divine justice and punishment

فَأَخْرَجْنَا مَن كَانَ فِيهَا مِنَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ

So We brought out whoever was in them [i.e., the cities] of the believers.

فَأَخَذْنَـٰهُ وَجُنُودَهُۥ فَنَبَذْنَـٰهُمْ فِى ٱلْيَمِّ وَهُوَ مُلِيمٌ

So We took him and his soldiers and cast them into the sea, and he was blameworthy.

وَإِنَّ لِلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا۟ عَذَابًا دُونَ ذَٰلِكَ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

And indeed, for those who have wronged is a punishment before that, but most of them do not know.

وَأَنَّهُۥٓ أَهْلَكَ عَادًا ٱلْأُولَىٰ

And that He destroyed the first [people of] ʿAad.

وَٱلْمُؤْتَفِكَةَ أَهْوَىٰ

And the overturned towns He hurled down.

يَوْمَ يُسْحَبُونَ فِى ٱلنَّارِ عَلَىٰ وُجُوهِهِمْ ذُوقُوا۟ مَسَّ سَقَرَ

The Day they are dragged into the Fire on their faces [it will be said], "Taste the touch of Saqar."

يُرْسَلُ عَلَيْكُمَا شُوَاظٌ مِّن نَّارٍ وَنُحَاسٌ فَلَا تَنتَصِرَانِ

There will be sent upon you a flame of fire and smoke, and you will not defend yourselves.

لَّا بَارِدٍ وَلَا كَرِيمٍ

Neither cool nor beneficial.

لَـَٔاكِلُونَ مِن شَجَرٍ مِّن زَقُّومٍ

Will be eating from trees of zaqqūm

وَأَمَّآ إِن كَانَ مِنَ ٱلْمُكَذِّبِينَ ٱلضَّآلِّينَ

But if he was of the deniers [who were] astray,

ٱتَّخَذُوٓا۟ أَيْمَـٰنَهُمْ جُنَّةً فَصَدُّوا۟ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ فَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ مُّهِينٌ

They took their [false] oaths as a cover, so they averted [people] from the way of Allāh, and for them is a humiliating punishment.

ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ شَآقُّوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ ۖ وَمَن يُشَآقِّ ٱللَّهَ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ شَدِيدُ ٱلْعِقَابِ

That is because they opposed Allāh and His Messenger. And whoever opposes Allāh - then indeed, Allāh is severe in penalty.

قُلْ أَرَءَيْتُمْ إِنْ أَهْلَكَنِىَ ٱللَّهُ وَمَن مَّعِىَ أَوْ رَحِمَنَا فَمَن يُجِيرُ ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ مِنْ عَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ

Say, [O Muḥammad], "Have you considered: whether Allāh should cause my death and those with me or have mercy upon us, who can protect the disbelievers from a painful punishment?"

فَذَرْنِى وَمَن يُكَذِّبُ بِهَـٰذَا ٱلْحَدِيثِ ۖ سَنَسْتَدْرِجُهُم مِّنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

So leave Me, [O Muḥammad], with [the matter of] whoever denies this statement [i.e., the Qur’ān]. We will progressively lead them [to punishment] from where they do not know.

كَذَّبَتْ ثَمُودُ وَعَادٌۢ بِٱلْقَارِعَةِ

Thamūd and ʿAad denied the Striking Calamity [i.e., the Resurrection].

وَلَا طَعَامٌ إِلَّا مِنْ غِسْلِينٍ

Nor any food except from the discharge of wounds;

لِّلطَّـٰغِينَ مَـَٔابًا

For the transgressors, a place of return,

فَأَخَذَهُ ٱللَّهُ نَكَالَ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ وَٱلْأُولَىٰٓ

So Allāh seized him in exemplary punishment for the last and the first [transgression]..

إِذْ هُمْ عَلَيْهَا قُعُودٌ

When they were sitting near it.

إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ فَتَنُوا۟ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنَـٰتِ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَتُوبُوا۟ فَلَهُمْ عَذَابُ جَهَنَّمَ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابُ ٱلْحَرِيقِ

Indeed, those who have tortured the believing men and believing women and then have not repented will have the punishment of Hell, and they will have the punishment of the Burning Fire.

هَلْ أَتَىٰكَ حَدِيثُ ٱلْجُنُودِ

Has there reached you the story of the soldiers -

ٱلَّذِى يَصْلَى ٱلنَّارَ ٱلْكُبْرَىٰ

[He] who will [enter and] burn in the greatest Fire,

أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ فَعَلَ رَبُّكَ بِعَادٍ

Have you not considered how your Lord dealt with ʿAad -

عَلَيْهِمْ نَارٌ مُّؤْصَدَةٌۢ

Over them will be fire closed in.

فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَعَقَرُوهَا فَدَمْدَمَ عَلَيْهِمْ رَبُّهُم بِذَنۢبِهِمْ فَسَوَّىٰهَا

But they denied him and hamstrung her. So their Lord brought down upon them destruction for their sin and made it equal [upon all of them].

مَآ أَغْنَىٰ عَنْهُ مَالُهُۥ وَمَا كَسَبَ

His wealth will not avail him or that which he gained.

وَٱمْرَأَتُهُۥ حَمَّالَةَ ٱلْحَطَبِ

And his wife [as well] - the carrier of firewood.