Verses 4–18

وَعَجِبُوٓا۟ أَن جَآءَهُم مُّنذِرٌۭ مِّنْهُمْ ۖ وَقَالَ ٱلْكَٰفِرُونَ هَٰذَا سَٰحِرٌۭ كَذَّابٌ﴿٤﴾

38:4They consider it odd that there should come to them a warner from among themselves, and the faithless say, ‘This is a magician, a mendacious liar.’

أَجَعَلَ ٱلْءَالِهَةَ إِلَٰهًۭا وَٰحِدًا ۖ إِنَّ هَٰذَا لَشَىْءٌ عُجَابٌۭ﴿٥﴾

38:5‘Has he reduced the gods to one god? This is indeed an odd thing!’

وَٱنطَلَقَ ٱلْمَلَأُ مِنْهُمْ أَنِ ٱمْشُوا۟ وَٱصْبِرُوا۟ عَلَىٰٓ ءَالِهَتِكُمْ ۖ إِنَّ هَٰذَا لَشَىْءٌۭ يُرَادُ﴿٦﴾

38:6Their elite go about [urging others]: ‘Go and stand by your gods! This is indeed the desirable thing [to do].¹

مَا سَمِعْنَا بِهَٰذَا فِى ٱلْمِلَّةِ ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ إِنْ هَٰذَآ إِلَّا ٱخْتِلَٰقٌ﴿٧﴾

38:7We did not hear of this in the latter-day creed. This is nothing but a fabrication.²

أَءُنزِلَ عَلَيْهِ ٱلذِّكْرُ مِنۢ بَيْنِنَا ۚ بَلْ هُمْ فِى شَكٍّۢ مِّن ذِكْرِى ۖ بَل لَّمَّا يَذُوقُوا۟ عَذَابِ﴿٨﴾

38:8Has the Reminder been sent down to him out of [all of] us?’ Indeed, they are in doubt concerning My Reminder. Indeed, they have not yet tasted My punishment.

أَمْ عِندَهُمْ خَزَآئِنُ رَحْمَةِ رَبِّكَ ٱلْعَزِيزِ ٱلْوَهَّابِ﴿٩﴾

38:9Do they possess the treasuries of the mercy of your Lord, the All-mighty, the All-munificent?

أَمْ لَهُم مُّلْكُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا ۖ فَلْيَرْتَقُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَسْبَٰبِ﴿١٠﴾

38:10Do they own the kingdom of the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them? [If so,] let them ascend [to the higher spheres] by the means [of ascension].

جُندٌۭ مَّا هُنَالِكَ مَهْزُومٌۭ مِّنَ ٱلْأَحْزَابِ﴿١١﴾

38:11[They are but] a host routed out there of the factions.^*

كَذَّبَتْ قَبْلَهُمْ قَوْمُ نُوحٍۢ وَعَادٌۭ وَفِرْعَوْنُ ذُو ٱلْأَوْتَادِ﴿١٢﴾

38:12Before them Noah’s people impugned [their apostle] and [so did the people of] ‘Ad, and Pharaoh, the Impaler [of his victims],

وَثَمُودُ وَقَوْمُ لُوطٍۢ وَأَصْحَٰبُ لْـَٔيْكَةِ ۚ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ ٱلْأَحْزَابُ﴿١٣﴾

38:13and Thamud, and the people of Lot, and the inhabitants of Aykah: those were the factions.

إِن كُلٌّ إِلَّا كَذَّبَ ٱلرُّسُلَ فَحَقَّ عِقَابِ﴿١٤﴾

38:14There was not any one but such as impugned the apostles; so My retribution became due [against them].

وَمَا يَنظُرُ هَٰٓؤُلَآءِ إِلَّا صَيْحَةًۭ وَٰحِدَةًۭ مَّا لَهَا مِن فَوَاقٍۢ﴿١٥﴾

38:15These [too] do not await but a single Cry, which will not grant [them] any respite.³

وَقَالُوا۟ رَبَّنَا عَجِّل لَّنَا قِطَّنَا قَبْلَ يَوْمِ ٱلْحِسَابِ﴿١٦﴾

38:16They say, ‘Our Lord! Hasten on for us our share before the Day of Reckoning.’

ٱصْبِرْ عَلَىٰ مَا يَقُولُونَ وَٱذْكُرْ عَبْدَنَا دَاوُۥدَ ذَا ٱلْأَيْدِ ۖ إِنَّهُۥٓ أَوَّابٌ﴿١٧﴾

38:17Be patient over what they say, and remember Our servant, David, [the man] of strength. Indeed he was a penitent [soul].⁴

إِنَّا سَخَّرْنَا ٱلْجِبَالَ مَعَهُۥ يُسَبِّحْنَ بِٱلْعَشِىِّ وَٱلْإِشْرَاقِ﴿١٨﴾

38:18We disposed the mountains to glorify [Allah] with him at evening and dawn,