Verse 2:15 in Context

Translator Abdel Haleem

11 وَإِذَا قِیلَ لَهُمۡ لَا تُفۡسِدُوا۟ فِی ٱلۡأَرۡضِ قَالُوۤا۟ إِنَّمَا نَحۡنُ مُصۡلِحُونَ ۝١١ wa-idhā qīla lahum lā tuf'sidū fī l-arḍi qālū innamā naḥnu muṣ'liḥūn When it is said to them, ‘Do not cause corruption in the land,’ they say, ‘We are only putting things right,’ 12 أَلَاۤ إِنَّهُمۡ هُمُ ٱلۡمُفۡسِدُونَ وَلَـٰكِن لَّا یَشۡعُرُونَ ۝١٢ alā innahum humu l-muf'sidūna walākin lā yashʿurūn but really they are causing corruption, though they do not realize it 13 وَإِذَا قِیلَ لَهُمۡ ءَامِنُوا۟ كَمَاۤ ءَامَنَ ٱلنَّاسُ قَالُوۤا۟ أَنُؤۡمِنُ كَمَاۤ ءَامَنَ ٱلسُّفَهَاۤءُۗ أَلَاۤ إِنَّهُمۡ هُمُ ٱلسُّفَهَاۤءُ وَلَـٰكِن لَّا یَعۡلَمُونَ ۝١٣ wa-idhā qīla lahum āminū kamā āmana l-nāsu qālū anu'minu kamā āmana l-sufahāu alā innahum humu l-sufahāu walākin lā yaʿlamūn When it is said to them, ‘Believe, as the others believe,’ they say, ‘Should we believe as the fools do?’ but they are the fools, though they do not know it 14 وَإِذَا لَقُوا۟ ٱلَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوا۟ قَالُوۤا۟ ءَامَنَّا وَإِذَا خَلَوۡا۟ إِلَىٰ شَیَـٰطِینِهِمۡ قَالُوۤا۟ إِنَّا مَعَكُمۡ إِنَّمَا نَحۡنُ مُسۡتَهۡزِءُونَ ۝١٤ wa-idhā laqū alladhīna āmanū qālū āmannā wa-idhā khalaw ilā shayāṭīnihim qālū innā maʿakum innamā naḥnu mus'tahziūn When they meet the believers, they say, ‘We believe,’ but when they are alone with their evil ones, they say, ‘We’re really with you; we were only mocking.’

15 ٱللَّهُ یَسۡتَهۡزِئُ بِهِمۡ وَیَمُدُّهُمۡ فِی طُغۡیَـٰنِهِمۡ یَعۡمَهُونَ ۝١٥ al-lahu yastahzi-u bihim wayamudduhum fī ṭugh'yānihim yaʿmahūn God is mocking them, and allowing them more slack to wander blindly in their insolence

16 أُو۟لَـٰۤىِٕكَ ٱلَّذِینَ ٱشۡتَرَوُا۟ ٱلضَّلَـٰلَةَ بِٱلۡهُدَىٰ فَمَا رَبِحَت تِّجَـٰرَتُهُمۡ وَمَا كَانُوا۟ مُهۡتَدِینَ ۝١٦ ulāika alladhīna ish'tarawū l-ḍalālata bil-hudā famā rabiḥat tijāratuhum wamā kānū muh'tadīn They have bought error in exchange for guidance, so their trade reaps no profit, and they are not rightly guided 17 مَثَلُهُمۡ كَمَثَلِ ٱلَّذِی ٱسۡتَوۡقَدَ نَارࣰا فَلَمَّاۤ أَضَاۤءَتۡ مَا حَوۡلَهُۥ ذَهَبَ ٱللَّهُ بِنُورِهِمۡ وَتَرَكَهُمۡ فِی ظُلُمَـٰتࣲ لَّا یُبۡصِرُونَ ۝١٧ mathaluhum kamathali alladhī is'tawqada nāran falammā aḍāat mā ḥawlahu dhahaba l-lahu binūrihim watarakahum fī ẓulumātin lā yub'ṣirūn They are like people who [labour to] kindle a fire: when it lights up everything around them, God takes away all their light, leaving them in utter darkness, unable to see 18 صُمُّۢ بُكۡمٌ عُمۡیࣱ فَهُمۡ لَا یَرۡجِعُونَ ۝١٨ ṣummun buk'mun ʿum'yun fahum lā yarjiʿūn deaf, dumb, and blind: they will never return 19 أَوۡ كَصَیِّبࣲ مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَاۤءِ فِیهِ ظُلُمَـٰتࣱ وَرَعۡدࣱ وَبَرۡقࣱ یَجۡعَلُونَ أَصَـٰبِعَهُمۡ فِیۤ ءَاذَانِهِم مِّنَ ٱلصَّوَ ٰعِقِ حَذَرَ ٱلۡمَوۡتِۚ وَٱللَّهُ مُحِیطُۢ بِٱلۡكَـٰفِرِینَ ۝١٩ aw kaṣayyibin mina l-samāi fīhi ẓulumātun waraʿdun wabarqun yajʿalūna aṣābiʿahum fī ādhānihim mina l-ṣawāʿiqi ḥadhara l-mawti wal-lahu muḥīṭun bil-kāfirīn Or [like people who, under] a cloudburst from the sky, with its darkness, thunder, and lightning, put their fingers into their ears to keep out the thunderclaps for fear of death- God surrounds the disbelievers