Verse 10:18 in Context

Translator Abdel Haleem

14 ثُمَّ جَعَلۡنَـٰكُمۡ خَلَـٰۤىِٕفَ فِی ٱلۡأَرۡضِ مِنۢ بَعۡدِهِمۡ لِنَنظُرَ كَیۡفَ تَعۡمَلُونَ ۝١٤ thumma jaʿalnākum khalāifa fī l-arḍi min baʿdihim linanẓura kayfa taʿmalūn Later We made you their successors in the land, to see how you would behave 15 وَإِذَا تُتۡلَىٰ عَلَیۡهِمۡ ءَایَاتُنَا بَیِّنَـٰتࣲ قَالَ ٱلَّذِینَ لَا یَرۡجُونَ لِقَاۤءَنَا ٱئۡتِ بِقُرۡءَانٍ غَیۡرِ هَـٰذَاۤ أَوۡ بَدِّلۡهُۚ قُلۡ مَا یَكُونُ لِیۤ أَنۡ أُبَدِّلَهُۥ مِن تِلۡقَاۤىِٕ نَفۡسِیۤۖ إِنۡ أَتَّبِعُ إِلَّا مَا یُوحَىٰۤ إِلَیَّۖ إِنِّیۤ أَخَافُ إِنۡ عَصَیۡتُ رَبِّی عَذَابَ یَوۡمٍ عَظِیمࣲ ۝١٥ wa-idhā tut'lā ʿalayhim āyātunā bayyinātin qāla alladhīna lā yarjūna liqāanā i'ti biqur'ānin ghayri hādhā aw baddil'hu qul mā yakūnu lī an ubaddilahu min til'qāi nafsī in attabiʿu illā mā yūḥā ilayya innī akhāfu in ʿaṣaytu rabbī ʿadhāba yawmin ʿaẓīmi When Our clear revelations are recited to them, those who do not expect to meet with Us say, ‘Bring [us] a different Quran, or change it.’ [Prophet], say, ‘It is not for me to change it of my own accord; I only follow what is revealed to me, for I fear the torment of an awesome Day, if I were to disobey my Lord.’ 16 قُل لَّوۡ شَاۤءَ ٱللَّهُ مَا تَلَوۡتُهُۥ عَلَیۡكُمۡ وَلَاۤ أَدۡرَىٰكُم بِهِۦۖ فَقَدۡ لَبِثۡتُ فِیكُمۡ عُمُرࣰا مِّن قَبۡلِهِۦۤۚ أَفَلَا تَعۡقِلُونَ ۝١٦ qul law shāa l-lahu mā talawtuhu ʿalaykum walā adrākum bihi faqad labith'tu fīkum ʿumuran min qablihi afalā taʿqilūn Say, ‘If God had so willed, I would not have recited it to you, nor would He have made it known to you. I lived a whole lifetime among you before it came to me. How can you not use your reason?’ 17 فَمَنۡ أَظۡلَمُ مِمَّنِ ٱفۡتَرَىٰ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ كَذِبًا أَوۡ كَذَّبَ بِءَایَـٰتِهِۦۤۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَا یُفۡلِحُ ٱلۡمُجۡرِمُونَ ۝١٧ faman aẓlamu mimmani if'tarā ʿalā l-lahi kadhiban aw kadhaba biāyātihi innahu lā yuf'liḥu l-muj'rimūn Who could be more wicked than someone who invents lies against God or denies His revelations? The guilty will never prosper

18 وَیَعۡبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا یَضُرُّهُمۡ وَلَا یَنفَعُهُمۡ وَیَقُولُونَ هَـٰۤؤُلَاۤءِ شُفَعَـٰۤؤُنَا عِندَ ٱللَّهِۚ قُلۡ أَتُنَبِّءُونَ ٱللَّهَ بِمَا لَا یَعۡلَمُ فِی ٱلسَّمَـٰوَ ٰتِ وَلَا فِی ٱلۡأَرۡضِۚ سُبۡحَـٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَـٰلَىٰ عَمَّا یُشۡرِكُونَ ۝١٨ wayaʿbudūna min dūni l-lahi mā lā yaḍurruhum walā yanfaʿuhum wayaqūlūna hāulāi shufaʿāunā ʿinda l-lahi qul atunabbiūna l-laha bimā lā yaʿlamu fī l-samāwāti walā fī l-arḍi sub'ḥānahu wataʿālā ʿammā yush'rikūn They worship alongside God things that can neither harm nor benefit them, and say, ‘These are our intercessors with God.’ Say, ‘Do you think you can tell God about something He knows not to exist in the heavens or earth? Glory be to Him! He is far above the partner-gods they associate with Him

