Verse 21:42 in Context

Translator Abdel Haleem

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 45 قُلۡ إِنَّمَاۤ أُنذِرُكُم بِٱلۡوَحۡیِۚ وَلَا یَسۡمَعُ ٱلصُّمُّ ٱلدُّعَاۤءَ إِذَا مَا یُنذَرُونَ ۝٤٥ qul innamā undhirukum bil-waḥyi walā yasmaʿu l-ṣumu l-duʿāa idhā mā yundharūn Say, ‘I warn you only through the Revelation.’ The deaf will not hear the warning call 46 وَلَىِٕن مَّسَّتۡهُمۡ نَفۡحَةࣱ مِّنۡ عَذَابِ رَبِّكَ لَیَقُولُنَّ یَـٰوَیۡلَنَاۤ إِنَّا كُنَّا ظَـٰلِمِینَ ۝٤٦ wala-in massathum nafḥatun min ʿadhābi rabbika layaqūlunna yāwaylanā innā kunnā ẓālimīn yet if a mere breath of your Lord’s punishment touches them, they will be sure to cry, ‘Woe to us! We were wrong!’