ قَومي لَيلًا وَنَهارًا
He implored, “My Lord, I called out to my people night and day.
فَلَم يَزِدهُم دُعائي إِلّا فِرارًا
But my call only increased their flight away.
وَإِنّي كُلَّما دَعَوتُهُم لِتَغفِرَ لَهُم جَعَلوا أَصابِعَهُم في آذانِهِم وَاستَغشَوا ثِيابَهُم وَأَصَرّوا وَاستَكبَرُوا استِكبارًا
Whenever I urged them to seek Your forgiveness, they would stick their fingers in their ears, cover themselves with their garments, persist in their stubbornness, and grow increasingly arrogant.