أَتُتۡرَكُونَ فِي مَا هَٰهُنَآ ءَامِنِينَ
Will you be left in what is here, secure [from death],
فِي جَنَّـٰتٖ وَعُيُونٖ
Within gardens and springs
وَزُرُوعٖ وَنَخۡلٖ طَلۡعُهَا هَضِيمٞ
And fields of crops and palm trees with softened fruit?
وَتَنۡحِتُونَ مِنَ ٱلۡجِبَالِ بُيُوتٗا فَٰرِهِينَ
And you carve out of the mountains, homes, with skill.
فَٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُونِ
So fear AllŒh and obey me.
وَلَا تُطِيعُوٓاْ أَمۡرَ ٱلۡمُسۡرِفِينَ
And do not obey the order of the transgressors,
ٱلَّذِينَ يُفۡسِدُونَ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَلَا يُصۡلِحُونَ
Who cause corruption in the land and do not amend."
قَالُوٓاْ إِنَّمَآ أَنتَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُسَحَّرِينَ
They said, "You are only of those affected by magic.
مَآ أَنتَ إِلَّا بَشَرٞ مِّثۡلُنَا فَأۡتِ بِـَٔايَةٍ إِن كُنتَ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰدِقِينَ
You are but a man like ourselves, so bring a sign, if you should be of the truthful."
قَالَ هَٰذِهِۦ نَاقَةٞ لَّهَا شِرۡبٞ وَلَكُمۡ شِرۡبُ يَوۡمٖ مَّعۡلُومٖ
He said, "This is a she-camel.[1] For her is a [time of] drink, and for you is a [time of] drink, [each] on a known day.
1- Miraculously sent to them as a sign by AllŒh.
وَلَا تَمَسُّوهَا بِسُوٓءٖ فَيَأۡخُذَكُمۡ عَذَابُ يَوۡمٍ عَظِيمٖ
And do not touch her with harm, lest you be seized by the punishment of a terrible day."
فَعَقَرُوهَا فَأَصۡبَحُواْ نَٰدِمِينَ
But they hamstrung her and so became regretful.
فَأَخَذَهُمُ ٱلۡعَذَابُۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَأٓيَةٗۖ وَمَا كَانَ أَكۡثَرُهُم مُّؤۡمِنِينَ
And the punishment seized them. Indeed in that is a sign, but most of them were not to be believers.
وَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَهُوَ ٱلۡعَزِيزُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ
And indeed, your Lord – He is the Exalted in Might, the Merciful.
وَلَقَدۡ أَرۡسَلۡنَآ إِلَىٰ ثَمُودَ أَخَاهُمۡ صَٰلِحًا أَنِ ٱعۡبُدُواْ ٱللَّهَ فَإِذَا هُمۡ فَرِيقَانِ يَخۡتَصِمُونَ
And We had certainly sent to Tham´d their brother êŒliú, [saying], "Worship AllŒh," and at once they were two parties conflicting.
قَالَ يَٰقَوۡمِ لِمَ تَسۡتَعۡجِلُونَ بِٱلسَّيِّئَةِ قَبۡلَ ٱلۡحَسَنَةِۖ لَوۡلَا تَسۡتَغۡفِرُونَ ٱللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تُرۡحَمُونَ
He said, "O my people, why are you impatient for evil before [i.e., instead of] good?[1] Why do you not seek forgiveness of AllŒh that you may receive mercy?"
1- By challenging êŒliú to bring on the promised punishment rather than asking for mercy from AllŒh.
قَالُواْ ٱطَّيَّرۡنَا بِكَ وَبِمَن مَّعَكَۚ قَالَ طَـٰٓئِرُكُمۡ عِندَ ٱللَّهِۖ بَلۡ أَنتُمۡ قَوۡمٞ تُفۡتَنُونَ
They said, "We consider you a bad omen, you and those with you." He said, "Your omen [i.e., fate] is with AllŒh. Rather, you are a people being tested."[1]
1- Or "being tempted [by Satan]."
وَكَانَ فِي ٱلۡمَدِينَةِ تِسۡعَةُ رَهۡطٖ يُفۡسِدُونَ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَلَا يُصۡلِحُونَ
And there were in the city nine family heads causing corruption in the land and not amending [its affairs].
