Surah Al-Qaşaş (The Stories) in English

1. ولقد وصلنا لهم القول لعلهم يتذكرون

   51

   Certainly We have carried on this discourse for them so that they may take admonition.

   wa-la-qad waṣṣalnā lahumu l-qawla laʿallahum yatadhakkarūna

2. الذين آتيناهم الكتاب من قبله هم به يؤمنون

   52

   Those to whom We gave the Book before it are the ones who believe in it,

   alladhīna ʾātaynāhumu l-kitāba min qablihī hum bihī yuʾminūna

3. وإذا يتلى عليهم قالوا آمنا به إنه الحق من ربنا إنا كنا من قبله مسلمين

   53

   and when it is recited to them, they say, ‘We believe in it. It is indeed the truth from our Lord. Indeed we were Muslims [even] before it [came].’

   wa-ʾidhā yutlā ʿalayhim qālū ʾāmannā bihī ʾinnahu l-ḥaqqu min rabbinā ʾinnā kunnā min qablihī muslimīna

4. أولئك يؤتون أجرهم مرتين بما صبروا ويدرءون بالحسنة السيئة ومما رزقناهم ينفقون

   54

   Those will be given their reward two times for their patience. They repel evil [conduct] with good, and spend out of what We have provided them,

   ʾulāʾika yuʾtawna ʾajrahum marratayni bi-mā ṣabarū wa-yadraʾūna bi-l-ḥasanati s-sayyiʾata wa-mimmā razaqnāhum yunfiqūna

5. وإذا سمعوا اللغو أعرضوا عنه وقالوا لنا أعمالنا ولكم أعمالكم سلام عليكم لا نبتغي الجاهلين

   55

   and when they hear vain talk, they avoid it and say, ‘Our deeds belong to us, and your deeds belong to you. Peace be to you. We do not court the ignorant.’

   wa-ʾidhā samiʿū l-laghwa ʾaʿraḍū ʿanhu wa-qālū lanā ʾaʿmālunā wa-lakum ʾaʿmālukum salāmun ʿalaykum lā nabtaghī l-jāhilīna

6. إنك لا تهدي من أحببت ولكن الله يهدي من يشاء وهو أعلم بالمهتدين

   56

   You cannot guide whomever you wish, but [it is] Allah [who] guides whomever He wishes, and He knows best those who are guided.

   ʾinnaka lā tahdī man ʾaḥbabta wa-lākinna llāha yahdī man yashāʾu wa-huwa ʾaʿlamu bi-l-muhtadīna

7. وقالوا إن نتبع الهدى معك نتخطف من أرضنا أولم نمكن لهم حرما آمنا يجبى إليه ثمرات كل شيء رزقا من لدنا ولكن أكثرهم لا يعلمون

   57

   They say, ‘If we follow the guidance with you, we will be forced out of our territory.’ Did We not establish a secure sanctuary for them where fruits of all kinds are brought as a provision from Us? But most of them do not know.

   wa-qālū ʾin nattabiʿi l-hudā maʿaka nutakhaṭṭaf min ʾarḍinā ʾa-wa-lam numakkin lahum ḥaraman ʾāminan yujbā ʾilayhi thamarātu kulli shayʾin rizqan min ladunnā wa-lākinna ʾaktharahum lā yaʿlamūna

8. وكم أهلكنا من قرية بطرت معيشتها فتلك مساكنهم لم تسكن من بعدهم إلا قليلا وكنا نحن الوارثين

   58

   How many a town We have destroyed that exulted in its lifestyle! There lie their dwellings, uninhabited after them except by a few, and We were the [sole] inheritors.

   wa-kam ʾahlaknā min qaryatin baṭirat maʿīshatahā fa-tilka masākinuhum lam tuskan min baʿdihim ʾillā qalīlan wa-kunnā naḥnu l-wārithīna

9. وما كان ربك مهلك القرى حتى يبعث في أمها رسولا يتلو عليهم آياتنا وما كنا مهلكي القرى إلا وأهلها ظالمون

   59

   Your Lord would not destroy the towns until He had raised an apostle in their mother city to recite to them Our signs. We would never destroy the towns except when their people were wrongdoers.

   wa-mā kāna rabbuka muhlika l-qurā ḥattā yabʿatha fī ʾummihā rasūlan yatlū ʿalayhim ʾāyātinā wa-mā kunnā muhlikī l-qurā ʾillā wa-ʾahluhā ẓālimūna