الأعراف

7 - The Purgatory (Al-A'araf)

Order of Revelation: 39

وَلَوْ أَنَّ أَهْلَ الْقُرَىٰ آمَنُوا وَاتَّقَوْا لَفَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِم بَرَكَاتٍ مِّنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَلَٰكِن كَذَّبُوا فَأَخَذْنَاهُم بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ

Transliteration:

Walaw anna ahla alqura amanoo waittaqaw lafatahna AAalayhim barakatin mina alssama-i waal-ardi walakin kaththaboo faakhathnahum bima kanoo yaksiboona

Word by Word:

And if [that] people (of) the cities (had) believed and feared Allah surely We (would have) opened upon them blessings from the heaven and the earth but they denied. So We seized them for what they used to earn.

Translations:

Yet if the people of those communities had but attained to faith and been conscious of Us, We would indeed have opened up for them blessings out of heaven and earth: but they gave the lie to the truth - and so We took them to task through what they [themselves] had been doing.

If the people of the towns had but believed and feared God, We should indeed have opened out to them (All kinds of) blessings from heaven and earth; but they rejected (the truth), and We brought them to book for their misdeeds.

And if the people of the townships had believed and kept from evil, surely We should have opened for them blessings from the sky and from the earth. But (unto every messenger) they gave the lie, and so We seized them on account of what they used to earn.

And if the people of the towns had believed and kept their duty, We would certainly have opened for them blessings from he heavens and the earth. But they rejected, so We seized them for what they earned.

And if only the people of the cities had believed and feared Allah , We would have opened upon them blessings from the heaven and the earth; but they denied [the messengers], so We seized them for what they were earning."

أَفَأَمِنَ أَهْلُ الْقُرَىٰ أَن يَأْتِيَهُم بَأْسُنَا بَيَاتًا وَهُمْ نَائِمُونَ

Transliteration:

Afaamina ahlu alqura an ya/tiyahum ba/suna bayatan wahum na-imoona

Word by Word:

Then did feel secure (the) people (of) the cities that comes to them Our punishment (at) night while they (were) asleep?

Translations:

Can, then, the people of any community ever feel secure that Our punishment will not come upon them by night, while they are asleep?

Did the people of the towns feel secure against the coming of Our wrath by night while they were asleep?

Are the people of the townships then secure from the coming of Our wrath upon them as a night-raid while they sleep?

Are the people of the towns, then, secure from Our punishment coming to them by night while they sleep?

Then, did the people of the cities feel secure from Our punishment coming to them at night while they were asleep?

أَوَأَمِنَ أَهْلُ الْقُرَىٰ أَن يَأْتِيَهُم بَأْسُنَا ضُحًى وَهُمْ يَلْعَبُونَ

Transliteration:

Awa amina ahlu alqura an ya/tiyahum ba/suna duhan wahum yalAAaboona

Word by Word:

Or felt secure (the) people (of) the cities that comes to them Our punishment (in) daylight while they (were) playing?

Translations:

Why, can the people of any community ever feel secure that Our punishment will not come upon them in broad daylight, while they are engaged in (worldly] play?

Or else did they feel secure against its coming in broad daylight while they played about (care-free)?

Or are the people of the townships then secure from the coming of Our wrath upon them in the daytime while they play?

Or, are the people of the towns secure from Our punishment coming to them in the morning while they play?

Or did the people of the cities feel secure from Our punishment coming to them in the morning while they were at play?

أَفَأَمِنُوا مَكْرَ اللَّهِ فَلَا يَأْمَنُ مَكْرَ اللَّهِ إِلَّا الْقَوْمُ الْخَاسِرُونَ

Transliteration:

Afaaminoo makra Allahi fala ya/manu makra Allahi illa alqawmu alkhasiroona

Word by Word:

Then did they feel secure (from the) plan (of) Allah? But not feel secure (from the) plan (of) Allah except the people (who are) the losers.

Translations:

Can they, then, ever feel secure from God's deep devising? But none feels secure from God's deep devising save people who are [already] lost.

