his people said, ‘ If ye follow Sho′hâib, verily, ye shall be the losers;’ then there took them the earthquake, and in the morning they lay in their dwellings prone. 90 Those who called Sho′hâib a liar, (were) as though they had not dwelt therein ! — Those who called Sho′hâib a liar, they were the losers then ! And he turned away from them and said, ‘ O my people ! I preached to you the messages of my Lord, and I gave you good advice ; how should I be vexed for a people who do misbelieve ?’
We have not sent unto a city any prophet except we overtook the people thereof with trouble and distress, that haply they might humble themselves ; and then did we give them, in exchange for evil, good, until they increased and said, ‘ Distress and joy both touched our fathers;’ then we overtook them suddenly ere they could perceive. — Had the people of the town but believed and feared, we would have opened up for them blessings from the heavens and from the earth ; but they said it was a lie, so we overtook them for that which they had earned.
95 Were the people of these cities then secure that our violence would not come on them by night, while they slept ? were the people of these cities secure that our violence would not come on them in the morning whilst they played ? were they secure from the craft of God ? none feel secure from the craft of God except a people that shall lose.
Is it not shown to those who inherit the earth after its (former) people, that, did we please, we would smite[1] them in their sins, and would set a stamp upon their hearts, and then they should not hear ?
- ↑ The word is used of an arrow that hits a mark, and hence of any sudden calamity that falls on a man.
