rejection of divine guidance

فَكَفَرُوا۟ بِهِۦ ۖ فَسَوْفَ يَعْلَمُونَ

But they disbelieved in it, so they are going to know.

أَنتُمْ عَنْهُ مُعْرِضُونَ

From which you turn away.

إِذْ جَآءَتْهُمُ ٱلرُّسُلُ مِنۢ بَيْنِ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِمْ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوٓا۟ إِلَّا ٱللَّهَ ۖ قَالُوا۟ لَوْ شَآءَ رَبُّنَا لَأَنزَلَ مَلَـٰٓئِكَةً فَإِنَّا بِمَآ أُرْسِلْتُم بِهِۦ كَـٰفِرُونَ

[That occurred] when the messengers had come to them before them and after them, [saying], "Worship not except Allāh." They said, "If our Lord had willed, He would have sent down the angels, so indeed we, in that with which you have been sent, are disbelievers."

أَمْ أَنَا۠ خَيْرٌ مِّنْ هَـٰذَا ٱلَّذِى هُوَ مَهِينٌ وَلَا يَكَادُ يُبِينُ

Or am I [not] better than this one [i.e., Moses] who is insignificant and hardly makes himself clear?

يَسْمَعُ ءَايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِ ثُمَّ يُصِرُّ مُسْتَكْبِرًا كَأَن لَّمْ يَسْمَعْهَا ۖ فَبَشِّرْهُ بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ

Who hears the verses of Allāh recited to him, then persists arrogantly as if he had not heard them. So give him tidings of a painful punishment.

وَمَن لَّا يُجِبْ دَاعِىَ ٱللَّهِ فَلَيْسَ بِمُعْجِزٍ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَلَيْسَ لَهُۥ مِن دُونِهِۦٓ أَوْلِيَآءُ ۚ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ فِى ضَلَـٰلٍ مُّبِينٍ

But he who does not respond to the Caller of Allāh will not cause failure [to Him] upon earth, and he will not have besides Him any protectors. Those are in manifest error."

ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمُ ٱتَّبَعُوا۟ مَآ أَسْخَطَ ٱللَّهَ وَكَرِهُوا۟ رِضْوَٰنَهُۥ فَأَحْبَطَ أَعْمَـٰلَهُمْ

That is because they followed what angered Allāh and disliked [what earns] His pleasure, so He rendered worthless their deeds.

فَأَعْرِضْ عَن مَّن تَوَلَّىٰ عَن ذِكْرِنَا وَلَمْ يُرِدْ إِلَّا ٱلْحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنْيَا

So turn away from whoever turns his back on Our message and desires not except the worldly life.

أَفَرَءَيْتَ ٱلَّذِى تَوَلَّىٰ

Have you seen the one who turned away

وَٱلْمُؤْتَفِكَةَ أَهْوَىٰ

And the overturned towns He hurled down.

كَذَّبَتْ عَادٌ فَكَيْفَ كَانَ عَذَابِى وَنُذُرِ

ʿAad denied; and how [severe] were My punishment and warning.

إِنَّا لَمُغْرَمُونَ

[Saying], "Indeed, we are [now] in debt;

وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ تَعَالَوْا۟ يَسْتَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ رَسُولُ ٱللَّهِ لَوَّوْا۟ رُءُوسَهُمْ وَرَأَيْتَهُمْ يَصُدُّونَ وَهُم مُّسْتَكْبِرُونَ

And when it is said to them, "Come, the Messenger of Allāh will ask forgiveness for you," they turn their heads aside and you see them evading while they are arrogant.

فَذَاقَتْ وَبَالَ أَمْرِهَا وَكَانَ عَـٰقِبَةُ أَمْرِهَا خُسْرًا

And it tasted the bad consequence of its affair [i.e., rebellion], and the outcome of its affair was loss.

عُتُلٍّۭ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ زَنِيمٍ

Cruel, moreover, and an illegitimate pretender.

خَـٰشِعَةً أَبْصَـٰرُهُمْ تَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌ ۖ وَقَدْ كَانُوا۟ يُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى ٱلسُّجُودِ وَهُمْ سَـٰلِمُونَ

Their eyes humbled, humiliation will cover them. And they used to be invited to prostration while they were sound.

وَقَالُوا۟ لَا تَذَرُنَّ ءَالِهَتَكُمْ وَلَا تَذَرُنَّ وَدًّا وَلَا سُوَاعًا وَلَا يَغُوثَ وَيَعُوقَ وَنَسْرًا

And said, 'Never leave your gods and never leave Wadd or Suwāʿ or Yaghūth and Yaʿūq and Nasr.'

إِنَّكَ إِن تَذَرْهُمْ يُضِلُّوا۟ عِبَادَكَ وَلَا يَلِدُوٓا۟ إِلَّا فَاجِرًا كَفَّارًا

Indeed, if You leave them, they will mislead Your servants and not beget except [every] wicked one and [confirmed] disbeliever.

ثُمَّ نَظَرَ

Then he considered [again];

ثُمَّ عَبَسَ وَبَسَرَ

Then he frowned and scowled;

فَمَا لَهُمْ عَنِ ٱلتَّذْكِرَةِ مُعْرِضِينَ

Then what is [the matter] with them that they are, from the reminder, turning away.

كَأَنَّهُمْ حُمُرٌ مُّسْتَنفِرَةٌ

As if they were alarmed donkeys.

بَلْ يُرِيدُ كُلُّ ٱمْرِئٍ مِّنْهُمْ أَن يُؤْتَىٰ صُحُفًا مُّنَشَّرَةً

Rather, every person among them desires that he would be given scriptures spread about.

أَمَّا مَنِ ٱسْتَغْنَىٰ

As for he who thinks himself without need,

وَإِذَا رَأَوْهُمْ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّ هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ لَضَآلُّونَ

And when they saw them, they would say, "Indeed, those are truly lost."

وَإِذَا قُرِئَ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلْقُرْءَانُ لَا يَسْجُدُونَ ۩

And when the Qur’ān is recited to them, they do not prostrate [to Allāh]?

وَيَتَجَنَّبُهَا ٱلْأَشْقَى

But the wretched one will avoid it