The Holy Quran, tr. by Yusuf Ali, [1934], at sacred-texts.com
21. Waman athlamu mimmani iftara AAala Allahi kathiban aw kaththaba bi-ayatihi innahu la yuflihu alththalimoona
21. Who doth more wrong
Than he who inventeth
A lie against God
Or rejecteth His Signs?
But verily the wrong-doers
Never shall prosper.
22. Wayawma nahshuruhum jameeAAan thumma naqoolu lillatheena ashrakoo ayna shurakaokumu allatheena kuntum tazAAumoona
22. One day shall We gather
Them all together: We
Shall say to those
Who ascribed partners (to Us):
"Where are the partners
Whom ye (invented
And) talked about?"
23. Thumma lam takun fitnatuhum illa an qaloo waAllahi rabbina ma kunna mushrikeena
23. There will then be (left)
No subterfuge for them
But to say: "By God
Our Lord, we were not
Those who joined gods
With God."
24. Onthur kayfa kathaboo AAala anfusihim wadalla AAanhum ma kanoo yaftaroona
24. Behold! how they lie
Against their own souls!
But the (lie) which they
Invented will leave themes:
In the lurch.
25. Waminhum man yastamiAAu ilayka wajaAAalna AAala quloobihim akinnatan an yafqahoohu wafee athanihim waqran wa-in yaraw kulla ayatin la yu/minoo biha hatta itha jaooka yujadiloonaka yaqoolu allatheena kafaroo in hatha illa asateeru al-awwaleena
25. Of them there are some
Who (pretend to) listen to thee;
But We have thrown
Veils on their hearts,
So they understand it not,
And deafness in their ears;
If they saw every one
Of the Signs, not they
Will believe in them;
In so much that
When they come to thee,
They (but) dispute with thee;
The Unbelievers say:
"These are nothing
But tales of the ancients."
26. Wahum yanhawna AAanhu wayan-awna AAanhu wa-in yuhlikoona illa anfusahum wama yashAAuroona
26. Others they keep away from it,
And themselves they keep away;
But they only destroy
Their own souls,
And they perceive it not.
27. Walaw tara ith wuqifoo AAala alnnari faqaloo ya laytana nuraddu wala nukaththiba bi-ayati rabbina wanakoona mina almu/mineena
27. If thou couldst but see
When they are confronted
With the Fire!
They will say:
"Would that we were
But sent back!
Then would we not reject
The Signs of our Lord,
But would be amongst those
Who believe!"
28. Bal bada lahum ma kanoo yukhfoona min qablu walaw ruddoo laAAadoo lima nuhoo AAanhu wa-innahum lakathiboona
28. Yea, in their own (eyes)
Will become manifest
What before they concealed.
But if they were returned,
They would certainly relapse
To the things they were forbidden,
For they are indeed liars.
29. Waqaloo in hiya illa hayatuna alddunya wama nahnu bimabAAootheena
29. And they (sometimes) say:
"There is nothing except
Our life on this earth,
And never shall we be
Raised up again."
30. Walaw tara ith wuqifoo AAala rabbihim qala alaysa hatha bialhaqqi qaloo bala warabbina qala fathooqoo alAAathaba bima kuntum takfuroona
30. If thou couldst but see
When they are confronted
With their Lord!
He will say:
"Is not this the truth?"
They will say:
"Yea, by our Lord!"
He will say:
"Taste ye then the Penalty,
Because ye rejected Faith."