He placed firm stabilisers rising above its surface, blessed it with plenty and growth, and ingrained the means of growing its food within it, sufficient for all seekers, in four spans.
Thumma istawa ila alssamai wahiya dukhanun faqala laha walilardi itiya tawAAan aw karhan qalata atayna taiAAeena
English
Ahmed Ali
Then He turned to the heavens, and it was smoke. So He said to it and the earth: "Come with willing obedience or perforce." They said: "We come willingly."
Then He created several skies in two spans, and ingrained in each sky its function, decking the nearest heaven with lamps, and guarded it. This has been determined by the mighty and all-knowing.
Ith jaathumu alrrusulu min bayni aydeehim wamin khalfihim alla taAAbudoo illa Allaha qaloo law shaa rabbuna laanzala malaikatan fainna bima orsiltum bihi kafiroona
English
Ahmed Ali
Their apostles came to them one after the other (saying): "Do not worship any one but God." They said: "If our Lord had pleased He would have sent the angels down. We reject what is sent with you."
Faamma AAadun faistakbaroo fee alardi bighayri alhaqqi waqaloo man ashaddu minna quwwatan awalam yaraw anna Allaha allathee khalaqahum huwa ashaddu minhum quwwatan wakanoo biayatina yajhadoona
English
Ahmed Ali
So those who were 'Ad turned insolent unjustly in the land, and said: "Who is stronger than us?" Did they not see that God who created them was greater far in power than they? Yet they refused to believe Our signs.
So We let loose on them a violent wind for several days of distress to make them taste a most disgraceful punishment here in this world, and far more shameful will be the punishment in the Hereafter, and there will be no succour for them.
As for the (tribe of) Thamud, We tried to guide them, but they preferred blindness to guidance; then they were seized by the torment of a humiliating punishment as requital for their misdeeds;