51 Tell them too about Abraham’s guests: 52 when they came to him and said, ‘Peace,’ he said, ‘We are afraid of you.’ 53 ‘Do not be afraid,’ they said, ‘We bring you good news of a son who will have great knowledge.’ 54 He said, ‘How can you give me such news when old age has come to me? What sort of news is this?’ 55 They said, ‘We have told you the truth, so do not despair.’ 56 He said, ‘Who but the misguided despair of the mercy of their Lord?’ 57 and then asked, ‘Messengers, what is your errand?’ 58 They replied, ‘We have been sent to a people who are guilty.’ 59 But We shall save the household of Lot, 60 all except his wife: We have decreed that she will be one of those who stay behind.
61 When the messengers came to the household of Lot, 62 he said, ‘You are strangers.’ 63 They said, ‘We have brought you what they said would never happen: 64 we have brought you the Truth. We speak truly, 65 so leave in the dead of the night with your household, and walk behind them. Let none of you look back. Go where you are commanded.’ 66 We made this decree known to him: the last remnants of those people would be wiped out in the morning. 67 The people of the town came along, reveling, 68 and he told them, ‘These are my guests, do not disgrace me. 69 Fear God, and do not shame me.’ 70 They answered, ‘Have we not told you not to interfere [between us and] anyone else?’ 71 He said, ‘My daughters are here, if you must.’ 72 By your life [Prophet], they wandered on in their wild intoxication 73 and the blast overtook them at sunrise: 74 We turned their city upside down and rained on them a shower of clay stones. 75 There truly is a sign in this for those who can learn– 76 it is still there on the highway– 77 there truly is a sign in this for those who believe.
78 The forest-dwellers, [a] too, were wrongdoers 79 and We took retribution on them; both are still there on the highway, plain for all to see. 80 The people of al-Hijr [b] also rejected Our messengers: 81 We gave them Our signs, but they turned their backs. 82 They carved out dwellings in the mountains, and lived in security– 83 the blast overwhelmed them early in the morning. 84 What they had gained was of no use to them.
Forgiveness and Kindness
85 We did not create the heavens and the earth and everything between them without a true purpose: the Hour will certainly come, so [Prophet] bear with them graciously. 86 Your Lord is the All Knowing Creator. 87 We have given you the seven oft-recited verses [c] and the whole glorious Quran. 88 Do not look longingly at the good things We have given some to enjoy. Do not grieve over the [disbelievers], but lower your wings over the believers 89 and say, ‘I am here to give plain warning,’ 90 like the [warning] We have sent down for those who divide themselves into bands [d] 91 and abuse the Quran [e] –– 92 by your Lord, We will question them all 93 about their deeds. 94 So proclaim openly what you have been commanded [to say], and ignore the idolaters. 95 We are enough for you against all those who ridicule your message, 96 who set up another god beside God– they will come to know. 97 We are well aware that your heart is weighed down by what they say. 98 Celebrate the glory of your Lord and be among those who bow down to Him: 99 worship your Lord until what is certain comes to you.
Footnotes
a. Cf. 26: 176–191; 38: 13; 50: 14.
b. The tribe of Thamud who lived north of Medina. Al-Hijr means ‘stone city’, like Petra in Jordan.
c. According to most interpreters this refers to al-Fatiha ‘The Opening’ (Sura 1).
d. This refers to some disbelievers who organized themselves into groups to meet pilgrims and warn them against the Quran.
e. There are two interpretations of the word idina given by Razi. One is ‘parts/ shreds’, the other is ‘lies/inventions’: ‘abuse’ covers both.
The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics)
The Qur'an / a new translation by M. A. S. Abdel Haleem, copyright © 2004 Oxford World's Classics (Oxford University Press). Used by permission. All rights reserved.