Did they then feel secure against the plan of God?- but no one can feel secure from the Plan of God, except those (doomed) to ruin!

Are they then secure from Allah's scheme? None deemeth himself secure from Allah's scheme save folk that perish.

Are they secure from Allah's plan? But none feels secure from Allah's plan except the people who perish.

Then did they feel secure from the plan of Allah ? But no one feels secure from the plan of Allah except the losing people.

أَوَلَمْ يَهْدِ لِلَّذِينَ يَرِثُونَ الْأَرْضَ مِن بَعْدِ أَهْلِهَا أَن لَّوْ نَشَاءُ أَصَبْنَاهُم بِذُنُوبِهِمْ وَنَطْبَعُ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ فَهُمْ لَا يَسْمَعُونَ

Transliteration:

Awa lam yahdi lillatheena yarithoona al-arda min baAAdi ahliha an law nashao asabnahum bithunoobihim wanatbaAAu AAala quloobihim fahum la yasmaAAoona

Word by Word:

Would it not guide [for] those who inherit the land after its people that if We willed, We (could) afflict them for their sins and We put a seal over their hearts so they (do) not hear?

Translations:

Has it, then, not become obvious unto those who have inherited the earth in the wake of former generations that, if We so willed, We could smite them [too] by means of their sins, sealing their hearts so that they cannot hear [the truth]?

To those who inherit the earth in succession to its (previous) possessors, is it not a guiding, (lesson) that, if We so willed, We could punish them (too) for their sins, and seal up their hearts so that they could not hear?

Is it not an indication to those who inherit the land after its people (who thus reaped the consequence of evil-doing) that, if We will, We can smite them for their sins and print upon their hearts so that they hear not?

Is it not clear to those who inherit the earth after its (former) residents that, if We please, We would afflict them for their sins, and seal their hearts so they would not hear?

Has it not become clear to those who inherited the earth after its [previous] people that if We willed, We could afflict them for their sins? But We seal over their hearts so they do not hear.

تِلْكَ الْقُرَىٰ نَقُصُّ عَلَيْكَ مِنْ أَنبَائِهَا وَلَقَدْ جَاءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُم بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ فَمَا كَانُوا لِيُؤْمِنُوا بِمَا كَذَّبُوا مِن قَبْلُ كَذَٰلِكَ يَطْبَعُ اللَّهُ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِ الْكَافِرِينَ

Transliteration:

Tilka alqura naqussu AAalayka min anba-iha walaqad jaat-hum rusuluhum bialbayyinati fama kanoo liyu/minoo bima kaththaboo min qablu kathalika yatbaAAu Allahu AAala quloobi alkafireena

Word by Word:

These (were) the cities - We relate to you of their news. And certainly came to them their Messengers with clear proofs, but not they were to believe in what they (had) denied before. Thus Allah put a seal on (the) hearts (of) the disbelievers.

Translations:

Unto those [earlier] communities - some of whose stories We [now] relate unto thee -there had indeed come apostles of their own with all evidence of the truth; but they would not believe in anything to which they had once given the lie: thus it is that God seals the hearts of those who deny the truth;

Such were the towns whose story We (thus) relate unto thee: There came indeed to them their apostles with clear (signs): But they would not believe what they had rejected before. Thus doth God seal up the hearts of those who reject faith.

Such were the townships. We relate some tidings of them unto thee (Muhammad). Their messengers verily came unto them with clear proofs (of Allah's Sovereignty), but they could not believe because they had before denied. Thus doth Allah print upon the hearts of disbelievers (that they hear not).

Such were the towns some of whose news We have related to thee. And certainly their messengers came to them with clear arguments, but they would not believe what they had rejected before. Thus does Allah seal the hearts of the disbelievers.

Those cities - We relate to you, [O Muhammad], some of their news. And certainly did their messengers come to them with clear proofs, but they were not to believe in that which they had denied before. Thus does Allah seal over the hearts of the disbelievers.