Verse 16:38 in Context

Translator Abdel Haleem

34 فَأَصَابَهُمۡ سَیِّءَاتُ مَا عَمِلُوا۟ وَحَاقَ بِهِم مَّا كَانُوا۟ بِهِۦ یَسۡتَهۡزِءُونَ ۝٣٤ fa-aṣābahum sayyiātu mā ʿamilū waḥāqa bihim mā kānū bihi yastahziūn So the evil they had done hit them and they were surrounded by the very thing they had mocked 35 وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِینَ أَشۡرَكُوا۟ لَوۡ شَاۤءَ ٱللَّهُ مَا عَبَدۡنَا مِن دُونِهِۦ مِن شَیۡءࣲ نَّحۡنُ وَلَاۤ ءَابَاۤؤُنَا وَلَا حَرَّمۡنَا مِن دُونِهِۦ مِن شَیۡءࣲۚ كَذَ ٰلِكَ فَعَلَ ٱلَّذِینَ مِن قَبۡلِهِمۡۚ فَهَلۡ عَلَى ٱلرُّسُلِ إِلَّا ٱلۡبَلَـٰغُ ٱلۡمُبِینُ ۝٣٥ waqāla alladhīna ashrakū law shāa l-lahu mā ʿabadnā min dūnihi min shayin naḥnu walā ābāunā walā ḥarramnā min dūnihi min shayin kadhālika faʿala alladhīna min qablihim fahal ʿalā l-rusuli illā l-balāghu l-mubīn Those who worshipped others alongside God say, ‘If God had willed, we would not have worshipped anything but Him, nor would our fathers. We would not have declared anything forbidden without His sanction.’ Those before them said the same. Are the messengers obliged to do anything other than deliver [their message] clearly 36 وَلَقَدۡ بَعَثۡنَا فِی كُلِّ أُمَّةࣲ رَّسُولًا أَنِ ٱعۡبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَٱجۡتَنِبُوا۟ ٱلطَّـٰغُوتَۖ فَمِنۡهُم مَّنۡ هَدَى ٱللَّهُ وَمِنۡهُم مَّنۡ حَقَّتۡ عَلَیۡهِ ٱلضَّلَـٰلَةُۚ فَسِیرُوا۟ فِی ٱلۡأَرۡضِ فَٱنظُرُوا۟ كَیۡفَ كَانَ عَـٰقِبَةُ ٱلۡمُكَذِّبِینَ ۝٣٦ walaqad baʿathnā fī kulli ummatin rasūlan ani uʿ'budū l-laha wa-ij'tanibū l-ṭāghūta famin'hum man hadā l-lahu wamin'hum man ḥaqqat ʿalayhi l-ḍalālatu fasīrū fī l-arḍi fa-unẓurū kayfa kāna ʿāqibatu l-mukadhibīn We sent a messenger to every community, saying, ‘Worship God and shun false gods.’ Among them were some God guided; misguidance took hold of others. So travel through the earth and see what was the fate of those who denied the truth 37 إِن تَحۡرِصۡ عَلَىٰ هُدَىٰهُمۡ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا یَهۡدِی مَن یُضِلُّۖ وَمَا لَهُم مِّن نَّـٰصِرِینَ ۝٣٧ in taḥriṣ ʿalā hudāhum fa-inna l-laha lā yahdī man yuḍillu wamā lahum min nāṣirīn Though you [Prophet] may be eager to guide them, God does not guide those who misguide [others], nor will they have anyone to help them

38 وَأَقۡسَمُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ جَهۡدَ أَیۡمَـٰنِهِمۡ لَا یَبۡعَثُ ٱللَّهُ مَن یَمُوتُۚ بَلَىٰ وَعۡدًا عَلَیۡهِ حَقࣰّا وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكۡثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا یَعۡلَمُونَ ۝٣٨ wa-aqsamū bil-lahi jahda aymānihim lā yabʿathu l-lahu man yamūtu balā waʿdan ʿalayhi ḥaqqan walākinna akthara l-nāsi lā yaʿlamūn They have sworn by God with their strongest oaths that He will not raise the dead to life. But He will- it is His binding promise, though most people do not realize it

39 لِیُبَیِّنَ لَهُمُ ٱلَّذِی یَخۡتَلِفُونَ فِیهِ وَلِیَعۡلَمَ ٱلَّذِینَ كَفَرُوۤا۟ أَنَّهُمۡ كَانُوا۟ كَـٰذِبِینَ ۝٣٩ liyubayyina lahumu alladhī yakhtalifūna fīhi waliyaʿlama alladhīna kafarū annahum kānū kādhibīn in order to make clear for them what they have differed about and so that the disbelievers may realize that what they said was false 40 إِنَّمَا قَوۡلُنَا لِشَیۡءٍ إِذَاۤ أَرَدۡنَـٰهُ أَن نَّقُولَ لَهُۥ كُن فَیَكُونُ ۝٤٠ innamā qawlunā lishayin idhā aradnāhu an naqūla lahu kun fayakūn When We will something to happen, all that We say is, ‘Be,’ and it is 41 وَٱلَّذِینَ هَاجَرُوا۟ فِی ٱللَّهِ مِنۢ بَعۡدِ مَا ظُلِمُوا۟ لَنُبَوِّئَنَّهُمۡ فِی ٱلدُّنۡیَا حَسَنَةࣰۖ وَلَأَجۡرُ ٱلۡءَاخِرَةِ أَكۡبَرُۚ لَوۡ كَانُوا۟ یَعۡلَمُونَ ۝٤١ wa-alladhīna hājarū fī l-lahi min baʿdi mā ẓulimū lanubawwi-annahum fī l-dun'yā ḥasanatan wala-ajru l-ākhirati akbaru law kānū yaʿlamūn As for those who emi-grated in God’s cause after being wronged, We shall give them a good home in this world, but the reward of the Hereafter will be far greater, if they only knew it 42 ٱلَّذِینَ صَبَرُوا۟ وَعَلَىٰ رَبِّهِمۡ یَتَوَكَّلُونَ ۝٤٢ alladhīna ṣabarū waʿalā rabbihim yatawakkalūn They are the ones who are steadfast and put their trust in their Lord