When they are told, “Do not commit evil,” they say, “But we are righteous!”
وَإِذا قيلَ لَهُم لا تُفسِدوا فِى الأَرضِ قالوا إِنَّما نَحنُ مُصلِحونَ
wa izaa qeela lahum laa tufsidoo fil ardi qaalooo innamaa nahnu muslihoon
When they are told, “Do not commit evil,” they say, “But we are righteous!”
وَإِذا قيلَ لَهُم لا تُفسِدوا فِى الأَرضِ قالوا إِنَّما نَحنُ مُصلِحونَ
wa izaa qeela lahum laa tufsidoo fil ardi qaalooo innamaa nahnu muslihoon
In fact, they are evildoers, but they do not perceive.
أَلا إِنَّهُم هُمُ المُفسِدونَ وَلٰكِن لا يَشعُرونَ
alaaa innahum humul mufsidoona wa laakil laa yash’uroon
When they are told, “Believe like the people who believed,” they say, “Shall we believe like the fools who believed?” In fact, it is they who are fools, but they do not know.
وَإِذا قيلَ لَهُم ءامِنوا كَما ءامَنَ النّاسُ قالوا أَنُؤمِنُ كَما ءامَنَ السُّفَهاءُ أَلا إِنَّهُم هُمُ السُّفَهاءُ وَلٰكِن لا يَعلَمونَ
wa izaa qeela lahum aaminoo kamaaa aamanan naasu qaalooo anu’minu kamaaa aamanas sufahaaa’; alaaa innahum humus sufahaaa’u wa laakil laa ya’lamoon
When they meet the believers, they say, “We believe,” but when alone with their devils, they say, “We are with you; we were only mocking.”
وَإِذا لَقُوا الَّذينَ ءامَنوا قالوا ءامَنّا وَإِذا خَلَوا إِلىٰ شَيٰطينِهِم قالوا إِنّا مَعَكُم إِنَّما نَحنُ مُستَهزِءونَ
wa izaa laqul lazeena aamanoo qaalooo aamannaa wa izaa khalaw ilaa shayaateenihim qaalooo innaa ma’akum innamaa nahnu mustahzi’oon
God mocks them, and leads them on in their transgressions, blundering.
اللَّهُ يَستَهزِئُ بِهِم وَيَمُدُّهُم فى طُغيٰنِهِم يَعمَهونَ
allahu yastahzi’u bihim wa yamudduhum fee tughyaanihim ya’mahoon
It is they who bought the straying, at the expense of guidance. Such trade never prospers, nor do they receive any guidance.
أُولٰئِكَ الَّذينَ اشتَرَوُا الضَّلٰلَةَ بِالهُدىٰ فَما رَبِحَت تِجٰرَتُهُم وَما كانوا مُهتَدينَ
ulaaa’ikal lazeenash tara wud dalaalata bilhudaa famaa rabihat tijaaratuhum wa maa kaanoo muhtadeen
Their example is like those who start a fire, then, as it begins to shed light around them, God takes away their light, leaving them in darkness, unable to see.
مَثَلُهُم كَمَثَلِ الَّذِى استَوقَدَ نارًا فَلَمّا أَضاءَت ما حَولَهُ ذَهَبَ اللَّهُ بِنورِهِم وَتَرَكَهُم فى ظُلُمٰتٍ لا يُبصِرونَ
masaluhum kamasalillazis tawqada naaran falammaaa adaaa’at maa hawlahoo zahabal laahu binoorihim wa tarakahum fee zulumaatil laa yubsiroon
Deaf, dumb, and blind; they fail to return.
صُمٌّ بُكمٌ عُمىٌ فَهُم لا يَرجِعونَ
summum bukmun ‘umyun fahum laa yarji’oon
Another example: a rainstorm from the sky in which there is darkness, thunder, and lightning. They put their fingers in their ears, to evade death. God is fully aware of the disbelievers.
أَو كَصَيِّبٍ مِنَ السَّماءِ فيهِ ظُلُمٰتٌ وَرَعدٌ وَبَرقٌ يَجعَلونَ أَصٰبِعَهُم فى ءاذانِهِم مِنَ الصَّوٰعِقِ حَذَرَ المَوتِ وَاللَّهُ مُحيطٌ بِالكٰفِرينَ
aw kasaiyibim minas samaaa’i feehi zulumaatunw wa ra’dunw wa barq, yaj’aloona asaabi’ahum feee aazaanihim minas sawaa’iqi hazaral mawt’ wallaahu muheetum bilkaafireen
(The Light of Faith)
The lightning almost snatches away their eyesight. When it lights for them, they move forward, and when it turns dark, they stand still. If God wills, He* can take away their hearing and their eyesight. God is Omnipotent.
يَكادُ البَرقُ يَخطَفُ أَبصٰرَهُم كُلَّما أَضاءَ لَهُم مَشَوا فيهِ وَإِذا أَظلَمَ عَلَيهِم قاموا وَلَو شاءَ اللَّهُ لَذَهَبَ بِسَمعِهِم وَأَبصٰرِهِم إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلىٰ كُلِّ شَىءٍ قَديرٌ
yakaadul barqu yakhtafu absaarahum kullamaaa adaaa’a lahum mashaw feehi wa izaaa azlama ‘alaihim qaamoo; wa law shaaa’al laahu lazahaba bisam’ihim wa absaarihim; innal laaha ‘alaa kulli shai’in Qadeer
*2:20 “He” and “she” do not necessarily imply natural gender in Arabic (Appendix 4).