Al-Furqan Verse 40

They have certainly passed by the city ˹of Sodom˺, which had been showered with a dreadful rain ˹of stones˺. Have they not seen its ruins? But they do not expect to be resurrected.

They have surely passed by the town that was destroyed by a terrible rain [of stones]. Have they not seen it? But they do not expect to be resurrected.

Surely they have come by the city that was rained on by an evil rain; what, have they not seen it? Nay, but they look for no upraising.

These disbelievers must have passed by the town that was destroyed by the terrible rain––did they not see it? Yet they do not expect to be raised from the dead.

And assuredly they have gone by the township whereon was rained the evil rain. Are they not wont to see it? Aye! they expect not Resurrection.

And the (Unbelievers) must indeed have passed by the town on which was rained a shower of evil; did they not then see it (with their own eyes)? But they fear not the Resurrection.

Surely, these people have passed by that habitation on which was rained an evil rain: have they not seen its ruins? But they do not expect another life in the Hereafter.

They must have surely passed by the town on which We had rained the terrible rain of ruin. How could they not have seen it? Still they do not dread the Resurrection.

And indeed they have visited the township upon which had rained a harmful rain; so were they not seeing it? In fact, they never expected to be raised again.

Certainly they must have passed the town on which an evil shower was rained. Have they not seen it? Rather, they did not expect resurrection [to happen].

And they (in Makkah who now persist in unbelief) have surely come across the land (of the Prophet Lot) upon which was rained a rain of evil. Have they, then, never seen it (with an eye to take heed)? No, they have no expectation of being raised after death (and so they pay no heed to any warning).

And certainly these (Makkan disbelievers) pass by the (ruined) township (of Sodom situated on the highway between Arabia and Syria) which suffered a painful rain (of stones). Have they not been seeing (the ruins of) this (township of the people of Lot). Why, they have been, (but the reason behind their refusal is) they do not (believe and) expect not to be resurrected (after death and to be called to account for their deeds).

And they had come/passed by on (to) the village/urban city which was rained the fire`s/harm`s rain, where they not being seeing it? But they were not hoping/expecting revival/resurrection.

And indeed they have visited the township upon which had rained a harmful rain; so were they not seeing it? In fact, they never expected to be raised again.

For each of them We set forth parables and examples, and each one have We utterly ruined.

And indeed they have passed by the town [of Prophet Lout (Lot)] on which was rained the evil rain. Did they (disbelievers) not then see it (with their own eyes)? Nay! But they used not to expect for any resurrection.

And to each We gave examples and each did We destroy with utter destruction.

And certainly they have (often) passed by the town on which was rained an evil rain; did they not then see it? Nay! they did not hope to be raised again.

And indeed they have passed by the township whereon was rained the fatal rain. Can it be that they have not seen it? Nay, but they hope for no resurrection.

Our Messengers came into the town which was struck by a fatal rain. Did they (unbelievers), not see what had happened to this town? In fact, they had no faith in the Resurrection.

They have surely passed by the village which was rained upon by evil rain (of stones); what, have they never seen it? No, they look for no resurrection.

And indeed they have passed by the town on which was rained the evil rain. Did they not then see it Nay! But they used not to expect any resurrection.

Indeed they must have come upon the town on which an evil rain had poured down. Did they not see it? Yet they have no faith in the Resurrection.

And they came upon the city that was drenched by the terrible rain. Did they not see it? But they do not expect resurrection.

And verily they, namely, the disbelievers of Mecca, will have passed by the town on which an evil shower was rained (al-saw', `evil', is the verbal noun from s'a, `was evil'), that is, [it was showered] with stones. This was the principal town of the towns inhabited by the people of Lot; God destroyed its inhabitants for their committing acts of lewdness. Can it be that they have not seen it?, on their journeys to Syria, and so take heed thereof? (the interrogative is affirmative). Nay, but it is that they do not expect, they have [no] fear of [any], resurrection, and so they do not believe.

وَلَقَدْ أَتَوْا عَلَى الْقَرْيَةِ الَّتِي أُمْطِرَتْ مَطَرَ السَّوْءِ

And indeed they have passed by the town on which was rained the evil rain.

refers to the town of the people of Lut, which was called Sodom, and the way in which Allah dealt with it, when He destroyed it by turning it upside down and by sending upon it the rain of stones of baked clay, as Allah says;

وَأَمْطَرْنَا عَلَيْهِم مَّطَراً فَسَأءَ مَطَرُ الْمُنذَرِينَ

And We rained on them a rain. And how evil was the rain of those who had been warned! (26;176)

وَإِنَّكُمْ لَّتَمُرُّونَ عَلَيْهِمْ مُّصْبِحِينَ

وَبِالَّيْلِ أَفَلَ تَعْقِلُونَ

Verily, you pass by them in the morning. And at night; will you not then reflect! (37;137-138)

وَإِنَّهَا لَبِسَبِيلٍ مُّقِيمٍ

And verily, they were right on the highroad. (15;76)

وَإِنَّهُمَا لَبِإِمَامٍ مُّبِينٍ

They are both on an open highway, plain to see. (15;79)

Allah says;

أَفَلَمْ يَكُونُوا يَرَوْنَهَا

Did they not then see it!

meaning, so that they might learn a lesson from what happened to its inhabitants of punishment for denying the Messenger and going against the commands of Allah.

بَلْ كَانُوا لَا يَرْجُونَ نُشُورًا



Nay! But they used not to expect any resurrection.

means, the disbelievers who passed by it did not learn any lesson, because they did not expect any resurrection, i.e., on the Day of Judgement