And remember the brother of ’Ȃd, when he warned his people, who inhabited the sand-hills1—there were certainly warners before and after him—˹saying,˺ “Worship none but Allah. I truly fear for you the torment of a tremendous day.”
46:21
They argued, “Have you come to turn us away from our gods? Bring us then whatever you threaten us with, if what you say is true.”
46:22
He responded, “The knowledge ˹of its time˺ is only with Allah. I only convey to you what I have been sent with. But I can see that you are a people acting ignorantly.”
46:23
Then when they saw the torment as a ˹dense˺ cloud approaching their valleys, they said ˹happily˺, “This is a cloud bringing us rain.” ˹But Hûd replied,˺ “No, it is what you sought to hasten: a ˹fierce˺ wind carrying a painful punishment!”
46:24
It destroyed everything by the command of its Lord, leaving nothing visible except their ruins. This is how We reward the wicked people.
46:25
Indeed, We had established them1 in a way We have not established you ˹Meccans˺. And We gave them hearing, sight, and intellect. But neither their hearing, sight, nor intellect were of any benefit to them whatsoever, since they persisted in denying Allah’s signs. And ˹so˺ they were overwhelmed by what they used to ridicule.
46:26
We certainly destroyed the societies around you after having varied the signs so perhaps they would return ˹to the Right Path˺.
46:27
Why then were they not helped by those ˹idols˺ they took as gods besides Allah, hoping to get closer ˹to Him˺? Instead, they failed them. That is ˹the result of˺ their lies and their fabrications.
46:28