Verse 7:164 in Context

Translator Abdel Haleem

160 وَقَطَّعۡنَـٰهُمُ ٱثۡنَتَیۡ عَشۡرَةَ أَسۡبَاطًا أُمَمࣰاۚ وَأَوۡحَیۡنَاۤ إِلَىٰ مُوسَىٰۤ إِذِ ٱسۡتَسۡقَىٰهُ قَوۡمُهُۥۤ أَنِ ٱضۡرِب بِّعَصَاكَ ٱلۡحَجَرَۖ فَٱنۢبَجَسَتۡ مِنۡهُ ٱثۡنَتَا عَشۡرَةَ عَیۡنࣰاۖ قَدۡ عَلِمَ كُلُّ أُنَاسࣲ مَّشۡرَبَهُمۡۚ وَظَلَّلۡنَا عَلَیۡهِمُ ٱلۡغَمَـٰمَ وَأَنزَلۡنَا عَلَیۡهِمُ ٱلۡمَنَّ وَٱلسَّلۡوَىٰۖ كُلُوا۟ مِن طَیِّبَـٰتِ مَا رَزَقۡنَـٰكُمۡۚ وَمَا ظَلَمُونَا وَلَـٰكِن كَانُوۤا۟ أَنفُسَهُمۡ یَظۡلِمُونَ ۝١٦٠ waqaṭṭaʿnāhumu ith'natay ʿashrata asbāṭan umaman wa-awḥaynā ilā mūsā idhi is'tasqāhu qawmuhu ani iḍ'rib biʿaṣāka l-ḥajara fa-inbajasat min'hu ith'natā ʿashrata ʿaynan qad ʿalima kullu unāsin mashrabahum waẓallalnā ʿalayhimu l-ghamāma wa-anzalnā ʿalayhimu l-mana wal-salwā kulū min ṭayyibāti mā razaqnākum wamā ẓalamūnā walākin kānū anfusahum yaẓlimūn We divided them into twelve tribes [as distinct] communities, and, when his people asked him for water, inspired Moses to strike the rock with his staff [so that] twelve springs gushed out. Each tribe knew its own drinking place; We gave them the shade of clouds and sent down to them manna and quails [saying], ‘Eat the good things We have provided for you.’ They did not wrong Us; it was themselves they wronged 161 وَإِذۡ قِیلَ لَهُمُ ٱسۡكُنُوا۟ هَـٰذِهِ ٱلۡقَرۡیَةَ وَكُلُوا۟ مِنۡهَا حَیۡثُ شِئۡتُمۡ وَقُولُوا۟ حِطَّةࣱ وَٱدۡخُلُوا۟ ٱلۡبَابَ سُجَّدࣰا نَّغۡفِرۡ لَكُمۡ خَطِیۤءَـٰتِكُمۡۚ سَنَزِیدُ ٱلۡمُحۡسِنِینَ ۝١٦١ wa-idh qīla lahumu us'kunū hādhihi l-qaryata wakulū min'hā ḥaythu shi'tum waqūlū ḥiṭṭatun wa-ud'khulū l-bāba sujjadan naghfir lakum khaṭīātikum sanazīdu l-muḥ'sinīn When they were told, ‘Enter this town and eat freely there as you will, but say, “Relieve us!” and enter its gate humbly: then We shall forgive you your sins, and increase the reward of those who do good,’ 162 فَبَدَّلَ ٱلَّذِینَ ظَلَمُوا۟ مِنۡهُمۡ قَوۡلًا غَیۡرَ ٱلَّذِی قِیلَ لَهُمۡ فَأَرۡسَلۡنَا عَلَیۡهِمۡ رِجۡزࣰا مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَاۤءِ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ یَظۡلِمُونَ ۝١٦٢ fabaddala alladhīna ẓalamū min'hum qawlan ghayra alladhī qīla lahum fa-arsalnā ʿalayhim rij'zan mina l-samāi bimā kānū yaẓlimūn the wrongdoers among them substituted another saying for that which had been given them, so We sent them a punishment from heaven for their wrongdoing 163 وَسۡءَلۡهُمۡ عَنِ ٱلۡقَرۡیَةِ ٱلَّتِی كَانَتۡ حَاضِرَةَ ٱلۡبَحۡرِ إِذۡ یَعۡدُونَ فِی ٱلسَّبۡتِ إِذۡ تَأۡتِیهِمۡ حِیتَانُهُمۡ یَوۡمَ سَبۡتِهِمۡ شُرَّعࣰا وَیَوۡمَ لَا یَسۡبِتُونَ لَا تَأۡتِیهِمۡۚ كَذَ ٰلِكَ نَبۡلُوهُم بِمَا كَانُوا۟ یَفۡسُقُونَ ۝١٦٣ wasalhum ʿani l-qaryati allatī kānat ḥāḍirata l-baḥri idh yaʿdūna fī l-sabti idh tatīhim ḥītānuhum yawma sabtihim shurraʿan wayawma lā yasbitūna lā tatīhim kadhālika nablūhum bimā kānū yafsuqūn [Prophet], ask them about the town by the sea; how its people broke the Sabbath when their fish surfaced for them only on that day, never on weekdays- We tested them in this way: because of their disobedience

