وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا فِي قَرْيَةٍ مِّن نَّبِيٍّ إِلَّا أَخَذْنَا أَهْلَهَا بِالْبَأْسَاءِ وَالضَّرَّاءِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَضَّرَّعُونَ ٩٤

And We sent no Prophet unto any town (and they denied him), but We seized its people with suffering from extreme poverty (or loss in wealth) and loss of health and calamities, so that they might humiliate themselves (and repent to Allah).

وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا فِي قَرْيَةٍ مِّن نَّبِيٍّ

And We sent no Prophet unto any town

إِلَّا أَخَذْنَا أَهْلَهَا بِالْبَأْسَاءِ وَالضَّرَّاءِ

but We seized its people with suffering from extreme poverty and loss of health and calamities

لَعَلَّهُمْ يَضَّرَّعُونَ

so that they might humiliate themselves (and repent to Allah)

ثُمَّ بَدَّلْنَا مَكَانَ السَّيِّئَةِ الْحَسَنَةَ حَتَّىٰ عَفَوا وَّقَالُوا قَدْ مَسَّ آبَاءَنَا الضَّرَّاءُ وَالسَّرَّاءُ فَأَخَذْنَاهُم بَغْتَةً وَهُمْ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ ٩٥

Then We changed the evil for the good, until they increased in number and in wealth, and said: "Our fathers were touched with evil (loss of health and calamities) and with good (prosperity, etc.)." So We seized them of a sudden while they were unaware.

ثُمَّ بَدَّلْنَا مَكَانَ السَّيِّئَةِ الْحَسَنَةَ

Then We changed the evil for the good,

حَتَّىٰ عَفَوا

until they increased in number and in wealth,

وَّقَالُوا

and said:

قَدْ مَسَّ آبَاءَنَا الضَّرَّاءُ وَالسَّرَّاءُ

"Our fathers were touched with evil (loss of health and calamities) and with good (prosperity, etc.)."

فَأَخَذْنَاهُم بَغْتَةً

So We seized them of a sudden

وَهُمْ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ

while they were unaware.

وَلَوْ أَنَّ أَهْلَ الْقُرَىٰ آمَنُوا وَاتَّقَوْا لَفَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِم بَرَكَاتٍ مِّنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَلَٰكِن كَذَّبُوا فَأَخَذْنَاهُم بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ ٩٦

And if the people of the towns had believed and had the Taqwa (piety), certainly, We should have opened for them blessings from the heaven and the earth, but they belied (the Messengers). So We took them (with punishment) for what they used to earn (polytheism and crimes, etc.).

وَلَوْ أَنَّ أَهْلَ الْقُرَىٰ آمَنُوا وَاتَّقَوْا

And if the people of the towns had believed and had the Taqwa (piety)

لَفَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِم بَرَكَاتٍ مِّنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ

certainly, We should have opened for them blessings from the heaven and the earth

وَلَٰكِن كَذَّبُوا

but they belied (the Messengers)

فَأَخَذْنَاهُم بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ

So We took them (with punishment) for what they used to earn (polytheism and crimes, etc.)

أَفَأَمِنَ أَهْلُ الْقُرَىٰ أَن يَأْتِيَهُم بَأْسُنَا بَيَاتًا وَهُمْ نَائِمُونَ ٩٧

Did the people of the towns then feel secure against the coming of Our Punishment by night while they are asleep?

أَفَأَمِنَ أَهْلُ الْقُرَىٰ

Did the people of the towns then feel secure

أَن يَأْتِيَهُم بَأْسُنَا

against the coming of Our Punishment

بَيَاتًا وَهُمْ نَائِمُونَ

by night while they are asleep?

أَوَأَمِنَ أَهْلُ الْقُرَىٰ أَن يَأْتِيَهُم بَأْسُنَا ضُحًى وَهُمْ يَلْعَبُونَ ٩٨

Or, did the people of the towns then feel secure against the coming of Our Punishment in the forenoon while they play?

