وَاسْأَلْهُمْ عَنِ الْقَرْيَةِ الَّتِي كَانَتْ حَاضِرَةَ الْبَحْرِ إِذْ يَعْدُونَ فِي السَّبْتِ إِذْ تَأْتِيهِمْ حِيتَانُهُمْ يَوْمَ سَبْتِهِمْ شُرَّعًا وَيَوْمَ لَا يَسْبِتُونَ ۙ لَا تَأْتِيهِمْ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ نَبْلُوهُم بِمَا كَانُوا يَفْسُقُونَ ١٦٣

And ask them (O Muhammad SAW) about the town that was by the sea, when they transgressed in the matter of the Sabbath (i.e. Saturday): when their fish came to them openly on the Sabbath day, and did not come to them on the day they had no Sabbath. Thus We made a trial of them for they used to rebel (see the Quran: V. 4:154).

وَاسْأَلْهُمْ عَنِ الْقَرْيَةِ

And ask them (O Muhammad SAW) about the town

الَّتِي كَانَتْ حَاضِرَةَ الْبَحْرِ

that was by the sea

إِذْ يَعْدُونَ فِي السَّبْتِ

when they transgressed in the matter of the Sabbath (i.e. Saturday)

إِذْ تَأْتِيهِمْ حِيتَانُهُمْ

when their fish came to them openly

يَوْمَ سَبْتِهِمْ شُرَّعًا

on the Sabbath day

وَيَوْمَ لَا يَسْبِتُونَ ۙ

and did not come to them on the day they had no Sabbath

لَا تَأْتِيهِمْ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ نَبْلُوهُم بِمَا

Thus We made a trial of them for they used to rebel

وَإِذْ قَالَتْ أُمَّةٌ مِّنْهُمْ لِمَ تَعِظُونَ قَوْمًا ۙ اللَّهُ مُهْلِكُهُمْ أَوْ مُعَذِّبُهُمْ عَذَابًا شَدِيدًا ۖ قَالُوا مَعْذِرَةً إِلَىٰ رَبِّكُمْ وَلَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَّقُونَ ١٦٤

And when a community among them said: "Why do you preach to a people whom Allah is about to destroy or to punish with a severe torment?" (The preachers) said: "In order to be free from guilt before your Lord (Allah), and perhaps they may fear Allah."

وَإِذْ قَالَتْ أُمَّةٌ مِّنْهُمْ

And when a community among them said:

لِمَ تَعِظُونَ قَوْمًا ۙ

Why do you preach to a people

اللَّهُ مُهْلِكُهُمْ أَوْ مُعَذِّبُهُمْ عَذَابًا شَدِيدًا ۖ

whom Allah is about to destroy or to punish with a severe torment?

قَالُوا

(The preachers) said:

مَعْذِرَةً إِلَىٰ رَبِّكُمْ

In order to be free from guilt before your Lord (Allah),

وَلَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَّقُونَ

and perhaps they may fear Allah.

فَلَمَّا نَسُوا مَا ذُكِّرُوا بِهِ أَنجَيْنَا الَّذِينَ يَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ السُّوءِ وَأَخَذْنَا الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا بِعَذَابٍ بَئِيسٍ بِمَا كَانُوا يَفْسُقُونَ ١٦٥

So when they forgot the remindings that had been given to them, We rescued those who forbade evil, but We seized those who did wrong with a severe torment because they used to rebel (disobey Allah).

فَلَمَّا نَسُوا مَا ذُكِّرُوا بِهِ

So when they forgot the remindings that had been given to them,

أَنجَيْنَا الَّذِينَ يَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ السُّوءِ

We rescued those who forbade evil,

وَأَخَذْنَا الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا بِعَذَابٍ بَئِيسٍ

but We seized those who did wrong with a severe torment

بِمَا كَانُوا يَفْسُقُونَ

because they used to rebel (disobey Allah).

فَلَمَّا عَتَوْا عَن مَّا نُهُوا عَنْهُ قُلْنَا لَهُمْ كُونُوا قِرَدَةً خَاسِئِينَ ١٦٦

So when they exceeded the limits of what they were prohibited, We said to them: "Be you monkeys, despised and rejected." (It is a severe warning to the mankind that they should not disobey what Allah commands them to do, and be far away from what He prohibits them).

فَلَمَّا عَتَوْا عَن مَّا نُهُوا عَنْهُ

So when they exceeded the limits of what they were prohibited,

قُلْنَا لَهُمْ

We said to them:

كُونُوا قِرَدَةً خَاسِئِينَ

"Be you monkeys, despised and rejected."

وَإِذْ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكَ لَيَبْعَثَنَّ عَلَيْهِمْ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ مَن يَسُومُهُمْ سُوءَ الْعَذَابِ ۗ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَسَرِيعُ الْعِقَابِ ۖ وَإِنَّهُ لَغَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ ١٦٧

And (remember) when your Lord declared that He would certainly keep on sending against them (i.e. the Jews), till the Day of Resurrection, those who would afflict them with a humiliating torment. Verily, your Lord is Quick in Retribution (for the disobedient, wicked) and certainly He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful (for the obedient and those who beg Allah's Forgiveness).

وَإِذْ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكَ

And (remember) when your Lord declared that He would certainly keep on sending

لَيَبْعَثَنَّ عَلَيْهِمْ

against them

إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ

till the Day of Resurrection

مَن يَسُومُهُمْ سُوءَ الْعَذَابِ ۗ

those who would afflict them with a humiliating torment.

إِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَسَرِيعُ الْعِقَابِ ۖ

Verily, your Lord is Quick in Retribution

وَإِنَّهُ لَغَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

and certainly He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

وَقَطَّعْنَاهُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ أُمَمًا ۖ مِّنْهُمُ الصَّالِحُونَ وَمِنْهُمْ دُونَ ذَٰلِكَ ۖ وَبَلَوْنَاهُم بِالْحَسَنَاتِ وَالسَّيِّئَاتِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ ١٦٨

And We have broken them (i.e. the Jews) up into various separate groups on the earth, some of them are righteous and some are away from that. And We tried them with good (blessings) and evil (calamities) in order that they might turn (to Allah's Obedience).

وَقَطَّعْنَاهُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ أُمَمًا ۖ

And We have broken them up into various separate groups on the earth

مِّنْهُمُ الصَّالِحُونَ وَمِنْهُمْ دُونَ ذَٰلِكَ ۖ

some of them are righteous and some are away from that

وَبَلَوْنَاهُم بِالْحَسَنَاتِ وَالسَّيِّئَاتِ

And We tried them with good (blessings) and evil (calamities)

لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ

in order that they might turn (to Allah's Obedience)

فَخَلَفَ مِن بَعْدِهِمْ خَلْفٌ وَرِثُوا الْكِتَابَ يَأْخُذُونَ عَرَضَ هَٰذَا الْأَدْنَىٰ وَيَقُولُونَ سَيُغْفَرُ لَنَا وَإِن يَأْتِهِمْ عَرَضٌ مِّثْلُهُ يَأْخُذُوهُ ۚ أَلَمْ يُؤْخَذْ عَلَيْهِم مِّيثَاقُ الْكِتَابِ أَن لَّا يَقُولُوا عَلَى اللَّهِ إِلَّا الْحَقَّ وَدَرَسُوا مَا فِيهِ ۗ وَالدَّارُ الْآخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ لِّلَّذِينَ يَتَّقُونَ ۗ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ ١٦٩

Then after them succeeded an (evil) generation, which inherited the Book, but they chose (for themselves) the goods of this low life (evil pleasures of this world) saying (as an excuse): "(Everything) will be forgiven to us." And if (again) the offer of the like (evil pleasures of this world) came their way, they would (again) seize them (would commit those sins). Was not the covenant of the Book taken from them that they would not say about Allah anything but the truth? And they have studied what is in it (the Book). And the home of the Hereafter is better for those who are Al-Muttaqun (the pious - see V. 2:2). Do not you then understand?

فَخَلَفَ مِن بَعْدِهِمْ خَلْفٌ

Then after them succeeded an (evil) generation,

وَرِثُوا الْكِتَابَ

which inherited the Book,

يَأْخُذُونَ عَرَضَ هَٰذَا الْأَدْنَىٰ

but they chose (for themselves) the goods of this low life (evil pleasures of this world)

وَيَقُولُونَ سَيُغْفَرُ لَنَا

saying (as an excuse): "(Everything) will be forgiven to us."

وَإِن يَأْتِهِمْ عَرَضٌ مِّثْلُهُ يَأْخُذُوهُ ۚ

And if (again) the offer of the like (evil pleasures of this world) came their way, they would (again) seize them (would commit those sins).

أَلَمْ يُؤْخَذْ عَلَيْهِم مِّيثَاقُ الْكِتَابِ

Was not the covenant of the Book taken from them

أَن لَّا يَقُولُوا عَلَى اللَّهِ إِلَّا الْحَقَّ

that they would not say about Allah anything but the truth?

وَدَرَسُوا مَا فِيهِ ۗ

And they have studied what is in it (the Book).

وَالدَّارُ الْآخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ لِّلَّذِينَ يَتَّقُونَ ۗ

And the home of the Hereafter is better for those who are Al-Muttaqun (the pious - see V. 2:2).

أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ

Do not you then understand?

وَالَّذِينَ يُمَسِّكُونَ بِالْكِتَابِ وَأَقَامُوا الصَّلَاةَ إِنَّا لَا نُضِيعُ أَجْرَ الْمُصْلِحِينَ ١٧٠

And as to those who hold fast to the Book (i.e. act on its teachings) and perform As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat), certainly, We shall never waste the reward of those who do righteous deeds.

وَالَّذِينَ يُمَسِّكُونَ بِالْكِتَابِ

And as to those who hold fast to the Book

وَأَقَامُوا الصَّلَاةَ

and perform As-Salat

إِنَّا لَا نُضِيعُ أَجْرَ الْمُصْلِحِينَ

certainly, We shall never waste the reward of those who do righteous deeds

۞ وَإِذْ نَتَقْنَا الْجَبَلَ فَوْقَهُمْ كَأَنَّهُ ظُلَّةٌ وَظَنُّوا أَنَّهُ وَاقِعٌ بِهِمْ خُذُوا مَا آتَيْنَاكُم بِقُوَّةٍ وَاذْكُرُوا مَا فِيهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ ١٧١

And (remember) when We raised the mountain over them as if it had been a canopy, and they thought that it was going to fall on them. (We said): "Hold firmly to what We have given you [i.e. the Taurat (Torah)], and remember that which is therein (act on its commandments), so that you may fear Allah and obey Him."

۞ وَإِذْ نَتَقْنَا الْجَبَلَ فَوْقَهُمْ

And (remember) when We raised the mountain over them

كَأَنَّهُ ظُلَّةٌ

as if it had been a canopy

وَظَنُّوا أَنَّهُ وَاقِعٌ بِهِمْ

and they thought that it was going to fall on them.

خُذُوا مَا آتَيْنَاكُم بِقُوَّةٍ

(We said): 'Hold firmly to what We have given you

وَاذْكُرُوا مَا فِيهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ

[i.e. the Taurat (Torah)],

تَتَّقُونَ

and remember that which is therein

(act on its commandments), so that you may fear Allah and obey Him.