Sūra VII.: A’rāf, or the Heights

Section 21

163. Wais-alhum AAani alqaryati allatee kanat hadirata albahri ith yaAAdoona fee alssabti ith ta/teehim heetanuhum yawma sabtihim shurraAAan wayawma la yasbitoona la ta/teehim kathalika nabloohum bima kanoo yafsuqoona

163. Ask them concerning the town
Standing close by the sea.
Behold! they transgressed
In the matter of the Sabbath.
For on the day of their Sabbath
Their fish did come to them,
Openly holding up their heads,
But on the day they had
No Sabbath, they came not:
Thus did We make a trial
Of them, for they were
Given to transgression.

164. Wa-ith qalat ommatun minhum lima taAAithoona qawman Allahu muhlikuhum aw muAAaththibuhum AAathaban shadeedan qaloo maAAthiratan ila rabbikum walaAAallahum yattaqoona

164. When some of them said:
"Why do ye preach
To a people whom God
Will destroy or visit
With a terrible punishment?"—
Said the preachers: "To discharge
Our duty to your Lord,
And perchance they may fear Him."

165. Falamma nasoo ma thukkiroo bihi anjayna allatheena yanhawna AAani alssoo-i waakhathna allatheena thalamoo biAAathabin ba-eesin bima kanoo yafsuqoona

165. When they disregarded the warnings
That had been given them,
We rescued those who forbade
Evil; but We visited
The wrong-doers with a
Grievous punishment, because
They were given to transgression.

166. Falamma AAataw AAan ma nuhoo AAanhu qulna lahum koonoo qiradatan khasi-eena

166. When in their insolence
They transgressed (all) prohibitions,
We said to them:
"Be ye apes,
Despised and rejected."

167. Wa-ith taaththana rabbuka layabAAathanna AAalayhim ila yawmi alqiyamati man yasoomuhum soo-a alAAathabi inna rabbaka lasareeAAu alAAiqabi wa-innahu laghafoorun raheemun

167. Behold! thy Lord did declare
That He would send
Against them, to the Day
Of Judgment, those who would
Afflict them with grievous
Penalty. Thy Lord is quick
In retribution, but He is also
Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.

168. WaqattaAAnahum fee al-ardi omaman minhumu alssalihoona waminhum doona thalika wabalawnahum bialhasanati waalssayyi-ati laAAallahum yarjiAAoona

168. We broke them up
Into sections on this earth.
There are among them some
That are the righteous, and some
That are the opposite.
We have tried them
With both prosperity and adversity:
In order that they
Might turn (to Us).

169. Fakhalafa min baAAdihim khalfun warithoo alkitaba ya/khuthoona AAarada hatha al-adna wayaqooloona sayughfaru lana wa-in ya/tihim AAaradun mithluhu ya/khuthoohu alam yu/khath AAalayhim meethaqu alkitabi an la yaqooloo AAala Allahi illa alhaqqa wadarasoo ma feehi waalddaru al-akhiratu khayrun lillatheena yattaqoona afala taAAqiloona

169. After them succeeded
An (evil) generation: they
Inherited the Book, but
They chose (for themselves)
The vanities of this world,
Saying (for excuse): "(Everything)
Will be forgiven us."
(Even so), if similar vanities
Came their way, they would
(Again) seize them.
Was not the Covenant
Of the Book taken from them,
That they would not
Ascribe to God anything
But the truth? And they
Study what is in the Book.
But best for the righteous
Is the Home in the Hereafter.
Will ye not understand?

170. Waallatheena yumassikoona bialkitabi waaqamoo alssalata inna la nudeeAAu ajra almusliheena

170. As to those who hold fast
By the Book and establish
Regular Prayer,—never
Shall we suffer the reward
Of the righteous to perish.

171. Wa-ith nataqna aljabala fawqahum kaannahu thullatun wathannoo annahu waqiAAun bihim khuthoo ma ataynakum biquwwatin waothkuroo ma feehi laAAallakum tattaqoona

171. When We shook the Mount
Over them, as if it had been
A canopy, and they thought
It was going to fall on them
(We said): "Hold firmly
To what We have given you,
And bring (ever) to remembrance
What is therein;
Perchance ye may fear God."

Next: Section 22 (172-181)