Sūra VII.: A’rāf, or the Heights

Section 10

73. Wa-ila thamooda akhahum salihan qala ya qawmi oAAbudoo Allaha ma lakum min ilahin ghayruhu qad jaatkum bayyinatun min rabbikum hathihi naqatu Allahi lakum ayatan fatharooha ta/kul fee ardi Allahi wala tamassooha bisoo-in faya/khuthakum AAathabun aleemun

73. To the Thamūd people
(We sent) Ṣaliḥ, one
Of their own brethren:
He said: "O my people!
Worship God; ye have
No other god but Him.
Now hath come unto you
A clear (Sign) from your Lord!
This she-camel of God
Is a Sign unto you:
So leave her to graze
In God's earth, and let her
Come to no harm,
Or ye shall be seized
With a grievous punishment.

74. Waothkuroo ith jaAAalakum khulafaa min baAAdi AAadin wabawwaakum fee al-ardi tattakhithoona min suhooliha qusooran watanhitoona aljibala buyootan faothkuroo alaa Allahi wala taAAthaw fee al-ardi mufsideena

74. "And remember how He
Made you inheritors
After the ’Ad people
And gave you habitations
In the land: ye build
For yourselves palaces and castles
In (open) plains, and carve out
Homes in the mountains;
So bring to remembrance
The benefits (ye have received)
From God, and refrain
From evil and mischief
On the earth."

75. Qala almalao allatheena istakbaroo min qawmihi lillatheena istudAAifoo liman amana minhum ataAAlamoona anna salihan mursalun min rabbihi qaloo inna bima orsila bihi mu/minoona

75. The leaders of the arrogant
Party among his people said
To those who were reckoned
Powerless—those among them
Who believed: "Know ye
Indeed that Ṣaliḥ is
An apostle from his Lord?"
They said: "We do indeed
Believe in the revelation
Which hath been sent
Through him."

76. Qala allatheena istakbaroo inna biallathee amantum bihi kafiroona

76. The arrogant party said:
"For our part, we reject
What ye believe in."

77. FaAAaqaroo alnnaqata waAAataw AAan amri rabbihim waqaloo ya salihu i/tina bima taAAiduna in kunta mina almursaleena

77. Then they ham-strung
The she-camel, and insolently
Defied the order of their Lord,
Saying: "O Ṣaliḥ! bring about
Thy threats, if thou art
An apostle (of God)!"

78. Faakhathat-humu alrrajfatu faasbahoo fee darihim jathimeena

78. So the earthquake took them
Unawares, and they lay
Prostrate in their homes
In the morning!

79. Fatawalla AAanhum waqala ya qawmi laqad ablaghtukum risalata rabbee wanasahtu lakum walakin la tuhibboona alnnasiheena

79. So Ṣaliḥ left them,
Saying: "O my people!
I did indeed convey to you
The message for which
I was sent by my Lord:
I gave you good counsel,
But ye love not good counsellors!"

80. Walootan ith qala liqawmihi ata/toona alfahishata ma sabaqakum biha min ahadin mina alAAalameena

80. We also (sent) Lūṭ:
He said to his people:
"Do ye commit lewdness
Such as no people
In creation (ever) committed
Before you?

81. Innakum lata/toona alrrijala shahwatan min dooni alnnisa-i bal antum qawmun musrifoona

81. "For ye practise your lusts
On men in preference
To women: ye are indeed
A people transgressing
Beyond bounds."

82. Wama kana jawaba qawmihi illa an qaloo akhrijoohum min qaryatikum innahum onasun yatatahharoona

82. And his people gave
No answer but this:
They said, "Drive them out
Of your city: these are
Indeed men who want
To be clean and pure!"

83. Faanjaynahu waahlahu illa imraatahu kanat mina alghabireena

83. But we saved him
And his family, except
His wife: she was
Of those who lagged behind

84. Waamtarna AAalayhim mataran faonthur kayfa kana AAaqibatu almujrimeena

84. And we rained down on them
A shower (of brimstone):
Then see what was the end
Of those who indulged
In sin and crime!

Next: Section 11 (85-93)