وَإِذا قيلَ لَهُم لا تُفسِدوا فِي الأَرضِ قالوا إِنَّما نَحنُ مُصلِحونَ

And when it is said to them, "Do not cause corruption on the earth," they say, "We are but reformers."

أَلا إِنَّهُم هُمُ المُفسِدونَ وَلـٰكِن لا يَشعُرونَ

Unquestionably, it is they who are the corrupters, but they perceive [it] not.

وَإِذا قيلَ لَهُم آمِنوا كَما آمَنَ النّاسُ قالوا أَنُؤمِنُ كَما آمَنَ السُّفَهاءُ ۗ أَلا إِنَّهُم هُمُ السُّفَهاءُ وَلـٰكِن لا يَعلَمونَ

And when it is said to them, "Believe as the people have believed," they say, "Should we believe as the foolish have believed?" Unquestionably, it is they who are the foolish, but they know [it] not.

وَإِذا لَقُوا الَّذينَ آمَنوا قالوا آمَنّا وَإِذا خَلَوا إِلىٰ شَياطينِهِم قالوا إِنّا مَعَكُم إِنَّما نَحنُ مُستَهزِئونَ

And when they meet those who believe, they say, "We believe"; but when they are alone with their evil ones, they say, "Indeed, we are with you; we were only mockers."

اللَّهُ يَستَهزِئُ بِهِم وَيَمُدُّهُم في طُغيانِهِم يَعمَهونَ

[But] Allah mocks them and prolongs them in their transgression [while] they wander blindly.

مَثَلُهُم كَمَثَلِ الَّذِي استَوقَدَ نارًا فَلَمّا أَضاءَت ما حَولَهُ ذَهَبَ اللَّهُ بِنورِهِم وَتَرَكَهُم في ظُلُماتٍ لا يُبصِرونَ

Their example is that of one who kindled a fire, but when it illuminated what was around him, Allah took away their light and left them in darkness [so] they could not see.

صُمٌّ بُكمٌ عُميٌ فَهُم لا يَرجِعونَ

Deaf, dumb and blind - so they will not return [to the right path].

أَو كَصَيِّبٍ مِنَ السَّماءِ فيهِ ظُلُماتٌ وَرَعدٌ وَبَرقٌ يَجعَلونَ أَصابِعَهُم في آذانِهِم مِنَ الصَّواعِقِ حَذَرَ المَوتِ ۚ وَاللَّهُ مُحيطٌ بِالكافِرينَ

Or [it is] like a rainstorm from the sky within which is darkness, thunder and lightning. They put their fingers in their ears against the thunderclaps in dread of death. But Allah is encompassing of the disbelievers.

يَكادُ البَرقُ يَخطَفُ أَبصارَهُم ۖ كُلَّما أَضاءَ لَهُم مَشَوا فيهِ وَإِذا أَظلَمَ عَلَيهِم قاموا ۚ وَلَو شاءَ اللَّهُ لَذَهَبَ بِسَمعِهِم وَأَبصارِهِم ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلىٰ كُلِّ شَيءٍ قَديرٌ

The lightning almost snatches away their sight. Every time it lights [the way] for them, they walk therein; but when darkness comes over them, they stand [still]. And if Allah had willed, He could have taken away their hearing and their sight. Indeed, Allah is over all things competent.

يا أَيُّهَا النّاسُ اعبُدوا رَبَّكُمُ الَّذي خَلَقَكُم وَالَّذينَ مِن قَبلِكُم لَعَلَّكُم تَتَّقونَ

O mankind, worship your Lord, who created you and those before you, that you may become righteous -