وَما كُنتَ بِجانِبِ الطّورِ إِذ نادَينا وَلـٰكِن رَحمَةً مِن رَبِّكَ لِتُنذِرَ قَومًا ما أَتاهُم مِن نَذيرٍ مِن قَبلِكَ لَعَلَّهُم يَتَذَكَّرونَ

You weren’t at the base of the Mount when We called out. However, it’s an act of mercy from your Lord, to warn a people to whom no warner had come before, so they may become aware.

وَلَولا أَن تُصيبَهُم مُصيبَةٌ بِما قَدَّمَت أَيديهِم فَيَقولوا رَبَّنا لَولا أَرسَلتَ إِلَينا رَسولًا فَنَتَّبِعَ آياتِكَ وَنَكونَ مِنَ المُؤمِنينَ

Thus, if a calamity befalls them due to their actions, they can’t say, “Our Lord, if only You had sent us a messenger, we would’ve followed Your guidance and been among the believers.”

فَلَمّا جاءَهُمُ الحَقُّ مِن عِندِنا قالوا لَولا أوتِيَ مِثلَ ما أوتِيَ موسىٰ ۚ أَوَلَم يَكفُروا بِما أوتِيَ موسىٰ مِن قَبلُ ۖ قالوا سِحرانِ تَظاهَرا وَقالوا إِنّا بِكُلٍّ كافِرونَ

Now, when the truth has come to them from Us, they argue, “Why wasn’t he given something similar to what Moses received?” Didn’t they reject what was previously given to Moses? And they say, “These two are mixed-up magic spells, and we reject both.”

قُل فَأتوا بِكِتابٍ مِن عِندِ اللَّهِ هُوَ أَهدىٰ مِنهُما أَتَّبِعهُ إِن كُنتُم صادِقينَ

Say, “Then produce a scripture from God that offers superior guidance than these two, and I will follow it, if you are truthful.”

فَإِن لَم يَستَجيبوا لَكَ فَاعلَم أَنَّما يَتَّبِعونَ أَهواءَهُم ۚ وَمَن أَضَلُّ مِمَّنِ اتَّبَعَ هَواهُ بِغَيرِ هُدًى مِنَ اللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لا يَهدِي القَومَ الظّالِمينَ

If they fail to respond to you, know that they are merely following their desires. And who is more astray than one who follows his desires without guidance from God? God does not guide the wrongdoers.

الَّذينَ آتَيناهُمُ الكِتابَ مِن قَبلِهِ هُم بِهِ يُؤمِنونَ

Those to whom We’ve given the Scripture before this, are believers in it.

وَإِذا يُتلىٰ عَلَيهِم قالوا آمَنّا بِهِ إِنَّهُ الحَقُّ مِن رَبِّنا إِنّا كُنّا مِن قَبلِهِ مُسلِمينَ

When it’s conveyed to them, they assert, “We believe in it; it’s the truth from our Lord. Even before its revelation, we were already Submitters.”

أُولـٰئِكَ يُؤتَونَ أَجرَهُم مَرَّتَينِ بِما صَبَروا وَيَدرَءونَ بِالحَسَنَةِ السَّيِّئَةَ وَمِمّا رَزَقناهُم يُنفِقونَ

These will be given their reward twice over, because they persevered. They fend off evil with good, and they spend out of what We’ve provided for them.

وَإِذا سَمِعُوا اللَّغوَ أَعرَضوا عَنهُ وَقالوا لَنا أَعمالُنا وَلَكُم أَعمالُكُم سَلامٌ عَلَيكُم لا نَبتَغِي الجاهِلينَ

When they hear idle talk, they turn away from it, saying, “To us our deeds, and to you your deeds. Peace be upon you; we don’t engage with the ignorant.”

إِنَّكَ لا تَهدي مَن أَحبَبتَ وَلـٰكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَهدي مَن يَشاءُ ۚ وَهُوَ أَعلَمُ بِالمُهتَدينَ

You can’t guide whom you love, but God guides whom He wills. He knows best those who are guided.