أَتَدۡعُونَ بَعۡلٗا وَتَذَرُونَ أَحۡسَنَ ٱلۡخَٰلِقِينَ
Do you call upon BaÔl[1] and leave the best of creators –
1- The name of a great idol worshipped by the people and said to mean "lord."
Kushiriki :
ٱللَّهَ رَبَّكُمۡ وَرَبَّ ءَابَآئِكُمُ ٱلۡأَوَّلِينَ
AllŒh, your Lord and the Lord of your first forefathers?"
فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَإِنَّهُمۡ لَمُحۡضَرُونَ
And they denied him, so indeed, they will be brought [for punishment],
إِلَّا عِبَادَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلۡمُخۡلَصِينَ
Except the chosen servants of AllŒh.
وَتَرَكۡنَا عَلَيۡهِ فِي ٱلۡأٓخِرِينَ
And We left for him [favorable mention] among later generations:
سَلَٰمٌ عَلَىٰٓ إِلۡ يَاسِينَ
"Peace upon Elias."[1]
1- IlyŒseen is said by some commentators to be a plural form, meaning "Elias and those who followed him."
إِنَّا كَذَٰلِكَ نَجۡزِي ٱلۡمُحۡسِنِينَ
Indeed, We thus reward the doers of good.
إِنَّهُۥ مِنۡ عِبَادِنَا ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ
Indeed, he was of Our believing servants.
وَإِنَّ لُوطٗا لَّمِنَ ٱلۡمُرۡسَلِينَ
And indeed, Lot was among the messengers.
إِذۡ نَجَّيۡنَٰهُ وَأَهۡلَهُۥٓ أَجۡمَعِينَ
[So mention] when We saved him and his family, all,
إِلَّا عَجُوزٗا فِي ٱلۡغَٰبِرِينَ
Except an old woman [i.e., his wife] among those who remained [with the evildoers].
ثُمَّ دَمَّرۡنَا ٱلۡأٓخَرِينَ
Then We destroyed the others.
وَإِنَّكُمۡ لَتَمُرُّونَ عَلَيۡهِم مُّصۡبِحِينَ
And indeed, you pass by them in the morning
وَبِٱلَّيۡلِۚ أَفَلَا تَعۡقِلُونَ
And at night. Then will you not use reason?
وَإِنَّ يُونُسَ لَمِنَ ٱلۡمُرۡسَلِينَ
And indeed, Jonah was among the messengers.
إِذۡ أَبَقَ إِلَى ٱلۡفُلۡكِ ٱلۡمَشۡحُونِ
[Mention] when he ran away to the laden ship.
فَسَاهَمَ فَكَانَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُدۡحَضِينَ
And he drew lots[1] and was among the losers.
1- To determine who would be cast overboard in order to save the other passengers. Having been overloaded, the ship was on the verge of sinking.
فَٱلۡتَقَمَهُ ٱلۡحُوتُ وَهُوَ مُلِيمٞ
Then the fish swallowed him, while he was blameworthy.[1]
1- For having given up hope on his people prematurely and having left them without permission from AllŒh.
فَلَوۡلَآ أَنَّهُۥ كَانَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُسَبِّحِينَ
And had he not been of those who exalt AllŒh,
لَلَبِثَ فِي بَطۡنِهِۦٓ إِلَىٰ يَوۡمِ يُبۡعَثُونَ
He would have remained inside its belly until the Day they are resurrected.[1]
1- Meaning that the belly of the fish would have become his grave.
۞فَنَبَذۡنَٰهُ بِٱلۡعَرَآءِ وَهُوَ سَقِيمٞ
But We threw him onto the open shore while he was ill.
وَأَنۢبَتۡنَا عَلَيۡهِ شَجَرَةٗ مِّن يَقۡطِينٖ
And We caused to grow over him a gourd vine.[1]
1- Which is known to give cooling shade and to be a repellent of flies.
وَأَرۡسَلۡنَٰهُ إِلَىٰ مِاْئَةِ أَلۡفٍ أَوۡ يَزِيدُونَ
And We sent him[1] to [his people of] a hundred thousand or more.
1- i.e., returned him thereafter.
فَـَٔامَنُواْ فَمَتَّعۡنَٰهُمۡ إِلَىٰ حِينٖ
And they believed, so We gave them enjoyment [of life] for a time.
فَٱسۡتَفۡتِهِمۡ أَلِرَبِّكَ ٱلۡبَنَاتُ وَلَهُمُ ٱلۡبَنُونَ
So inquire of them, [O Muúammad], "Does your Lord have daughters while they have sons?[1]
1- The people of Makkah claimed that the angels were daughters of AllŒh, yet they preferred sons for themselves.
أَمۡ خَلَقۡنَا ٱلۡمَلَـٰٓئِكَةَ إِنَٰثٗا وَهُمۡ شَٰهِدُونَ
Or did We create the angels as females while they were witnesses?"
أَلَآ إِنَّهُم مِّنۡ إِفۡكِهِمۡ لَيَقُولُونَ
Unquestionably, it is out of their [invented] falsehood that they say,
وَلَدَ ٱللَّهُ وَإِنَّهُمۡ لَكَٰذِبُونَ
"AllŒh has begotten," and indeed, they are liars.
أَصۡطَفَى ٱلۡبَنَاتِ عَلَى ٱلۡبَنِينَ
Has He chosen daughters over sons?
مَا لَكُمۡ كَيۡفَ تَحۡكُمُونَ
What is [wrong] with you? How do you make judgement?