وَقَالُواْ لَوۡلَا يَأۡتِينَا بِ‍َٔايَةٖ مِّن رَّبِّهِۦٓۚ أَوَلَمۡ تَأۡتِهِم بَيِّنَةُ مَا فِي ٱلصُّحُفِ ٱلۡأُولَىٰ 133

133        And they said: “Why does he not bring us a proof (of his Prophethood) from his Creator? Has clear proof not come to them in the earlier Scriptures [about the coming of the Prophet Muhammad (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him)]?

وَلَوۡ أَنَّآ أَهۡلَكۡنَٰهُم بِعَذَابٖ مِّن قَبۡلِهِۦ لَقَالُواْ رَبَّنَا لَوۡلَآ أَرۡسَلۡتَ إِلَيۡنَا رَسُولٗا فَنَتَّبِعَ ءَايَٰتِكَ مِن قَبۡلِ أَن نَّذِلَّ وَنَخۡزَىٰ 134

134        And if We have destroyed them with a torment before this [i.e. the coming of Prophet Muhammad (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him)], they would surely have said: “Our Creator! Why did you not send a messenger to us so that we could follow Your revelations before we were humiliated and disgraced?”

قُلۡ كُلّٞ مُّتَرَبِّصٞ فَتَرَبَّصُواْۖ فَسَتَعۡلَمُونَ مَنۡ أَصۡحَٰبُ ٱلصِّرَٰطِ ٱلسَّوِيِّ وَمَنِ ٱهۡتَدَىٰ 135

135        [Hence, disbelievers’ this excuse is not valid any more. They say when will that torment come? O Muhammad (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him)!] Say: “Everyone is waiting, so you wait too. And you shall soon come to know who are on the Straight Path and who are guided (to the Right Path).”

ٱقۡتَرَبَ لِلنَّاسِ حِسَابُهُمۡ وَهُمۡ فِي غَفۡلَةٖ مُّعۡرِضُونَ 1

1 So his people had no other answer to give except that they said: “Expel the family of Lut ( peace be upon him )  from your town since they pretend to be clean and pure people.”

مَا يَأۡتِيهِم مِّن ذِكۡرٖ مِّن رَّبِّهِم مُّحۡدَثٍ إِلَّا ٱسۡتَمَعُوهُ وَهُمۡ يَلۡعَبُونَ 2

2        Whenever a new piece of advice (i.e. the Quranic revelation) comes to them from their Creator, they listen to it as a play (and a joke, and don’t ponder over it).

لَاهِيَةٗ قُلُوبُهُمۡۗ وَأَسَرُّواْ ٱلنَّجۡوَى ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ هَلۡ هَٰذَآ إِلَّا بَشَرٞ مِّثۡلُكُمۡۖ أَفَتَأۡتُونَ ٱلسِّحۡرَ وَأَنتُمۡ تُبۡصِرُونَ 3

3        Their hearts are not attentive to it at all and these wrong-doers whisper secretly saying: “Is he not a human being like you then why should you be carried away by his magic while you see it?”

قَالَ رَبِّي يَعۡلَمُ ٱلۡقَوۡلَ فِي ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۖ وَهُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلۡعَلِيمُ 4

4        [Muhammad (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him)] said: “My Creator is fully aware of every word uttered in the heavens and on the earth. And He is the All-Hearer, the All-Knower,”

بَلۡ قَالُوٓاْ أَضۡغَٰثُ أَحۡلَٰمِۢ بَلِ ٱفۡتَرَىٰهُ بَلۡ هُوَ شَاعِرٞ فَلۡيَأۡتِنَا بِ‍َٔايَةٖ كَمَآ أُرۡسِلَ ٱلۡأَوَّلُونَ 5

5        In fact, the disbelievers say: “This Quran is the collection of false dreams. In fact, he has coined it himself, rather he is a poet. Otherwise he would have brought to us a miracle like the former messengers [e.g. like the stick of Musa ( peace be upon him ) ]”.