قَالُواْ تَقَاسَمُواْ بِٱللَّهِ لَنُبَيِّتَنَّهُۥ وَأَهۡلَهُۥ ثُمَّ لَنَقُولَنَّ لِوَلِيِّهِۦ مَا شَهِدۡنَا مَهۡلِكَ أَهۡلِهِۦ وَإِنَّا لَصَٰدِقُونَ
They said, "Take a mutual oath by AllŒh that we will kill him by night, he and his family. Then we will say to his executor,[1] 'We did not witness the destruction of his family, and indeed, we are truthful.'"
1- i.e., the one responsible for executing his will and avenging his blood.
وَمَكَرُواْ مَكۡرٗا وَمَكَرۡنَا مَكۡرٗا وَهُمۡ لَا يَشۡعُرُونَ
And they planned a plan, and We planned a plan, while they perceived not.
فَٱنظُرۡ كَيۡفَ كَانَ عَٰقِبَةُ مَكۡرِهِمۡ أَنَّا دَمَّرۡنَٰهُمۡ وَقَوۡمَهُمۡ أَجۡمَعِينَ
Then look how was the outcome of their plan – that We destroyed them and their people, all.
فَتِلۡكَ بُيُوتُهُمۡ خَاوِيَةَۢ بِمَا ظَلَمُوٓاْۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَأٓيَةٗ لِّقَوۡمٖ يَعۡلَمُونَ
So those are their houses, desolate because of the wrong they had done. Indeed in that is a sign for people who know.
وَأَنجَيۡنَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَكَانُواْ يَتَّقُونَ
And We saved those who believed and used to fear AllŒh.
وَعَادٗا وَثَمُودَاْ وَقَد تَّبَيَّنَ لَكُم مِّن مَّسَٰكِنِهِمۡۖ وَزَيَّنَ لَهُمُ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنُ أَعۡمَٰلَهُمۡ فَصَدَّهُمۡ عَنِ ٱلسَّبِيلِ وَكَانُواْ مُسۡتَبۡصِرِينَ
And [We destroyed] ÔAad and Tham´d, and it has become clear to you from their [ruined] dwellings. And Satan had made pleasing to them their deeds and averted them from the path, and they were endowed with perception.
وَثَمُودُ وَقَوۡمُ لُوطٖ وَأَصۡحَٰبُ لۡـَٔيۡكَةِۚ أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ ٱلۡأَحۡزَابُ
And [the tribe of] Tham´d and the people of Lot and the companions of the thicket [i.e., people of Madyan]. Those are the companies.[1]
1- That were defeated, among whom will be the disbelievers of Quraysh and others.
مِثۡلَ دَأۡبِ قَوۡمِ نُوحٖ وَعَادٖ وَثَمُودَ وَٱلَّذِينَ مِنۢ بَعۡدِهِمۡۚ وَمَا ٱللَّهُ يُرِيدُ ظُلۡمٗا لِّلۡعِبَادِ
Like the custom of the people of Noah and of ÔAad and Tham´d and those after them. And AllŒh wants no injustice for [His] servants.
فَإِنۡ أَعۡرَضُواْ فَقُلۡ أَنذَرۡتُكُمۡ صَٰعِقَةٗ مِّثۡلَ صَٰعِقَةِ عَادٖ وَثَمُودَ
But if they turn away, then say, "I have warned you of a thunderbolt like the thunderbolt [that struck] ÔAad and Tham´d.
وَأَمَّا ثَمُودُ فَهَدَيۡنَٰهُمۡ فَٱسۡتَحَبُّواْ ٱلۡعَمَىٰ عَلَى ٱلۡهُدَىٰ فَأَخَذَتۡهُمۡ صَٰعِقَةُ ٱلۡعَذَابِ ٱلۡهُونِ بِمَا كَانُواْ يَكۡسِبُونَ
And as for Tham´d, We guided them, but they preferred blindness over guidance, so the thunderbolt of humiliating punishment seized them for what they used to earn.
كَذَّبَتۡ قَبۡلَهُمۡ قَوۡمُ نُوحٖ وَأَصۡحَٰبُ ٱلرَّسِّ وَثَمُودُ
The people of Noah denied before them,[1] and the companions of the well[2] and Tham´d
1- i.e., before the disbelievers of Makkah.
2- See footnote to 25:38.
وَفِي ثَمُودَ إِذۡ قِيلَ لَهُمۡ تَمَتَّعُواْ حَتَّىٰ حِينٖ
And in Tham´d, when it was said to them, "Enjoy yourselves for a time."