19 وَمَا كَانَ ٱلنَّاسُ إِلَّاۤ أُمَّةࣰ وَ ٰحِدَةࣰ فَٱخۡتَلَفُوا۟ۚ وَلَوۡلَا كَلِمَةࣱ سَبَقَتۡ مِن رَّبِّكَ لَقُضِیَ بَیۡنَهُمۡ فِیمَا فِیهِ یَخۡتَلِفُونَ ۝١٩ wamā kāna l-nāsu illā ummatan wāḥidatan fa-ikh'talafū walawlā kalimatun sabaqat min rabbika laquḍiya baynahum fīmā fīhi yakhtalifūn All people were originally one single community, but later they differed. If it had not been for a word from your Lord, the preordained judgement would already have been passed between them regarding their differences 20 وَیَقُولُونَ لَوۡلَاۤ أُنزِلَ عَلَیۡهِ ءَایَةࣱ مِّن رَّبِّهِۦۖ فَقُلۡ إِنَّمَا ٱلۡغَیۡبُ لِلَّهِ فَٱنتَظِرُوۤا۟ إِنِّی مَعَكُم مِّنَ ٱلۡمُنتَظِرِینَ ۝٢٠ wayaqūlūna lawlā unzila ʿalayhi āyatun min rabbihi faqul innamā l-ghaybu lillahi fa-intaẓirū innī maʿakum mina l-muntaẓirīn They say, ‘Why has no miraculous sign been sent down to him from his Lord?’ Say [Prophet], ‘Only God knows the unseen, so wait- I too am waiting.’ 21 وَإِذَاۤ أَذَقۡنَا ٱلنَّاسَ رَحۡمَةࣰ مِّنۢ بَعۡدِ ضَرَّاۤءَ مَسَّتۡهُمۡ إِذَا لَهُم مَّكۡرࣱ فِیۤ ءَایَاتِنَاۚ قُلِ ٱللَّهُ أَسۡرَعُ مَكۡرًاۚ إِنَّ رُسُلَنَا یَكۡتُبُونَ مَا تَمۡكُرُونَ ۝٢١ wa-idhā adhaqnā l-nāsa raḥmatan min baʿdi ḍarrāa massathum idhā lahum makrun fī āyātinā quli l-lahu asraʿu makran inna rusulanā yaktubūna mā tamkurūn No sooner do We let people taste some mercy after some hardship has afflicted them, than they begin to scheme against Our revelations. Say, ‘God schemes even faster.’ Our messengersrecord all your scheming 22 هُوَ ٱلَّذِی یُسَیِّرُكُمۡ فِی ٱلۡبَرِّ وَٱلۡبَحۡرِۖ حَتَّىٰۤ إِذَا كُنتُمۡ فِی ٱلۡفُلۡكِ وَجَرَیۡنَ بِهِم بِرِیحࣲ طَیِّبَةࣲ وَفَرِحُوا۟ بِهَا جَاۤءَتۡهَا رِیحٌ عَاصِفࣱ وَجَاۤءَهُمُ ٱلۡمَوۡجُ مِن كُلِّ مَكَانࣲ وَظَنُّوۤا۟ أَنَّهُمۡ أُحِیطَ بِهِمۡ دَعَوُا۟ ٱللَّهَ مُخۡلِصِینَ لَهُ ٱلدِّینَ لَىِٕنۡ أَنجَیۡتَنَا مِنۡ هَـٰذِهِۦ لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلشَّـٰكِرِینَ ۝٢٢ huwa alladhī yusayyirukum fī l-bari wal-baḥri ḥattā idhā kuntum fī l-ful'ki wajarayna bihim birīḥin ṭayyibatin wafariḥū bihā jāathā rīḥun ʿāṣifun wajāahumu l-mawju min kulli makānin waẓannū annahum uḥīṭa bihim daʿawū l-laha mukh'liṣīna lahu l-dīna la-in anjaytanā min hādhihi lanakūnanna mina l-shākirīn It is He who enables you to travel on land and sea until, when you are sailing on ships and rejoicing in the favouring wind, a storm arrives: waves come at those on board from all sides and they feel there is no escape. Then they pray to God, professing sincere devotion to Him, ‘If You save us from this we shall be truly thankful.’