Verses 43–58

مَا تَسْبِقُ مِنْ أُمَّةٍ أَجَلَهَا وَمَا يَسْتَـْٔخِرُونَ﴿٤٣﴾

23:43No nation can advance its time nor can it defer it.

ثُمَّ أَرْسَلْنَا رُسُلَنَا تَتْرَا ۖ كُلَّ مَا جَآءَ أُمَّةًۭ رَّسُولُهَا كَذَّبُوهُ ۚ فَأَتْبَعْنَا بَعْضَهُم بَعْضًۭا وَجَعَلْنَٰهُمْ أَحَادِيثَ ۚ فَبُعْدًۭا لِّقَوْمٍۢ لَّا يُؤْمِنُونَ﴿٤٤﴾

23:44Then We sent Our apostles successively. Whenever there came to a nation its apostle, they impugned him, so We made them follow one another [to extinction] and We turned them into folktales. So away with the faithless lot!

ثُمَّ أَرْسَلْنَا مُوسَىٰ وَأَخَاهُ هَٰرُونَ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا وَسُلْطَٰنٍۢ مُّبِينٍ﴿٤٥﴾

23:45Then We sent Moses and Aaron, his brother, with Our signs and a manifest authority

إِلَىٰ فِرْعَوْنَ وَمَلَإِي۟هِۦ فَٱسْتَكْبَرُوا۟ وَكَانُوا۟ قَوْمًا عَالِينَ﴿٤٦﴾

23:46to Pharaoh and his elites; but they acted arrogantly and they were a tyrannical lot.¹

فَقَالُوٓا۟ أَنُؤْمِنُ لِبَشَرَيْنِ مِثْلِنَا وَقَوْمُهُمَا لَنَا عَٰبِدُونَ﴿٤٧﴾

23:47They said, ‘Shall we believe two humans like ourselves, while their people are our slaves?’

فَكَذَّبُوهُمَا فَكَانُوا۟ مِنَ ٱلْمُهْلَكِينَ﴿٤٨﴾

23:48So they impugned the two of them, whereat they were among those who were destroyed.

وَلَقَدْ ءَاتَيْنَا مُوسَى ٱلْكِتَٰبَ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَهْتَدُونَ﴿٤٩﴾

23:49Certainly We gave Moses the Book so that they might be guided,

وَجَعَلْنَا ٱبْنَ مَرْيَمَ وَأُمَّهُۥٓ ءَايَةًۭ وَءَاوَيْنَٰهُمَآ إِلَىٰ رَبْوَةٍۢ ذَاتِ قَرَارٍۢ وَمَعِينٍۢ﴿٥٠﴾

23:50and We made the son of Mary and his mother a sign, and sheltered them in a level highland with flowing water.

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلرُّسُلُ كُلُوا۟ مِنَ ٱلطَّيِّبَٰتِ وَٱعْمَلُوا۟ صَٰلِحًا ۖ إِنِّى بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ عَلِيمٌۭ﴿٥١﴾

23:51O apostles! Eat of the good things and act righteously. Indeed I know best what you do.²

وَإِنَّ هَٰذِهِۦٓ أُمَّتُكُمْ أُمَّةًۭ وَٰحِدَةًۭ وَأَنَا۠ رَبُّكُمْ فَٱتَّقُونِ﴿٥٢﴾

23:52Indeed this community of yours is one community, and I am your Lord, so be wary of Me.

فَتَقَطَّعُوٓا۟ أَمْرَهُم بَيْنَهُمْ زُبُرًۭا ۖ كُلُّ حِزْبٍۭ بِمَا لَدَيْهِمْ فَرِحُونَ﴿٥٣﴾

23:53But they fragmented their religion among themselves, each party boasting about what it had.

فَذَرْهُمْ فِى غَمْرَتِهِمْ حَتَّىٰ حِينٍ﴿٥٤﴾

23:54So leave them in their stupor for a while.

أَيَحْسَبُونَ أَنَّمَا نُمِدُّهُم بِهِۦ مِن مَّالٍۢ وَبَنِينَ﴿٥٥﴾

23:55Do they suppose that whatever aid We provide them in regard to wealth and children [is because]

نُسَارِعُ لَهُمْ فِى ٱلْخَيْرَٰتِ ۚ بَل لَّا يَشْعُرُونَ﴿٥٦﴾

23:56We are eager to bring them good? No, they are not aware!

إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ هُم مِّنْ خَشْيَةِ رَبِّهِم مُّشْفِقُونَ﴿٥٧﴾

23:57Indeed those who are apprehensive for the fear of their Lord,

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم بِـَٔايَٰتِ رَبِّهِمْ يُؤْمِنُونَ﴿٥٨﴾

23:58and believe in the signs of their Lord,