قُل فَأتوا بِكِتابٍ مِن عِندِ اللَّهِ هُوَ أَهدىٰ مِنهُما أَتَّبِعهُ إِن كُنتُم صادِقينَ

Say, “Then produce a scripture from God that offers superior guidance than these two, and I will follow it, if you are truthful.”

فَإِن لَم يَستَجيبوا لَكَ فَاعلَم أَنَّما يَتَّبِعونَ أَهواءَهُم ۚ وَمَن أَضَلُّ مِمَّنِ اتَّبَعَ هَواهُ بِغَيرِ هُدًى مِنَ اللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لا يَهدِي القَومَ الظّالِمينَ

If they fail to respond to you, know that they are merely following their desires. And who is more astray than one who follows his desires without guidance from God? God does not guide the wrongdoers.

وَلَقَد وَصَّلنا لَهُمُ القَولَ لَعَلَّهُم يَتَذَكَّرونَ

We’ve conveyed the Word to them, so they may remember.

الَّذينَ آتَيناهُمُ الكِتابَ مِن قَبلِهِ هُم بِهِ يُؤمِنونَ

Those to whom We’ve given the Scripture before this, are believers in it.

وَإِذا يُتلىٰ عَلَيهِم قالوا آمَنّا بِهِ إِنَّهُ الحَقُّ مِن رَبِّنا إِنّا كُنّا مِن قَبلِهِ مُسلِمينَ

When it’s conveyed to them, they assert, “We believe in it; it’s the truth from our Lord. Even before its revelation, we were already Submitters.”

وَإِذا سَمِعُوا اللَّغوَ أَعرَضوا عَنهُ وَقالوا لَنا أَعمالُنا وَلَكُم أَعمالُكُم سَلامٌ عَلَيكُم لا نَبتَغِي الجاهِلينَ

When they hear idle talk, they turn away from it, saying, “To us our deeds, and to you your deeds. Peace be upon you; we don’t engage with the ignorant.”

إِنَّكَ لا تَهدي مَن أَحبَبتَ وَلـٰكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَهدي مَن يَشاءُ ۚ وَهُوَ أَعلَمُ بِالمُهتَدينَ

You can’t guide whom you love, but God guides whom He wills. He knows best those who are guided.

وَقالوا إِن نَتَّبِعِ الهُدىٰ مَعَكَ نُتَخَطَّف مِن أَرضِنا ۚ أَوَلَم نُمَكِّن لَهُم حَرَمًا آمِنًا يُجبىٰ إِلَيهِ ثَمَراتُ كُلِّ شَيءٍ رِزقًا مِن لَدُنّا وَلـٰكِنَّ أَكثَرَهُم لا يَعلَمونَ

They argue, “If we follow the guidance with you, we will be displaced from our land.” Didn’t We establish for them a secure sanctuary, to which all kinds of fruits are brought, as sustenance from Us? Yet, most of them don’t understand.

وَكَم أَهلَكنا مِن قَريَةٍ بَطِرَت مَعيشَتَها ۖ فَتِلكَ مَساكِنُهُم لَم تُسكَن مِن بَعدِهِم إِلّا قَليلًا ۖ وَكُنّا نَحنُ الوارِثينَ

How many a city did We destroy while they were arrogant in their luxury? These are their dwellings, uninhabited after them except a little; We are the Inheritor.

وَما كانَ رَبُّكَ مُهلِكَ القُرىٰ حَتّىٰ يَبعَثَ في أُمِّها رَسولًا يَتلو عَلَيهِم آياتِنا ۚ وَما كُنّا مُهلِكِي القُرىٰ إِلّا وَأَهلُها ظالِمونَ

Your Lord never destroyed the towns until He has raised a messenger within them to relay to them Our revelations. We would never destroy a community unless its people were wrongdoers.