Verses 12–23

وَٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ٱلْأَزْوَٰجَ كُلَّهَا وَجَعَلَ لَكُم مِّنَ ٱلْفُلْكِ وَٱلْأَنْعَٰمِ مَا تَرْكَبُونَ﴿١٢﴾

43:12He created all the kinds and made for you the ships and the cattle such which you ride,

لِتَسْتَوُۥا۟ عَلَىٰ ظُهُورِهِۦ ثُمَّ تَذْكُرُوا۟ نِعْمَةَ رَبِّكُمْ إِذَا ٱسْتَوَيْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ وَتَقُولُوا۟ سُبْحَٰنَ ٱلَّذِى سَخَّرَ لَنَا هَٰذَا وَمَا كُنَّا لَهُۥ مُقْرِنِينَ﴿١٣﴾

43:13that you may sit on their backs, then remember the blessing of your Lord when you are settled on them, and say, ‘Immaculate is He who has disposed this for us, and we [by ourselves] were no match for it.¹

وَإِنَّآ إِلَىٰ رَبِّنَا لَمُنقَلِبُونَ﴿١٤﴾

43:14Indeed we shall return to our Lord.’

وَجَعَلُوا۟ لَهُۥ مِنْ عِبَادِهِۦ جُزْءًا ۚ إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ لَكَفُورٌۭ مُّبِينٌ﴿١٥﴾

43:15They ascribe to Him offspring from among His servants! Man is indeed a manifest ingrate.

أَمِ ٱتَّخَذَ مِمَّا يَخْلُقُ بَنَاتٍۢ وَأَصْفَىٰكُم بِٱلْبَنِينَ﴿١٦﴾

43:16Did He adopt daughters from what He creates while He preferred you with sons?

وَإِذَا بُشِّرَ أَحَدُهُم بِمَا ضَرَبَ لِلرَّحْمَٰنِ مَثَلًۭا ظَلَّ وَجْهُهُۥ مُسْوَدًّۭا وَهُوَ كَظِيمٌ﴿١٧﴾

43:17When one of them is brought the news of what he ascribes to the All-beneficent, his face becomes darkened and he chokes with suppressed rage, [and says]

أَوَمَن يُنَشَّؤُا۟ فِى ٱلْحِلْيَةِ وَهُوَ فِى ٱلْخِصَامِ غَيْرُ مُبِينٍۢ﴿١٨﴾

43:18‘What! One who is brought up amid ornaments and is inconspicuous in contests?’

وَجَعَلُوا۟ ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةَ ٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ عِبَٰدُ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ إِنَٰثًا ۚ أَشَهِدُوا۟ خَلْقَهُمْ ۚ سَتُكْتَبُ شَهَٰدَتُهُمْ وَيُسْـَٔلُونَ﴿١٩﴾

43:19They have made the angels—who are servants of the All-beneficent—females. Were they witness to their creation? Their testimony will be written down and they shall be questioned.

وَقَالُوا۟ لَوْ شَآءَ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنُ مَا عَبَدْنَٰهُم ۗ مَّا لَهُم بِذَٰلِكَ مِنْ عِلْمٍ ۖ إِنْ هُمْ إِلَّا يَخْرُصُونَ﴿٢٠﴾

43:20They say, ‘Had the All-beneficent wished, we would not have worshipped them.’ They do not have any knowledge of that, and they do nothing but surmise.^*

أَمْ ءَاتَيْنَٰهُمْ كِتَٰبًۭا مِّن قَبْلِهِۦ فَهُم بِهِۦ مُسْتَمْسِكُونَ﴿٢١﴾

43:21Did We give them a Book before this, so that they are holding fast to it?

بَلْ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّا وَجَدْنَآ ءَابَآءَنَا عَلَىٰٓ أُمَّةٍۢ وَإِنَّا عَلَىٰٓ ءَاثَٰرِهِم مُّهْتَدُونَ﴿٢٢﴾

43:22No, they said, ‘We found our fathers following a creed, and we are indeed guided in their footsteps.’

وَكَذَٰلِكَ مَآ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ فِى قَرْيَةٍۢ مِّن نَّذِيرٍ إِلَّا قَالَ مُتْرَفُوهَآ إِنَّا وَجَدْنَآ ءَابَآءَنَا عَلَىٰٓ أُمَّةٍۢ وَإِنَّا عَلَىٰٓ ءَاثَٰرِهِم مُّقْتَدُونَ﴿٢٣﴾

43:23So it has been that We did not send any warner to a town before you, without its affluent ones saying, ‘We found our fathers following a creed and we are indeed following in their footsteps.’