وَلَقَد وَصَّلنا لَهُمُ القَولَ لَعَلَّهُم يَتَذَكَّرونَ

We’ve conveyed the Word to them, so they may remember.

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.”

وَقالوا إِن نَتَّبِعِ الهُدىٰ مَعَكَ نُتَخَطَّف مِن أَرضِنا ۚ أَوَلَم نُمَكِّن لَهُم حَرَمًا آمِنًا يُجبىٰ إِلَيهِ ثَمَراتُ كُلِّ شَيءٍ رِزقًا مِن لَدُنّا وَلـٰكِنَّ أَكثَرَهُم لا يَعلَمونَ

They argue, “If we follow the guidance with you, we will be displaced from our land.” Didn’t We establish for them a secure sanctuary, to which all kinds of fruits are brought, as sustenance from Us? Yet, most of them don’t understand.

وَكَم أَهلَكنا مِن قَريَةٍ بَطِرَت مَعيشَتَها ۖ فَتِلكَ مَساكِنُهُم لَم تُسكَن مِن بَعدِهِم إِلّا قَليلًا ۖ وَكُنّا نَحنُ الوارِثينَ

How many a city did We destroy while they were arrogant in their luxury? These are their dwellings, uninhabited after them except a little; We are the Inheritor.

وَما كانَ رَبُّكَ مُهلِكَ القُرىٰ حَتّىٰ يَبعَثَ في أُمِّها رَسولًا يَتلو عَلَيهِم آياتِنا ۚ وَما كُنّا مُهلِكِي القُرىٰ إِلّا وَأَهلُها ظالِمونَ

Your Lord never destroyed the towns until He has raised a messenger within them to relay to them Our revelations. We would never destroy a community unless its people were wrongdoers.

وَما أوتيتُم مِن شَيءٍ فَمَتاعُ الحَياةِ الدُّنيا وَزينَتُها ۚ وَما عِندَ اللَّهِ خَيرٌ وَأَبقىٰ ۚ أَفَلا تَعقِلونَ

What you’ve been given is merely for the enjoyment and decoration of this worldly life. What God possesses, however, is superior and more lasting. Don’t you understand?

أَفَمَن وَعَدناهُ وَعدًا حَسَنًا فَهُوَ لاقيهِ كَمَن مَتَّعناهُ مَتاعَ الحَياةِ الدُّنيا ثُمَّ هُوَ يَومَ القِيامَةِ مِنَ المُحضَرينَ

Is the one to whom We’ve promised a good promise—which he will attain—comparable to the one to whom We granted worldly pleasures, but who, on Resurrection Day, will be among the arraigned?