مَآ ءَامَنَتۡ قَبۡلَهُم مِّن قَرۡيَةٍ أَهۡلَكۡنَٰهَآۖ أَفَهُمۡ يُؤۡمِنُونَ 6

6        The communities which We have destroyed before remained disbelievers (even after witnessing the miracles), would they believe (after witnessing the demanded miracles)? (Not at all).

وَمَآ أَرۡسَلۡنَا قَبۡلَكَ إِلَّا رِجَالٗا نُّوحِيٓ إِلَيۡهِمۡۖ فَسۡ‍َٔلُوٓاْ أَهۡلَ ٱلذِّكۡرِ إِن كُنتُمۡ لَا تَعۡلَمُونَ 7

7        And all the messengers We sent before you were men (and human beings). We sent Our revelations to them. So you can verify this from the People of the Scriptures, if you don’t know.

وَمَا جَعَلۡنَٰهُمۡ جَسَدٗا لَّا يَأۡكُلُونَ ٱلطَّعَامَ وَمَا كَانُواْ خَٰلِدِينَ 8

8        And We did not create them with bodies that they do not have to eat meals, nor did they live forever. (This is the proof that they were human beings).

ثُمَّ صَدَقۡنَٰهُمُ ٱلۡوَعۡدَ فَأَنجَيۡنَٰهُمۡ وَمَن نَّشَآءُ وَأَهۡلَكۡنَا ٱلۡمُسۡرِفِينَ 9

9        Then We fulfilled all Our promises made to them, and We saved them whom We willed and We destroyed the transgressors.

لَقَدۡ أَنزَلۡنَآ إِلَيۡكُمۡ كِتَٰبٗا فِيهِ ذِكۡرُكُمۡۚ أَفَلَا تَعۡقِلُونَ 10

10        Indeed, We have sent down a Book (the Quran) for you which is (full of) reminders. Don’t you understand this? (Note that Arabs became well-known only because of the Quran).

وَكَمۡ قَصَمۡنَا مِن قَرۡيَةٖ كَانَتۡ ظَالِمَةٗ وَأَنشَأۡنَا بَعۡدَهَا قَوۡمًا ءَاخَرِينَ 11

11        And how many communities gave in to wrongdoing We have destroyed and then raised another nation after them.

فَلَمَّآ أَحَسُّواْ بَأۡسَنَآ إِذَا هُم مِّنۡهَا يَرۡكُضُونَ 12

12        So when they saw Our torment (approaching them), they suddenly (tried to) flee from it.

لَا تَرۡكُضُواْ وَٱرۡجِعُوٓاْ إِلَىٰ مَآ أُتۡرِفۡتُمۡ فِيهِ وَمَسَٰكِنِكُمۡ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تُسۡ‍َٔلُونَ 13

13        Don’t flee. And return to where you enjoyed a luxurious life and to your homes, in order that you may be questioned.

قَالُواْ يَٰوَيۡلَنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا ظَٰلِمِينَ 14

14        They said: “Woe to us! Indeed, we have been the wrong-doers.”

فَمَا زَالَت تِّلۡكَ دَعۡوَىٰهُمۡ حَتَّىٰ جَعَلۡنَٰهُمۡ حَصِيدًا خَٰمِدِينَ 15

15        So they kept uttering this (i.e. they confessed their wrong-doing), till We made them (like a) reaped harvest and extinguished fire).

وَمَا خَلَقۡنَا ٱلسَّمَآءَ وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ وَمَا بَيۡنَهُمَا لَٰعِبِينَ 16

16        And We did not create the heavens and the earth and all that is between them for just a play (they are created with great wisdom and benefits in them). Also see 15:89, 19:65, 20:6, 25:59

لَوۡ أَرَدۡنَآ أَن نَّتَّخِذَ لَهۡوٗا لَّٱتَّخَذۡنَٰهُ مِن لَّدُنَّآ إِن كُنَّا فَٰعِلِينَ 17

17        Had We been keen to have a pastime, We would have done so from Us, if We were to do it. (With-out making this elaborate system of the heavens and the earth and placing living creatures in there).