قَالُواْ يَٰوَيۡلَنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا طَٰغِينَ

They said, "O woe to us; indeed we were transgressors.

عَسَىٰ رَبُّنَآ أَن يُبۡدِلَنَا خَيۡرٗا مِّنۡهَآ إِنَّآ إِلَىٰ رَبِّنَا رَٰغِبُونَ

Perhaps our Lord will substitute for us [one] better than it. Indeed, we are toward our Lord desirous."[1]

كَذَٰلِكَ ٱلۡعَذَابُۖ وَلَعَذَابُ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ أَكۡبَرُۚ لَوۡ كَانُواْ يَعۡلَمُونَ

Such is the punishment [of this world]. And the punishment of the Hereafter is greater, if they only knew.

إِنَّ لِلۡمُتَّقِينَ عِندَ رَبِّهِمۡ جَنَّـٰتِ ٱلنَّعِيمِ

Indeed, for the righteous with their Lord are the Gardens of Pleasure.

أَفَنَجۡعَلُ ٱلۡمُسۡلِمِينَ كَٱلۡمُجۡرِمِينَ

Then will We treat the Muslims like the criminals?

مَا لَكُمۡ كَيۡفَ تَحۡكُمُونَ

What is [the matter] with you? How do you judge?

أَمۡ لَكُمۡ كِتَٰبٞ فِيهِ تَدۡرُسُونَ

Or do you have a scripture in which you learn

إِنَّ لَكُمۡ فِيهِ لَمَا تَخَيَّرُونَ

That indeed for you is whatever you choose?

أَمۡ لَكُمۡ أَيۡمَٰنٌ عَلَيۡنَا بَٰلِغَةٌ إِلَىٰ يَوۡمِ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ إِنَّ لَكُمۡ لَمَا تَحۡكُمُونَ

Or do you have oaths [binding] upon Us, extending until the Day of Resurrection, that indeed for you is whatever you judge?

سَلۡهُمۡ أَيُّهُم بِذَٰلِكَ زَعِيمٌ

Ask them which of them, for that [claim], is responsible.

أَمۡ لَهُمۡ شُرَكَآءُ فَلۡيَأۡتُواْ بِشُرَكَآئِهِمۡ إِن كَانُواْ صَٰدِقِينَ

Or do they have partners?[1] Then let them bring their partners, if they should be truthful.

يَوۡمَ يُكۡشَفُ عَن سَاقٖ وَيُدۡعَوۡنَ إِلَى ٱلسُّجُودِ فَلَا يَسۡتَطِيعُونَ

The Day the shin will be uncovered[1] and they are invited to prostration but they [i.e., the disbelievers] will not be able,

خَٰشِعَةً أَبۡصَٰرُهُمۡ تَرۡهَقُهُمۡ ذِلَّةٞۖ وَقَدۡ كَانُواْ يُدۡعَوۡنَ إِلَى ٱلسُّجُودِ وَهُمۡ سَٰلِمُونَ

Their eyes humbled, humiliation will cover them. And they used to be invited to prostration while they were sound.[1]

فَذَرۡنِي وَمَن يُكَذِّبُ بِهَٰذَا ٱلۡحَدِيثِۖ سَنَسۡتَدۡرِجُهُم مِّنۡ حَيۡثُ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَ

So leave Me, [O Muúammad], with [the matter of] whoever denies this statement [i.e., the QurÕŒn]. We will progressively lead them [to punishment] from where they do not know.[1]

وَأُمۡلِي لَهُمۡۚ إِنَّ كَيۡدِي مَتِينٌ

And I will give them time. Indeed, My plan is firm.

أَمۡ تَسۡـَٔلُهُمۡ أَجۡرٗا فَهُم مِّن مَّغۡرَمٖ مُّثۡقَلُونَ

Or do you ask of them a payment, so they are by debt burdened down?

أَمۡ عِندَهُمُ ٱلۡغَيۡبُ فَهُمۡ يَكۡتُبُونَ

Or have they [knowledge of] the unseen, so they write [it] down?

فَٱصۡبِرۡ لِحُكۡمِ رَبِّكَ وَلَا تَكُن كَصَاحِبِ ٱلۡحُوتِ إِذۡ نَادَىٰ وَهُوَ مَكۡظُومٞ

Then be patient for the decision of your Lord, [O Muúammad], and be not like the companion of the fish [i.e., Jonah] when he called out while he was distressed.

لَّوۡلَآ أَن تَدَٰرَكَهُۥ نِعۡمَةٞ مِّن رَّبِّهِۦ لَنُبِذَ بِٱلۡعَرَآءِ وَهُوَ مَذۡمُومٞ

If not that a favor [i.e., mercy] from his Lord overtook him, he would have been thrown onto the naked shore while he was censured.[1]

فَٱجۡتَبَٰهُ رَبُّهُۥ فَجَعَلَهُۥ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ

And his Lord chose him and made him of the righteous.

وَإِن يَكَادُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لَيُزۡلِقُونَكَ بِأَبۡصَٰرِهِمۡ لَمَّا سَمِعُواْ ٱلذِّكۡرَ وَيَقُولُونَ إِنَّهُۥ لَمَجۡنُونٞ

And indeed, those who disbelieve would almost make you slip with their eyes [i.e., looks] when they hear the message, and they say, "Indeed, he is mad."

وَمَا هُوَ إِلَّا ذِكۡرٞ لِّلۡعَٰلَمِينَ

But it is not except a reminder to the worlds.

ٱلۡحَآقَّةُ

The Inevitable Reality –

مَا ٱلۡحَآقَّةُ

What is the Inevitable Reality?

وَمَآ أَدۡرَىٰكَ مَا ٱلۡحَآقَّةُ

And what can make you know what is the Inevitable Reality?

كَذَّبَتۡ ثَمُودُ وَعَادُۢ بِٱلۡقَارِعَةِ

Tham´d and ÔAad denied the Striking Calamity [i.e., the Resurrection].

فَأَمَّا ثَمُودُ فَأُهۡلِكُواْ بِٱلطَّاغِيَةِ

So as for Tham´d, they were destroyed by the overpowering [blast].

وَأَمَّا عَادٞ فَأُهۡلِكُواْ بِرِيحٖ صَرۡصَرٍ عَاتِيَةٖ

And as for ÔAad, they were destroyed by a screaming,[1] violent wind

سَخَّرَهَا عَلَيۡهِمۡ سَبۡعَ لَيَالٖ وَثَمَٰنِيَةَ أَيَّامٍ حُسُومٗاۖ فَتَرَى ٱلۡقَوۡمَ فِيهَا صَرۡعَىٰ كَأَنَّهُمۡ أَعۡجَازُ نَخۡلٍ خَاوِيَةٖ

Which He [i.e., AllŒh] imposed upon them for seven nights and eight days in succession, so you would see the people therein fallen as if they were hollow trunks of palm trees.

فَهَلۡ تَرَىٰ لَهُم مِّنۢ بَاقِيَةٖ

Then do you see of them any remains?