ا و ل

وَأَنَّهُۥٓ أَهْلَكَ عَادًا ٱلْأُولَىٰ

that it was He who destroyed, in their entirety, ancient 'Ad

هَـٰذَا نَذِيرٌ مِّنَ ٱلنُّذُرِ ٱلْأُولَىٰٓ

This is a warning just like the warnings sent in former times.

إِنَّآ أَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ حَاصِبًا إِلَّآ ءَالَ لُوطٍ ۖ نَّجَّيْنَـٰهُم بِسَحَرٍ

We released a stonebearing wind against them, all except the family of Lot. We saved them before dawn

وَلَقَدْ جَآءَ ءَالَ فِرْعَوْنَ ٱلنُّذُرُ

The people of Pharaoh also received warnings.

ثُلَّةٌ مِّنَ ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ

many from the past

ثُلَّةٌ مِّنَ ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ

many from the past

أَوَءَابَآؤُنَا ٱلْأَوَّلُونَ

And our earliest forefathers too?’

قُلْ إِنَّ ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ وَٱلْـَٔاخِرِينَ

Say [Prophet], ‘The earliest and latest generations

وَلَقَدْ عَلِمْتُمُ ٱلنَّشْأَةَ ٱلْأُولَىٰ فَلَوْلَا تَذَكَّرُونَ

You have learned how you were first created: will you not reflect?

هُوَ ٱلْأَوَّلُ وَٱلْـَٔاخِرُ وَٱلظَّـٰهِرُ وَٱلْبَاطِنُ ۖ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَلِيمٌ

He is the First and the Last; the Outer and the Inner; He has knowledge of all things.

هُوَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَخْرَجَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ مِنْ أَهْلِ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ مِن دِيَـٰرِهِمْ لِأَوَّلِ ٱلْحَشْرِ ۚ مَا ظَنَنتُمْ أَن يَخْرُجُوا۟ ۖ وَظَنُّوٓا۟ أَنَّهُم مَّانِعَتُهُمْ حُصُونُهُم مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ فَأَتَىٰهُمُ ٱللَّهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَمْ يَحْتَسِبُوا۟ ۖ وَقَذَفَ فِى قُلُوبِهِمُ ٱلرُّعْبَ ۚ يُخْرِبُونَ بُيُوتَهُم بِأَيْدِيهِمْ وَأَيْدِى ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ فَٱعْتَبِرُوا۟ يَـٰٓأُو۟لِى ٱلْأَبْصَـٰرِ

It was He who drove those of the People of the Book who broke faith out from their homes at the first gathering of forces––you [believers] never thought they would go, and they themselves thought their fortifications would protect them against God. God came up on them from where they least expected and put panic into their hearts: their homes were destroyed by their own hands, and the hands of the believers. Learn from this, all of you with insight!

إِذَا تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِ ءَايَـٰتُنَا قَالَ أَسَـٰطِيرُ ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ

when our revelations are recited to him, he says, ‘These are just ancient fables.’

أَلَمْ نُهْلِكِ ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ

Did We not destroy the first [of them]?

هَـٰذَا يَوْمُ ٱلْفَصْلِ ۖ جَمَعْنَـٰكُمْ وَٱلْأَوَّلِينَ

[They will be told], ‘This is the Day of Decision: We have gathered you and earlier generations.

فَأَخَذَهُ ٱللَّهُ نَكَالَ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ وَٱلْأُولَىٰٓ

so God condemned him to punishment in the life to come as well as in this life:

إِذَا تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِ ءَايَـٰتُنَا قَالَ أَسَـٰطِيرُ ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ

when Our revelations are recited to him, he says, ‘Ancient fables!’

إِنَّ هَـٰذَا لَفِى ٱلصُّحُفِ ٱلْأُولَىٰ

All this is in the earlier scriptures,

وَإِنَّ لَنَا لَلْـَٔاخِرَةَ وَٱلْأُولَىٰ

this world and the next belong to Us––

وَلَلْـَٔاخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ لَّكَ مِنَ ٱلْأُولَىٰ

and the future will be better for you than the past;