Then after him We sent
(Many) apostles to their Peoples:
They brought them Clear Signs,
But they would not believe
What they had already rejected
Beforehand. Thus do We seal
The hearts of the transgressors.
Such were the ’Ād People:
They rejected the Signs
Of their Lord and Cherisher;
Disobeyed His Apostles;
And followed the command
Of every powerful, obstinate
Transgressor.
(The Messengers) said: "O Lūt
We are Messengers from thy Lord!
By no means shall they
Reach thee! Now travel
With thy family while yet
A part of the night remains,
And let not any of you
Look back: but thy wife
(Will remain behind):
To her will happen
What happens to the people.
Morning is their time appointed:
Is not the morning nigh?"
All that we relate to thee
Of the stories of the apostles,—
With it We make firm
Thy heart: in them there cometh
To thee the Truth, as well as
An exhortation and a message
Of remembrance to those who believe.
So the king said:
"Bring ye him unto me."
But when the messenger
Came to him, (Joseph) said:
"Go thou back to thy lord,
And ask him, "What is
The state of mind
Of the ladies
Who cut their hands?"
For my Lord is
Certainly well aware
Of their snare."
(Respite will be granted)
Until, when the apostles
Give up hope (of their people)
And (come to) think that they
Were treated as liars,
There reaches them Our help,
And those whom We will
Are delivered into safety.
But never will be warded off
Our punishment from those
Who are in sin.
We did send apostles
Before thee, and appointed
For them wives and children:
And it was never the part
Of an apostle to bring a Sign
Except as God permitted
(Or commanded). For each period
Is a Book (revealed).
We sent not an apostle
Except (to teach) in the language
Of his (own) people, in order
To make (things) clear to them.
Now God leaves straying
Those whom He pleases
And guides whom He pleases:
And He is Exalted in Power,
Full of Wisdom.
Has not the story
Reached you, (O people!), of those
Who (went) before you?—
Of the People of Noah,
And ’Ād, and Thamūd?—
And of those who (came)
After them? None knows them
But God. To them came
Apostles with Clear (Signs);
But they put their hands
Up to their mouths, and said:
"We do deny (the mission)
On which ye have been sent,
And we are really
In suspicious (disquieting) doubt
As to that to which
Ye invite us."
Their apostles said: "Is there
A doubt about God,
The Creator of the heavens
And the earth? It is He
Who invites you, in order
That He may forgive you
Your sins and give you
Respite for a term appointed!"
They said: "Ah! ye are
No more than human,
Like ourselves! Ye wish
To turn us away from
The (gods) our fathers
Used to worship: then
Bring us some clear authority."
Their apostles said to them:
"True, we are human
Like yourselves, but God
Doth grant His grace
To such of His servants
As He pleases. It is not
For us to bring you
An authority except as God
Permits. And on God
Let all men of faith
Put their trust.
And the Unbelievers said
To their apostles: "Be sure
We shall drive you out
Of our land, or ye shall
Return to our religion."
But their Lord inspired
(This Message) to them:
"Verily We shall cause
The wrong-doers to perish!
So warn mankind
Of the Day when the Wrath
Will reach them: then will
The wrong-doers say: "Our Lord!
Respite us (if only)
For a short Term: we will
Answer Thy Call, and follow
The apostles!"
"What! were ye not wont
To swear aforetime that ye
Should suffer no decline?
The worshippers of false gods
Say: "If God had so willed,
We should not have worshipped
Aught but Him—neither we
Nor our fathers,—nor should
We have prescribed prohibitions
Other than His." So did those
Who went before them.
But what is the mission
Of apostles but to preach
The Clear Message?