The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics)

46: 34
The Sand Dunes 329
21 Mention [Hud] of the tribe of Ad: he warned his people among
the sand dunes – other warners have come and gone both before and
after him –‘ Worship no one but God: I fear for you, that you will be
punished on a terrible Day,’ 22 but they said, ‘Have you come to turn
us away from our gods? If what you say is true, bring down that
punishment you threaten us with!’ 23 He said, ‘Only God knows
when it will come: I simply convey to you the message I am sent with
but I can see you are an insolent people.’ 24 When they saw a cloud
approaching their valley, they said, ‘This cloud will give us rain!’ ‘No
indeed! It is what you wanted to hasten: a storm-wind bearing a
painful punishment 25 which will destroy everything by its Lord’s
command.’ In the morning there was nothing to see except their
[ruined] dwellings: this is how We repay the guilty.
26 We had established them in a way we have not established you
[people of Mecca]; We gave them hearing, sight, and hearts, yet their
hearing, sight, and hearts were of no use to them, since they denied
God’s revelations. They were overwhelmed by the punishment they
had mocked. 27 We have also destroyed other communities that once
flourished around you – We had given them various signs so that
they might return to the right way – 28 so why did their gods not help
them, those they set up as gods besides God to bring them nearer to
Him? No indeed! They failed them utterly: it was all a lie of their
own making.
29 We sent a group of jinn to you [Prophet] to listen to the Quran.
When they heard it, they said to one another, ‘Be quiet!’ Then when
it was finished they turned to their community and gave them
warning. 30 They said, ‘Our people, we have been listening to a
Scripture that came after Moses, confirming previous scriptures,
giving guidance to the truth and the straight path. 31 Our people,
respond to the one who calls you to God. Believe in Him: He will
forgive you your sins and protect you from a painful torment.’
32 Those who fail to respond to God’s call cannot escape God’s power
anywhere on earth, nor will they have any protector against Him:
such people have clearly gone far astray.
33 Do the disbelievers not understand that God, who created the
heavens and earth and did not tire in doing so, has the power to
bring the dead back to life? Yes indeed! He has power over everything.
34 On the Day the disbelievers are brought before Hell [it will
be said to them], ‘Is this not real?’ ‘Yes, by our Lord,’ they will reply