وَكَمْ قَصَمْنَا مِن قَرْيَةٍۢ كَانَتْ ظَالِمَةًۭ وَأَنشَأْنَا بَعْدَهَا قَوْمًا ءَاخَرِينَ ١١
21:11 | And how many a city which was unjust ¹ have We shattered and produced after it another people.
Footnote 21:11 (1):🅧
i.e., its inhabitants persisting in wrongdoing.
فَلَمَّآ أَحَسُّوا۟ بَأْسَنَآ إِذَا هُم مِّنْهَا يَرْكُضُونَ ١٢
21:12 | And when they [i.e., its inhabitants] perceived Our punishment, at once they fled from it.
لَا تَرْكُضُوا۟ وَٱرْجِعُوٓا۟ إِلَىٰ مَآ أُتْرِفْتُمْ فِيهِ وَمَسَـٰكِنِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُسْـَٔلُونَ ١٣
21:13 | [Some angels said], "Do not flee but return to where you were given luxury and to your homes - perhaps you will be questioned." ¹
Footnote 21:13 (1):🅧
About what happened to you. This is said to them in sarcasm and ridicule.
قَالُوا۟ يَـٰوَيْلَنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا ظَـٰلِمِينَ ١٤
21:14 | They said, "O woe to us! Indeed, we were wrongdoers."
فَمَا زَالَت تِّلْكَ دَعْوَىٰهُمْ حَتَّىٰ جَعَلْنَـٰهُمْ حَصِيدًا خَـٰمِدِينَ ١٥
21:15 | And that declaration of theirs did not cease until We made them [as] a harvest [mowed down], extinguished [like a fire].
وَمَا خَلَقْنَا ٱلسَّمَآءَ وَٱلْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا لَـٰعِبِينَ ١٦
21:16 | And We did not create the heaven and earth and that between them in play.
لَوْ أَرَدْنَآ أَن نَّتَّخِذَ لَهْوًۭا لَّٱتَّخَذْنَـٰهُ مِن لَّدُنَّآ إِن كُنَّا فَـٰعِلِينَ ١٧
21:17 | Had We intended to take a diversion, ¹ We could have taken it from [what is] with Us - if [indeed] We were to do so.
Footnote 21:17 (1):🅧
Such as a wife or a child.
بَلْ نَقْذِفُ بِٱلْحَقِّ عَلَى ٱلْبَـٰطِلِ فَيَدْمَغُهُۥ فَإِذَا هُوَ زَاهِقٌۭ ۚ وَلَكُمُ ٱلْوَيْلُ مِمَّا تَصِفُونَ ١٨
21:18 | Rather, We dash the truth upon falsehood, and it destroys it, ¹ and thereupon it departs. And for you is destruction from that which you describe. ²
Footnote 21:18 (1):🅧
Literally, "strikes its brain," disabling or killing it.
Footnote 21:18 (2):🅧
Of untruth concerning Allāh, particularly here, the claim that He has a son or other "partner" in divinity.
وَلَهُۥ مَن فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ وَمَنْ عِندَهُۥ لَا يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبَادَتِهِۦ وَلَا يَسْتَحْسِرُونَ ١٩
21:19 | To Him belongs whoever is in the heavens and the earth. And those near Him [i.e., the angels] are not prevented by arrogance from His worship, nor do they tire.
يُسَبِّحُونَ ٱلَّيْلَ وَٱلنَّهَارَ لَا يَفْتُرُونَ ٢٠
21:20 | They exalt [Him] night and day [and] do not slacken.
أَمِ ٱتَّخَذُوٓا۟ ءَالِهَةًۭ مِّنَ ٱلْأَرْضِ هُمْ يُنشِرُونَ ٢١
21:21 | Or have they [i.e., men] taken for themselves gods from the earth who resurrect [the dead]?
لَوْ كَانَ فِيهِمَآ ءَالِهَةٌ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُ لَفَسَدَتَا ۚ فَسُبْحَـٰنَ ٱللَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَرْشِ عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ ٢٢
21:22 | Had there been within them [i.e., the heavens and earth] gods besides Allāh, they both would have been ruined. So exalted is Allāh, Lord of the Throne, above what they describe.
لَا يُسْـَٔلُ عَمَّا يَفْعَلُ وَهُمْ يُسْـَٔلُونَ ٢٣
21:23 | He is not questioned about what He does, but they will be questioned.
أَمِ ٱتَّخَذُوا۟ مِن دُونِهِۦٓ ءَالِهَةًۭ ۖ قُلْ هَاتُوا۟ بُرْهَـٰنَكُمْ ۖ هَـٰذَا ذِكْرُ مَن مَّعِىَ وَذِكْرُ مَن قَبْلِى ۗ بَلْ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ٱلْحَقَّ ۖ فَهُم مُّعْرِضُونَ ٢٤
21:24 | Or have they taken gods besides Him? Say, [O Muḥammad], "Produce your proof. This [Qur’ān] is the message for those with me and the message of those before me." ¹ But most of them do not know the truth, so they are turning away.
Footnote 21:24 (1):🅧
All previous prophets called for the worship of Allāh alone.