Verse 29:20 in Context

Translator Abdel Haleem

16 وَإِبۡرَ ٰهِیمَ إِذۡ قَالَ لِقَوۡمِهِ ٱعۡبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَٱتَّقُوهُۖ ذَ ٰلِكُمۡ خَیۡرࣱ لَّكُمۡ إِن كُنتُمۡ تَعۡلَمُونَ ۝١٦ wa-ib'rāhīma idh qāla liqawmihi uʿ'budū l-laha wa-ittaqūhu dhālikum khayrun lakum in kuntum taʿlamūn We also sent Abraham. He said to his people, ‘Serve God and be mindful of Him: that is better for you, if only you knew 17 إِنَّمَا تَعۡبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ أَوۡثَـٰنࣰا وَتَخۡلُقُونَ إِفۡكًاۚ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِینَ تَعۡبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ لَا یَمۡلِكُونَ لَكُمۡ رِزۡقࣰا فَٱبۡتَغُوا۟ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرِّزۡقَ وَٱعۡبُدُوهُ وَٱشۡكُرُوا۟ لَهُۥۤۖ إِلَیۡهِ تُرۡجَعُونَ ۝١٧ innamā taʿbudūna min dūni l-lahi awthānan watakhluqūna if'kan inna alladhīna taʿbudūna min dūni l-lahi lā yamlikūna lakum riz'qan fa-ib'taghū ʿinda l-lahi l-riz'qa wa-uʿ'budūhu wa-ush'kurū lahu ilayhi tur'jaʿūn What you worship instead of God are mere idols; what you invent is nothing but falsehood. Those you serve instead of God have no power to give you provisions, so seek provisions from God, serve Him, and give Him thanks: you will all be returned to Him 18 وَإِن تُكَذِّبُوا۟ فَقَدۡ كَذَّبَ أُمَمࣱ مِّن قَبۡلِكُمۡۖ وَمَا عَلَى ٱلرَّسُولِ إِلَّا ٱلۡبَلَـٰغُ ٱلۡمُبِینُ ۝١٨ wa-in tukadhibū faqad kadhaba umamun min qablikum wamā ʿalā l-rasūli illā l-balāghu l-mubīn If you say this is a lie, [be warned that] other communities before you said the same. The messenger’s only duty is to give clear warning.’ 19 أَوَ لَمۡ یَرَوۡا۟ كَیۡفَ یُبۡدِئُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡخَلۡقَ ثُمَّ یُعِیدُهُۥۤۚ إِنَّ ذَ ٰلِكَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ یَسِیرࣱ ۝١٩ awalam yaraw kayfa yub'di-u l-lahu l-khalqa thumma yuʿīduhu inna dhālika ʿalā l-lahi yasīru Do they not see that God brings life into being and reproduces it? Truly this is easy for God

20 قُلۡ سِیرُوا۟ فِی ٱلۡأَرۡضِ فَٱنظُرُوا۟ كَیۡفَ بَدَأَ ٱلۡخَلۡقَۚ ثُمَّ ٱللَّهُ یُنشِئُ ٱلنَّشۡأَةَ ٱلۡءَاخِرَةَۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَیۡءࣲ قَدِیرࣱ ۝٢٠ qul sīrū fī l-arḍi fa-unẓurū kayfa bada-a l-khalqa thumma l-lahu yunshi-u l-nashata l-ākhirata inna l-laha ʿalā kulli shayin qadīru Say, ‘Travel throughout the earth and see how He brings life into being: and He will bring the next life into being. God has power over all things

21 یُعَذِّبُ مَن یَشَاۤءُ وَیَرۡحَمُ مَن یَشَاۤءُۖ وَإِلَیۡهِ تُقۡلَبُونَ ۝٢١ yuʿadhibu man yashāu wayarḥamu man yashāu wa-ilayhi tuq'labūn He punishes whoever He will and shows mercy to whoever He will. You will all be returned to Him 22 وَمَاۤ أَنتُم بِمُعۡجِزِینَ فِی ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَلَا فِی ٱلسَّمَاۤءِۖ وَمَا لَكُم مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ مِن وَلِیࣲّ وَلَا نَصِیرࣲ ۝٢٢ wamā antum bimuʿ'jizīna fī l-arḍi walā fī l-samāi wamā lakum min dūni l-lahi min waliyyin walā naṣīri You cannot escape Him on earth or in the heavens; you will have no one to protect or help you besides God.’ 23 وَٱلَّذِینَ كَفَرُوا۟ بِءَایَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ وَلِقَاۤىِٕهِۦۤ أُو۟لَـٰۤىِٕكَ یَىِٕسُوا۟ مِن رَّحۡمَتِی وَأُو۟لَـٰۤىِٕكَ لَهُمۡ عَذَابٌ أَلِیمࣱ ۝٢٣ wa-alladhīna kafarū biāyāti l-lahi waliqāihi ulāika ya-isū min raḥmatī wa-ulāika lahum ʿadhābun alīmu Those who deny God’s Revelation and their meeting with Him have no hope of receiving My grace: they will have a grievous torment 24 فَمَا كَانَ جَوَابَ قَوۡمِهِۦۤ إِلَّاۤ أَن قَالُوا۟ ٱقۡتُلُوهُ أَوۡ حَرِّقُوهُ فَأَنجَىٰهُ ٱللَّهُ مِنَ ٱلنَّارِۚ إِنَّ فِی ذَ ٰلِكَ لَءَایَـٰتࣲ لِّقَوۡمࣲ یُؤۡمِنُونَ ۝٢٤ famā kāna jawāba qawmihi illā an qālū uq'tulūhu aw ḥarriqūhu fa-anjāhu l-lahu mina l-nāri inna fī dhālika laāyātin liqawmin yu'minūn The only answer Abraham’s people gave was, ‘Kill him or burn him!’ but God saved him from the Fire: there truly are signs in this for people who believe