أَوَأَمِنَ أَهْلُ الْقُرَىٰ

Or, did the people of the towns

أَن يَأْتِيَهُم بَأْسُنَا

then feel secure against the coming of Our Punishment

ضُحًى وَهُمْ يَلْعَبُونَ

in the forenoon while they play?

أَفَأَمِنُوا مَكْرَ اللَّهِ ۚ فَلَا يَأْمَنُ مَكْرَ اللَّهِ إِلَّا الْقَوْمُ الْخَاسِرُونَ ٩٩

Did they then feel secure against the Plan of Allah. None feels secure from the Plan of Allah except the people who are the losers.

أَفَأَمِنُوا مَكْرَ اللَّهِ ۚ

Did they then feel secure against the Plan of Allah

فَلَا يَأْمَنُ مَكْرَ اللَّهِ إِلَّا الْقَوْمُ الْخَاسِرُونَ

None feels secure from the Plan of Allah except the people who are the losers

أَوَلَمْ يَهْدِ لِلَّذِينَ يَرِثُونَ الْأَرْضَ مِن بَعْدِ أَهْلِهَا أَن لَّوْ نَشَاءُ أَصَبْنَاهُم بِذُنُوبِهِمْ ۚ وَنَطْبَعُ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ فَهُمْ لَا يَسْمَعُونَ ١٠٠

Is it not clear to those who inherit the earth in succession from its (previous) possessors, that had We willed, We would have punished them for their sins. And We seal up their hearts so that they hear not?

أَوَلَمْ يَهْدِ لِلَّذِينَ يَرِثُونَ الْأَرْضَ

Is it not clear to those who inherit the earth

مِن بَعْدِ أَهْلِهَا

in succession from its (previous) possessors

أَن لَّوْ نَشَاءُ

that had We willed

أَصَبْنَاهُم بِذُنُوبِهِمْ ۚ

We would have punished them for their sins

وَنَطْبَعُ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ

And We seal up their hearts

فَهُمْ لَا يَسْمَعُونَ

so that they hear not

تِلْكَ الْقُرَىٰ نَقُصُّ عَلَيْكَ مِنْ أَنبَائِهَا ۚ وَلَقَدْ جَاءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُم بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ فَمَا كَانُوا لِيُؤْمِنُوا بِمَا كَذَّبُوا مِن قَبْلُ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يَطْبَعُ اللَّهُ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِ الْكَافِرِينَ ١٠١

Those were the towns whose story We relate unto you (O Muhammad SAW). And there came indeed to them their Messengers with clear proofs, but they were not such as to believe in that which they had rejected before. Thus Allah does seal up the hearts of the disbelievers (from each and every kind of religious guidance).

تِلْكَ الْقُرَىٰ نَقُصُّ عَلَيْكَ مِنْ أَنبَائِهَا ۚ

Those were the towns whose story We relate unto you (O Muhammad SAW).

وَلَقَدْ جَاءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُم بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ

And there came indeed to them their Messengers with clear proofs,

فَمَا كَانُوا لِيُؤْمِنُوا بِمَا كَذَّبُوا مِن قَبْلُ ۚ

but they were not such as to believe in that which they had rejected before.

كَذَٰلِكَ يَطْبَعُ اللَّهُ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِ الْكَافِرِينَ

Thus Allah does seal up the hearts of the disbelievers (from each and every kind of religious guidance).

وَمَا وَجَدْنَا لِأَكْثَرِهِم مِّنْ عَهْدٍ ۖ وَإِن وَجَدْنَا أَكْثَرَهُمْ لَفَاسِقِينَ ١٠٢

And most of them We found not (true) to their covenant, but most of them We found indeed Fasiqun (rebellious, disobedient to Allah).

وَمَا وَجَدْنَا لِأَكْثَرِهِم مِّنْ عَهْدٍ ۖ

And most of them We found not (true) to their covenant

وَإِن وَجَدْنَا أَكْثَرَهُمْ

but most of them We found indeed

لَفَاسِقِينَ

Fasiqun (rebellious, disobedient to Allah)