أَمِ ٱتَّخَذَ مِمَّا يَخۡلُقُ بَنَاتٖ وَأَصۡفَىٰكُم بِٱلۡبَنِينَ 16

16 Or has Allah kept daughters for Himself out of what He has created and He has chosen sons for you?

وَإِذَا بُشِّرَ أَحَدُهُم بِمَا ضَرَبَ لِلرَّحۡمَٰنِ مَثَلٗا ظَلَّ وَجۡهُهُۥ مُسۡوَدّٗا وَهُوَ كَظِيمٌ 17

17 And when one of them is given news of (a female child), that which he uses as an example for the Most Gracious (Allah), his face turns dark filled with grief (the whole day).

أَوَمَن يُنَشَّؤُاْ فِي ٱلۡحِلۡيَةِ وَهُوَ فِي ٱلۡخِصَامِ غَيۡرُ مُبِينٖ 18

18 Or (do they like for Allah) those who are brought up in ornamentation (i.e. female), and whose speech is not very clear in disputes?

وَجَعَلُواْ ٱلۡمَلَٰٓئِكَةَ ٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ عِبَٰدُ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ إِنَٰثًاۚ أَشَهِدُواْ خَلۡقَهُمۡۚ سَتُكۡتَبُ شَهَٰدَتُهُمۡ وَيُسۡ‍َٔلُونَ 19

19 And they made the angels, who are slaves of the Most Gracious (Allah) fe-males. Did they witness the creation of angels? Their testimony (which is without any proof) will be recorded, and they will be questioned about it.

وَقَالُواْ لَوۡ شَآءَ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنُ مَا عَبَدۡنَٰهُمۗ مَّا لَهُم بِذَٰلِكَ مِنۡ عِلۡمٍۖ إِنۡ هُمۡ إِلَّا يَخۡرُصُونَ 20

20 And they say: “If Allah willed, we would not have worshipped false deities (i.e. if Allah was unhappy with our worship of false deities, He would have stopped us by force).” They have no (factual) knowledge about it. They are only talking from their guess work (or telling lies).

أَمۡ ءَاتَيۡنَٰهُمۡ كِتَٰبٗا مِّن قَبۡلِهِۦ فَهُم بِهِۦ مُسۡتَمۡسِكُونَ 21

21 Or have We given them any Book before this (the Quran) which they are holding onto firmly? 

بَلۡ قَالُوٓاْ إِنَّا وَجَدۡنَآ ءَابَآءَنَا عَلَىٰٓ أُمَّةٖ وَإِنَّا عَلَىٰٓ ءَاثَٰرِهِم مُّهۡتَدُونَ 22

22 (Not at all), in fact, they say: “We found our forefathers following a (specif-ic) religion, and we are following their footsteps.”

وَكَذَٰلِكَ مَآ أَرۡسَلۡنَا مِن قَبۡلِكَ فِي قَرۡيَةٖ مِّن نَّذِيرٍ إِلَّا قَالَ مُتۡرَفُوهَآ إِنَّا وَجَدۡنَآ ءَابَآءَنَا عَلَىٰٓ أُمَّةٖ وَإِنَّا عَلَىٰٓ ءَاثَٰرِهِم مُّقۡتَدُونَ 23

23 And, similarly, whenever We sent a warner before you [O Muhammad (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him)!] to any com-munity, the well-to-do people among them said: “We found our fore-fathers following a (specific) reli-gion, and we will, indeed, follow their footsteps.”

۞قَٰلَ أَوَلَوۡ جِئۡتُكُم بِأَهۡدَىٰ مِمَّا وَجَدتُّمۡ عَلَيۡهِ ءَابَآءَكُمۡۖ قَالُوٓاْ إِنَّا بِمَآ أُرۡسِلۡتُم بِهِۦ كَٰفِرُونَ 24

24 (The warner said): “Even though I bring you a better guidance than that which your forefathers had?” They said: “Indeed, we disbelieve in that with which you have been sent.”

