Verses 3–18

أَنِ ٱعْبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَٱتَّقُوهُ وَأَطِيعُونِ﴿٣﴾

71:3Worship Allah and be wary of Him, and obey me,

يَغْفِرْ لَكُم مِّن ذُنُوبِكُمْ وَيُؤَخِّرْكُمْ إِلَىٰٓ أَجَلٍۢ مُّسَمًّى ۚ إِنَّ أَجَلَ ٱللَّهِ إِذَا جَآءَ لَا يُؤَخَّرُ ۖ لَوْ كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ﴿٤﴾

71:4that He may forgive you some of your sins and respite you until a specified time. Indeed when Allah’s [appointed] time comes, it cannot be deferred, if you know.’¹

قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّى دَعَوْتُ قَوْمِى لَيْلًۭا وَنَهَارًۭا﴿٥﴾

71:5He said, ‘My Lord! Indeed, I have summoned my people night and day

فَلَمْ يَزِدْهُمْ دُعَآءِىٓ إِلَّا فِرَارًۭا﴿٦﴾

71:6but my summons only increases their evasion.²

وَإِنِّى كُلَّمَا دَعَوْتُهُمْ لِتَغْفِرَ لَهُمْ جَعَلُوٓا۟ أَصَٰبِعَهُمْ فِىٓ ءَاذَانِهِمْ وَٱسْتَغْشَوْا۟ ثِيَابَهُمْ وَأَصَرُّوا۟ وَٱسْتَكْبَرُوا۟ ٱسْتِكْبَارًۭا﴿٧﴾

71:7Indeed whenever I have summoned them, so that You might forgive them, they would put their fingers into their ears and draw their cloaks over their heads, and they were persistent [in their unfaith], and disdainful in [their] arrogance.³⁴

ثُمَّ إِنِّى دَعَوْتُهُمْ جِهَارًۭا﴿٨﴾

71:8Again I summoned them aloud,

ثُمَّ إِنِّىٓ أَعْلَنتُ لَهُمْ وَأَسْرَرْتُ لَهُمْ إِسْرَارًۭا﴿٩﴾

71:9and again appealed to them publicly and confided with them privately,

فَقُلْتُ ٱسْتَغْفِرُوا۟ رَبَّكُمْ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ غَفَّارًۭا﴿١٠﴾

71:10telling [them]: ‘‘Plead to your Lord for forgiveness. Indeed, He is all-forgiving.

يُرْسِلِ ٱلسَّمَآءَ عَلَيْكُم مِّدْرَارًۭا﴿١١﴾

71:11He will send for you abundant rains from the sky,⁵

وَيُمْدِدْكُم بِأَمْوَٰلٍۢ وَبَنِينَ وَيَجْعَل لَّكُمْ جَنَّٰتٍۢ وَيَجْعَل لَّكُمْ أَنْهَٰرًۭا﴿١٢﴾

71:12and aid you with wealth and sons, and provide you with gardens and provide you with streams.

مَّا لَكُمْ لَا تَرْجُونَ لِلَّهِ وَقَارًۭا﴿١٣﴾

71:13What is the matter with you that you do not look upon Allah with veneration,

وَقَدْ خَلَقَكُمْ أَطْوَارًا﴿١٤﴾

71:14though He has created you in [various] stages?⁶

أَلَمْ تَرَوْا۟ كَيْفَ خَلَقَ ٱللَّهُ سَبْعَ سَمَٰوَٰتٍۢ طِبَاقًۭا﴿١٥﴾

71:15Have you not seen how Allah has created the seven heavens in layers,⁷

وَجَعَلَ ٱلْقَمَرَ فِيهِنَّ نُورًۭا وَجَعَلَ ٱلشَّمْسَ سِرَاجًۭا﴿١٦﴾

71:16and has made therein the moon for a light and the sun for a lamp?

وَٱللَّهُ أَنۢبَتَكُم مِّنَ ٱلْأَرْضِ نَبَاتًۭا﴿١٧﴾

71:17Allah made you grow from the earth, with a [vegetable] growth.

ثُمَّ يُعِيدُكُمْ فِيهَا وَيُخْرِجُكُمْ إِخْرَاجًۭا﴿١٨﴾

71:18Then He makes you return to it, and He will bring you forth [without fail].