Verses 7–31

إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَن ضَلَّ عَن سَبِيلِهِۦ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِٱلْمُهْتَدِينَ﴿٧﴾

68:7Indeed your Lord knows best those who stray from His way, and He knows best those who are guided.

فَلَا تُطِعِ ٱلْمُكَذِّبِينَ﴿٨﴾

68:8So do not obey the deniers,

وَدُّوا۟ لَوْ تُدْهِنُ فَيُدْهِنُونَ﴿٩﴾

68:9who are eager that you should be flexible, so that they [too] may be flexible [towards you].¹

وَلَا تُطِعْ كُلَّ حَلَّافٍۢ مَّهِينٍ﴿١٠﴾

68:10And do not obey any vile swearer,

هَمَّازٍۢ مَّشَّآءٍۭ بِنَمِيمٍۢ﴿١١﴾

68:11scandal-monger, talebearer,²

مَّنَّاعٍۢ لِّلْخَيْرِ مُعْتَدٍ أَثِيمٍ﴿١٢﴾

68:12hinderer of all good, sinful transgressor,

عُتُلٍّۭ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ زَنِيمٍ﴿١٣﴾

68:13callous and, on top of that, baseborn³

أَن كَانَ ذَا مَالٍۢ وَبَنِينَ﴿١٤﴾

68:14—[who behaves in such a manner only] because he has wealth and children.

إِذَا تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِ ءَايَٰتُنَا قَالَ أَسَٰطِيرُ ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ﴿١٥﴾

68:15When Our signs are recited to him, he says, ‘Myths of the ancients!’

سَنَسِمُهُۥ عَلَى ٱلْخُرْطُومِ﴿١٦﴾

68:16Soon We shall brand him on his snout.⁴

إِنَّا بَلَوْنَٰهُمْ كَمَا بَلَوْنَآ أَصْحَٰبَ ٱلْجَنَّةِ إِذْ أَقْسَمُوا۟ لَيَصْرِمُنَّهَا مُصْبِحِينَ﴿١٧﴾

68:17Indeed we have tested them just as We tested the People of the Garden when they vowed they would gather its fruit at dawn,⁵

وَلَا يَسْتَثْنُونَ﴿١٨﴾

68:18and they did not make any exception.⁶

فَطَافَ عَلَيْهَا طَآئِفٌۭ مِّن رَّبِّكَ وَهُمْ نَآئِمُونَ﴿١٩﴾

68:19Then, a visitation from your Lord visited it while they were asleep.

فَأَصْبَحَتْ كَٱلصَّرِيمِ﴿٢٠﴾

68:20So, by dawn it was like a harvested field.

فَتَنَادَوْا۟ مُصْبِحِينَ﴿٢١﴾

68:21At dawn they called out to one another,

أَنِ ٱغْدُوا۟ عَلَىٰ حَرْثِكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ صَٰرِمِينَ﴿٢٢﴾

68:22‘Get off early to your field if you have to gather [the fruits].’⁷

فَٱنطَلَقُوا۟ وَهُمْ يَتَخَٰفَتُونَ﴿٢٣﴾

68:23So off they went, murmuring to one another:

أَن لَّا يَدْخُلَنَّهَا ٱلْيَوْمَ عَلَيْكُم مِّسْكِينٌۭ﴿٢٤﴾

68:24‘Today no needy man shall come to you in it.’

وَغَدَوْا۟ عَلَىٰ حَرْدٍۢ قَٰدِرِينَ﴿٢٥﴾

68:25And they set out at early morning, [considering themselves] able to deprive [the poor of its fruit].⁸

فَلَمَّا رَأَوْهَا قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّا لَضَآلُّونَ﴿٢٦﴾

68:26But when they saw it, they said, ‘We have indeed lost our way!’

بَلْ نَحْنُ مَحْرُومُونَ﴿٢٧﴾

68:27‘No, it is we who have been deprived!’

قَالَ أَوْسَطُهُمْ أَلَمْ أَقُل لَّكُمْ لَوْلَا تُسَبِّحُونَ﴿٢٨﴾

68:28The most upright among them said, ‘Did I not tell you, ‘‘Why do you not glorify [Allah]?’’ ’⁹

قَالُوا۟ سُبْحَٰنَ رَبِّنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا ظَٰلِمِينَ﴿٢٩﴾

68:29They said, ‘Immaculate is our Lord! We have indeed been wrongdoers!’

فَأَقْبَلَ بَعْضُهُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍۢ يَتَلَٰوَمُونَ﴿٣٠﴾

68:30Then they turned to one another, blaming each other.

قَالُوا۟ يَٰوَيْلَنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا طَٰغِينَ﴿٣١﴾

68:31They said, ‘Woe to us! Indeed, we have been rebellious.