Verse 21:40 in Context

Translator Abdel Haleem

36 وَإِذَا رَءَاكَ ٱلَّذِینَ كَفَرُوۤا۟ إِن یَتَّخِذُونَكَ إِلَّا هُزُوًا أَهَـٰذَا ٱلَّذِی یَذۡكُرُ ءَالِهَتَكُمۡ وَهُم بِذِكۡرِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ هُمۡ كَـٰفِرُونَ ۝٣٦ wa-idhā raāka alladhīna kafarū in yattakhidhūnaka illā huzuwan ahādhā alladhī yadhkuru ālihatakum wahum bidhik'ri l-raḥmāni hum kāfirūn When the disbelievers see you, they laugh at you: ‘Is this the one who talks about your gods?’ They reject any talk of the Lord of Mercy 37 خُلِقَ ٱلۡإِنسَـٰنُ مِنۡ عَجَلࣲۚ سَأُو۟رِیكُمۡ ءَایَـٰتِی فَلَا تَسۡتَعۡجِلُونِ ۝٣٧ khuliqa l-insānu min ʿajalin sa-urīkum āyātī falā tastaʿjilūn Man was created hasty: I will show you My signs soon, so do not ask Me to hasten them 38 وَیَقُولُونَ مَتَىٰ هَـٰذَا ٱلۡوَعۡدُ إِن كُنتُمۡ صَـٰدِقِینَ ۝٣٨ wayaqūlūna matā hādhā l-waʿdu in kuntum ṣādiqīn They say, ‘When will this promise be fulfilled, if what you say is true?’ 39 لَوۡ یَعۡلَمُ ٱلَّذِینَ كَفَرُوا۟ حِینَ لَا یَكُفُّونَ عَن وُجُوهِهِمُ ٱلنَّارَ وَلَا عَن ظُهُورِهِمۡ وَلَا هُمۡ یُنصَرُونَ ۝٣٩ law yaʿlamu alladhīna kafarū ḥīna lā yakuffūna ʿan wujūhihimu l-nāra walā ʿan ẓuhūrihim walā hum yunṣarūn If the disbelievers only knew, the time will arrive when they will not be able to ward off the Fire from their faces or their backs, and they will get no help

40 بَلۡ تَأۡتِیهِم بَغۡتَةࣰ فَتَبۡهَتُهُمۡ فَلَا یَسۡتَطِیعُونَ رَدَّهَا وَلَا هُمۡ یُنظَرُونَ ۝٤٠ bal tatīhim baghtatan fatabhatuhum falā yastaṭīʿūna raddahā walā hum yunẓarūn It will come upon them suddenly and stupefy them; they will be powerless to push it away; they will not be reprieved

41 وَلَقَدِ ٱسۡتُهۡزِئَ بِرُسُلࣲ مِّن قَبۡلِكَ فَحَاقَ بِٱلَّذِینَ سَخِرُوا۟ مِنۡهُم مَّا كَانُوا۟ بِهِۦ یَسۡتَهۡزِءُونَ ۝٤١ walaqadi us'tuh'zi-a birusulin min qablika faḥāqa bi-alladhīna sakhirū min'hum mā kānū bihi yastahziūn Messengers before you [Muhammad] were also ridiculed, but those who mocked them were overwhelmed in the end by the very thing they had mocked 42 قُلۡ مَن یَكۡلَؤُكُم بِٱلَّیۡلِ وَٱلنَّهَارِ مِنَ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِۚ بَلۡ هُمۡ عَن ذِكۡرِ رَبِّهِم مُّعۡرِضُونَ ۝٤٢ qul man yakla-ukum bi-al-layli wal-nahāri mina l-raḥmāni bal hum ʿan dhik'ri rabbihim muʿ'riḍūn Say, ‘Who could protect you night and day from the Lord of Mercy?’ Yet they turn away when their Lord is mentioned 43 أَمۡ لَهُمۡ ءَالِهَةࣱ تَمۡنَعُهُم مِّن دُونِنَاۚ لَا یَسۡتَطِیعُونَ نَصۡرَ أَنفُسِهِمۡ وَلَا هُم مِّنَّا یُصۡحَبُونَ ۝٤٣ am lahum ālihatun tamnaʿuhum min dūninā lā yastaṭīʿūna naṣra anfusihim walā hum minnā yuṣ'ḥabūn Do they have gods who can defend them against Us? Their gods have no power to help themselves, nor can they be protected from Us 44 بَلۡ مَتَّعۡنَا هَـٰۤؤُلَاۤءِ وَءَابَاۤءَهُمۡ حَتَّىٰ طَالَ عَلَیۡهِمُ ٱلۡعُمُرُۗ أَفَلَا یَرَوۡنَ أَنَّا نَأۡتِی ٱلۡأَرۡضَ نَنقُصُهَا مِنۡ أَطۡرَافِهَاۤۚ أَفَهُمُ ٱلۡغَـٰلِبُونَ ۝٤٤ bal mattaʿnā hāulāi waābāahum ḥattā ṭāla ʿalayhimu l-ʿumuru afalā yarawna annā natī l-arḍa nanquṣuhā min aṭrāfihā afahumu l-ghālibūn We have allowed these sinners and their forefathers to enjoy life for a long time. But do they not see how We are shrinking their borders? Is it they who will prevail