164 وَإِذۡ قَالَتۡ أُمَّةࣱ مِّنۡهُمۡ لِمَ تَعِظُونَ قَوۡمًا ٱللَّهُ مُهۡلِكُهُمۡ أَوۡ مُعَذِّبُهُمۡ عَذَابࣰا شَدِیدࣰاۖ قَالُوا۟ مَعۡذِرَةً إِلَىٰ رَبِّكُمۡ وَلَعَلَّهُمۡ یَتَّقُونَ ۝١٦٤ wa-idh qālat ummatun min'hum lima taʿiẓūna qawman l-lahu muh'likuhum aw muʿadhibuhum ʿadhāban shadīdan qālū maʿdhiratan ilā rabbikum walaʿallahum yattaqūn how, when some of them asked [their preachers], ‘Why do you bother preaching to people God will destroy, or at least punish severely?’ [the preachers] answered, ‘In order to be free from your Lord’s blame, and so that they may perhaps take heed.’

165 فَلَمَّا نَسُوا۟ مَا ذُكِّرُوا۟ بِهِۦۤ أَنجَیۡنَا ٱلَّذِینَ یَنۡهَوۡنَ عَنِ ٱلسُّوۤءِ وَأَخَذۡنَا ٱلَّذِینَ ظَلَمُوا۟ بِعَذَابِۭ بَءِیسِۭ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ یَفۡسُقُونَ ۝١٦٥ falammā nasū mā dhukkirū bihi anjaynā alladhīna yanhawna ʿani l-sūi wa-akhadhnā alladhīna ẓalamū biʿadhābin baīsin bimā kānū yafsuqūn When they ignored [the warning] they were given, We saved those who forbade evil, and punished the wrongdoers severely because of their disobedience 166 فَلَمَّا عَتَوۡا۟ عَن مَّا نُهُوا۟ عَنۡهُ قُلۡنَا لَهُمۡ كُونُوا۟ قِرَدَةً خَـٰسِءِینَ ۝١٦٦ falammā ʿataw ʿan mā nuhū ʿanhu qul'nā lahum kūnū qiradatan khāsiīn When, in their arrogance, they persisted in doing what they had been forbidden to do, We said to them, ‘Be like apes! Be outcasts!’ 167 وَإِذۡ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكَ لَیَبۡعَثَنَّ عَلَیۡهِمۡ إِلَىٰ یَوۡمِ ٱلۡقِیَـٰمَةِ مَن یَسُومُهُمۡ سُوۤءَ ٱلۡعَذَابِۗ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَسَرِیعُ ٱلۡعِقَابِ وَإِنَّهُۥ لَغَفُورࣱ رَّحِیمࣱ ۝١٦٧ wa-idh ta-adhana rabbuka layabʿathanna ʿalayhim ilā yawmi l-qiyāmati man yasūmuhum sūa l-ʿadhābi inna rabbaka lasarīʿu l-ʿiqābi wa-innahu laghafūrun raḥīmu And then your Lord declared that, until the Day of Resurrection, He would send people against them to inflict terrible suffering on them. Your Lord is swift in punishment but He is most forgiving and merciful 168 وَقَطَّعۡنَـٰهُمۡ فِی ٱلۡأَرۡضِ أُمَمࣰاۖ مِّنۡهُمُ ٱلصَّـٰلِحُونَ وَمِنۡهُمۡ دُونَ ذَ ٰلِكَۖ وَبَلَوۡنَـٰهُم بِٱلۡحَسَنَـٰتِ وَٱلسَّیِّءَاتِ لَعَلَّهُمۡ یَرۡجِعُونَ ۝١٦٨ waqaṭṭaʿnāhum fī l-arḍi umaman min'humu l-ṣāliḥūna wamin'hum dūna dhālika wabalawnāhum bil-ḥasanāti wal-sayiāti laʿallahum yarjiʿūn We dispersed them over the earth in separate communities- some are righteous and some less so: We tested them with blessings and misfortunes, so that they might all return [to righteousness]