Verse 21:5 in Context

Translator Abdel Haleem

1 ۞ ٱقۡتَرَبَ لِلنَّاسِ حِسَابُهُمۡ وَهُمۡ فِی غَفۡلَةࣲ مُّعۡرِضُونَ ۝١ iq'taraba lilnnāsi ḥisābuhum wahum fī ghaflatin muʿ'riḍūn Ever closer to people draws their reckoning, while they turn away, heedless 2 مَا یَأۡتِیهِم مِّن ذِكۡرࣲ مِّن رَّبِّهِم مُّحۡدَثٍ إِلَّا ٱسۡتَمَعُوهُ وَهُمۡ یَلۡعَبُونَ ۝٢ mā yatīhim min dhik'rin min rabbihim muḥ'dathin illā is'tamaʿūhu wahum yalʿabūn Whenever any fresh revelation comes to them from their Lord, they listen to it playfull 3 لَاهِیَةࣰ قُلُوبُهُمۡۗ وَأَسَرُّوا۟ ٱلنَّجۡوَى ٱلَّذِینَ ظَلَمُوا۟ هَلۡ هَـٰذَاۤ إِلَّا بَشَرࣱ مِّثۡلُكُمۡۖ أَفَتَأۡتُونَ ٱلسِّحۡرَ وَأَنتُمۡ تُبۡصِرُونَ ۝٣ lāhiyatan qulūbuhum wa-asarrū l-najwā alladhīna ẓalamū hal hādhā illā basharun mith'lukum afatatūna l-siḥ'ra wa-antum tub'ṣirūn with frivolous hearts. The evildoers conferred in secret: ‘Is this man anything but a mortal like yourselves? Are you going to fall under his spell with your eyes wide open?’ 4 قَالَ رَبِّی یَعۡلَمُ ٱلۡقَوۡلَ فِی ٱلسَّمَاۤءِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۖ وَهُوَ ٱلسَّمِیعُ ٱلۡعَلِیمُ ۝٤ qāla rabbī yaʿlamu l-qawla fī l-samāi wal-arḍi wahuwa l-samīʿu l-ʿalīm He said, ‘My Lord knows everything that is said in the heavens and the earth: He is the All Hearing, the All Knowing.’

5 بَلۡ قَالُوۤا۟ أَضۡغَـٰثُ أَحۡلَـٰمِۭ بَلِ ٱفۡتَرَىٰهُ بَلۡ هُوَ شَاعِرࣱ فَلۡیَأۡتِنَا بِءَایَةࣲ كَمَاۤ أُرۡسِلَ ٱلۡأَوَّلُونَ ۝٥ bal qālū aḍghāthu aḥlāmin bali if'tarāhu bal huwa shāʿirun falyatinā biāyatin kamā ur'sila l-awalūn Some say, ‘Muddled dreams’; others, ‘He made it up’; yet others, ‘He is just a poet, let him show us a sign as previous messengers did.’

6 مَاۤ ءَامَنَتۡ قَبۡلَهُم مِّن قَرۡیَةٍ أَهۡلَكۡنَـٰهَاۤۖ أَفَهُمۡ یُؤۡمِنُونَ ۝٦ mā āmanat qablahum min qaryatin ahlaknāhā afahum yu'minūn But of the communities We destroyed before them not a single one believed. Will these now believe 7 وَمَاۤ أَرۡسَلۡنَا قَبۡلَكَ إِلَّا رِجَالࣰا نُّوحِیۤ إِلَیۡهِمۡۖ فَسۡءَلُوۤا۟ أَهۡلَ ٱلذِّكۡرِ إِن كُنتُمۡ لَا تَعۡلَمُونَ ۝٧ wamā arsalnā qablaka illā rijālan nūḥī ilayhim fasalū ahla l-dhik'ri in kuntum lā taʿlamūn And even before your time [Prophet], all the messengers We sent were only men We inspired–– if you [disbelievers] do not know, ask people who know the Scripture–– 8 وَمَا جَعَلۡنَـٰهُمۡ جَسَدࣰا لَّا یَأۡكُلُونَ ٱلطَّعَامَ وَمَا كَانُوا۟ خَـٰلِدِینَ ۝٨ wamā jaʿalnāhum jasadan lā yakulūna l-ṭaʿāma wamā kānū khālidīn We did not give them bodies that ate no food, nor were they immortal 9 ثُمَّ صَدَقۡنَـٰهُمُ ٱلۡوَعۡدَ فَأَنجَیۡنَـٰهُمۡ وَمَن نَّشَاۤءُ وَأَهۡلَكۡنَا ٱلۡمُسۡرِفِینَ ۝٩ thumma ṣadaqnāhumu l-waʿda fa-anjaynāhum waman nashāu wa-ahlaknā l-mus'rifīn We fulfilled Our promise to them in the end: We saved them and those We wished to save, and We destroyed those who exceeded all bounds