وَما أَدراكَ مَا الحاقَّةُ
And what can make you know what is the Inevitable Reality?
كَذَّبَت ثَمودُ وَعادٌ بِالقارِعَةِ
Thamud and 'Aad denied the Striking Calamity.
فَأَمّا ثَمودُ فَأُهلِكوا بِالطّاغِيَةِ
So as for Thamud, they were destroyed by the overpowering [blast].
وَأَمّا عادٌ فَأُهلِكوا بِريحٍ صَرصَرٍ عاتِيَةٍ
And as for 'Aad, they were destroyed by a screaming, violent wind
سَخَّرَها عَلَيهِم سَبعَ لَيالٍ وَثَمانِيَةَ أَيّامٍ حُسومًا فَتَرَى القَومَ فيها صَرعىٰ كَأَنَّهُم أَعجازُ نَخلٍ خاوِيَةٍ
Which Allah imposed upon them for seven nights and eight days in succession, so you would see the people therein fallen as if they were hollow trunks of palm trees.