Verse 6:8 in Context

Translator Abdel Haleem

4 وَمَا تَأۡتِیهِم مِّنۡ ءَایَةࣲ مِّنۡ ءَایَـٰتِ رَبِّهِمۡ إِلَّا كَانُوا۟ عَنۡهَا مُعۡرِضِینَ ۝٤ wamā tatīhim min āyatin min āyāti rabbihim illā kānū ʿanhā muʿ'riḍīn but every time revelation comes to them from their Lord, they turn their backs on it 5 فَقَدۡ كَذَّبُوا۟ بِٱلۡحَقِّ لَمَّا جَاۤءَهُمۡ فَسَوۡفَ یَأۡتِیهِمۡ أَنۢبَـٰۤؤُا۟ مَا كَانُوا۟ بِهِۦ یَسۡتَهۡزِءُونَ ۝٥ faqad kadhabū bil-ḥaqi lammā jāahum fasawfa yatīhim anbāu mā kānū bihi yastahziūn So they denied the truth when it came to them, but the very thing they laughed at will be brought home to them 6 أَلَمۡ یَرَوۡا۟ كَمۡ أَهۡلَكۡنَا مِن قَبۡلِهِم مِّن قَرۡنࣲ مَّكَّنَّـٰهُمۡ فِی ٱلۡأَرۡضِ مَا لَمۡ نُمَكِّن لَّكُمۡ وَأَرۡسَلۡنَا ٱلسَّمَاۤءَ عَلَیۡهِم مِّدۡرَارࣰا وَجَعَلۡنَا ٱلۡأَنۡهَـٰرَ تَجۡرِی مِن تَحۡتِهِمۡ فَأَهۡلَكۡنَـٰهُم بِذُنُوبِهِمۡ وَأَنشَأۡنَا مِنۢ بَعۡدِهِمۡ قَرۡنًا ءَاخَرِینَ ۝٦ alam yaraw kam ahlaknā min qablihim min qarnin makkannāhum fī l-arḍi mā lam numakkin lakum wa-arsalnā l-samāa ʿalayhim mid'rāran wajaʿalnā l-anhāra tajrī min taḥtihim fa-ahlaknāhum bidhunūbihim wa-anshanā min baʿdihim qarnan ākharīn Do they not realize how many generations We destroyed before them? We established them in the earth more firmly than you, sent down abundant rain on them from the sky and made running rivers flow at their feet, yet We destroyed them for their misdeeds and raised other generations after them 7 وَلَوۡ نَزَّلۡنَا عَلَیۡكَ كِتَـٰبࣰا فِی قِرۡطَاسࣲ فَلَمَسُوهُ بِأَیۡدِیهِمۡ لَقَالَ ٱلَّذِینَ كَفَرُوۤا۟ إِنۡ هَـٰذَاۤ إِلَّا سِحۡرࣱ مُّبِینࣱ ۝٧ walaw nazzalnā ʿalayka kitāban fī qir'ṭāsin falamasūhu bi-aydīhim laqāla alladhīna kafarū in hādhā illā siḥ'run mubīnu Even if We had sent down to you [Prophet] a book inscribed on parchment, and they had touched it with their own hands, the disbelievers would still say, ‘This is nothing but blatant sorcery.’

8 وَقَالُوا۟ لَوۡلَاۤ أُنزِلَ عَلَیۡهِ مَلَكࣱۖ وَلَوۡ أَنزَلۡنَا مَلَكࣰا لَّقُضِیَ ٱلۡأَمۡرُ ثُمَّ لَا یُنظَرُونَ ۝٨ waqālū lawlā unzila ʿalayhi malakun walaw anzalnā malakan laquḍiya l-amru thumma lā yunẓarūn They say, ‘Why was no angel sent down to [support] him?’ But had We sent down an angel, their judgement would have come at once with no respite given

9 وَلَوۡ جَعَلۡنَـٰهُ مَلَكࣰا لَّجَعَلۡنَـٰهُ رَجُلࣰا وَلَلَبَسۡنَا عَلَیۡهِم مَّا یَلۡبِسُونَ ۝٩ walaw jaʿalnāhu malakan lajaʿalnāhu rajulan walalabasnā ʿalayhim mā yalbisūn Indeed, if We had sent an angel as messenger, We would still have sent him in the form of a man, so increasing their confusion 10 وَلَقَدِ ٱسۡتُهۡزِئَ بِرُسُلࣲ مِّن قَبۡلِكَ فَحَاقَ بِٱلَّذِینَ سَخِرُوا۟ مِنۡهُم مَّا كَانُوا۟ بِهِۦ یَسۡتَهۡزِءُونَ ۝١٠ walaqadi us'tuh'zi-a birusulin min qablika faḥāqa bi-alladhīna sakhirū min'hum mā kānū bihi yastahziūn Messengers have been mocked before you [Muhammad], and those who mocked them were engulfed by the very punishment they had mocked 11 قُلۡ سِیرُوا۟ فِی ٱلۡأَرۡضِ ثُمَّ ٱنظُرُوا۟ كَیۡفَ كَانَ عَـٰقِبَةُ ٱلۡمُكَذِّبِینَ ۝١١ qul sīrū fī l-arḍi thumma unẓurū kayfa kāna ʿāqibatu l-mukadhibīn Say, ‘Travel throughout the earth and see what fate befell those who rejected the truth.’ 12 قُل لِّمَن مَّا فِی ٱلسَّمَـٰوَ ٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۖ قُل لِّلَّهِۚ كَتَبَ عَلَىٰ نَفۡسِهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَةَۚ لَیَجۡمَعَنَّكُمۡ إِلَىٰ یَوۡمِ ٱلۡقِیَـٰمَةِ لَا رَیۡبَ فِیهِۚ ٱلَّذِینَ خَسِرُوۤا۟ أَنفُسَهُمۡ فَهُمۡ لَا یُؤۡمِنُونَ ۝١٢ qul liman mā fī l-samāwāti wal-arḍi qul lillahi kataba ʿalā nafsihi l-raḥmata layajmaʿannakum ilā yawmi l-qiyāmati lā rayba fīhi alladhīna khasirū anfusahum fahum lā yu'minūn Say, ‘To whom belongs all that is in the heavens and earth?’ Say, ‘To God. He has taken it upon Himself to be merciful. He will certainly gather you on the Day of Resurrection, which is beyond all doubt. Those who deceive themselves will not believe