[18:54]
And verily We have
displayed for mankind in this Qur’an all manner of similitudes, but man is more
than anything contentious.
[18:55]
And naught hindereth mankind from believing when
the guidance cometh unto them, and from asking forgiveness of their Lord unless
(it be that they wish) that the judgment of the men of old should come upon
them or (that) they should be confronted with the Doom.
[18:56]
We send not the messengers save as bearers of
good news and warners. Those who disbelieve contend with falsehood in order to
refute the Truth thereby. And they take Our
revelations and that wherewith they are threatened as a jest.
[18:57]
And who doth greater wrong than he who hath been
reminded of the revelations of his Lord, yet turneth away from them and
forgetteth what his hands send forward (to the Judgment) ? Lo! on their hearts We have placed coverings so that they
understand not, and in their ears a deafness. And though thou call them to the
guidance, in that case they can never be led aright.
[18:58]
Thy Lord is the Forgiver, Full of Mercy. If He
took them to task (now) for what they earn, He would hasten on the doom for
them; but theirs is an appointed term from which they will find no escape.
[18:59]
And (all) those townships! We destroyed them
when they did wrong, and We appointed a fixed time for
their destruction.
[18:60]
And when Moses said unto his servant: I will not
give up until I reach the point where the two rivers meet, though I march on
for ages.
[18:61]
And when they reached the point where the two
met, they forgot their fish, and it took its way into the waters, being free.