فَٱنتَقَمۡنَا مِنۡهُمۡۖ فَٱنظُرۡ كَيۡفَ كَانَ عَٰقِبَةُ ٱلۡمُكَذِّبِينَ 25

25 So We took revenge from them. Hence, see what was the end of those who denied. 

وَإِذۡ قَالَ إِبۡرَٰهِيمُ لِأَبِيهِ وَقَوۡمِهِۦٓ إِنَّنِي بَرَآءٞ مِّمَّا تَعۡبُدُونَ 26

26 And (remember) when Ibrahim ( peace be upon him )said to his father and his people: “Indeed, I am fed up with (and have no relation with) what you worship.”

إِلَّا ٱلَّذِي فَطَرَنِي فَإِنَّهُۥ سَيَهۡدِينِ 27

27 “Except He Who created me, so He will, indeed, guide me.”

وَجَعَلَهَا كَلِمَةَۢ بَاقِيَةٗ فِي عَقِبِهِۦ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَرۡجِعُونَ 28

28 And he [Ibrahim ] left this very wording (i.e. worship Allah alone) among his children so that they turn back (to repent to Allah).

بَلۡ مَتَّعۡتُ هَٰٓؤُلَآءِ وَءَابَآءَهُمۡ حَتَّىٰ جَآءَهُمُ ٱلۡحَقُّ وَرَسُولٞ مُّبِينٞ 29

29 In fact, I gave luxurious lives to them and to their forefathers till the truth came to them (i.e. the Quran) and a messenger [Muhammad (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him)] making things clear to them.

وَلَمَّا جَآءَهُمُ ٱلۡحَقُّ قَالُواْ هَٰذَا سِحۡرٞ وَإِنَّا بِهِۦ كَٰفِرُونَ 30

30 And when the truth (this Quran) came to them,  they (the disbelievers) said: “This is magic, and we don’t believe in it.”

وَقَالُواْ لَوۡلَا نُزِّلَ هَٰذَا ٱلۡقُرۡءَانُ عَلَىٰ رَجُلٖ مِّنَ ٱلۡقَرۡيَتَيۡنِ عَظِيمٍ 31

31 And they said: “Why is not this Quran sent down to some (important) per-sons of the two towns (Makkah and Taif)?”

أَهُمۡ يَقۡسِمُونَ رَحۡمَتَ رَبِّكَۚ نَحۡنُ قَسَمۡنَا بَيۡنَهُم مَّعِيشَتَهُمۡ فِي ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَاۚ وَرَفَعۡنَا بَعۡضَهُمۡ فَوۡقَ بَعۡضٖ دَرَجَٰتٖ لِّيَتَّخِذَ بَعۡضُهُم بَعۡضٗا سُخۡرِيّٗاۗ وَرَحۡمَتُ رَبِّكَ خَيۡرٞ مِّمَّا يَجۡمَعُونَ 32

32 Do they distribute the Mercy (i.e. Prophethood) of your Creator? We dis-tribute their livelihood in this worldly life and (in this distribution) We raise some of them above others in ranks, so that they may employ the others in their work. But the Mercy (i.e. Paradise) of your Creator is far superior to (the world-ly wealth) which they accumulate.

وَلَوۡلَآ أَن يَكُونَ ٱلنَّاسُ أُمَّةٗ وَٰحِدَةٗ لَّجَعَلۡنَا لِمَن يَكۡفُرُ بِٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ لِبُيُوتِهِمۡ سُقُفٗا مِّن فِضَّةٖ وَمَعَارِجَ عَلَيۡهَا يَظۡهَرُونَ 33

33 And were it not that whole mankind become one community (of disbelievers desiring the pomp and show of the worldly life), we would have made for those who disbelieve in the Most Gracious (Allah), silver roofs for their houses and the ladders (or elevators) by which they ascend (and descend).

وَلِبُيُوتِهِمۡ أَبۡوَٰبٗا وَسُرُرًا عَلَيۡهَا يَتَّكِ‍ُٔونَ 34

34 And for their houses, doors (of silver) and couches (of silver) on which they recline.

وَزُخۡرُفٗاۚ وَإِن كُلُّ ذَٰلِكَ لَمَّا مَتَٰعُ ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَاۚ وَٱلۡأٓخِرَةُ عِندَ رَبِّكَ لِلۡمُتَّقِينَ 35

35 And of gold too (i.e. some things of silver and others of gold to add to the beauty). And, indeed, all these things are only the enjoyment of this worldly life and the Hereafter with your Creator is (only) for the pious persons.