God is the One who holds the heavens and the earth, lest they vanish. If anyone else is to hold them, they will most certainly vanish. He is Clement, Forgiving.
إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُمسِكُ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَالأَرضَ أَن تَزولا وَلَئِن زالَتا إِن أَمسَكَهُما مِن أَحَدٍ مِن بَعدِهِ إِنَّهُ كانَ حَليمًا غَفورًا
innal laaha yumsikus samaawaati wal arda an tazoolaaa; wa la’in zaalataaa in amsa kahumaa min ahadim mim ba’dih; innahoo kaana Haleeman Ghafooraa
(Putting Them to the Test)
They swore by God solemnly that if a warner went to them, they would be better guided than a certain congregation! However, now that the warner did come to them, this only plunged them deeper into aversion.
وَأَقسَموا بِاللَّهِ جَهدَ أَيمٰنِهِم لَئِن جاءَهُم نَذيرٌ لَيَكونُنَّ أَهدىٰ مِن إِحدَى الأُمَمِ فَلَمّا جاءَهُم نَذيرٌ ما زادَهُم إِلّا نُفورًا
wa aqsamoo billaahi jahda aymaanihim la’in jaaa’ahum nazeerul layakoonunna ahdaa min ihdal umami falam maa jaaa’ahum nazeerum maa zaadahum illaa nufooraa
They resorted to arrogance on earth, and evil scheming, and the evil schemes only backfire on those who scheme them. Should they then expect anything but the fate of those who did the same things in the past? You will find that God’s system is never changeable; you will find that God’s system is immutable.
استِكبارًا فِى الأَرضِ وَمَكرَ السَّيِّئِ وَلا يَحيقُ المَكرُ السَّيِّئُ إِلّا بِأَهلِهِ فَهَل يَنظُرونَ إِلّا سُنَّتَ الأَوَّلينَ فَلَن تَجِدَ لِسُنَّتِ اللَّهِ تَبديلًا وَلَن تَجِدَ لِسُنَّتِ اللَّهِ تَحويلًا
istikbaaran fil ardi wa makras sayyi’; wa laa yaheequl makrus sayyi’u illaa bi ahlih; fahal yanzuroona illaa sunnatal awwaleen; falan tajida lisunnatil laahi tabdeelanw wa lan tajida lisunnatil laahi tahweela
Have they not roamed the earth and noted the consequences for those who preceded them? They were even stronger than they. Nothing can be hidden from God in the heavens, nor on earth. He is Omniscient, Omnipotent.
أَوَلَم يَسيروا فِى الأَرضِ فَيَنظُروا كَيفَ كانَ عٰقِبَةُ الَّذينَ مِن قَبلِهِم وَكانوا أَشَدَّ مِنهُم قُوَّةً وَما كانَ اللَّهُ لِيُعجِزَهُ مِن شَىءٍ فِى السَّمٰوٰتِ وَلا فِى الأَرضِ إِنَّهُ كانَ عَليمًا قَديرًا
awalam yaseeroo fil ardi fa yanzuroo kaifa kaana ‘aaqibatul lazeena min Qablihim wa kaanoo ashadda minhum quwwah; wa maa kaanal laahu liyu’jizahoo min shai’in fis samaawaati wa laa fil ard; innahoo kaana ‘Aleeman Qadeeraa
If God punished the people for their sins, He would not leave a single creature on earth. But He respites them for a predetermined interim. Once their interim is fulfilled, then God is Seer of His servants.
وَلَو يُؤاخِذُ اللَّهُ النّاسَ بِما كَسَبوا ما تَرَكَ عَلىٰ ظَهرِها مِن دابَّةٍ وَلٰكِن يُؤَخِّرُهُم إِلىٰ أَجَلٍ مُسَمًّى فَإِذا جاءَ أَجَلُهُم فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ كانَ بِعِبادِهِ بَصيرًا
wa law yu’aakhizul laahun naasa bima kasaboo maa taraka ‘alaa zahrihaa min daaabbatinw wa laakiny yu’akhkhiruhum ilaaa ajalim musamman fa izaa jaaa’a ajaluhum fa innal laaha kaana bi’ibaadihee Baseeraa